Alexis O'Shea- Writer and Content Developer

It was just a normal day, driving home from the office in Birmingham. At a road junction, i saw an SUV driving at high speed towards my direction. The vehicle bears hard into my driver's side door, shattering the windshield glass, turning my two-door car all the way around. ...........

Later that night, though, as I stepped into the shower to wash the minuscule glass pieces out of my long hair and off my skin, I starting shaking. I saw white fireworks out of my right eye. When I spoke, every word slowed. Slurred. I felt drunk, even though I hadn't had any alcohol that day. I was in a haze. A slow sinking. "Help, help," I called, as I sank to the shower floor.

After spending half that night in the ER, I was diagnosed with a concussion. The first week at home I felt like my inner balance was off. I walked slowly, sloping side to side. It was hard to remember words and I slurred my speech, also called aphasia. I wore sunglasses all day because the light hurt my eyes.

When the symptoms didn't clear up, I started seeing a Philadelphia-based neurologist who told me recovery from a traumatic brain injury could take up to a year. That was far different from the 1 year I expected. I have lost speech and i only mumble a few words before everything goes blank.

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