Mild TBI - Post Concussive Syndrome
 

Hi,
I was in a car accident 2 years ago and have been struggling since. I was disoriented and had difficulty expressing myself immediately after the accident. after visiting my family doc I was cautioned to pay attention to how I felt and not push too hard at work. I was told the brain needs to rest to heal. I am self employed in a competitive work environment and tried to return to work in a reduced capacity soon after the accident. Upon return to work it was obvious to my colleagues that I needed more time as I was unable to manage my time and was easily overwhelmed by sounds and activity. I made too many serious mistakes to continue.
I have been through most of the treatments I have read about here and still continue with Occupational Therapy, Psychology and vision therapy.
Every day is different and unpredictable. it is so frustrating not to be able to count on being able do planned activities, simple things like going to my son's hockey game, even going in to a store gives me problems. Usually I will go to the car and wait for my husband. Sometimes it is easier to just not go. I no longer drive as I have convergence issues and have double vision.
I seem to have accepted that I will not be doing the same job as I used to do, sometimes when I feeling good I still think maybe I can go back....but deep down I know that the job is something I will not be successful with again.
So now what...
I have read some books, most recently The Ghost in My Brain, that talk about TBI's and recovery.
I would love to hear about some successes and recoveries. Maybe wishful thinking on part.

Almost,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear you are struggling so.

What other struggles are you having besides vision issues and over-attending/over-stimulation by sound and activities ?

A hockey arena is an extreme amount of stimulation. Many of us cannot tolerate such an environment. I hope your son has the best hockey helmet money can buy. Hockey concussions can be brutal.

Have you tried using ear plugs to reduce sound stimulation ? Many of us use them regularly, sun glasses too.

The Vitamins sticky at the top has lots of good information and links.

Have you looked for a local brain injury support group? They can be helpful. The Brain Injury Association www.biaa.org has links to the different state organizations with lists of support groups.

We're here for any support you may need.

My best to you.

Mark

Hi Mark,
Thanks for your reply, I also have tinnitus and hearing loss in my one ear, some balance issues and headaches, lots of headaches. I have trouble getting to sleep some nights 4-5 in the morning. Needless to say the days go off the rails fairly quickly after very late nights. We have not found the right medication yet so has been really hard changing and starting new ones. I was started on amnityptiline then changed to gabapentin and now nortryptiline. We will see. I have had dystharia but seem to be over the worst of that, thankfully. Fatigue is a big one. I have some cognitive impairment but I think I am ok. When I used to say to my physio 'I don't think I'm that bad' he would say 'they all say that' so take my comments about cognitive stuff with a grain of salt. Heaven knows you have to keep a good sense of humour.
And yes he does have the best helmet going...

Almost,

A lot of us have tinnitus. Both of my ears are ringing loud right now. I have learned to ignore it. There are no valid treatments for it.

Have you had any upper cervical diagnostics and treatment ? C-0, C-1, and C-2 problems can contribute to headaches. It usually takes very gentle mobilization/manipulation techniques to nudge those vertebra back where they belong. Plus, it takes a lot of sleep posture discipline for them to stabilize.

Do you lay in bed trying to go to sleep ? I find that I need distractions (non-stimulating TV usually) while my body and mind settle down. I spend a few hours in a recliner letting my mind and body settle down. Then, when I go to bed (usually 1-2 am after an hour of dozing in my chair), I fall right asleep. Then, I wake spontaneously at 7 to 8 am.

I know how bad the days can be after a bad nights sleep. I take 600 mgs of gabapentin to help my body let go. When I forget, the next day is miserable. I have to be very disciplined to get a good night sleep.

I know it can tale a lot of work to manage Post Concussion Syndrome.

My best to you

Hi Almost,

Sorry to hear your having these struggles. Like you, I was involved in a car accident 2 years ago and continue to face the unfriendly daily battles against PCS.

As an aside, one of the acitivities that takes the worst toll on me is going to a hockey rink to watch either my daughter or son play hockey (soccer is similar, but not quite as bad). If I choose to do this, I'm face with a recovery time of at least 7 days of intensified symptoms, anger, frustration, and a miserable attitude. Needless to say, I don't do this very often, unfortunately... this is one of my favourite things in the world to do, and I haven't been able to do it.

Recently, though, I've tried to find a way to be more involved with my kids. For example, I now will go see my kids play a sport occasionally... I have to drive myself (kids in the car with me is not a good combo), I wear ear plugs at the arena, I avoid most of my friends so that I don't get talking too much (they know my condition), and I only go for a period or most of a half. This still brings on some symptoms, but they're more manageable. More importantly, the kids actually see me watching them : )

For everything else, learning to recognise your warning signs and stop doing things before you're overwhelmed is key. Take frequent breaks and let your brain slow down... easy to say, hard to do. This is the only way we can do even the simple things. It's very frustrating but it's the situation we're challenged with.

I hope things get better for you.