Logan Armstrong
Hi! My name is Logan Armstrong. I am an Ottawa, Ontario resident. In 2016, I graduated from Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario with my Paralegal Diploma. I also completed one year in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Carleton University. I am a proud dog mom to a Black Lab - Golden Retrieve mix, named Beau. I like to think of myself as a bit of an explorer, who is always up for a new adventure. I love to travel, having seen only a few countries to date, but with a long list ahead of me post-Covid. I love the outdoors, and am always looking to go hiking and swimming. In my spare time, I can also be found reading or volunteering at The Ronald McDonald House Charities Family Rooms at The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Growing up, I played almost every sport, recreationally. I have more recently, picked up playing a few sports to stay active, where I can on a weekend evening with friends and family. In 2018, I was diagnosed with a concussion after intimate partner violence. More recently, in February 2020, I was diagnosed with a concussion, followed by a post-concussion diagnosis from a motor vehicle collision. Prior to my motor vehicle collision, I was working as a Protection Agent for The Ottawa Hospital and as a Behavioural Counsellor for Bairn Croft Residential Services Inc. Since my latest concussion, my life has changed drastically.
How have concussions affected your life?: I have suffered from two diagnosed concussions. The first one was from intimate partner violence, which was quickly diagnosed and recovered on its own after 3 weeks. The second concussion was from a motor vehicle collision, which was also quickly diagnosed. However, this time the recovery is not so smooth. It's been almost a year and a half and I am still suffering with post-concussion symptoms.
Why do you want to advocate for concussion awareness?: I want to advocate for concussion awareness for a variety of reasons.
During both of my concussions, very little information or resources were given to me from my health care providers, employers, or even family/friends. This is due to the fact that many people aren't aware of this very serious, invisible injury and don't really understand the process of concussion recovery. It is my hope that as a concussion advocate, I could help others become aware and understand the toll concussions have on people, specifically concussion recovery. I also hope to be a support to others who are also experiencing a concussion.
Due to few people having a lot of information on concussions, as it is still being studied and understood by researchers and doctors, I have spent a lot of time researching and educating myself about the various aspects to concussions, concussion recovery, and complications that prolong concussion recovery. As a concussion advocate, I would love to be able to share these resources to those who would benefit from this knowledge. I wish I had people able to direct me to resources and information during my recovery.
It is also in my experience that there is little conversation about concussions resulting from intimate partner violence (IPV) and motor vehicle collisions (MVC). Most research and awareness on concussions is sports related. This is very frustrating as there are people like myself who have sustained serious concussions from non-sports related events. I would like to be a voice for those who have experience a concussion from non-sports related concussions, specifically IPV and MVC.
Lastly, most concussion related information and studies are male based. As a female, this was infuriating. Statistically, females are more likely to sustain a concussion, have more severe symptoms, and have a longer recovery period. As with most medical research, males are studied more even though females respond differently to the injuries and recovery. More awareness, advocacy, and research is required regarding concussions sustained by females. My hope is to further advocate for females who sustain concussions.