Hi,

I am new to the forum, so haven't had a thorough look at the threads yet.

I am looking for any advice, or similar stories that may help (like everyone is!)

I have had multiple concussions and had my last one in a MVA 9 months ago. I do have dizziness (and faint), headaches, light/noise sensitivity, insomnia (on Elavil), and a lot of frustration.

The most difficult symptom I have is that I can't "picture" anything, no visual memory. I know what my boyfriend looks like basically, but can't picture him. But, I recognize him when I see him. Also, when I go to sleep, I can't conjure up images so it is just plain black.
This has led to me forgetting phone conversations if I don't write everything down.

Has anyone experienced this?

I have been off work as the stress was making the dizziness and other symptoms too difficult.

Hi Joanne,
Welcome to Neuro Talk. Nice to meet you.

I hope you find a forum on here that will help answer the problems you have with your memory, possibly from all the concussions you had and the motor vehicle accident 9 months ago.

We all try to help each other,and we learn from each other too. This is a great place, I'm glad you found us.

This forum, below is the link, might help you. Take care and feel better.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum92.html

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help. There are great number of fellow members here to assist as possible. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

Hi, and welcome to NT! This is such a great place with so many friendly, caring, and helpful people.

We're so glad you found us!

hi Joanne

welcome I see you have the link to our PCS forum ,please remember, we have many different levels of injury and are at different stages of recovery, please join in , we understand what you are going through . writing things down is good ,I have a wee recorder for notes to self , looking at photos can help with rebuilding the minds eye memory

look forward to getting to know you

Hi,

Thank you so much!

I think that this site is going to be so helpful. I have felt quite alone so these notes and bits of information make me feel like there is hope.

I look forward to reading about what has been tried and what is suggested.

Many thanks
Joanne

Just wanted to add my welcome to Neuro Talk!! Hope you can feel at home and know we are all to assist in anything we can...sometimes the best friend is someone who listens!! Take care!!

Hi Joanne and welcome to NT!

Funnily enough, another PCS survivor and I, Mark from Idaho, have just been discussing visual memory deficits. When I took my neuro-psych test I couldn't do the block test because I'd forget the pattern I was supposed to replicate in the time it took to look from the paper to the blocks. I seldom recognize people I've met since my accident and I can't copy accurately information from one sheet to another. It's very frustrating.

Not dreaming is something that can happen to folks with brain injuries. You've attributed this to your visual memory problems. That could be - but you'd think your dreams would still have an "audio tract."

Dreaming is a fairly complex cogntive state, and damaged brains sometimes can't get there. It took over two years for my brain to heal enough to dream at all. Now my dreams are the pre-REM literal type. Like many folks with tbi, I can't get into REM. Do you find you wake often in the night? I wake everytime my mind tries to enter REM. Some members have tried new medications designed to deal with this specific issue.

I would suggest that you post this question on the PCS Forum where more members of our brain boo boo club will see it.

Cheers

Hi Joanne:

Just wanted to say Hi, and Welcome. After reading your post, well, I won't complain nearly so much. There is always someone who has gone through way more than I ever have. You are a very brave person.

And you are very welcome here at Neurotalks.

Keep posting.

Nice to meet you

Melody

Hi Hockey,

I didn't "dream" for about 2 months after the MVA, but then started to, however prior to this accident I remembered virtually every dream in great detail. I know that I dream, but can't remember anything from it. I am guessing that it has to do with the lack of information processing.

I wake up a lot at night, but with this med I tend to get back to sleep quicker than all of the other ones we tried. When I was on the 10mg dose, I got to be awake for 4 nights so that convinced my doctor to up the dose.

My last big concussion led to sleepless nights for about 8 months but that one I couldn't read a book. I am thankful that this one I can (as long as there is no noise anywhere near me). The first concussion I had I had amnesia for a few days and couldnt see a foot infront of my face.

Weird how each one is different. I think that the struggle is that the symptoms last so much longer with each concussion.

Good to know that info about the visual memory, but that is sad to hear the frustrations of not getting into REM sleep.

Thank you so much for the input, what a welcoming place to be!