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Originally Posted by blessyouboys
Hi all, I'm new here but I was reading through some of the old posts and found them helpful so I thought I might post my own story and ask an opinion on something I've been wondering.
I'm a 24 year old guy with a job working in higher education administration (I love it!). About two months ago (mid-March) I was hit by a car on the way to work and suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in two hematomas, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and a few other related issues. My GCS was estimated by the EMT at 3, but noted they didn't think they could perform the test accurately in my state. To treat, the doctor at the ER performed a decompressive craniectomy to remove a bone flap, withdraw the hematomas, and allow intracranial pressure to reduce.
I spent about a week in the neuro-ICU and another two weeks in a rehabilitation hospital before being discharged. I've been living with my family since getting out and no longer need a home aide. I have outpatient rehab two times a week, but every doctor's appointment has gone very well - there's no more blood in the brain, my temporal bone fracture has healed well so far, and my facial palsy has started to resolve itself. I'm also fully cognitively competent - it's extremely hard to remember anything from the accident or ICU, but the rest of my memory is almost entirely back and I can read and work from home now.
The last thing that needs to happen is a cranioplasty to replace the bone flap removed in the ER. Has anyone had anything like this before? I know it will make me feel better to not have a dent in the side of my head and have to wear a protective helmet, but I wanted some input on how that surgery went and if it made anything else better.
Thanks!
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Hi and welcome to NT.
My story is eerily similar to yours. I also had temporal skull fracture, an epidural hematoma and subarachnoid hemorrhage. My surgery was a craniotomy, the difference being the surgeon reattached the bone fragment after evacuating the hematoma, so I can't comment directly on your question on reattaching the skull flap (although there is still a small dent in my skull where the flap was removed).
I also work in higher education administration and I returned to work part time from home about four months after the accident, and full time two months after that. I still have no memory of the accident nor of the time spent in ICU. I was in ICU for four weeks followed by four weeks in neuro-rehab, then outpatient OT, PT.
The fact that you have regained cognitive functioning is profoundly encouraging. Reattaching the bone should be a relatively routine procedure (if any skull surgery can be considered routine). Your outpatient rehab sounds like it's going well.
Thanks for posting and keep us updated on your progress. Best to you on this recovery journey.