Anne ready to try US Navy Seal treatment after sledging fall

health: Angus woman hopes float tank therapy can help her recover

An Angus woman left with a brain injury after a sledging fall has been offered concussion treatment used by US Navy Seals.

Anne Johnston from Forfar wants to see if using float pods can make a difference after her life was turned upside down following a seemingly innocuous tumble while sledging in Arbroath in the wake of the beast from the east.

Miss Johnston was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome on March 8 and has been forced to put her established photography business on hold until she recovers.

She was initially signed off for three weeks but her recovery is taking longer than expected.

The military has been using float pods for Navy Seals for years, which is showing promise with concussion and traumatic brain injury as well as posttraumatic stress disorder.

She said: “When you break a bone you know what the healing process is and how long it should take but with a brain injury there’s no definite timescale.

“I’m trying to do as much research as I can for treatments and things I can do to help my recovery.

“One treatment I really want to try is flotation tanks after I discovered retired Navy Seals in Virginia using them as treatment for concussion.

“The idea is the float tanks put your brain into a state of sense-deprivation where it can relax at a deeper level and repair. The idea of being in a dark enclosed space freaks me out but I’m prepared to do it to at least try to see if it can make a difference.”

Miss Johnston has been offered sessions at Zero-G Float Therapy in Portobello and has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for treatment and transport.

People can donate to the fund at www.gofundme.com/findingmysparkle

Picture: Kim Cessford. Anne has put her business on hold.