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Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho
LilyNYC,
Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your injury. It sounds like you would have a personal injury claim so that may be a way to get some financial help. Disability programs sometimes are easier to get if you agree to refund disability payments from future recovery in a Personal Injury claim. Check out to see if he has referrals to your area. An injury like your needs a knowledgeable attorney, not just any ambulance chaser.
You may be able to keep working if you can lower the activity/stress/intensity level. As was said, learn your triggers and avoid them if you can. An ER is full of stresses and triggers. What kind of work do you do in an ER ? Are you also a full time student ?
Jane McGonigal has some interesting things to say but her experience is unique to her. You mileage may vary. There is a saying. "If you have seen one head injury, you have seen ONE head injury." Pushing through because you are determined to get better can make for a long roller coaster ride. But, journaling your days, activities/symptoms is worthwhile.
Although it is a great goal to not get anxious or depressed, the injured brain often has less ability to tolerate stress thus making it difficult to avoid anxiety. But, try to not let your thoughts create anxiety. Your brain's reaction to environmental and cognitive/emotional stress ( sounds, light, cognitive load, emotional stress/relationships with people, etc) will create enough anxiety.
You don't say what your current symptoms are except struggling with anxiety attacks, etc. Likely, there were triggers that caused the attacks. It may have been an accumulation of small triggers or a single trigger.
The injured brain needs extra nutrition. The Vitamins sticky at the top has a good regimen. The most important are B-12, a B-50 Complex, D-3, Omega 3 oil, magnesium/calcium (they work better together). Vitacost is currently doing a BOGO 1/2 off sale if you need to stock up. I like their house brand.
As was said, most doctors are clueless. Without more severe symptoms to indicate a need, a CT Scan right away would have a premature high dose of radiation. Most are done to protect the doctor and profit the hospital more than benefit the patient.
Try to avoid responding to every little change in symptoms. The roller coaster of PCS is to be expected.
BTW, 85% of concussions resolve spontaneously within 6 weeks or so. Too much activity can extend this 6 week period.
We are here for you so don't hesitate to ask for help. But, try to avoid using a Smart Phone to follow online issues. Smart Phone users tend to become too anxious. Try to be patient and things will get better.
My best to you.
Mark in Idaho
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Hi Mark,
Well unfortunately it was the driver's fault of the car that I was in. I am a RN in the ER. I'm trying to avoid as much stress as possible! Sometimes that makes things worse just by stressing the stress! Vicious cycle. I'm only a part time student at the moment. Luckily, when I'm at work, I seem to be distracted and more focused and seem to even forget my symptoms - unless the vertigo is really bad.
I like the idea of journaling, I was thinking of that before but I'm glad you brought it up. I've been writing lots down lately since my memory is poor to remember things here and there but I'm sure writing down symptoms and possibly finding a pattern would be very beneficial.
As far as symptoms, besides the anxiety, I've had non stop vertigo, thankfully it isn't horrible, but it's surely bothersome. What worries me the most though is my sense of time. One doctor thought it might be detachment/depersonalization/derealization which freaked me out even more!!! I've read the signs and symptoms of these but nothing I find seems to really fit what I'm experiencing. The sense of time for me is distorted in the way that I might have breakfast at 6:45AM, but come 7:00AM, it feels like it was much more than 15 minutes prior (maybe even feeling like hours or days ago) and it also doesn't feel like it's 100% there in the memory that I'm able to recall instantly like I used to be able to do. I can tell you what I ate, but I can't tell you super fine details the way I was able to before unless something was specifically called to my attention. I'm wondering if this is something else that others have experienced too? The same doc said that he had dealt with football players who experienced the same time sensation issue but I can't seem to find any info on this anywhere - which leads to your next point. I need to stop googling PCS and anxiety every hour, you're 100% right.
Thank you for your detailed vitamin regimen, I need to add some Curcumin and DHEA, I've been taking the rest for the past two weeks pretty consistently. My neurologist gave me a high concentration of Magnesium intravenously in office that was supposed to improve symptoms but I honestly don't see a difference sadly.
Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.