A new diagnosis...
 

Alright so im just really confused about this..when i first got hit, i went to a medical clinic that originally diagnosed me with PCS. The nurse practitioner was sure of it and everything.

I had an appt with our family doctor again earlier today, she asked how my symptoms were and i told her everything. Told her that it feels like things havent gotten all that much better.

I explained to her that it was only after i had received the blow that all these symptoms showed up a week later. She came in, sat down and just flat out told me there was no way i have a concussion nor do i have PCS...

She told me you dont get a concussion unless you lose consciousness, she then proceeded to tell me that i was just having anxiety. Yet never in my life have i had anxiety over anything really, one day it just showed up and it was about 8 days after i got hit.

The symptoms i told her about are:
-Chronic fatigue
-Anxiety
-Headaches everyday
-Vertigo
-loss of balance
-occasional memory loss

Its almost like she ignored everything and just slapped anxiety on a piece of paper...she ordered an EKG, blood work to test my thyroid i guess, and a ct scan. EKG came out just fine, which is weird because i have always felt my heartbeat in my head. My heart beats abnormally hard, or atleast it feels that way..a few friends have noticed they've seen my heartbeat beating really hard from the way my chest was moving.

I asked if i didnt have PCS or ever had a concussion why would all these things just show up. She simply said that maybe i was having PTSD over something, and left it at that.

The CT scan i go and get on friday, then after that i wait for bloodwork results and the ct results...

I really dont know what to think of all this, this was the same clinic who diagnosed me with PCS and now according to my doctor i dont have it, i simply have anxiety? I dont know..Does anyone else find this weird?

I would never go to that doctor again. She is not only ignorant but borders on negligent. If she has not even a clue about concussion, how many other medical issues is she ignorant of?

I would go ahead and get the CT if you feel a need to rule out anything else but the odds are very great that the CT will be completely normal.

An EKG just shows the pulse and how well the heart works during each heart beat. The strong heart beat would not necessarily be an indicator of anything if the heart muscle is beating properly. The anxiety will increase your blood pressure so that you may feel like your head wants to pop off your neck.

You may want to arm yourself with some sound understanding of concussion so you can avoid doctors who are ignorant of concussion. They are everywhere. Yours is just at the top of the heap.

Here is a link to some concussion myths and facts. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0329170220.htm

Oh good, i thought i was the only one questioning how this lady qualifies to be a doctor..

I actually walked in there not even worried about getting a CT scan knowing that it will probably come out completely fine. In fact i think the only reason why she mentioned a CT was because of my constant headaches.

After she basically said all i have is anxiety she also said anxiety cant possibly cause constant headaches, and that anxiety was one diagnosis, headaches is a different diagnosis. Is this true?

Edit: She also prescribed me an anti-anxiety medication of some sort, she never said what it was all she said was to "give it a shot and see if it works" saying that it would calm me down. I havent gone to pick up from the pharmacy yet so i have no idea what it even is.

I'll admit that it seems i do still have plenty of anxiety but, i dont think its bad enough to where i need to take a medication for it, nor do i want to.

She likely prescribed a benzodiazepine. Not a great idea for PCS.

The 'try this and see if it helps' also says a lot about her skill set.

What are you doing to reduced the stimulation in your daily environment?

WOW - Given all the new information on concussions and on PCS, you would think doctors would have a CLUE. I am sorry you are going through all of this... I agree with MArk though, never go back there, find another doctor, one that knows and understands head injuries... Good luck!

Oh, nonononononononono. NOT. OKAY.

Run, do not walk, to a new primary care doctor.

That is super scary.

I'm not really doing anything to reduce stimulation, im basically doing anything i can to try and reduce anxiety by keeping my mind off bad thoughts.

Tomorrow i have to go pick up the prescription and see what it is, i called the pharmacy and they told me but i completely forgot what it was lol.

Today i had an eye exam which went pretty well except for one part...they used one particular machine that when you look into, is white with a square in the middle. They tell you to stare at the square with one eye and press a button when you see any lines pop up on around the box.

I have no idea why but i got extremely anxious all of a sudden..i couldnt finish that particular test i had to look away from the machine and put my head down, it was like i had a slight anxiety attack.

After that they went straight to looking at my retinas with another machine, then dilated my pupils and ran the other normal tests. Apparently my eyes are healthy, but i still cant focus on an object, my eyes keep wanting to look slightly away when i stare at something. I also feel my pulse in my eyes..

The eye doctor completely agree'd that my other doctor has no clue what she was talking about when she said all that nonsense about concussions and PCS.

It sounds like you had a medical eye exam. Even if that was normal, your trouble focusing may be because your eyes are having trouble working together. Only a Vision Efficiency Evaluation (VEE) can pick that up. If your regular eye doctor doesn't do those, you can find one who does here:

http://www.braininjuries.org or http://www.nora.cc

I had a completely normal medical eye exam but significant problems on my VEE and needed vision therapy to help my eyes work better together. After ten weeks of this, my headaches decreased significantly.

Sweet, thank you i'll definitely see about getting a VEE, just out of curiosity lets say i may not have the money to get that test done quite yet, possibly for another couple weeks..Would not having that test done soon possibly harm my vision even further?

No, it shouldn't harm your vision any more. You will just continue to experience headaches or fatigue or whatever side effects you are having of your vision problems.

My accident was Feb 20 2012 with pcs developing early March. Had a lot of the same dismissive comments from certain medical staff with an obsession that I hadn't lost consciousness so it couldn't be pcs!! Thankfully I have a very protective and understanding doctor now, am having MRI next week through neurologist and also have a psych referral to keep me emotionally safe as my impulsivity is dreadful. Prior to my accident I was already under treatment for long term anxiety and depression. I take 150mg sertraline daily for that. The neurologist upped me to maximum dose of 200 mg a day and I must admit that this has helped me to be more stoical and relaxed about the devastating effeect this is all having on life as I knew it.
Hang on in there, have a look on this forum for a thread called Lost and Found it has an amazing link to a list of statements to help people understand what we are all going through x

New Doctor
 

I agree. You need a new doctor. I found one that is very helpful and is "in my corner." Once you find one, listen to them and follow their advice. It takes much longer than you think to get better. Rest, rest, rest! I take a nap 5-6 days a week, and that's just how it is. My family has learned to adjust. I don't ask what they think about it, because that is what needs to happen.

You are your own best advocate. I am a person that does not complain and says "I'm fine" when I really am not. I had to change my ways and it is difficult to do so. Follow your instincts!

Five month anniversary coming up soon...