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Hi everyone,

I found your site last week and have been reading and waiting for approval.

On April 12/2014 I was hit on the head by a 20# anchor that was trailing 60' behind my boat while I was doing 26 mph. I made a turn to the right and the anchor broke free of the water and was slingshot into my head. Fortunately I was the only one it hit, my wife, 2 daughters and 3 small grandchildren were fellow occupants.

My neuro surgeon says I am nothing short of a miracle. There was no brain damage done, just a bunch of smashed skull on the left side above my ear and at the hairline above my right eye. He gave me a Glasgow score of 13 and termed it a violent event that should have killed me.

I have had kidney stones and parathyroid surgery since the accident so it has been a very unusual year for someone who has never experienced any health problems or surgeries heretofore.

I have anxiety /panic going through the roof, sleep is a mess and my ears are so dang loud. I experience many other things as well but mostly I just feel weird and off kilter, I never know what to expect from hour to hour much less the next day. I didn't have any loss of motor skills but plenty of stuttering.

Is this normal? I try to stay positive and make progress but it sure seems slow and backwards at times. This is probably plenty of info for now and I am tired.

Bud

Bud,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your accident but glad to see you survived.

What you are experiencing is common to mTBI. You did suffer brain damage but probably just not the kind that is imageable.

Did the doctor put you on any meds ?

Have you had any help with the anxiety ? How does it manifest ?

Hi Mark,

My inlaws are Boise natives, they live in Ca. but spend a good bit of the summer in Lowman at the family cabin built in the 40'smy parents and brother live in Emmett.

I am 55 with 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

I am not taking any meds.

I have not seen my neurosurgeon since mid August. I have been on my own with this thing until finally finding this site this week past. I have been a little frustrated with it as I have no idea what has been going on with me. There are plenty of times where I wonder if I am making this all up for attention or if there is a legitimate medical reason for all the odd stuff happening to me.

I have had problems with panic attacks but never anything like this, panic assaults might be more descriptive and since my head I have started with the nocturnal panic attacks. I have never experienced anxiety before but this is unrelenting and I am fearful of everything. Even things as simple as going to bed or the battery going dead on my phone.

I don't get headaches in the common vein of the term. Stabbing pains happen. I get this weird sensation that comes over my head, don't know how else to describe it other than a weird odd sensation and by the time it shows up I will be down for a few hours, blurry vision and real noisy tinnitus accompany it.

I have been way beyond fortunate with work. My wife and I own a crop dusting business. My son and son in law work there also so they have filled in wonderfully. I have been there maybe 5 times since April... Location is 22 miles from home and I can't make the drive yet.

I don't think I am making all this up but with no experience around head injuries and no one to talk with I have sure wondered. Reading here has certainly answered some of my mysteries.

Take care, Bud

Mark,

I give up for the night trying to respond. This has frozen up on me three times and I finally have been able to finish one and it didn't appear. I will try again tomorrow.

Bud

Hi Bud,

Welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups.

Just a tip when logging in to the site... make sure you check the "remember me" box next to your user name. Sometimes if one doesn't check it the page will time out and I think messages can get lost that way.

Welcome Bud. :Wave-Hello:

Thanks for the welcome to you both.

Lara I did not check remember me so I think you must be correct.

Bud

Bud,

Believe me, we all know this is real for you. We have experienced many of the same symptoms. I am surprised you are not being followed by your doctor or a rehab doctor of some kind. The usual rehab doc would be a Physiatrist (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation).

You may need to be taking an anti-anxiety med. I have taken Klonopin when anxiety gets out of control.

So, are you in Calif. too? In the central valley ? I used to fly the central valley from time to time. I owned a '63 P-35 Bonanza for a few years when I lived in San Jose. After a few too many confusing events, I grounded myself. It turns out my concussion history makes me very susceptible to cognitive dysfunction when flying at altitude.

Please feel free to ask anything and share any struggles you have.

My best to you.

Mark,

I live 45 miles north of Sacramento in Yuba City, we are in the heart of California rice country and it is what makes the majority of our work.

I will have more questions coming, I want to parcel them out so to speak so I don't flood anyone! Hah hah, inside joke sort of!

I haven't flown since 3/27/14 and have felt so lousy I don't miss it, I hope that changes.

Bud

I have family all around Sacramento.

Let your questions fly. We'll try to answer what we can.

Wow, that is truly a miracle. I used to own a boat and was a fanatic ocean fisherman before this last injury, I can't imagine having a 20lb anchor hitting someone in the head full force and living through it.
Where I live (Alaska) a routine method of puling an anchor is by having a buoy on a ring that slides over the anchor line as you drive the boat in circles. Definitely puts a lot of strain on the line, and until now I didn't even think an anchor could break free of water like that. But we usually have at least 200 feet of line due to the depth/tide swings.

