A head-shaking success
In February 2017, 27-year-old Lisa suffered a concussion.
At that time, she was in the process of taking a degree as a veterinary nurse. An education that she had to put on standby, after her accident.
Lisa had serious consequences after the concussion, which among other things meant that she could not stand to be with other people, as this was not too overwhelming, and gave too many stimuli that she could not process.
On the website of the Danish Center for Brain Injury, there is an overview of possible symptoms that can occur after a concussion. It is estimated that very few people experience all the symptoms, but that they often affect each other.
Lisa had many of the symptoms, and we have marked them in the overview, so you can get a better idea of the scope.
“One of my favorite quotes since my accident is: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” It has quite literally been an eyeopener to me, realizing just how much power our vision holds, and how many things we take for granted.”
– Lisa Herbst
“It is important to understand that one is not supposed to wait around for a prolonged concussion to pass. You are not meant to lie in a dark room and avoid anything that triggers the symptoms. Concussion is like most injuries, it needs to be trained away.”
– Lisa Herbst
Physical
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea/vomiting
- Sound/light sensitivity
- Extreme fatigue
- Pain
Cognitive
- Concentration
- Memory
- Quick exhaustion
- Attention
- Learning
- Slower thinking
Emotional
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Changed personality
Sleep
- Altered sleep
- Insomnia (difficulty falling asleep)
- Hypersomnia (excessive need for sleep)
I don’t wanna see you
Lisa’s accident meant that she could not stand to be around other people, for several reasons, that all interrelate. Firstly, her visual and cognitive skills were under severe pressure, meaning she became sensitive to light/sound. This made learning impossible as well, so when she tried to attend a class, she ended up having to overlie the table with her eyes closed. She couldn’t keep eye contact with people, and looking at digital screens was mission impossible.
To be more specific, her eyes hurt, and it required a lot of her energy to use them. She couldn’t listen to music, run, climb, dance, drive, shop, have a conversation, eat sugar, drink caffeine, work, watch tv etc.
Digital screens
Her visual skills are also highly under pressure when trying to look at her smartphone, tablet, computer or TV.
She has to stop using social media, because she can’t cope with having to scroll, and read. Besides having difficulty looking at digital screens, she also has much difficulty with close-up work on screens in general. Another issue is her memory and concentration, which is very affected, meaning that she can’t remember a text that she reads, and regular daily tasks are also easily forgotten and replaced by sleep in complete darkness.
A mission towards an improved vision
Lisa seeks out a Functional Optometrist with the desire to improve her visual skills and regain her quality of life. After intensive training, and regular consultations, 7 months later, she is able to continue and finish her study as a veterinary nurse, and all of her symptoms that came after the concussion are gone, and/or improved.
Oops, I did it again
Fast forward to August 2020, Lisa hit her head on the floor, and gets her second concussion. This time the symptoms are even worse than the first time.
Besides having all of the same symptoms as she had during her first concussion, she now also had double-vision, blurred vision, and severe physical pain. Her endurance is non-existent, and she feels like she can taste blood in her mouth.
At work, she is bothered by the phone ringing, colleagues talking, dogs barking, the sound of different machines/equipment (respirators and ultrasound). Moreover she is not able to treat wounds, or take blood samples. A walk in the park makes her eyes hurt, and if her heart rate gets too high, she gives up immediately.
Second time's the charm
In this video you can see an online consultation, Lisa is located in Norway and the Functional Optometrist in Denmark. This clip shows just how much Lisa’s balance and visual skills are affected by the concussion. She has a hard time turning around herself, even at a slow pace, and she even states in the video “Now I got a little nauseous.”
Lisa’s second time with vision training is a great success, yet again.
March 2021, Lisa is back to work, and her visual skills have improved to such a degree, that she doesn’t have any of the symptoms from the concussion.
She uses EYEBAB to maintain her training at home, by doing some of the exercises she did during her training with the functional optometrist.
