Hello everyone - I'm Maggie and brand new.

I have been recovering from a TBI since Nov 15, and have my first appt with the neurologist on Feb 8th. My symptoms seem fairly typical (dizziness, headaches, light/sound sensitivity, word finding, etc.). For me however, the worst is the dizziness.

I would be so grateful for your help in reading this and telling me if I'm explaining myself well. This Feb 8th appt is so so important to me -- I'm a single mom of 3 kids and an executive. I'm the only one supporting our family, so I want to heal and get back to my life as quickly as possible.

Here's what I experience as dizziness:

- If you take your finger and gently push it against the bridge of your nose, that sensation is similar to what I feel. Just 100X stronger. Like if you fly to 30,000 feet, in those couple of seconds where your head and ears adjust. That feeling, but it's constant.
- The pressure feels like it starts there at the bridge of my nose, and spreads through my forehead. This pressure sensation seems to be what creates the dizziness.
- When the pressure gets more intense I call it pain, and these are what I'd consider headaches. When that happens, the dizziness turns into nausea.
- The headache pain is like a 6 or 7. For me a 10 is natural childbirth, a 9 is passing a kidney stone or when one of my discs first go out. So, not that strong. But the headaches last 3-4 days and almost nothing relieves it. I'm completely useless for that time period.
- Then eventually the pain recedes again and returns to "pressure" level, which is where it is now. Just insanely dizzy. The headaches I could live with since they're not constant, but the dizziness is debilitating. I've gone from working 60 hr weeks, to barely being able to be on a computer or cook my kids dinner. It will start getting better and then it's back again. Some triggers I've figured out.

The dizziness gets worse by various things:

visual - scrolling on a computer, or turning the page of a book. bright lights or the grocery store is often too much
sound - anything loud like a blender or shouting, and especially high-pitch noises like plastic bags being rustled
movement - bending over for too long, or driving in a car (especially vehicles that take speed bumps and turns like boats- omg)
cognitive - thinking too hard, like solving algebra equations or remembering a word that won't come
emotional/physical fatigue - getting upset, or trying to do any activity like running errands or cleaning for more than an hour

Thoughts, questions, any recommendations?? Please be as direct as you want. I want to give the dr the info she needs to help me.

Fwiw, I mentioned my discs in the pain scale above; I already had 3 herniated cervical discs which have not gone out since the injury, but are there in case that's relevant.

Thank you so much!

Maggie