Sarah Perl, 54

How did you sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI)?

On the morning of February 27, 2009, I woke up and went to the freezer to get some bread. I felt a little dizzy, so I turned around to sit down in a chair and fainted instead. My partner found me on the floor and tried to revive me. Then he called 911, and the ambulance took me to the hospital.

What happened at the hospital?

I don't remember much, but I know I had repeated computed tomography scans to make sure I had no bleeding in the brain. The doctors thought maybe a seizure had caused me to faint, so they prescribed an antiseizure drug and advised me to follow up with my doctor. Then my partner took me home.

What did you do next?

I called my cousin Danny, who's a neurologist. I told him I had fallen and hit my head and was not functioning well. He said he thought it sounded like a concussion and connected me with someone who specializes in that.

You were ultimately assigned to a doctor who himself had sustained a TBI. How did he help?

He became my case manager, directing me to different specialists to find out why I had fainted and what had happened to my brain. Neurologists gave me a battery of mental tests to see if I had any cognitive deficits. I learned that I had a coup-contrecoup injury, meaning that although the impact was on the back of my head, its force also affected the front of my brain.

What were some of your symptoms?

I had memory problems. I was sensitive to light and noise. Even the sound of rolling luggage would startle me. I wasn't able to sleep. At times I stayed up around the clock.

What helped in your recovery?

I played a lot of Scrabble. I had played as a child. As an adult, I played online for years. I resumed that with my best friend, and I think that helped me tap into existing neural pathways.

What would you tell others with TBI?

You have to get "zen" about the whole thing and accept your limitations at the moment and work within them. Do what you can, and as things change you can do more.

Are you a different person now?

I have a new sensitivity to stigma and the way people with mental health problems are treated. And I understand that recovery isn't linear. I got better, then I got worse, and then I got better again.

Do you still play Scrabble?

Yes. I'm wicked good, and I play with the same best friend.