You started speaking publicly a few years after your second traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2014. How did that come about?
I had my first TBI in 2003 when I was deployed in Iraq on a Navy ship but was never diagnosed. After my second one, I got access to my old records and was able to share that with my new doctors, who confirmed the first TBI. Then in July 2016, I was approached by A Head for the Future, a Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Initiative in Washington, DC, that educates the public about TBIs among veterans, to share my story as part of its video series.
That led to working with other veterans' organizations. What has that been like?
In September 2018, I participated in a relay race with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a nonprofit organization that builds treatment centers for veterans with TBIs and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I was interviewed by local media outlets, which gave me another opportunity to share my story. A month later I spoke at a fundraiser for Headstrong, a mental health organization affiliated with Weill Cornell Medicine that helped me during my recovery.
What is your message?
I want people to know that women veterans get TBIs too, and not just from blast exposure. My first TBI happened when I slipped down a hatch and hit my head. I had the second one after I tripped and fell on the stairs. I also encourage people to keep working with their doctors, or switch doctors if necessary, to get a proper diagnosis. I was told my symptoms were due to PTSD, although I had never experienced trauma. Once I was diagnosed with TBI, I learned that I had been having postconcussive symptoms for years.
Your advocacy has recently gone beyond speaking. What are you doing now?
This summer I earned a veterans' advocacy fellowship with the nonprofit group High Ground Veterans Advocacy. During the weeklong program, we learned how to identify what we wanted to change and find people in Congress who could help us get policies passed. We also learned how to speak to legislators, how to craft legislation or addendums to existing laws, and the importance of following up with congressional staff regularly. While I was in the program, I had appointments with 13 senatorial offices.
How did the advocacy course shape your mission?
I want help from Congress to remove barriers faced by service members and veterans, especially females, with unseen physical medical issues. Women reporting these symptoms go un- or misdiagnosed at a higher rate than their male counterparts, and they are more often given mental health diagnoses. Not seeing improvement over time can lead to actual mental health problems, while the physical symptoms are never addressed.
What's your overall advice to veterans with TBI?
Never give up. Don't stop asking until you are satisfied with the answers. Surround yourself with people who love and support you, and find positive and healthy ways to manage your frustration. For me, that was exercise and speaking out about my condition. Instead of being angry or blaming others, I tell myself there's no better person to whom this could happen. I can find the positive in my experience and guide others.