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Old 11-23-2011, 12:40 AM
orfray
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orfray
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Default PCS or 'just anxiety'

Hi all, my name is Jessica and I'm 19. You're all a very supportive community, and I really trust your knowledge. I'm looking for a sense of closure at the moment. I need some words from others, so I can know how to feel about everything.

I've looked into concussion a lot over the past 4 months, and in all honesty I've been quite affected by how devastating they can be. I don't feel I have it in me to keep striving for success after my concussion, knowing that I may have real limitations now.

I lot of it is down to belief, but concussions are very real, and can easily define you. I'm afraid I've let this happen.

I study literature; my 3rd year is next year, but I was hoping to go on to have a career in Health. I was under severe stress in July, and at the end of July I had 4 wisdom teeth removed.

5 days in to recovery from that, I was hosing some plants under an outdoor staircase (on an Australian Queenslander home) when I suddenly remembered I was going to do something, turned around quickly and realised the left side of my head hit flat against the steal support beam on the staircase.

The noise vibrated all the way through the beam, and I retreated indoors, rested, then slept. I was at home alone, and did not tell someone until 10 weeks later what had happened. I had no initial signs of concussion, but if I did, I mustn't have connected them to being concussed. They were subtle.

The same night, the worst panic attack of my life came over me, though. And 5 days later, I went for a check up at the dentist, came to a busy road and felt as if I was going to lose control. I was feeling detached from my surroundings. A week later, I tried to get back into my life, and uni, to no success.

I couldn't study, I realised something was not right. The detached feeling was with me and I seemed to be having cognitive difficulties, trouble thinking mostly. But as for the physical symptoms of PCS, I was symptom free.

At one stage, I was disorientated, became lost in a building, and a week later I got on board the wrong bus. A was also derealized, and was suffering from extreme anxiety, which went on for 2-3 months, leading to mental fatigue, and sleep problems, and cognitive issues. I had to take propranonol to stop the panic at one stage.

There are a number of things that could have caused this. What I'm holding on to however is a disrupted nervous system and shock. My brain seemed to be in lockdown mode, and I could no longer function properly.

I have too many questions about this. I have had a CT which was negative. But could someone please help me to confirm that this has been a type of PCS. And if so, how damaging could it have been? My doctor has told me that it was just anxiety. Does anyone else believe it might have been due to my meeting with that support beam? Or could it have simply been a shock to my system from surgery, and stress?

Any thoughts would be really appreciated.

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