missmarch1978,
Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear you are struggling so.
What you are going through is very common. You just have a more intense set of symptoms. 85% will recover spontaneously within the first 6 weeks. The remaining 15% take a wide range of time to recover.
[My scalp is still fairly bruised on my left side, behind my ear, even after 3.5 weeks.]
The skin over the skull has 7 layers with lots of nerve fiber throughout. These nerve fiber have been damaged, Unfortunately, for some it takes months for this pain and sensitivity to heal. The myelin sheath that covers the nerve fibers heals very slowly.
[Headaches.] These can be from the impact, from excessive blood pressure within your head, or from a subtle neck injury causing muscle spasms radiating from your neck or any combination of the three. All are normal and take time to resolve. A neck injury may be treatable. Upper cervical chiro, gentle traction and mobilization by a PT, osteopathic manipulation can help but good sleeping posture is also necessary as the ligaments strengthen and stabilize. Ibuprofen or aspirin can help. Acetaminophen can also help but is not an anti-inflammatory and has some negative chemistry effects.
[Dizzy.] This can be due to some vestibular challenges. Or, moving too fast for blood pressure to keep up. At 3.5 weeks, it's not always worth getting an assessment yet unless it is serious.
[Exhausted.]
Your brain is injured and working overtime just to keep up.
It is overwhelmed with audio, visual and other stimulation. You also are probably not getting good restorative sleep. The holidays are a miserable time to struggle with PCS because there is so much stimulation and activity.
You should be focusing on getting quiet rest. That means low stress activity with minimal sensory stimulation. Many wear ear plugs to reduce auditory stimulation. The foam Mack's brand are good.
[Hearing is jumbled (this is what is hardest for me to explain. No one is understanding what I am trying to tell them and I am frustrated. I can hear out of both ears, but they aren't syncing. A bubble type sound. I can't always figure out which direction the sound is coming from. Certain noises are excrutiating, voices, dishes, road noise, bass, loud bangs, which isn't good because I am a fairly accomplished percussionist, or I was....., this hearing thing leaves me exhausted, I haven't practiced my instrument since the fall).]
The jumbling and lack of syncing needs to be checked by an ENT or audiologist. It is not uncommon for eyes to not sync properly after a concussion. Never heard of it with hearing. But, it is called auditory neuropathy.
[My eyes hurt and get worse as the day goes on.]
Your eyes may be struggling to work together. This can cause fatigue and soreness. Computer screens can make this worse. It would help to take breaks with your eyes closed at least 5 minutes very 2 hours.
[Depressed.]
Your brain is struggling to process everything. This can lead to depression. Many doctor will prescribe low dose amitriptyline or nortriptyline to help with this and the anxiety.
[HIGH anxiety/panic attacks.] The concussed brain is easily over-stimulated into fight or flight syndrome and every variety of anxiety. If you have spikes in blood pressure with these, you could ask for a beta blocker like propranolol or atenolol. Reducing your exposure to over-stimulation can make a big difference for many.
[Insomnia] The above low dose meds can help with the insomnia, headaches and
[(Doc gave me lorazepam for this and panic attacks)] A benzo like lorazepam should be taken at minum dose and only when needed. Maintenance use of benzos can be a problem.
[Nausea.] Ginger can help some. Nausea can be made worse by anxiety.
[Mood swings. (I threw an absolute fit in my diveway this morning for zero reason and then cried all the way to work because I didn't know why I was mad).] This is not uncommon. Outburst can be a struggle. The injured brain has little tolerance for stress. The crying is part of this symptom.
[I feel like everyone thinks I am over reacting or over embellishing my physical pain and symptoms. "Yup! You bumped yer head, Silly!". (That feels so condescending). I don't feel like my doc is taking this very seriously, either.] Do you have a concussion clinic in your area ? Most schools have them available for athletes in football, soccer, LaCrosse, and other contact sports. Not all concussion clinics are tops in their skills, though. Worth a try anyway.
If you can tolerate it, watch the You Tube video series 'You Look Great' about concussion problems when everybody thinks 'you look great.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Xso4qGdlI
And, read the sticky at the top about Vitamins. The injured brain needs extra nutrition to rebuilt the nerve fiber coverings, help tolerate stress and a number of other needs.
In your condition, many would be working a part day only. At the least, take quiet breaks during the day.
And, feel free to tell us any of your struggles. We have heard them all and are here to help.
My best to you.