Return to Work
 

Hi everyone,

I am new here. I'll ask my question first then give some info about my situation so you don't have to wade through a bunch of text to find the question. Screens and reading are very difficult for me so I'll need to be brief. Plus, did a quick search as I'm sure this has been asked and answered but my brain has its limits!

What type of work do/did you do? How long until you returned to work? How was that decision made? I have a PhD and recently moved from a faculty to administrative role. Concussion #3 on July 17, 2014. Usual litany of symptoms. Not able to work. Had MRI....no bleeds. Referred to UPMC concussion center. Since appt there, doing visual, vestibular, and physical therapy. ImPact scores were scary to me but I don't know what they typically are for others. My percentiles were: verbal memory 44 th ; visual memory 13th; processing speed 33rd, and reaction time 4th. Need to ask when I return next week what the reference group is!

Ok...nausea setting in:). Bye tour now.

Welcome!

I had what I thought was my first concussion (more than likely not, played soccer through HS, college and after along with multiple car accidents) back in Jan. I have not been back to work yet... Each and every doctors appointment I hope that they tell me this is the one where they will release me to go back...

I still have daily headaches, dizziness and some nausea.

[QUOTE=ChristineA;1097378]Hi everyone,

Hi ChristineA,

I too had an administrative job. Have been out of work for almost 2 years. I believe that if I had a different type of job I probably could try to go back. Right now I just know that I cannot do my job. Too many demands and decision making - just can't handle that right now.

Hoping desperately to return to my job - miss it and all the people.

Hope you have better luck.

GB

Welcome ChristineA. :Wave-Hello:

The reference group is usually the general population in your age group, sometimes normalized for educational background. Your scores sound like mine except mine were even lower. I can understand why you are struggling.

It is very difficult to compare injuries. As the saying goes, If you've seen one head injury, you've seen ONE head injury. There may be some similarities in symptoms but there is a wide range of recovery times.

It sounds like UPMC is on top of the issues.

My best to you.

Hi Christine and welcome to NT.

Regarding your RTW questions, I work in an administrative staff position at a private law school, as the project/process manager. This work includes strategic planning, goal setting, and data analysis among other duties.

My injury wasn't a concussion, it was a closed head TBI rated moderate to severe, that included a skull fracture. I had an epidural hematoma and subarachnoid hemorrhage that required emergency craniotomy surgery.

I returned to work part time from home about three months after my accident, and full time back in the office six months after the accident.

I gamed the system a little, my part time return release was from my PCP, who I convinced I could work PT (which was true in retrospect).

Regarding Full time return to work, this release was from my neuro-rehabilitation MD after my neuropsychological assessment. I don't have the exact percentiles in the report, but my functioning was summarized as:
Working memory - superior
Digit span - average
Arithmetic - superior
Processing speed - average
Symbol search - average
Coding - high average
Executive (trail marking B) - average

Your percentiles are probably based on tests from a similar demographic group, but that is a very good question to ask.

Your concussion was relatively recent as TBIs go. Your therapies sound appropriate to your symptoms, and your percentiles actually look pretty good for this juncture of your recovery. I'd expect continued progress.

Very best to you as you recover.

:grouphug:

Hi!

I've been on leave from work for 2 years and am thinking about returning to modified work in January. I teach college so will teach one course.

I, too, have a PhD, so our scores will be a bit "higher" in the neuropsych evals, if only because we've had more years of education.

I couldn't return to work earlier because of binocular vision issues and vertigo migraines. Both have been addressed through vision therapy and medication-not resolved but are manageable now. I also feel that if I don't return to work, albeit somewhat minimum work levels, I am about to be fired! So I will try.

It's really isolating to be with mtbi and recovering from pcs. I did do volunteer work at 1.5 years. This seem to help with the social aspects of work, and the administrative processing. The risk was very low. I got to work through a lot of my own fears about being ready or not through volunteering and that helped!

Your neuropsych can also help with a return to work plan as well!

Best of luck!

For me, the issues have been mostly one of endurance. Even when i was in really bad shape, but still attempting to work 5hrs a week or so, my colleagues said, "you're still super sharp." but those calls/work would utterly wipe me out.

My endurance is a bit better now so after really taking about two months off (ok, i worked about 10hrs in 2 months) i'm starting back 5-8 hrs a week next week. My boss has been great and is going to start me on just focusing on two projects rather than taking back over management of my team. They got jerked around a lot when i kept trying to return to work then had to quit again (like 6 times), so she's being cautious about my return, which works in my favor. I'll do 5-8hrs/wk as long as i need to until i feel i can handle more without impacting my rate of recovery.

Good luck. I guess my advice is to start back as gradually as possible. Biting off more than you can chew is bad for everyone, especially you.

for me, it's the chronic pain and tension in back of head and neck. also the pulsatile tinnitus. actually, tinnitus is the number one claim for disability among veterans of the two wars. I found that shocking
Lucky to have girlfriend who makes a good salary but my pride takes a hit every time she leaves for work and I'm on the couch.

Thanks for all your responses. I had a 3 week follow-up with "my team" at UPMC yesterday. Everything is progressing in the right direction. If things continue to improve at my next follow- up, we will begin a back to work plan. Their philosophy is that returning to work is part of the rehab process so it will be done gradually and thoughtfully. My biggest fear is having cognitive impairments that I am not currently aware since I haven't been using my brain in a manner similar to the work situation.

Thanks again!

I firmly believe that getting back to the "real world" by first working part time from home was a huge contributor to my regaining cognitive function. My earlier NPA upon release from hospital cited deficits in retrieval of learned information, mental flexibility, problem solving and abstract reasoning. By relearning some aspects of my old skills through repetition and practice the other skills improved also.

Wishing you continued progress

Need help in SF
 

Hello Berkeleybrain. I live in SF and have been suffering PCS for several months. I am trying to find some specialist anywhere in the area (vision, chiro neurology, etc). Is there a way I can contact you and pick your brain (in a good way) to get some suggestions on where to go?

Thanks

Zack

SFHelp,


Welcome to NeuroTalk.

BerkleyBrain has only been checking in every few months.

What specific symptoms are your struggling with most ?