August 28, 2019... It was a GREAT day, until it wasn't. I woke up early. I smashed a HARD workout routine with my Beach Body crew - Morning Meltdown 100, I was on day 15 (highly recommend this, btw, even though I haven't been able to get back to it yet). I had HUGE goals at work and personally... I. WAS. KILLING. IT.
I was about 15 minutes from the office, prepping myself mentally for a strategic planning session to map out big areas for 2020. The next thing I knew, I felt the jarring impact. The impact was so hard, my phone was catapulted into the back seat. The items in my console were strewn all over the front of my car. I was angry - because, I had important things to do and I knew, by the impact, that my car was damaged. I knew I wasn't making it to work. I knew that I had a mess to clean up. I knew that I was blocking traffic...my neck hurt. My head hurt. Pretty sure I yelled F%$@ when it happened.
By the time the ambulance arrived, I wasn't sure what end was up. Somehow, I moved my car out of traffic. I texted my boss. I texted my other half. I called 911. Then it gets a bit fuzzy. I vaguely remember a first responder asking me if I could move my car out of the road - obviously that was a no. While I was talking, walking and otherwise not dead, I knew I didn't have it in me to move my car.
In the ambulance, I complained that my head hurt and I felt sick to my stomach. I complained that my neck and upper back were sore. Once in the ER, the nurses and PA stopped by, made jokes about how I'll feel like I was hit by a car when the adrenaline wore off. HA HA HA... no scans of my head. NO discussion of concussion protocol. Muscle relaxers, advil...and out the door I went. "It's whiplash"... no worries.
Only, it wasn't just whiplash. :(
I missed work that day. Took off the next couple days because I was sore. I was crazy tired. Definitely irritated with the world. I do remember that part clearly - then the blank moments happened, where memory is gone. It wasn't until I went back to work that following Tuesday that I realized something was very, VERY wrong.
I busted my ass once back to work to catch up on days of missed tasks. Made follow up calls to insurance, called my primary care for an appointment. My head was pounding once I got out of the office. Got home, went to bed, woke up in the middle of the night wanting to puke, dizzy and a massive headache.
OH. MY. GOD... this is a concussion. I have a concussion... WTF. I thought back on questions from my team, "what's your concussion protocol?" "Do you have a concussion? Did you bump your head?" "Why are you back at work already?"
I called out of work - went to the doctors. My friend referred me to an attorney. I had to go pick up my police report, which in my mind, all these were easy tasks, but holy hell I struggled. I had to buy a money order. My debit card was cancelled. I didn't have cash... I couldn't manage myself out of a paper bag. Every single thing was overwhelming. Even then, I didn't understand what was happening to my brain. See....I'm a chaos coordinator. I manage well in high stress situations. NOTHING rattles me. I had no idea that my life was going to be turned upside down.
My magical, event planner super brain was compromised. My first ever concussion and my diagnosis of post concussion syndrome was the start of a whole new adventure!
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