I had a similar experience about 5 years ago where I was helping someone to pull out a very large tree stump. We looped a chain around the stump and attached that to a dozer. As the dozer was pulling, I was standing behind the stump and a little to the side. At some point the pin that was holding the chain in the dozer broke, and a piece of it flew by my head (I swear I felt my hair move) like a piece of shrapnel. I learned a few valuable lessons that day.

As for the weird feeling in the head, I have that as well. It used to be non stop, now it is brought on by exertion, bending down too much, or being in a busy place for too long (like a party or a store), and it's not consistent. I have to sit/lay down and it goes away in about 30-40 mins. When it was bad, I used to feel like I'm about to pass out, and would be very pale, to a point where my ex gf would suggest we go the the ER. Very debilitating, but I haven't been able to explain it to anyone, so doctors just tell me it's anxiety. I think it has something to do with the blood flow to the brain, but it's just my uneducated theory.
This is probably my most debilitating remaining symptom, everything else I can either tolerate/push through, or take a pill if it gets too bad.

I had very bad anxiety/panic attacks for about 2 months following my initial concussion. Then it wasn't too bad for about a year, but took a dive this summer when I was under a lot of stress. The only thing that would help me is to spend time with friends to take my mind off of things, and natural supplements (valerian root, motherwort). I even tried accupuncture, with little success.

Russia,

Your head description is spot on and for the the same reasons. Hasnt been as strong the last week but went to Pick up a china hutch from a house today.... Between my wife hit some bumps on the road and lifting the thing I have tied on a pretty good hangover.

I saw a chain snap on a tractor one time as a teenager and it made a big impression on me...I stand clear around that kind of stuff for that reason. Danger lurks everywhere around equipment and you best be responsible for yourself.

I am seeing improvement in the panic/anxiety this past week but when the head acts up about the only thing I can do about it is to lay down and work at calm, it seems to have its own way to a point with me.

Bud

Welcome Bud. I am sorry you have had such a rough health year but thank goodness you are alive and relatively well! I think your comment above is one we all can relate to. The progress can seem agonizingly slow and sometimes deceiving but if we succumb to negative thinking it's all over.

SweetC,

Thanks for saying hi!

There is no trivial way of getting your head banged here is there! Sleep is a fleeting thing for you too I take it?

However it happens, it can be miserable. I hope your recovery comes along speedily and a return to health.

Merry Christmas,

Bud

Hi Bud,
I typed a reply last nite but it disappeared, so will try again.
Your outcome from that accident certainly is a miracle-- how traumatic that must've been for everyone!

The tinnitus is maddening--I have had some marginal relief with Morton Epsom lotion recommended here. Lately the ringing while I am driving has escalated to hearing sirens-rather disconcerting.

Earplugs are helpful with the sensory overload if you remember to put them in prior to going out.

Are you having vision issues?

The vitamins/supplements do help, so be sure to read up on those.

Try not to overdo it because it only backfires. It isn't easy accepting the 'new' limitations, but I guess we have no alternative. Glad to hear the family business is not a major stress right now.


Let's hope 2015 is kinder to all of us,
Grace

Grace,

Good morning and thanks for the well wishes!

I forget to wear earplugs but must remember to start carrying them with me, they have helped when I use them.

I have had a lot of vision problems but that seems to be settling down now. I still get a little fuzzy eyed when my head gets "that feeling" but nothing like the past. That has been pretty annoying as at 55 yrs old I am still fortunate enough to have 20-15 vision. I want that back!

Take care and as you say a good 2015.

Bud

Hi Bud,

First, I hope you had a good Christmas!

Yes, my sleep is all out of whack. I seem to be able to fall asleep a bit easier and am sleeping longer these days but it is still very broken and light sleep. I do not wake feeling rested. I tried melatonin for a while and it seemed to help, but started getting heart palpitations so stopped.

Earplugs are a lifesaver! I bought some earplugs that were recommended on another TBI site last week because the foam ones made having conversations impossible for me. I've been testing them out and so far they have made daily activities and even a dinner out last night(!) much more tolerable.

Grace, I've had some intermittent ringing tinnitus all along and then got these really high pitched ringing followed by pulsatile tinnitus for a few days last week. Holy jeez, I thought I was going to go out of my mind and am so thankful it went away for the most part. Pretty sure it happened because I took on far too many things despite trying to make Christmas low key this year.

Gotta love how our bodies have fun ways of telling us when we're doing too much. I'll have to try that Epsom lotion. I hadn't come across that yet in the forum and am glad you mentioned it!

Happy 2015 to everyone! May we all find peace, happiness and good health!

SweetC,

I had a great Christmas. I was really worried about it but I decided I wasn't going to let crap get in the way and if I needed to lay down so be it.

First time I have not been shopping for my wife in 35 years of marriage...I did it online and all worked well.

Hope yours went well and thank you for asking!

Bud