Post Concussion Syndrome following a severe car accident
 

Hi, I'm new here. :) I'm Julie and I have post concussion syndrome. On January 5th at around 9:40 I was driving to my job. They had forecasted freezing rain that day, but my job required me to be there, no matter the weather. I went crested over a hill that curves down into a small valley, and as soon as I started down I realized I was sliding. I lost control of the car and went off the road and hit a telephone pole head on at probably 45-50mph. I moved the pole through frozen ground about a foot and broke the middle into splinters and totaled the hell out of my minivan. Now, I thought I immediately called the police right after hitting the pole. The ambulance came and other than being shook up and having really bad bruises, I was okay. Within 24 hours I started having terrible migraines, so I followed up with my family doctor. When her and I were talking about a possible head injury (the airbags deployed, they found my glasses on the very corner of the passenger side of the dashboard.) she asked what time I called 911. When I looked in my phone to see, to my surprise it said I called them at 10:00 exactly. I was supposed to be at work at 10 and I was only about 1/3 of the way there, and I had left early because of the weather. Turns out I was out cold for 15-20mins and I woke up in such a shock I thought it was immediately after the impact. So they did a CT Scan and it looked good. She told me I had a concussion and to rest. So I did and two weeks go by and things get worse. The migraines were terrible, I was having a hard time sleeping, my anxiety levels were like nothing I've ever experienced... I was an emotional wreck, so I saw a neurologist. He told me I have post concussion syndrome as well as a bad case of whip lash. Great, he put me on amitriptyline, some things got better, but new symptoms kept popping up. I see sparkles in my vision all the time, an almost always painful pressure in the back of my scull, I was forgetting things, tripping over my words, getting angry, I had the sense of vertigo when I was just sitting, ears ringing, etc. So this past Monday I saw a neuropsychologist who specializes in PCS. He put me on "absolute rest" today is day 3 and as you can see I'm not doing well, since I'm here, on my tablet, which I'm not supposed to be on. But I found out recently that my job fired me because my doctor couldn't provide them with a return to work date, so I'm struggling. Having all this time to lay around doing nothing, no tv, no smartphone, no iPad, and nothing but time to stress about the fact I lost my job and my symptoms now, almost 6 weeks post accident are just as bad as they've been. I know I shouldn't be on here right now, but I need to talk to people who understand what I'm going through. I feel like I've lost so much because of this accident, and my brain can't even process it. I'm lost guys. The pain, the exhaustion, everything feels 10 times harder, and I feel like this is a terrible nightmare that I just can't wake up from...

Great to meet you!!
 

Thank you for your kind words and for the link. This winter really has been terrible, and I hope it's over. I'm having a hard time falling to sleep tonight, just got up after trying to fall asleep in bed for well over an hour. The headaches, dizziness, and visual disturbances have been nasty tonight.

I guess what would help me is support from people who have gone through something similar to this... No one in my family/friends have, and I just feel like they don't get it. Most times I look fine on the outside and I think that just fools people into thinking I'm fine. Brain injuries are no joke, this has to be one of the hardest things I've dealt with in my life, I wouldn't wish it on an enemy.

I'd love any support, encouragement, or good quality advice that you all can provide. :)

Hi, so sorry about your accident. I had a freak fall outside my home Oct. 25, 2013 and hit my right temple. I, too, didn't realize I was knocked out but my time line has about 10-15 minutes missing. I knocked my jaw out too and couldn't close my mouth at the time . . .

I see a chiro, dr and am about to see an osteopath dr. to help me heal. I've let my photography business be on hold for now except for a couple clients that I have had long term . . . I may have to let that go too . . .

Anyways, just want you to know I'm here, shouldn't be on the computer, but am getting better at staying off as I have learned to crochet to pass the time.

Make sure you get your Omega 3s with EPA and DHA, a good vitamin and coconut oil to help absorb the omega 3s. It is the fish oil that helped stop the flickering in my vision . . .

Anyhow, just wanted you to know it's best to rest. I fought for 3 months because I was such a busy person to try and feel better than I was and now have submitted to this being a resting season in my life.

I had to laugh when I saw your post on my thread, as I just responded to yours. ;) I have not incorporated vitamins into my meds, and I'm beginning to see through the threads on here, that I definitely need to incorporate them into my daily regimen. I rested after my accident, but no one told me to avoid screens until this week, so I was physically resting, not cognitively resting. I'm working on it, but I'm ADHD as well, and sitting still and not doing much doesn't bide well for me. Perhaps I too should take up knitting or crocheting, I like keeping busy, and I'm fighting the urge constantly to do something, anything. Having your own business must be very difficult for you during this time. I miss work, my neuropsychologist tells me that losing it was a gift in disguise. I still get short term disability, and I don't have the stress of needing to get back to work right away. But I like running on a schedule, and living with PCS the only schedule I have is the one my brain gives me everyday.