“November 6, 2017 started as a normal day for me, but little did I know that later that day my life would change. It was a Wednesday afternoon I was going to go shopping with my mom. We were about to leave when I forgot something in my room, so I went to get it. As I got to my closet there was a plastic hanger on my wooden floor that I didn’t see and I slipped on it and fell into my closet and hit my head hard on plastic crates that I had in there.
A few minutes later I woke up to my head hurting really bad and not really remembering what had happened. So I thought it was just a headache and I went on shopping with my mom. That night we had choir practice at church and I suddenly felt horrible, the lights and the sound hurt me and at that time I still didn’t know what was going on. The next morning I had gotten no sleep because of the pain so my dad took me to urgent care and they said they really couldn’t do anything for me and if anything got worse go to the ER. Well, next day after my mom got off work she took me to the ER because I started to feel pressure and numbness in the back of my head.
At the ER they did a CT and concluded that I had a concussion, I went home and tried to get some rest. A few weeks later I went to a neurologist and he basically told me I was making the whole thing up and that I was fine, but myself and my parents knew I wasn’t. I went to a concussion center and that’s where I found out that I had double vision had they couldn’t help me anymore. My mom found a double vision specialist that has stayed with that whole time and will not give up on me no matter what. A few months later I went to a new neurologist and he basically told the same thing, that I was making everything up. That put me and my parents down again, that was not going to stop my mom from finding someone that would help me.
It has been a very long hard road for me and I try my best to get through everyday. On the outside I may look fine but I’m not.
Taylor, TBI Survivor
Finally in July we found a neurologist that was going to help me and told me I wasn’t lying about this. Everyday for me is pretty much the same, I have horrible migraines, I sensitive to bright lights and sounds, I get no sleep at night, can only watch low key tv shows and movies, everything is double to me, I have dizziness and nausea, and I always have to hold to one of my parents. I can’t do any work or housework because of my severe dizziness and migraines.
I have good days and bad days, I have break downs all the time, I’m pretty much in pain everyday, sometimes I just cry because I want everything to stop, but for some reason God has something planned for me with my injury.
It has been a very long hard road for me and I try my best to get through everyday. On the outside I may look fine but I’m not.
I have amazing family and friends that help me get through everything. My parents have helped me through it all and I know that they would never leave me. My big sister has been with me even though she lives in Florida. I don’t know what I would do without them.
About a month ago I made a Bear at Build-a-Bear Workshop. She is my Warrior Bear, I have her with me all the time because she is a great comfort to me . I know I’m 22 and carrying around a bear, but I don’t care. My mom tells everyday that I’m just fine the way I am now.
I’m still fighting my battle everyday and will continue until God has something else for me. But right now I believe that he wants me to be the way I am now for a reason.
I AM A TBI WARRIOR. I AM A FIGHTER.”
-Taylor, TBI Survivor
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