I was rear ended while I was stopped driving East bound on Glenmore Trail. The car in front of me in the middle lane had the choice to go straight or exit south on Deerfoot and they stopped to figure it out. I stopped and checked the left lane to go around, however one, then two then three cars ran into me and each other.

I got out to exchange information and check damage, however all the other drivers were on their phones and at 7:45 am the traffic was speeding past our collective accident. My Ford Transit  was drive-able, so I went to the Police District 6 office to write an accident report. I told them I knew I should not leave the scene of an accident but the traffic veering past our accident, made me feel unsafe standing by the stopped cars.

After filing a police report with all the licence plates of the other cars involved in the accident, I drove to the Rockyview Hospital to get my neck and head checked out. Soft tissue issues like whiplash do not show up on the X-rays, however the doctor confirmed damage, likely concussion and whiplash.

My doctor referred me for physiotherapy for whiplash, and many people in the medical community explained that concussion was hard to assess or treat. It would naturally heal itself.

I have to say at the onset, linear sequential thinking and logical processes are not natural for me. If you are familiar with  Carl Jung and Keirsey temperament, I am a strong ENFP. That said, my new brain with its concussion provided interesting experiences. I saw an article describing fingerling monkeys as the next hot item for Christmas. Away I went! I saw those monkey were sold out in Toys R Us .com. I bought several on the Canadian web site. I must look at the store, I bought more. I ordered more. When I was finally done, I had 17 monkeys!

I am a writer, and I looked at my writing at the time of my concussion. I hopped from idea to idea, with no continuity. I could not read as my mind could not stay focused on what I was reading. My conversations were as scattered and random as my writing was. I went to see Dr. Stuart Donaldson a PhD in Psychology who not only assessed but treated my concussion. I am now fully recovered. The way I was looking to the left lane when I was hit, impacted the area which shows up in individuals with diagnosis of ADD.

It was very scary to have real difficulties with thinking, reading and communicating as I normally do. I am now a dedicated supporter of Dr. D and his work at Myosymmetries Calgary. Have you had a concussion you are not fully recovered from, or you and perhaps a child you know have had diagnosis of ADD and ADHD; Dr. Stuart Donaldson is worth checking out.

When you hurt your arm, we look inside with X-rays. We have scans and medical capacity to diagnosis and treat medical problems. With the brain, we often diagnose depression, anxiety, ADD, concussion without the ability to look ‘under the hood.’ Dr. Donaldson does have the capacity to measure how your brain is functioning and what problems in thinking, behaviour and functioning arise from that.

I did manage to get many of my monkeys returned, and I am back to my normal.