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Member
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 214
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 214
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Thanks for the responses. I have actually just started hypnotherapy. Gone 3 times so far, getting better at getting into a trance state, and was feeling a little better/more positive the past couple weeks, so it might be helping.
Haven't iced the head or neck yet today, will try that after dinner. I've been seeing a NUCCA chiro for a while, been in alignment since February - didn't notice any difference really, but keep going back to check to make sure it's still in alignment. I've also had a neck MRI, which didn't show anything.
No one I've gone to (and I've seen A LOT of different people) can seem to figure out these headaches, or why they're generally so localized to where I've had bumps/hits, or why they stick around so long. I know my anxiety is still an issue, but it's also A LOT better than it was a year and a half ago, but the headaches remain.
The main culprit was a hit last summer (about 4 months post-concussion), walking down my basement stairs slowly I hit my head on the ceiling, sort of broadly hitting the middle-center of the top of my head. I wasn't dazed or confused afterwards (although developed some dizziness afterwards that's persisted, but gotten much better). I haven't felt as good as I did before that bump since. My headaches are now mostly concentrated around this area (slightly shifted to the right side after the water balloon). My reading/screen difficulties got much worse than they were after that bump too. This is what precipitated going on medical leave.
I don't think it was another concussion, and I guess it's useless to think about it, so I've stopped trying to label it as concussive or sub-concussive. It seems I'm just extra susceptible to these bumps, and often (but not always) notice a decrease in reading/screen abilities. It's clear that most of these small bumps (tap included) couldn't possibly cause brain damage, or even exacerbate it, so I'm just stumped as to what's going on. My neck has been treated by umpteen people, and some have suggested a link between it and vision, but nothing has dramatically helped.
I'm losing my train of thought here, so I'll quit rambling!
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26 year-old PhD student in evolutionary biology, slipped on ice in Feb 2014 while clipping my fingernails and walking to save time (dumbest reason for PCS ever?). Initially just had headaches and didn't feel quite right, but a minor head bump 5 days later started a downward spiral of anxiety, depression, insomnia and fatigue. Had trouble concentrating on reading/looking at screens
April 2014 - did exertion test, passed, started exercising and doing more, but didn't feel much better.
May 2014 - Went on backpacking trip OK'd by doctor, trip itself went fine, but felt worse a few days after getting back, more difficulty concentrating, worse headaches.
June 2014 - Bumped head on ceiling walking slowly down stairs, no immediate symptoms, but caused worsening headahces, more difficulty concentrating and looking at screens. Have not felt as good as I did before this since this bump.
December 2014 - after feeling relatively better I went xc skiing and fell but didn't hit my head (something my psychologist who specializes in brain injuries told me he hoped would happen so I saw it was OK), felt worse
Feb 2015 - back in grad school, light teaching load and some research, nowhere close to operating at my full capacity. Still have constant headaches, difficulty reading/looking at screens, mild anxiety and depression, and just not feeling like my normal sharp self.
Trying, but struggling, to believe that I'll get back to my old self, or at least get close.
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