by
It was supposed to be a routine parent-teacher meeting on an unremarkable day. An entirely preventable accident turned it into years of pain and disability.
In this braided memoir, the author layers the story of her ongoing attempts to heal with up-to-the-minute research on mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), weaving in the parallel story of legal and medical gaslighting as she pursued a personal injury lawsuit. Finally, she shares insights into the impacts the whole experience had on her own life and family—impacts that took years to unravel.
Her biggest lesson? There is no such thing as “mild” traumatic brain injury.
I’ve often idly wondered why people make some of the smallest decisions: Does it matter which cookie I pick up from the plate or which stall I choose in a public bathroom? Will my choice change the course of my life?
READ MORE
On November 27, 2003, at 3:30 p.m., I make one of those random choices. I work at my desk until about 2:00 p.m. At around 2:45, I run a brush through my hair and swish a dollop of toothpaste around my mouth. By 3:00, I’m picking up my younger daughter from her elementary school. At 3:15, we’re rushing into her big sister’s high school, unaware that by 4:30 I’ll be signing in at the emergency department of the local hospital….
The door opens at precisely 3:30. The teacher says goodbye to the previous parents and hello to me. I follow her across the room, where she seats herself on one side of a table and motions to two chairs on the other side.
I choose the nearest, and that choice changes my life.
COLLAPSEKen McGoogan, award-winning author of Shadows of Tyranny: Defending Democracy in an Age of Tyranny wrote:“With devastating detail, No Such Thing shows the enormous damage a single concussion can cause, be it from a simple fall, a common car accident, or (as in my case) a few seconds of street violence on a sunny afternoon … generous, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring.”
Julia Nunes, author of “The Next Hit” in Impact: Women Writing After Concussion wrote:“An empowering story that challenges everything we think we know about concussion.”
Stephen Kimber, ONS, award-winning journalist and author wrote:“Beautifully written with raw honesty … a vital call for empathy and understanding.”
“In this painfully personal but powerful memoir, Lynne Melcombe recounts her journey to heal after a random choice leaves her with a “mild” traumatic brain injury—a concussion. From the gaslighting, indifference, and ignorance of too many healthcare professionals to the gotcha tactics of the shareholder-driven insurance industry, No Such Thing is a must-read for anyone who might one day make a similar choice. Which is to say all of us."
Available on 
