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SHAN🖤

@shannenrf

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there are so many stats & facts that i could share before brain injury awareness month ends & while those are important, i think it’s just as important to talk about the reality of living with one; it doesn’t take knowing the facts to lead with compassion… not just with brain injuries, but invisible disabilities & chronic illness as a whole.

so much of it is unseen: a calendar of appts, a roster of specialists, the roller coaster ride of diagnoses & misdiagnoses, the mental health struggles, alllll tied together with the kind of exhaustion that doesn’t just go away. the brain is in charge of quite literally everything & when injured, many people also develop additional chronic illnesses. this makes recovery more complex & extensive in ways others don’t always realize.

recovery isn’t linear & there’s no timeline for healing. for many, life doesn’t return to what it was before & learning to live within that new reality comes with immense grief. the way someone copes or adjusts to the demands of their health might not make sense to you & that’s okay. however, instead of making it a topic of conversation, maybe keep it off the group chat & just don’t judge what you don’t know. while recovery is vastly different for everyone, one thing i’ve learned to be the same amongst most brain injury survivors is the struggle that comes with being misunderstood. & while i’m not sure anyone even cares to read thisss far, if it can help even one person better understand what it’s like to live with a traumatic brain injury or give a little grace to someone who does, that’s good enough for me. :) taken in Roanoke, Virginia by @shannenrf

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7 months ago

traumatic brain injuries are the #1 cause of injury-related deaths & disabilities worldwide, yet there’s little understanding unless you or someone close to you has endured it.

there’s no obvious sign that i have an injured brain because i look pretty normal compared to what’s really happening internally. part of me is glad that this allows me to “blend in” with the world. at the same time, it’s pretty isolating to feel like i’m carrying this heavy “secret” that’s actually just a fact of my life now. for the past year & a half, i thought recovering very quietly was the best way to cope because in doing so, i wouldn’t have to accept what i’m not acknowledging.

the reality is:
my life is completely different.
i don’t remember anything from the day of my accident or the following months. i’m still recovering today. my memory, long & short term, are both not the best. i need more rest than i once did. not because i’m lazy. my brain works harder now to think, process, organize information, etc. my cognition changed. my stamina fluctuates & how i feel each day is a gamble. most of my energy is used for what’s most important to me- being a mom. pushing myself too often leads to setbacks or illness. i’m not the social 🦋 i once was. things like crowds, noise, lights, & sounds overstimulate me straight into panic mode. having limits is a coping strategy that sometimes isn’t perceived well by people i thought would always accept me unconditionally. being misunderstood has been the most complex part to navigate.
i could go on & on about how this all looks for me & maybe soon i will… but that’s not necessarily the point.

my hope is that before #braininjuryawarenessmonth ends, everyone takes a piece of knowledge whether it be from my words or the slides on this post… but also, i hope you choose to be even a tiny bit more gracious with one another, no matter the circumstances. understand that you never know what someone is struggling with physically or mentally. many injuries, illnesses, & disabilities are invisible.
please, give grace & be kind.

if you made it this far, tysm for reading. this was way out of my comfort zone, lol.
that’s all for now. 🧠❤️‍🩹🌻 taken in Roanoke, Virginia by @shannenrf

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2 years ago

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i <3 @boulineausfoodsplus taken in Cherry Grove Beach by @shannenrf

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2 months ago

🖤 by @shannenrf

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3 months ago

who the hell is @megmoroney? 🤠🩷🐬🎀🐆🌸☁️9️⃣💘 taken in CLOUD NINE by @shannenrf

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4 months ago

she’s me, i’m her in a different font by @shannenrf

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8 months ago

the life of a birthdaygirl
🪩🧡🍯🦋🎞️💿🎙️✨ taken in Salem, Virginia by @shannenrf

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a year ago

🌼☁️🎞️ by @shannenrf

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a year ago

from my favorites folder, from different times 💌 by @shannenrf

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a year ago

˚ ༘ ♡ ⋆｡˚ taken in Sullivans Island Beach by @shannenrf

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a year ago

low country memories & moments that i miss taken in Charleston, South Carolina by @shannenrf

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a year ago

🤍 taken in Sullivans Island Beach by @shannenrf

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a year ago