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Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor Symptoms

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My name is Karen Menz. I am a Traumatic Brain Injury survivor and desire to share my insight of what I experienced with my mind, body, soul and spirit. As I publish other blog post of how I reacted and how I overcame all odds, I do hope to get some feedback.

The following information is from my own experience. It is not medically proven, but with research I believe they will find some common factors.

Identifying trauma to the brain is essential so you can receive treatment as soon as possible. Head trauma can go unseen to the human eye. It is not visibly seen like a broken arm or a twisted ankle. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is when you have a mild or severe head injury. As a result of the brain being bruised, it can become swollen, causing severe pressure and pain. The swolleness is a result of the brain being bruised. This is a possibility of why; some people experience a state which is called comma. I believe that the pain is so extreme that a person would go insane if they were awake.

Here are some Traumatic Brain Symptoms I experienced:

  • Vomiting
  • Difficulty tolerating bright lights
  • Leaking cerebrospinal fluid from the ear or nose
  • Bleeding from the ear
  • Speech difficulty
  • Paralysis
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Numbness of the body (I experienced it in my hands and all over

Additionally, here are several other symptoms that I personally experienced:

  • Dizziness
  • Equilibrium lack of balance
  • Severe Headaches
  • I also experience Hypervigilance
  • Memory Issues

I would love to hear your feedback!  Are you a traumatic brain injury survivor?  What were some of your symptoms?

From One Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor to Another

Dear Reader,

brainMy name is Karen Menz. I am a Traumatic Brain Injury survivor. Every day is a struggle but every day I overcome due to my faith in God.

How did I get Traumatic Brain Injury?

The first time was when I was a child, my family was in a truck accident. My head was covered in stitches from the top to the very bottom.  Later in life, I was physically abused and woke up unconscious on a couch.  Once, while attending Officer Candidate School (OCS), I dove under a steal beam and hit my head while in training.  I also found out I had a tumor the size of a golf ball in the frontal lobe of my brain and had brain surgery to remove it.  Seven (7) months after brain surgery, a woman rear-ended me twice.  The final trauma was on September 28th, 2015 when someone cut me off the road and I hit a parked vehicle.

Living in a Bubble

Once you have had a brain injury, it’s almost as if you need a bubble around you for the rest of your life. My bubble consists of prayer, faith in Jesus Christ and trust that He will heal me each day of my life.  If you were to look at me you would think I look perfectly fine.  I talk, walk, do everyday things just like a normal person. What is normal? To me it is me because now I am average. My response time to conversations is about 3-minute delay comparison to my ADHD friends and family. It seems like I always must catch up with everyone and it is extremely exhausting! How do I catch up when my brain has a delay? My mechanism is to listen, then respond and make sure the person knows I am connected. Other times I keep myself busy by being a hosts of events or planner. I am the “behind scenes” person.  I truly thirst for human connectives but fear I will be judged or condemned.

The Life of a Survivor

In my younger years I used to lead, plan, organize and motivate the underdog to excel in life when I served 24 years in the Army National Guard.  I served 21 years Active Duty and loved serving my country, my team, my company, my soldiers and my Officers in command. I gave each one the gifts God gave me to share. I will share my struggles and let you know that if you have Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke or anything that relates to the brain YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I will open a Facebook page for support just for you or someone you love. God Loves You and So Do I!

Coaching You to a better more fulfilling life ~ Karen