Hi there!! I’m new here (23 year old female, very active) and have a question Sorry for the long post!

Background:
Oct 1: Hit in head by 30 pound longboard while in a surf comp in 8ft waves - delayed symptoms (36hr) Nausea, headache, confusion, light and noise sensitivity, temperature regulation, screen intolerance, tinnitus, unequal pupils, exhaustion. Was only ever diagnosed via symptoms over the phone with my physician.

Most symptoms entirely gone by Oct 20 but some PTSD-like symptoms remained

Nov 9: (maybe another concussive event?) Fell on ice while hiking landed on bum quite hard but did not hit my head - Relapse in more severe headaches for a few days and unequal pupil size

Since this second incident I have had symptoms on and off for the last 6 weeks. Mainly headache (back of head, temples, jaw), nausea, vision issues and a weird sensation behind my eyes. No cognitive issues. Symptoms have improved to a degree. I was able to complete my semester, get back to normal activity level (working out 90 minutes daily) and fly to Hawaii with my family even surfed again a few days ago. I was back to living a fairly normal life with only a few lingering symptoms.


Health History:
I have been seeing a vision therapist as of Nov 10 my vision was fairly off. As of Dec 15 my vision metrics were back at normal/baseline.

I did however also injure my neck quite badly in the Oct. surfing accident. I sustained pretty severe whiplash and a bulging disc in my c4-5. I also already have stage 2 degenerative issues in my neck from 12 years as a national level swimmer. All confirmed by MRI after accident.

I have sustained several small bumps (hitting head on cabinet that sort of thing) since the initial incident, and while they do tend to make me anxious I am usually able to talk myself out of rumination within a few minutes. I was on SSRIS prior to the accident for anxiety and had OCD as a young teenager. These conditions have been well managed for years and don’t seem to have much impact on my daily life, but I realize that the concussion could cause an increase in severity of anxiety.

I have Celiac disease which can make it confusing to determine wether nausea is coming from a gluten exposure or PCS.

Finally, I have had migraines with aura since I was 10. There is a huge history of migraines in my family. Some times I end up with an actual headache (blinding pain on one side) and others I will just get a visual aura (blind spots, lines ect.) nausea and a really out of it feeling for a few hours to days.

Question:
This week I was on vacation with my family and was sitting on my partner’s shoulders in the ocean. I asked him to put me down and he lightly pushed me backwards off of him into the water. I realize that the force of falling maybe 2.5 feet into water should not be enough force for a new concussion. (?) However, after the incident I had immediate nausea and have had an on and off pressure type headache, nausea, neck pain and a foggy feeling.

My question is essentially, are these type of symptom flare ups likely caused by aggravated cervical spine issues, anxiety/PTSD, migraine, some combo, or are they a new concussive incident.

I am just trying to figure out which area (CBT, physio, cervical chiro) to funnel resources to and whether I need to shut down (no screens stop activity) after each of these incidents or just accept they are not inherently dangerous and move forward without letting them control my life.

My gut feeling is some mix of ptsd and neck issues. The reaction I have to hitting my head even lightly is very similar to a flashback with instant fear. I had a similar reaction my first time out in the waves again, but have continued exposing myself to this environment to the point that I was calm enough to be able to surf again in waist high waves the other day. Unfortunately I’m not sure if there is a way to safely expose myself to getting hit in the head (although maybe there is?)

Anyways, my apologies for the long post, I am hoping someone who has been in this situation may have some advice to help me move forward!

Thank you for your help!