effysmom,

To start with, you were given some bad information. Post Concussion Syndrome is not a proper diagnosis until symptoms persist for 6 to 8 weeks after the concussion. All of the give it time, patient be patient, were bad advice.

But, that is the past. You need to start from now. You cannot do anything about missed diagnosis, bad CT reads, etc.

So, YES, it appears you have a brain injury. That is not the end of life. Many of us survive and move forward with our lives.

Without getting too deep and overwhelming you right now, I have two comments.

1. You have neurological dysfunctions. As difficult as it sounds, it is important that you try to accept them as the new you. There are many things you can learn to do to move forward in a productive way. Understanding your specific struggles is very helpful. A Neuro Psychological Assessment will be very useful at understanding your functional state.

2. The first thing to do is realize that writing on forums like this may be one of your best ways to express yourself and get support. When our memory fails and we struggle to stay on subject, writing can be an enormous help. The key is to not hit the Post button until we have proofread our comments. We can sort out our thoughts by rereading them. Cutting and pasting to organize our thoughts can be a great help at sorting our thoughts.

I would encourage you to start a journal of your thoughts. Start by just writing down anything. Go ahead and ramble. Then, sort those thoughts using cut and past to create a more ordered expression of your thoughts.

When I first needed to sort things out, I would have two documents open at the same time. One was ramblings. The other was more organized. I would move text between them.

I considered this my short term memory hack. I have very poor immediate and short term memory. I also cannot juggle multiple concepts. My brain is usually limited to A or B, not A or B or C or D. I can sort through written concepts far better than I can sort through concepts in my mind.

btw, The fractured skull is often a good sign. It means the skull deformed as it absorbed some of the impact. A deformation of 1/8 to 1/4 inch can reduce G forces by 50%. It does indicate the impact force was strong, though. But, a fracture without a residual deformity does not create additional brain trauma.

Have you had your vision assessed by a Behavioral Optometrist? They do not assess acuity, the ability to read an eye chart. They look at how the eyes work together and process the images. It is often a part of a brain injury that is missed by Medical providers.

Many neurologists are not the best at helping people like us. A specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation sometimes known as a Physiatrist can be better. They are often affiliated with NeuroRehabilitation hospitals. Do you have a Neuro Rehabilitation Hospital near you?

I hope we can help you sort things out. I think we can.

When you reply, please use the Post Reply at the lower left rather than the Reply button at the lower right. It makes it easier to read the comments.

My best to you.