nikki exceptional circumstancesFINAL

Jill Woodworth44min

Jill Woodworth

00:00

Thank you for joining us. I am here at TSC Talks with my friend Nikki lolly, Nikki is has been a guest on the podcast she came on and talked about her experience with a traumatic brain injury and how her life changed dramatically after a couple of incidents that she's going to talk about. I thought I'd have her back on and have her go through her story. And also give us an update as to what's changed how our life's going now, things that are challenging how she's coping, basically. So she was a former pediatric nurse, former blackjack dealer went from full active life to daily chronic pain, de habilitated symptoms like headaches every day, from an on the job traumatic brain injury in 2016. So, Nikki, thank you so much for coming on. I yes. And she's like one of the most positive, upbeat people that I've ever met. Ever since I came into the industry. I noticed her liking my posts, and I'm like, Who is this woman? And somehow we connected probably through Mike Robinson or something like that. And yeah, and we've been friends ever since. So I appreciate you, Nikki. And thanks for doing this. Hey, no

Speaker 1

01:11

problem. Gil. I appreciate helping spread the word of the plant because there's a lot of stigma surrounding cannabis. And I was one of the naysayers as a pediatric nurse, I believe is cannabis as a recreational substance. Just like I viewed alcohol, I view people needing things to unwind to relax, whether it's exercise, alcohol, Cannabis, whatever it was your thing. You just go right ahead and do it. It's not my place to judge anyone or say this is good for you or wrong. So for me, my life changed a split second. Back in October of 2016. I was doing my job just like any other day. And one of my co workers called him for assistance. She had a combative child, but did not want his routine immunization for school. He was 10 about my size. And he basically was going to do anything he could to make sure he did not have to get that vision. And every time my coworker went to give the child a shot, he would flip his arm like a duck. And so I went behind the child and restrained him against the offer. And basically the kid tucked his chin through his head back hit me in the forehead. I went into a plaster wall and then back into his head. So it was a significant whiplash split second. Never thought I would ever have any lasting symptoms ever. So right after it You didn't you didn't feel what did you? I mean, did you block out at all? Or? I did not blackout? I was definitely dazed, confused, like, Whoa, what just happened? But I believe my adrenaline just kicked in, and I was more pissed off than anything. Sure.

Unknown Speaker

02:57

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1

03:00

I just couldn't believe what just happened. Like, you just hurt me. And I'm mad. That was more of the feeling. And the doctor from the next room came running over and said what was that and other nurse said it was Nikki's head. We ended up all manhandling the child and getting the inoculation. Like at that point. We were done negotiating. There was no negotiation. Yeah. And the kid was my size. So I mean, it's not like we're talking about a three year old here. Good, solid, 10 year old And anyway, wow. Everyone has issues. I mean, it wasn't a special needs child or anything like that. It was just a child that was gonna not get a shot at the

Unknown Speaker

03:45

front. Yeah.

Speaker 1

03:47

So enough about that. But yeah, my life forever changed. And I went to dinner and came back and I was all dazed, confused, I got sick. And I work the night shift. And the physician that was on duty looked at me and he's like, Nikki, what's going on, and I had like, numbness in my arm and everything. And I mean, my head was just explosive. My vision was weird. But again, I still was pissed off and I was going to still work and you know, it was like getting determined not to know you better go to urgent care. So long story short, that began my medical journey of chronic illness and chronic pain and all the things that you hear about, but until it really happens to you, you really don't under don't understand. And even as a nurse, I mean, I saw patients with chronic illness all the time and their parents and caregivers and again, you have empathy for these people or it's a whole different level when it's you or your Yeah, yeah, it's like an immersive experience that everyone I wish everyone could almost have no, not really but like, You're so right. I mean, people Just don't know. They don't know what it's like to deal with something that's that extreme. And you look totally okay. Yes. So I began the search for a diagnosis. It was hell, I was always a respected colleague in the medical field. And every doctor I went to like, what we don't understand why your symptoms are so long. We don't understand why. You know, you're not better yet. We don't understand this headache that never goes away. How can you have a headache 24 seven, I'm like, I have a headache. 24 seven, I have a headache that never goes away. And they basically told me that it was psychological at one point, and it was so humanizing for a person that's never had mental health challenges and extreme situations, to be told, like, this is all in your head. Really nothing wrong with you. And it was like, Whoa, is it really in my head? No, and I mean, chill. When I say I was upbeat and happy, you know, me as a different ease than I was before. I was really quick, really witty really able to, you know, snap back and really fun life. I'm a different Nikki and I'm differently abled, but I feel that patients are the experts, and they are not heard. We are not heard from a patient perspective. When I tell the doctor, this medicine isn't working. Why does I have to be in question? Well, you're not taking it with food, right? I'm like, buddy, I'm a nurse. While you're not waiting for the onset, it takes three weeks to get to the Pico level and, and all the excuses that I went through, to just be heard, right? And have some kind of hope that like, okay, you understand, like, all the MRIs, I had all the CAT scans, all the various testing, nothing was showing, like, screaming Okay, front, right. Up here. This is why she's all messed up. That's what you kind of want, like, you want that. So you can fix it. But when it's subtle like that, I mean, yeah. 100%. And that was probably the hardest thing through this whole journey. I mean, I was truly suicidal. I was on drugs. How could you not be how could you not be if you think it's never going to end? You know, and you're going to be living in this prison of like pain for the rest of your life. I mean, it's, to me, it's like, that's a no brainer. I'm surprised. I mean, I would be surprised if you weren't. Well, it just wasn't getting better. And I mean, this was 24 seven. And I mean, my husband was just like, losing it. He's just like, go to Vegas, we're gonna, like, get you out of here. We're gonna, like,

Processing audio...