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'I could not move without vomiting for six months'

BBC A woman with light coloured long hair looks at a camera. She is smartly dressed. She is in a plain room, sitting next to a tall, green plant. BBC
Louisa Peachey has participated in a research group to help other traumatic brain injury survivors

A survivor of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from Kent said it took more than six months before she could move without vomiting.

Louisa Peachey, from Tenterden, was injured in a football accident in 2012 when her teammates collided with her and landed on top of her.

She hit her head on the ground and spent a week in hospital, but the moderate TBI she sustained has had a lasting impact.

She said she lost memory and cognitive ability but that the "worst part" was having "permanent head pain for five years".

Ms Peachey said: "I couldn't work out sequences in order to do things like make a cup of tea or to drive, my ability to walk was impaired.

"But the worst part was the pain. It feels like it is in the brain but it actually radiates from lower down."

Ms Peachey shared her story with a group of survivors who had sustained injuries through accidents, attacks or falls.

They met at the University of Kent in Canterbury to assist Karen Saunders with her PhD research, with hopes to improve outcomes for those with similar injuries.

A woman with brown hair, a brown fringe and a white T-shirt sits in a lecture hall in the university. Behind her are desks and chairs pointing towards a whiteboard.
Karen Saunders is leading a PhD research group into the long-term health impacts of traumatic brain injury

Ms Saunders said all the survivors of moderate to severe TBI that she studied were readmitted to hospital within six months of discharge.

She said the data "tells us for sure that their health needs are not being addressed sufficiently well".

Neuro-rehabilitation specialist Dr Mohamed Sakel said injuries caused by trauma are particularly complex.

A man with a white shirt and blue blazer sits in a university lecture hall. He is surrounded by chairs and tables pointing towards a whiteboard.
Dr Mohamed Sakel is chairman of the Kent Brain Injury Forum charity

He said: "If there's an injury to a small part, the rest of the brain can attempt to make new connections, new networks and can still compensate.

"But if the entire network is affected unfortunately it is very difficult for that patient to function."

Ms Saunders believes her research will change the treatment pathway and the support patients get in recovery.

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