It may be long or it may be short – this gift of being I often ponder…
I (Karina Pandya) was just 9 years old when my world fell apart. I have no prior memory of the life that I lived before.
All I knew was that I suffered from an open compound skull fracture on the right, a depressed skull fracture on the left, cerebral contusion, status post cricothyrotomy, facial lacerations’ involving the lip, a laceration on my left forearm, right pneumothorax and a pelvic fracture.
These were just my diagnosis details at the time of admission to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada – Las Vegas. At the time, my consultant was the paediatrician -Dr. Richard Sterett MD and Dr. Srinivas Halthore who is also a neurologist in Las Vegas, Nevada dictated the consultation report. Here I was immediately sent to the pediatric intensive care unit where I underwent intensive ICU management.
At the time of my discharge from the University Medical Center, the following were my diagnosis:
· An open compound skull fracture on the right
· Depressed fracture on the left
· Cerebral contusion
· Status post cricothyrotomy
· Facial lacerations’ involving the lip
· Laceration of left forearm
· Right Pneumothorax
· Pelvic Fracture
I (Karina Pandya), currently 32 years old suffered from my first seizure when I was just 9 years old. I was the youngest in the car that crashed that day on June 7th, 1995. However, the road to recovery has not been easy and in fact, has been full of roadblocks throughout my life. I had suffered a severe head trauma, which resulted in a seizure disorder.
Since then I have been suffering from emotional disturbances, occasional aggressive behaviour, anxiety and mood disorders.” “I have also struggled socially and academically. Of course, my parents were not around. There was no one really around – no parents, a blank memory; just fragments of some distant past when I woke up in Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, trying to digest the fact that they were no longer alive. All I knew was that I shared a room with a girl named Karen.
It was only later on that I was briefed in Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles that I was found lying 40 feet away from the scene of the vehicle and was initially taken to Parker Hospital in Arizona, where I underwent cricothyrotomy and subsequent endotracheal intubation. From there I was transferred to the University Medical Center, where one of my pupils was fixed and dilated at the scene with obvious head injuries.
On arriving at the UMC Trauma Center my right pupil became larger in size than the left one, BUT they were both reactive!! I was given a couple of litres of IV fluids prior to this transfer and in the Trauma Center; I was noted to have an open skull fracture on the right frontal area with a Dura tear and my brain was exposed. However, I had to have a focal depressed fracture on the left frontal area and the fracture was thus closed.
There were also pelvic fractures which also revealed minimally displaced left superior pubic rami and right superior pubic rami fracture and a non-displaced fracture of the left inferior pubic ramus. The lacerations that I had on my lip and left upper arm were sutured and the compound fracture on the right frontal area.
I was admitted to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada –Las Vegas on the 7th of June, 1995 until I was discharged from there on the 3rd of July, 1995. After which I was admitted to the Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles on July, 3rd- 1995 and discharged on August 4th, 1995.
I was admitted to the rehabilitation unit for intensive occupational, physical and speech therapy. At the time of discharge, I was given the diagnosis of seizure disorder, subdural fluid connection, urinary tract infection, sinusitis and pelvic fractures.
So, besides the loss of parents, sister and a grandmother how does this really impact ME- as I was just a nine-year-old! Practically everything that has got to do with cognition- the act of knowing or thinking! The ability to choose, understand; remember and use information.
So, memory, concentration, attention, Processing and understanding information, problem-solving, decision-making, reasoning, judgement, controlling impulses, desires and being patient and even communication!
So, being a person affected by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) I was and am obviously affected by and facing problems in memory, attention and concentration, problems with processing and understanding information, language and communication problems. In fact, even in brain injury, there are two different types: an open skull fracture and a closed head injury.
So how have I been affected?
Attention and Concentration
It's very easy for me to get distracted and I find myself unable to focus or even pay attention at times. All of this leads to a lot of restlessness.
Problems with processing and understanding information
It's really been hard for me to process or understand new information, taking longer times to understand what is being said. At times I take more time than other people do to understand and follow directions.
Language and communication problems
While I don't face so many language problems, I have to admit that I do find it difficult to understand what others are saying and follow conversations. There have been many times when I don't even understand the sarcasm or joke.
So, while I try to remain positive and optimistic I know that the damage my brain injury has caused me is far from over. I still face ongoing challenges in my personal and professional life and it REALLY does take a lot more time to do COGNITIVE or thinking tasks – associated with memory; such as doing basic tasks at home. Family relationships are obviously bound to change and it is a life-changing experience for most of us!
Fine motor skills get damaged, difficulty with social relationships and difficulty in thinking and remembering. It is still hard for me to make and maintain personal and even professional relationships, be a part of social activities, take part in recreational/leisure activities and of course my inability to sustain a stable job. This isn't a part of my personality – for years I have reassured myself that, but it's not. Constant insomnia –an inability to sleep, sleep disorders hormonal changes, fluctuating emotions, lack of motivation, depression and dependent behaviours: It all MAKES SENSE NOW!
.
Comments
Post a Comment