Danna's story

Living with a traumatic brain injury: finding a new version of myself

I was a very active person, adventurous, and free-spirited. I’ve travelled all around the world, from sleeping in the Amazon to trekking in the Himalayas in Nepal. During the summertime, I would ride my motorbike and scuba dive in the south of the UK. Go on long hikes and work out 3 to 4 times a week in the gym.

I used to work as a Customer Success Manager for several IT companies and did pretty well.

You could say I’m a very ambitious, driven person who goes 100 miles per hour.

Since my TBI the hardest thing for me is to pace myself, and I’m a lot quicker to fatigue and not able to do all the things I used to. Also, mentally, I’m trying to understand or make sense of how far I can go without relapsing or making things worse. And of course, dealing with the people around me who don’t understand why one moment you’re exhausted but the next hour after recharging you’re better again.

If I were to tell someone about my experience, I would share what happened, how it has changed me , and that there is a new me, a better version who has learned how to set boundaries for herself and take herself more into account, and it will take time. The most important thing is to listen to your body and pace your pace.

How has the Brain & Spine Foundation supported you, practically or emotionally?

I was lucky to be on the 6-week programme. Where I had a call every week with Michaela. Who has been a godsend to me.

This is the only foundation that can emotionally support TBI patients. It has been my lifesaver having those conversations with Michaela because, with TBI it’s not only the impact of what happened mentally; it has an impact on your whole life.

Also, understanding how the brain works and how it can affect your general health and well-being, and gaining insight into this, has helped me tremendously accept what happened.

Having those conversations with a neuro nurse is so different from having a conversation with a health coach because it’s more specialised to tbi and they provide better personalised support.

Which is missing here in the UK when you get discharged from the hospital.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I can’t thank B&S Foundation enough for giving me this support. Hopefully, this programme can stay and even be extended.