My Brain Injury Story

Once upon a time, in a world that seems far far away, I was a practicing veterinarian that enjoyed trail running, road cycling, hiking, backpacking and generally going non-stop. Then came August of 2015 when my husband Josh and I were on a dream cycling trip from Vienna, Austria to Venice, Italy. A few days into the trip, a dog ran out into the front wheel of my bike. The crash seemed minor. I had a concussion, but I was in and out of the hospital in 45 minutes. I felt dizzy and disoriented, but mostly I was annoyed by the whole interruption to the trip. You can read more details about the crash and the rest of the trip here.

After arriving home I was told I would be fine within a couple of weeks. Weeks turned to months of dealing with many symptoms including fatigue, disorientation, dizziness, mental fog, memory problems, light and sound sensitivity, and those months turned into years. Slowly, and after a lot of time, effort and therapies, there have been significant improvements. Although I was told I am unlikely to ever be “normal”, I’m having more and more days that feel like I’m getting closer.

On the Never Summer 100k course near American Lake

Running played a huge role in my recovery. It was a slow process to return to running, and I have shared that method here and in many other posts. Getting out on the trails to walk and then run helped for a variety of reasons. I found that running helped lift the fog of brain injury, and I felt more “normal” during and after a run. No, it didn’t happen every time, and sometimes I even felt worse. However, it happened most of the time, and the farther I went, the better I felt. I ran to fight depression, I ran to fill the day, I ran to get out with friends, I ran to spend time in the mountains. Training for ultramarathons gave me a goal. Yes, that first 100 miler was a lofty goal, and I didn’t know how realistic it was, but it gave me something tangible to work towards. If you want to read why I trained to run that first 100 miler, check out this post.

Recovery from brain injury is slow. Often progress is not apparent until much later on, and sometimes you don’t even know how far you have come until you have yet another frustrating setback. There will be many of these setbacks along the way because recovery is not a straight line. With running, there is a clearly defined training plan. There is a sense of accomplishment knowing you have reached milestones along the way to your goal. Simply “getting better” isn’t nearly as defined. There is no clear “end” to recovery, and the timeline is a complete mystery. I found that setting my own goal to work towards gave me the sense of hope and accomplishment that I needed, and I encourage you to set some goals for yourself as well.

Working on balance while crossing the outlet at Ice Lake, near Silverton, Colorado.

Since that crash in 2015, I have run trail races that were 50k, 50 miles, 100k, and even three 100 mile races, yet I still have days that I struggle with symptoms. Although it is rarely as bad as it used to be, I can tell you that the fatigue of brain injury is very real and overwhelming. On my bad brain days, I have faced fatigue heavier than anything I experienced during or after a 100-mile race.

Throughout this blog, you will see posts about my good days and my bad days. There are stories about people that have helped me along the way, my supportive husband, my dog Kili Monster, training, and travel adventures, all mixed in with information and advice. There is no magic cure for brain injury, but I hope it helps to know you are not alone in your path towards recovery. At the time of the update to this post (September 2019), I’m 4 years post-injury, and I am still seeing improvements. In the last year, I have returned to work part-time, and I’ve been able to get back on my bike. Don’t give up on recovery. It will continue as long as you keep pushing yourself.

Don’t have time to read through the whole blog? Here are some of my favorite posts:

One of my more recent posts, and probably one of the most important-

*****Exposure – How a Training Plan Can Help Recovery From Brain Injury*****

About running

Return to Running after TBI or Post-Concussive Syndrome

Sage Burner 25k – my first race post-TBI, and a discussion about pushing yourself towards recovery.

Run Rabbit Run 100 – My first 100 miler

IMTUF 100 – My second 100 miler

Run Rabbit Run 100 – 2018 – My third 100 miler

*Not a blog post, but here is a link to a story I had published in Ultrarunner Magazine – How a Traumatic Brain Injury Turned My Husband Into an Ultrarunner.

About daily life and therapy

Brain Injury Guide