HI all, I am new here and have only read a few posts so far. My concussion happened March 16th.
The Accident: I have 3 horses and on that day was taking them down to my riding arena for turnout (they had been in their run in shed for 3 days prior due to lots of rain and I didn't want them in the field). The arena fencing is electric tape, including my gates (no electricity yet). I was putting the last horse in & failed to notice one horse looking out over the gate already. When he saw the slack in the gate, he started walking forward...I asked him to back up, he did...then he went forward more strongly this time. Knowing he was "going for it", I let go of the gate handles (with other horse still in my hand also) the gate handle has a hook on it and it got caught on my jacket, pulling me fast and hard right down to the ground and pulled in behind him (the tape was at his chest as he was trying to barge through it). I saw black and then thought these magic words..."did his hoof just hit my head??"
When I looked up all three horses were running up my driveway and then up the main road. Probably by adrenaline or who knows what, I ended up running after them and finally got them back onto my property...to the original field that I didn't want them in, but better there than down the street! I went to work for a couple hours and even got hay that day.
The next day was a totally different story. I woke up feeling the bruises and wondered about them until I realized about the accident. I knew something was not right and it wasn't until I gently leaned back in my chair and as soon as the back of my head slightly touched the chair, I felt a warm woosh on the right side of my head and spontaniously burst into tears. That scared me more than the pain I was already feeling...in the front of my head...where the hoof left a scrape on my right forehead. SO the back of my head was not hurting at that time and we'll never know what that warm woosh was that I felt. Went to the ER, CT Scan normal...told to go home and follow up with reg Dr in a week.
The Aftermath: FYI: I am a 12 yr veteran massage therapist (not the fluff and buff kind, the therapeutic and worked with injured people kind) I understood the whiplash part of this, but not the brain part. Over the last few weeks I have been to my reg dr and a neurologist twice and had a "normal" MRI. The Neuro said I had PCS (didn't explain what it was, but by then I knew) gave me amitryptaline and told me to take time off from work if I felt like it, use my best judgement..ha! That was a funny one since my judgement has been impaired. I drove when I shouldn't have been, worked when i shouldn't have, etc etc. I have taken a few days off here and there. Neither of them gave me should/shouldn'ts just "do what you feel is ok". The Neuro does not want to be involved again unless a)things get worse or b)my condition is the same in 6 months. The final "plan" is to wait and see.
It is my nature to research the heck out of everything, so I have 3 books on this subject:
Coping with mild traumatic brain injury
mild traumatic brain injury workbook
brainlash
All of which have been helpful in different stages for me.
Luckily for me, things have improved, but only so far and I keep trying to be optimistic since it is *only* about 7-8 weeks in. (Had NO idea it would be going on THIS long and it was all very difficult-did I also mention that my "best" friend decided she would not acknowledge my head injury was so serious and we have ended the friendship-that trauma has begun to fade, apparently she really wasn't a friend, but it was another major loss in all of this)
I'm on my second week of PT and it seems to be helpful. My head still feels in a haze, I have weird pains where the impact was, constant ringing in my ears, have difficulty falling asleep, get agitated easily, have melt downs occaisonally when I've "overdone it", mental processing can be slow, memory is slow, not great at making decisions, feeling down and alone. My boyfriend (lives with me) who was great in the beginning, has gotten back to some old habits and arguing/impatient with me sometimes (does NOT help!!). He keeps forgetting I'm not all better because I look ok and am better than I was (meaning I am not always so dizzy and can walk around looking less dazed, so outwardly look fine). I can't determine if I should take more time off work and need to make some money, so I have been working a little. Perhaps that is still a stupid idea?? I am just confused sometimes about how much or how little to do. I feel halfway better, but still have days where I have "setbacks" when the haze is worse, feel emotionally fragile, head pains, etc. I started taking the amitryptaline again because it helps me sleep, but today I feel SO tired. Oh, and the carb attacks!! Ok, enough of my long rant, whew!
So anyway, I found this site and hope to get some reassurance, education or just "misery in company"
Thanks for making this far if you have!