Ameliorate

Hi, my name is Ailish and I’m a fourth year Sociology and Legal Studies student at the University of Waterloo. I love to read, listen to audiobooks and podcasts, swim, workout, and do yoga! When I graduate university, I hope to attend a Canadian Law school and, eventually, become a Criminal Prosecutor. I am using this quarantine time to study for my Law School Admission Test (LSAT) in August and spread awareness about post-concussion recovery on Instagram!

How have concussions affected your life?: About a year and half ago - November 28, 2018 to be exact - I accidentally fell down a flight of concrete stairs. You could say that it was a superman dive if you will. 

In the beginning, I had an abundance of concussion symptoms:

Nausea
Dizziness
Headaches
Brain fog
Difficulty concentrating
Balance issues
Vision issues
Insomnia
Anxiety
Depressive feelings
Not feeling like myself
Irritability
Fatigue
Sensitivity to light & noise

I was in my third year of university at the time. I ended up postponing my two exams for that term and moving home early to try and recover before my co-op placement in January.

After one day on the job, I knew that, even with modified hours, I was not at a stage of recovery where I could function at a computer for several hours on end. Consequently, I pulled out of the placement in order to recover.

I am very fortunate that my GP referred me to The Sports Clinic at University of Toronto Mississauga. There, I was paired with a Sports Medicine Physician and an Athletic Therapist. With their help, I slowly began to reintroduce certain activities into my routine and, ultimately, we were able to relieve the vast majority of my symptoms.

I was able to complete a school term in the summer, all while significantly altering my study habits. I went on to receive my dream co-op placement with a large law firm in downtown Toronto for the fall 2019 term.

With the rapid increase in active screen time, I found it necessary to try preventative medication again. Thankfully, I found some solace in Amitriptyline.

About one month ago, I completed my second school term since the accident. This was an even larger step for me, as it was my first time living in Waterloo since my concussion.

While I am exceedingly grateful for this milestone, I admit I still stuffer from many symptoms on a daily basis. Some of which include, persistent headaches, light and noise sensitivity, balance issues, and fatigue. 

This experience has entirely changed me as a person. Much of who I was pre-accident no long exists. My friendships are more distant than they once were. I am a lot more introverted than I used to be. One of my greatest passions - studying to become a criminal lawyer - has become an immense uphill battle. Every day I continue to fight to get better and to incorporate as much of my old self into the new person I have become. 

I am proud of who I am and how I have fought every step along the way. Maybe I was always this strong and this concussion has simply allowed me to see that.

Why do you want to advocate for concussion awareness?: I started my own concussion instagram a few weeks ago because I felt like so many of my friends and the general student body at the University of Waterloo does not fully understand the impact that a “mild” concussion can have on ones life. More specifically, I believe the general perception that concussions only last a few weeks is, unfortunately, still held by many individuals. I hope to educate as many individuals as possible about the unseen and invisible nature of “normal” and prolonged concussion recovery. In doing so, I think it will be easier, as human beings, to understand and emphasize with individuals who are suffering from any invisible injury or disability.

Additionally, a great deal of the concussion protocols and accommodations in place do not reflect current concussion research. When I first went to my university Health Services centre, a doctor told me that I was exaggerating my symptoms and that I would be better in a few days. He, reluctantly, gave me the required documentation for the midterm I had surely botched and my upcoming exams. Even then, with all the required documentation, one of my professors told me that the time of my injury was quite convenient. She refused to give me any accommodation, despite the fact that I was clearly competent (100 percent grade) in her class prior to the injury.

Now that I am more physically, mentally, and emotionally capable, I hope to advocate to my school, as well as many others, that concussions need to be taken seriously, regardless of how they were acquired. Concussion policies have come a long way, I admit, but, there remains significant room for improvement. I believe I can and I will be an integral part of advocating for and helping create those improvements.