My Brain Injury Story is still unfolding

It happened in December 2020. My family and I went sledding a block away from our apartment. It was on the side on one of my friend’s apartment buildings, the hill. I don’t even remember that much. Well, I remember it one of two ways. I’ll get into that after I write about how it really happened first. I went on a sled by myself and hit a tree. After I hit the tree I vomited and had a seizure. I was told that my kids called me and my husband didn’t see everything. Before I go on with the story I’m going to explain how I remember everything. My first version is that I went down the hill and woke up in the hospital. My second version is that I went down the hill, maybe I hit a fence and then woke up in the hospital. So, an ambulance came and my husband went with me to the hospital. Luckily our kids stayed with my friend Ari and his family in his building. In the first hospital, Harlem hospital, I wasn’t able to sit up. I felt like an old woman because I couldn’t walk or even get out of bed to go to the bathroom! It was disgusting! I guess I wasn’t ready to get out of bed because a physical therapist tried to get me moving but I couldn’t do it yet. 

I don’t remember when I noticed but I after my accident I lost my sense of taste and smell, which I still don’t have. Being transferred from Harlem hospital to Burke rehabilitation center wasn’t fun. It felt like I was on the stretcher forever! There was a problem with the ambulance, so I had to wait a long time until the problem was fixed. I don’t remember how long it took, but at Burke I began to walk at first using a walker. Physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists all worked with me. They are amazing! I remember how strange it felt to walk with a cain, which I didn’t get the hang of. While I was at Burke I spoke with friends and family. I missed everyone. My kids couldn’t visit me because of covid so we saw each other on my phone. My mom and my husband Dave visited me sometimes. I also broke a bone in my back but I didn’t need to have surgery. I also had three catscans which I don’t recall.

When I was discharged I used a cane to walk around even though I felt like I didn’t need it. I also used a seat in the shower for awhile until I was able to take a shower the normal way. It didn’t take long. At home a physical therapist worked with me for awhile and I didn’t qualify for speech or occupational therapy. Even though I didn’t qualify for speech I think my memory has been affected in some ways.