September 3, 2020 I was officially diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) about three years after I was hit. I don’t talk about it often. It’s so hard to explain what is happening inside your head when you can’t put it into words easily. But let me give you a glimpse into my day … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: a hard PTSD day
Author: Jen
I am a 41 year old road cyclist and former special education teacher. On August 19, 2014, while out on a group road ride, I was hit by a woman driving a SUV and I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (T.B.I.)
This is my story...
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: 6 years
August 19, 2020 Six years. 2,190 days. Often it doesn’t feel like it has only been six years, it feels more like I have been living in this hell for six decades. My life is nothing like I worked so hard for it to be. It is nothing like I dreamed it would be. I’m … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: 6 years
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: it’s not only a rattled brain
August 5, 2020 I’ve put off writing this Confession, mostly because I was not sure if it was over sharing. Was this particular Confession too much? Are some things better left private? But the more I thought about it, the more I reminded myself that I write these to 1. help me process what is … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: it’s not only a rattled brain
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: I’m stuck
July 8, 2020 I try really hard to not feel sorry for myself, to not host solo pity-parties but truth be told, right now, I’m stuck. I have been stuck for a few weeks now. I can’t let it go. I find myself thinking all the time “why me?” “what did I do to deserve … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: I’m stuck
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: you don’t want kids?
“You don’t want to have any children?” Those seven words immediately brought tears to my eyes. I will fully admit that with a brain injury my emotions can be very fragile, but the topic of kids always breaks my heart and makes my eyes water. I paused for a second before replying, debating whether or … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: you don’t want kids?
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: pandemics and injured brains
June 7, 2020 I was recently watching a clip from http://www.brainlaw.com and I want to start this Confession by sharing some of their words. “Imagine one day you woke up in a foreign country. Everything looks similar but slightly different. You're not really sure how you got here. You certainly didn’t ask to come. And … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: pandemics and injured brains
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: when your body meets a SUV
February 23, 2020 One of the things that I don’t talk about very often is the amount of pain that comes when your body meets a SUV at 30 MPH. Our bodies are not meant to take on such force and walk away from it, so of course there are lasting effects. When I was … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: when your body meets a SUV
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: you will not ignore me!
December 28, 2019 One of the first lessons I learned after being thrown into the brain injury world was that you could not ignore a brain injury...you could try but you would pay a dear price for doing so. Despite being taught this lesson often over the past five years, I still try to test … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: you will not ignore me!
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: “at the foot of this mountain, I only see clouds”
December 21, 2019 Sometimes I get stuck in these days of intense sadness where I feel extra fragile. This is now my life but I did not sign up for this. I don’t know if I have it in me to keep fighting the brain injury battle. You were able to walk away that day … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: “at the foot of this mountain, I only see clouds”
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. I was diagnosed with PTSD two years after a SUV decided not to share the road with me. On a day to day basis my symptoms include a heightened startle response, nightmares, increased … Continue reading Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: PTSD
Confessions of a Concussed Cyclist: the story of a cyclist living life with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 