Fuzzy Brain
 

Today has not been good.

My 15 yr old son has completed a 2 week in class summer program with his highschool. I got up with him daily to see him off. That was fine other than the lack of sleep.

Today he begins a 2 week on line course in the same program. He couldn't figure out how to set it up. He needed me to do it.

I spent so much time struggling to read and had to make phone calls and 2hrs later we finally got it going but it's left me fuzzy, confused and irritable. My hands are so shaky now.

To top it off I can't continue my massage treatments bc WSIB had my birth date written down wrong on their end so my claim isn't matched with what my therapist has so they can't be billed until the information is corrected and when I called to fix their error....low and behold my Adjudicator is on a months vacation!

So no therapy and my neck is in agony and feeling like it's undone the progress already made! I'm already stressed as it is for my Neurologists appointment tomorrow. I'm just about ready to start sobbing!

Thanks for listening

Kelly

I know, the adjustment between what you could do before and post injury is very difficult to deal with especially where you used to help other family members.

When stress is piled on top it turns into a downward spiral making it harder to do things. I recently had to complete a 58 page government claim form to get £75 just over $100 took me ages to complete the form - then they lost it!!

OMG that's crazy!

Just like the government to lose things or write down wrong information

Same thing I'm dealing with.

I told my boy to try and remember what we did yesterday coz I just can't go thru that again! I had too many emotional break downs which left me with debilitating symptoms that lasted all day.

I got up at 4am due to another nightmare and my head hurt too much to get back to sleep.

Is it possible to suffer a panic attack while asleep?????

Last concious one I had gave me terrible back pain and when I woke up I couldn't breath, covered in sweat and my back hurts.

Mist, my dreams since getting this concussion have been truly bizarre, and they happen every night. I've woken up bawling, I've woken up in a panic. None of the dreams make any sense, but the emotion feels completely real. I would not doubt if an actual panic attack could occur from one of these dreams. My brain is just wigged out so bad when I sleep...I pray every night that I wont remember them when I wake up. Usually though, I wake up right in the middle of it, and it's as if everything was completely real.

I don't know if a panic attack is possible or not possible while sleeping...but maybe it is kindof a flashback thing you are having.

I know mine happen a lot right before I drift off, or when I thought I was asleep and it turns out my mind was playing tricks on me.

It's so hard when you have been through something like that.

I hope they subside for you; I apologize if I am asking a question that you may have answered before, but are you seeing a therapist for the PTSD?:hug:

OMG it's like ur in my head! My nightmares are bizarre and not related to my incident and it feels so real and my dreams out of all things I remember.

My chest still hurts and it's been hours.

I feel bad that u go thru this as well as it isn't a pleasant experience.

Thank you for sharing :)

Actually I haven't been asked this. No, not yet. Still on the waiting list. But I will be seeing a Neurologist today at noon and he has experience with Neuropsychiatry as well so maybe he can give some advice or help speed up the waiting list.

Thanks

Kelly,

I can totally relate to what you are saying. I had some kind of computer problem one day, and I was on the phone with technical support for close to an hour. By the time I was finished, my eyes were glazed over and I had a bad headache!

You would think that I would learn from that, but sometimes you get stuck on the phone, and too much talking and/or too much trying to concentrate always gives me a headache. The only advice I can give is to be smarter than I have been about this, and tell people that you have to get off the phone before you are sick.

The other thing that you mentioned is panic attacks. I think that something happens in the brain when we get a concussion, and in some people it helps to cause panic attacks. I had a lot of them in the first few months after my concussion. I have been going for acupuncture for my headaches, and I have noticed that the acupuncture also helps me feel more relaxed.

If you are able to go for acupuncture, I would highly recommend it. It can help you feel relaxed.

You also spoke about a fuzzy brain. There are days that I still get what I call a "foggy" brain, and I am not able to do anything. I can't always tell what brings it on. I wish that I could so that I could prevent it.

Anyway, wishing you better days.
ShellyK

Thank you so much your advice has given me something to think about

Be careful spending time on the phone with someone with a strong accent. It can put a serious burden on the brain. I refuse to work with people with strong accents (India or Philippines). They just fry my brain too fast.

We can either use our brain's power to translate their heavily accented words or understand the sentence and what they are telling us. But, not both.

Plus, if they talk too fast or there is too much 'announcements on hold' that are repetitive, our brains get fried.

I explain that I have an auditory processing disorder and need to speak to someone who speaks slow with good pronunciation. I often get a response of, "I speak good English." I reply that another Indian or Filipino may understand their English but I don't. It can be a big hassle but worth it to get the right person on the phone.

A quick question on your dreams - are they actually scary / frightening or more on the abstract / surreal end ?

Mark,

OMG so true!

I was on hold for like a half hour with docs office and it played the same message over and over

I got aggitated, confused, frustrated

I forgot the officce closed early that day which made me even more irritated and started sobbing

They're usually scary & frightening and I can recall the dream.

It's usually about being chased or someone is trying to either kill me or a member of my family.

It's just awful!

I think nightmares are pretty common with panic attacks, though they're also a common symptom of PTSD. I think it's best at this point not to dwell on the nightmares at all; I think trying to figure them out will only make matters worse. It's just more worry and panic that you don't need.

Try just resigning yourself to the fact that you might have more nightmares, and that you don't know why they are occurring. See if you can take an accepting attitude to that uncertainty, and to the unpleasantness of the nightmares themselves. You might tell yourself that there is nothing you can do about it and that they will go away in their own good time. You could even try writing this down on a note card and repeating it to yourself, and then redirecting yourself to another activity afterward.

Thanks Mr.X

I'll try that, what a neat I idea!

I don't get frightening dreams only surreal ones. These are so bizarre they wake me up. I realise what was happening then forget about the content of the dream and go back to sleep - weird.

you're lucky that you get to forget.

I dream of disgusting monsters & creatures.

My most recent dream involved an anaconda with a human head and spoke to me. Taunting me. Dared me to strike him before he could strike my mother.

so vivid and real. I've tried not to think about it and haven't recalled any dreams in 2 days. Yay!

I told this dream to my son. He said you know what's weird? I said what?
"You didn't find our talking dog scary" I chuckled a bit.