Stephanie Wells

I am a 57-year-old RN, MSN, CCM, NE-BC- Healthcare Executive, who in June, 2025 hung up from a conference call, put on a pair of fuzzy socks since my feet were cold and went to go back downstairs when both my feet went out from under me on the top landing and the last thing I remember was hearing and feeling the back of my head crack on the top step. Thank God my husband was home, and he said I screamed at some point as my body and head continued down the wood stairs.

I thought I was ok after he got me to the couch. I knew I was very battered and bruised, I couldn’t speak or see out of my right eye, but I thought I was ok for some reason.

Three days later, I couldn’t make sense of an email and was speaking non-sensical. I was diagnosed with a contrecoup TBI, Post Concussion Syndrome, Persistent Post Traumatic Headaches.

My life changed that day dramatically, I slept 20 hrs./day for a long time and slowly that lessened, now I sleep at night and again 3 hrs. in the afternoon.

Neuro fatigue is a very real thing. The headaches were and are debilitating and chronic Tinnitus, but medications have made the headache pain manageable.

I’m doing ST Neuro Rehab twice a week for the short-term memory impact, executive functioning, concentration and speech and making good progress and work daily at Neuro exercises using workbooks and apps. I bought a book “After the Crash” by Kelly Tuttle and her book made me not feel alone and gave me coping mechanisms and resources.

I may lose my career of 20 years, as I can’t function as fast yet or deal with high stress, but I’m alive. I still cry, another symptom of my TBI and allow myself my feelings but then refocus to my blessings. I am holding onto faith that I have a purpose yet to serve from this experience and hoping and praying that I will find resources to help guide me to my new purpose from this group.

My dad taught me as a little girl that we have but one short life and we either choose to be victims or we choose to be survivors, I have never forgotten that, and I choose to be a survivor.