Navigating a TBI and being a new mom

The stuff no one talks about

Home: Welcome

Our story

Hi, my name is Emma and I am 28 years old, 5 months postpartum and 7 months into recovering from a mild TBI. July 25 2022 was a forever life changing day for my husband and myself. Just like any other day we decided to go get the mail on our bikes, we ended up going for a full on bike ride around the neighborhood, being 31 weeks pregnant I. Thought it would be good to get moving, well my brakes failed going downhill, I remember looking down at my speedometer and it read 30.7Km an hour. I panicked and screamed to my poor husband to move out of the way, then It goes black.

Home: About

The out come

I spent 1 month in Kelowna hospital, pretty much my whole last trimester. I don’t remember much, only the last 2 weeks I was there. When I came to I came to learn of my injuries. A broken collar bone in 4 places, 2 compression fractures in my spine, a dislocated rib, and 3 brain bleeds which led me to be completely paralyzed on the left side of my body. I had to re learn how to walk with a walker, which was really difficult due to my broken collar bone. I had to teach my left hand how to be somewhat normal again and that’s what we’re still working on.

They sent me home after spending only a week in rehab, the best rehab would be going home and getting settled before our baby came.They had me scheduled in for a C section at 38 weeks pregnant. The time home was a bit of a blur, between making sure we’re ready for a baby and napping a lot, those two weeks flew by.
Now we’re 7 months post accident and 5 months postpartum, recovery hasn’t been easy especially with a new baby. The lack of sleep and the fact that I’m responsible for taking care of a small human when I can’t even take care of myself has been quite the journey.

Home: Services

The recovery journey

Its been tough, coping with the brain injury and the ptsd has been the hardest part. I’m so grateful our baby survived and is thriving and I’m so grateful I survived, but I will never be the same as I used to be, physically I will recover but mentally and emotionally it’s going to take a long time. Currently I’m not driving due to the tbi and that’s been rough. I feel like I’m stuck behind the same walls of my house days in and days out. I’m going for bi weekly massage and physio appts to help with my back pain and I’m starting rehab Friday for my left hand.