Home for sale with red and white real estate sign during the fall season. Fall season with leaves on ground. Front porch and windows in background. Residential neighborhood. Moving house, relocation concept. Realtor putting up signs.
A former client recently contacted me, excited to share the news of her recent career achievements. She felt her speech therapy treatment had a lot to do with her success. Inspired, I asked her if I could share her story. She gave her permission and said, “I hope my story will help someone and give them hope.” I think her story will do just that. There is hope after brain injury!
This story, begins with multiple mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI,) or concussions. Her first concussion was from a car accident in 2015. Just two years later, she suffered a second concussion when she was involved in another car accident. Then, the unthinkable happened. In March of 2020, she was again rear-ended and hit her head on the headrest of her car. She was diagnosed with a third concussion, and experienced post-concussion syndrome (PCS.) Post-concussion syndrome is when the symptoms from a concussion last longer than a few weeks.
When this client came for speech therapy, it was because months after her last concussion, she was still experiencing headaches, memory problems, sensitivity to light, and difficulty communicating. These symptoms were debilitating, and kept her from participating in many of the important events in her life, including returning to work. In fact, she had accepted the fact that she’d never be able to return to her highly demanding, stressful job. Instead, she had hopes of becoming a realtor. However, the idea of studying for- let alone passing- the necessary examinations seemed impossible given her current symptoms.
Luckily, there was hope for this client! She sought help from a speech-language pathologist. In speech therapy, she learned exercises and strategies designed to improve communication and cognitive skills. For example, she learned the importance of taking rest breaks to give her brain time to heal and recharge. Through speech therapy she became proficient at using strategies to ease her memory problems. In addition to speech therapy, she also received treatment from a skilled physical therapist and vision specialist. All her hard work in therapy paid off, and she started to get better.
I’m happy to report that, in the past few months, this inspiring client met her goal… She successfully earned her realtor’s license! Despite the many setbacks she faced, she diligently followed the advice of her doctors and therapists, and worked hard, everyday, to promote brain healing. If you or a loved one has suffered a concussion or TBI there is hope for recovery. It’s important to work with experienced professionals who will guide you on your road to recovery.
Adult Speech Therapy Services is dedicated to helping adults with brain-related communication and cognitive difficulties. Call us at 301-323-8486 today for a free consultation to discuss your options for treatment. Do you have Medicare and Medicaid? No problem! We accept both, as well as other insurances for which we are an out-of-network provider. We look forward to supporting you on your journey, and reminding you that there is hope!
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