Illustrating in Technicolor: Hide Terada's Post-Concussion Syndrome Story

Hide Terada has always been the life of the party. With his incredible sense of humor, genuine interests in others and fun-seeking personality, he's consistently found joy in life circumstances. Then, an event occurred in 2019 that would test his resolve and outlook, inspiring him to illustrate the life he could aspire to — even if in technicolor.

On Sunday, July 14, 2019, Hide was taking a break during his shift as a barista. To have a little fun, he decided to go for a short spin on his one-wheel electric skateboard. 

Speeding to upwards of 30 miles per hour along the strip, he relished these fleeting free moments, the wind rushing through his helmet.

"I was peeling out and yelled to passersby, "Who needs two wheels? I have one wheel!" 

Fun Comes Crashing to a Halt

Almost immediately the board screeched forward as Hide lost his balance and went flying through the air, whirling into oncoming traffic near the downtown Raleigh Capital Boulevard intersection. He slammed to a stop, banging his head on hot asphalt.  

Cars converged around Hide to shelter him from being hit by motorists. Others on foot ran to the scene, including Hide's friend who worked in the café. Hide moaned, writhing in pain from the hit.

A friend called Carissa, Hide's wife. He informed her of the accident and asked permission to call 911 and have him transported to WakeMed Raleigh Campus Emergency Department as a trauma alert patient. She consented and told him that she'd meet them at the hospital. 

Before long, an ambulance arrived, and Hide was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to WakeMed.

A Diagnosis at WakeMed

When Carissa saw her husband, he was in a hospital bed covered in lacerations and intermittently calling out coffee orders while complaining that he urgently needed to return to work. Hide was confused and overwhelmed. The care team took him to Imaging Services and diagnosed him with a moderate concussion and two mild fractures along his shoulder and hip. He also had road burn and lacerations to various parts of his body. 

Hide was then transported to another hospital system where his insurance was preferred. He remained their for two days and was discharged home. He continued with outpatient physical and speech therapy for about a month and a half.  

In time, Hide was feeling better and returned to work. 

Symptoms Come Whirring Back

Then, in February 2021, Hide was driving at night for the first time since his accident when he began to feel extremely unwell. He had sudden ringing in his ear, dizziness, extreme sensitivity to light and mental confusion. He felt desperate to get home. When he finally arrived, he realized his balance was off, and he was having trouble tracking movement with his eyes.  

"I remember when I got home I had to go into a dark room and bring myself down. It was a resetting period. That was the beginning of my relapse as sensitivity to light and over stimulation with busy environments returned. It was over sensory cascading into my brain."

Discouraged but hopeful, Hide and his wife, Carissa, made the difficult decision that he should quit his job and take time to rest and recover. By late fall, he was still functioning at the lowest level, so Hide called his primary care provider, Dominick Trapani, DO. 

Dr. Trapani assisted Hide in restarting physical therapy and, along with therapist Amanda Cole, helped Hide connect with concussion services available through WakeMed. On December 30, 2021, Hide received a comprehensive neurological specialist exam and was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. 

"I am fortunate to serve as Hide's primary care physician and with his trust I was able to help guide him after his accident to my wonderful WakeMed colleagues. Hide has made great progress with his post-concussion rehabilitation with his hard work assisted by the WakeMed team. Hide 2.0 should serve as an inspiration to others who suffer a traumatic head injury that sometimes we have to pivot in life but that is just part of the journey."

Post-Concussion Syndrome

Post-concussion syndrome happens when symptoms of a brain injury last longer than expected (more than three months). Common symptoms may include the following:

• Cognitive issues (thinking, remembering)
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Irritability
• Mood changes
• Sleep disturbances

"By this time I was in a desperately low state. I'd been struggling for months, delaying care. I'd spent months unable to drive, go to the grocery store or carry on conversation for more than four minutes without a flare up. Flare ups involved feeling off balance, difficulty thinking, trouble with eye-tracking, extreme sensitivity to any stimuli and generally feeling unwell." 

Hide received care through August 8, 2022. 

Amy Schultz, MS, OTR/L, ATP/SMS, CLT, provided occupational therapy (OT), helping him retrain his brain and body to optimally engage in the environment around him. OT assisted with optimizing his ability to use his visual system to take in the environment around him, as well as to improve his ability to multitask. Over time, Hide was able to also incorporate energy conservation and body scanning principles to increase his tolerance for higher stimulation environments allowing him to improve his environmental tolerance should he return to work as a barista.  

Cognitive-communication skill and strategy training were provided by Amanda Cole, MS, CCC-SLP. 

Cole explains, "Hide's speech therapy focused on collaborative goal setting with applying compensatory strategies (such as energy conservation and executive functioning techniques) to help him get back to his preferred activities."

Chelsey Freed, PT, DPT, provided physical therapy. 

"My involvement in treating Hide was for physical therapy for chronic back pain that developed as a result of his injuries following his accident. Our focus was on core strengthening for spinal stabilization, posture re-education, lifting mechanics, diaphragmatic breathing and home exercise program development. Over time, Hide learned how to better manage and cope with his chronic back pain by learning new strategies and understanding how to be in control of it all. Our motto throughout therapy was 'crushing it.'" 

Freddie Rivera, MA, LCMHC, NCC, provided talk therapy using therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and person-centered therapy, to provide Hide the support he needed to develop coping skills, achieve personal goals, and find acceptance in his life, through WakeMed Mental Health & Well-Being Virtual Behavioral Health services.

Rivera says, "It was a pleasure working with Hide in his journey to reinvent himself while finding happiness again in his life." 

"They each did a lot to help me. Occupational therapy helped me start rethinking my career path. Physical therapy addressed pain I was having, particularly in my back. Speech therapy was much more than speech. Amanda really helped me a lot with cognition. Physical therapy meant a great deal throughout the entire process. I appreciate Chelsey. And, Freddie held my hand virtually, walking me through my tough time. I've always been a happy guy, but the accident changed me. Hide 2.0 is not the same guy. I had to accept that."

Together, Hide and his wife, Carissa, accepted that life had changed, and they must forge a new path forward. 

"I used to love a lot of stimulation, but now I need more quiet. My hope is to one day be a professional illustrator. I'm grateful for my wife, my life partner, because she accepts that our lives will look different now, and all she wants for me is that I do what makes me happy."

Gratitude for WakeMed

"Now, I am walking this new journey as Hide 2.0. WakeMed care teams taught me how to deal with my daily problems. Those tools are my treasure. I still have problems with facial recognition and names. I also can't handle long, detailed conversation; impromptu decision-making; and crowded places, but I've got a purpose in my life. I want others to see that life after head trauma can be a life worth living. I'm grateful that WakeMed helped me see that."

 

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