I had stopped counting for the longest time. It really didn't matter anymore how long ago my bike crash was, it just mattered for me to live my life and to be the best dad that I could be - TBI or no TBI. But when I counted recently, it had been 7 years and 8 months since I had been able to do any sort of physical activity that involved jarring of the head without suffering post-concussive symptoms within a day or two.
So why am I counting now?
The counting is actually a GREAT thing! It was initiated by a kid on a pedal bike with no training wheels. Yeah, that same kid that had a spectacular wipeout two Canada Days ago. Two weeks ago, this kid gave me a chance to be Dad and to take him out for a ride on his two-wheeler. The whole time, he kept speeding away while laughing at his poor dad who was chasing after him and still couldn't keep up. And this wasn't just a half-assed speed walk. It was at least a full on trot, if not a jog. And sustained. I chased him around the entire crescent. And then back again. And boy did it feel good. Days later, there were no noticeable consequences like there used to be in pre-pandemic runs for the bus. No brain fog, no bouts of chronic stupidity, no headaches. And to prove it wasn't just a fluke, we did it again last week!
This is huge. I'm still cognitively slower than I once was and some days at work are still a struggle. But I never expected to make gains in the physical activity department, yet here we are. Naysayers like to quote old research that indicates recovery after two years is limited. But as we know, every brain injury is unique and newer research disproves the naysayers. Don't give up. Everyone will have differing levels of recovery and differing timelines. May my timeline of improvement continue so that I can keep on counting the days that I HAVE been able to partake in activities such as being dad.
