Hi there!
My name is Alex Hansen, but you may know me as Lily Hansen. Before you get confused, please stick around for something I have to say. I am here to tell you of a horrific and terrific story, something that happened to me on June 28th of 2019.
It was a normal day in Saint Louis, Missouri - hot temp, clear skies, and just plain normal. I was only 10 months post graduating the University of Wisconsin, Madison as a full time Division I student-athlete and attending Washington University's School of Medicine to achieve my doctorate in Audiology. I was living in an apartment by myself and had just come home from grocery shopping - one of my favorite activities because I loved to cook. I was putting away groceries and it was only within moments that everything went black and my whole life changed.
I flipped my hair out of my face with groceries in my hands and the point of the freezer door (the plastic part that holds the freon inside) hit my right temple and I collapsed to the floor. I lost consciousness, had a seizure, and was transported into the Barnes Trauma unit. It was a freak accident - something that could have happened to anyone, but its effects on my brain were devastating.
Unlike many TBI sufferers’ nation/worldwide, my brain didn't bleed, and my skull didn't fracture and thus brain interventions were not necessary. This meant the road was going to be long and arduous. My life as a 6-minute mile runner, 35 pull-up champion, and fit athlete were over.
My brain did what is called the coup contrecoup, which is when the brain bounces within the skull upon impact, causing damage to both sides of the brain. I suffered temporal lobe damage on the right and left sides causing the following changes for me: significant personality changes, memory issues, concentration and attention problems, seizures, stomach issues causing daily vomiting (18 months), severe migraines (to this day), emotional processing issues, language understanding deficits, significant hearing loss in both ears, and a vision change of over 4.00 points.
In other words, my knowledge of Spanish saw better days, the name Lily didn't fit as my personality changed, so I legally changed it to Alex, I was paired with bright blue hearing aids, thicker glasses, a walker and cane, and a laundry list of therapists and doctors to see for my new outlook on life.
So, let's cut to the chase, why this fundraiser? Why 3.9-years later? And why me? Well... glad you asked. :)
It's taken a long time to get to where I am today. I can now walk freely (except in the dark), eat solid foods, live daily life in only mild pain, and be back in graduate school (this time for a master’s in education)! I'm finally seeing the 9/10 daily pain levels break below 5/10 with mindfulness and Yoga. I have finally hit my ideal weight of 130 pounds by being able to keep food down with the help of my gastro and nutritionist. I am also freely engaging in fun activities again with the help of my support team.
Love Your Brain Foundation is hosting a TBI Recovery Retreat for survivors mid-September and I got accepted to attend. I booked my ticket and am ecstatic to be able to pack my bags, fly, and meet other amazing people who have suffered and overcome great challenges like me. The retreat is FREE to attend but is only made possible by each survivor fundraising for their attendance. This will be the first time I am able to get out of my shell since June of 2019 and feel comfortable in my own (new) skin.
I want to thank everyone who has been there on my journey for the past 3+ years of TBI recovery. Any donation of $1.00 or more would be of great help in my journey of recovery and healing. Miley Cyrus said it perfectly, “the climb is hard, but the view is great”, and with that I will close.
Thanks for letting me share.
Alex
