A Real Headache

I had originally planned to write a blog about Re-inventing Yourself, inspired by Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's recent resignation, however, something major has changed in my life, and I wanted to blog about that instead, and will revisit the redefining of a personality.



One of my favorite people in the world is my buddy from out West. I've know him for almost one calender year, and in that time, I've always looked forward to his next e-mail, phone call or visit. He's one of a kind. He's got more personality than I have ever seen. He's as funny as the best stand-up comedian. His life and stories are like the greatest movies I've ever seen, and his attention to detail has proven accurate time and time again and takes me right to the moment that he lived. To boot, he's apparently single, and is nothing short of hot. This guy is in Winnipeg in case you wanted to know! Oh I forgot to mention, he's sincere, honest to a fault, and a handsome devil, and he carries it with unparalleled charisma. He's the catch of all catches, the guy you consider yourself lucky to have as a friend, and he cherishes his family. And who would have guessed he suffers from brain-damage?



You wouldn't know it to talk to him, he's got no visible signs at all, and short of regular migraine headaches which incapacitate him, he really has only limited symptoms. Sometimes he'll lose focus of the subject he's talking about mid-sentence, or he'll forget something that he remembers 10 seconds later, or he'll get dizzy and need to sit down for a minute. But beyond those simple symptoms, you can't tell at all that my friend is suffering from Post Concussion Syndrome, and it's not something he likes to talk about at this point, because he considers it a disability.



Obviously my friend is a proud person. And while he was first told of PCS in 2002, after believing he had suffered numerous concussions playing high school sports, and wrestling pro-style (similar to WWE, but more like minor league), which was a high risk activity given his concussion history. The guy lived in denial until recently befriending a nurse, who after seeing the effects these serious migraines accompanied my friend to the doctor and pushed for the doctor to refer my buddy to a Neurologist, and got him a CT Scan. The results were astounding, and shocking that a man who is in his late 20's now suffers from the term "Brain Damage". And I began researching Post Concussion Syndrome, and Brain Injuries in general.



Now the part that scares me the most. 2 months ago, my friend was in a car accident, where he rear-ended the car in front of him. Since that day, and until the day that the Neurologist confirmed that he suffered from Post Concussion Syndrome, and on what seemed to be a daily basis, my friend complained of "stress headaches". I can only imagine what it must feel like to go through day in and day out with a migraine headache, one that slows you down, and makes you tired. One that takes your mind off of the important focuses, such as daily tasks. And yet, like a trooper my friend persevered and performed better than ever. All the while going through a stressful personal crisis, that he's handled with pure strength, and not let it get him down.

To further complicate things, Friday in the early AM hours he was in a vehicle that was in yet another car accident. Going only 55kms per hour, the car hit a boulevard on a bridge on the front right side of the car, causing the passenger, my buddy, to suffer from a sore neck and headache for the last couple of days. To say that this is the scariest situation I've ever seen my friend in is a complete understatement. And makes me thankful for all that I have including having him in my life, something I have come to depend on regularly for friendly advice, or pep talks, inspiration and motivation.

Shockingly, and I guess luckily, my friend still has all the faculties that made him who he is. He's still got the charisma, charm and sense of humour. He still looks amazing, he still can have the most intelligent of conversations with anyone from Politicians, to bankers, to bosses, to friendsm to children. My friend is the most fortunate person in the world, and I hope he embraces his good fortune and focuses on living life safer, and relishing the gifts god has blessed him with.

So what can my good friend expect in the future? Regular headaches, short term memory gaps (where things will not come to his mind quickly, but not affect his long-term memory, he will temporarily lose things in his head). He can't push himself as hard as he'd like in the gym, he has to manage his stress better. He will take high dosage pain medication when the headaches are unbearable. He will need to ensure that he limits his risk for future head injuries, as Post Concussion Syndrome is a compound affect of numerous concussions.

Will he live a normal life? Yeah that's a complete likely hood. Thank God for that.

To those who have suffered from head injuries, and now have what seem to be far too regular headaches, it's time to consult your doctor and push him for the answers. My friend used to brush off his headaches to fatigue, or caffeine with drawl, or stress. And all the while he was suffering from actual brain damage.

The irony of the whole thing, is through his charitable efforts in Winnipeg, my friend has volunteered on numerous occasions to help Manitoba Brain Injury Association. He's good that way.