It All Started with a Blow to the Head

I hit my head on the granite counter top while picking up my homework off the floor. There was an immediate onset of headaches. What started out as a concussion quickly escalated. My health significantly deteriorated for the next few months with no real known explanation other than the concussion. School work and activities were stripped away, school days were reduced and homework was eliminated, yet my health continued to worsen. Following a visit to my Ophthalmologist a few months later, he found significant swelling of the optic nerve further launching more testing. It wasn’t until then when my growing medical team found a blood clot at the base of my brain. I was hospitalized to address the blot clot and the pain. I did not attend school for several months, missing out on my last year of 5th grade. During this time, I remained in significant pain. In addition, I lost my balance forcing me to walk with a cane, saw more doctors than I can count, had PT several times a week, participated in alternative treatment options and was tutored. I also tried to enjoy a daily dose of the Ellen DeGeneres show to make me laugh. The blood clot eventually dissipated, my balance returned and I was able to return to school. However, there are lingering medical issues that remain, with the most prevalent of a constant headache resulting from high intracranial hypertension due to the blood clot that made my veins stenotic. Neither can be seen to the eye, but are part of the hidden illness that have never gone away. Presently, my recovery is very slow and I feel like I will never be “normal” again. Today, I am a 7th grader and love everything pink, and if "sparkle" were a color it would be my favorite; hence the name of my two cats: "Shimmer" and "Sparkle". I love to shop and dream one day of going to Paris with my mom. I have been able to return to dance, love the Patriots and to go on family vacations. However, some of my favorite things will always be off limits.