Hi, thanks for your post. I lost my log-in for a while. I decided to sell my horse. My daughter still has hers and we have a really old guy that will keep her horse company in the pasture. I am terrified of getting a second concussion. Balance is not at or near what it needs to be to ride safely. With using one eye at a time, I can feel my center of balance shift. From everything I have read, it seems to be that trying to go back to doing all the stuff people did before is a part of what causes many of the second concussions. Going back into physical sports, or driving a car, too soon puts a person at much greater risk of re-injuring themselves. Or, in the case of driving, someone else. Maybe I will ride again in a year or two. I will wait and see, then.

Yeah, I have to be so careful. If I get stressed at all mentally, I fall apart quickly. I have no reserves at all. If I get tired physically, that is okay. I can work hard doing yard work, etc. and be fine. It can actually feel good, it must produce endorphines that do that. But any kind of mental stress and I go backwards in a hurry.

Welcome to NT

So sorry you're having postconcussion problems, as many do here.

This is a great place to help you through your troubles. We understand.

worst of my concussion. I HAD to go into work, but I couldn't remember my Staff's names [?] or their extension phone #'s! For the life of me! It took a whole lot of being 'calm' [or telling myself not to panic] and weird experiences of commuting home and finding I'd 'lost' a few minutes to shake me up into ultra awareness hyperdrive. Before that accident? I'd been riding using both Tellington-Jones and Sally Swift 'awareness' techniques, and they helped me not only thru that? But when I really got zapped with an auto-immune disease! All that body-awareness stuff saved my bacon with getting PT for the immune damages! Who would have thought?
My horse was one that IF I was 1/2" off balance? I could become toast! Luckily, I had good balance, just didn't know how to use it best under the circumstances. My horse was a semi-wacky ex-racehorse-need more said?
Now IS the time just to appreciate the 'old guy'! Ever heard of the phrase 'hairy sofa'? That is what you need, a kind soul with a warm fuzzy nose and good heart to share. It can DO your SOUL good. Just puddle around. Puddling CAN be fun!
Yes, fear of concussion is ever present? But, I'd tried riding after a 4 year break on a 'hairy sofa'? And WoW It felt soo good! I found that my body could and did automatically do what it SHOULD and safely too! And? I had fun!
As for Helmets? I was at the facility where Christopher Reeve got hurt. I Could go on about what I know or don't about THAT? But would rather not. THAT is what's called a true 'crash and burn'. Helmets save lives-the brain is a terrible thing to lose!
You didn't C &B, You WILL have things back in line in a while...just allow it to HAPPEN.. Don't try and rush things. BUT, IF you do try and get on? Do it soon! And expect full body sweats from your scalp to your toenails! It fades. Then? Disappears. IF you let it. Hugs and hope truly 's And give your horses some carrots from ME! Please? - j

March 2009 2nd Semester of Freshman year of College earning a Bachelor’s of Liberal Arts. I fell off a horse blacked out for 5 seconds, and had permanent amnesia for 10 hours (meaning I still don't remember what happened during that time). I am told that every 5 minutes I would ask the same questions over and over again. After about 5 hours my friends took me to the ER where I had a CT scan that came back negative. Three weeks later I was sitting watching a volleyball game from forty feet away. I looked down for a second and someone kicked the volleyball right at my head. 9 months later I was feeling much better, meaning I had learned to cope with my symptoms and they weren’t as bad. I went sledding and got way worse with nausea being a new constant companion. It is now 17 months since the horse accident.

2 weeks ago I was beside myself with fear and depression. I barely passed some of my classes in college, I was in constant pain, I was a constant grump and ready to jump down anyone’s throat for nothing, and the nausea/dizziness/lightheadedness/exhaustion/focus-issues did not help.

I saw a neurologist and he suggested that I take Fioricet as often as I liked up to 6 pills a day before the headache begins and now I have no pain!!!!! Everything else is still there but I still haven’t felt this good in over a year...I had forgotten what it felt like to have no pain.

See a Neurologist who can make sure that there is nothing REALLY wrong and then you can try medications. Right now the only thing that docs know about concussions is how to treat the symptoms not actually fix the problem unless it is really bad (like bleeding in the brain or something.

As far as concentration, he also said that I should read for at least 15min per day and as long as I remembered anything when I was finished he would be happy. He wanted me to try to remember something new every day and something more important each day.

Good Luck!
Margarite

Click onto this BLUE? and you're there!
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum92.html
I'd experienced my head bonk over 15 years ago, and docs are far far better at diagnosis now than ever before - technology IS in your favor!
Winks? I know how easy it can be to go PANIC ALERT! when things happen at first? But the trick is to recognize it IS a 'panic alert' and then tell yourself FIRMLY that, OK it's a PA, let's just calm down and let it pass. IF you try and force memory or calmness? It just doesn't happen. Be sure to take deep breathes and expel [or whatever the guru of the day says] the panic OUT! Just being aware at most times can help you regroup and get yourself back together.
One doc explained concussion as your brain getting partially scrambled as a result of the injury. It takes time for things to get back together again.
Margarite is right about the 'remembering' part too. Do see a specialist if you can and just get the either treatment or reassurances you need to get on with things.
And? IF you can, please go love a warm furry nose etc for me! Don't forget the carrots or apples! Horses don't go 'Yumm' when they're chomping? But they do often make some deliteful happy sounds! - j

iS ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH IVG THERAPY FOR MG. MY DR. HAS SUGGESTED THIS BUT I AM VERY WEARY OF TRYING ANYTHING NEW?
THANKS

Just click on this following blue:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum20.html

Then, go up to the blue bar near the middle? There is a 'Search' feature. It'll bring up each and every post on IVIG there's been since we began!
You've gotta post at least 5 times to get a 'private message' - sort of an e-mail but just on the boards... So read, learn, ask questions and all sorts of folks will help you! 's - j
PS I get IVIG every 4 weeks and it's what is keeping me walking!

I am so sorry to hear that u r having so many problems. Since u r having so many vision problems from having a head injury..... I think it would be a good idea to see a special kind of eye doctor........they r called a "neuro-ophthamologist" They r eye doctors who r also specialists in neurological problems. They may be able to help u with the visual issues. I had a head injury with memory problems.....there r occupational therapists who specialize in helping people try to regain some memory and to retrain your brain into working right again.....and also giving u strategies to cope with memory defecits. Blessings to u!