Permanent "frailty" or just me?
 

Since the TBI 7 months ago, I believe I am more accident prone, despite *extreme* caution. Stubbing a finger or banging a tooth- examples. And the injuries take a long time to heal, if ever completely.

Does everyone else have this problem? Will it end w/the PCS?

Also, I'm 125 lbs., but trying to gain weight. Thanks for responses.

Hi Jeffrey,

I am definitely more clumsy than I have ever been. Unfortunately, the two go hand in hand. While my body is used to moving at a quicker pace, my brain cannot keep up. The result is walking into walls, doors, bruising, etc. I have to tell myself to slow down. That's all I can do, that I know of anyway.

Injuries taking longer to heal? I don't know. Maybe someone else can help with that part.

I walk into things full force (didn't do this before PCS). I heal normal though.

Thanks-

Sure enough, I stubbed my foot (not big toe, the others) into a metal pole base to the couch a few hours ago.

Iced it, no ibuprofin yet, but it hurts, and the brain pressure pain is up.
I'm praying it doesn't get worse when I wake up in the morning. The sudden jolt was something I got three weeks ago as well. Same story.

I hope your pain isn't so intense. I was looking forward to the weekend.
May God have mercy on us.

I think there are two thinks at play in this situation.

First, we do have occasional clumsiness issues due to attention or balance struggles. But, that does not make every little mishap the result of PCS.

The second issue is a new perspective. Think of when you buy a new car. All of a sudden it seems that everyone is driving the same model car. You see them everywhere. This is because the brain has established a file or memory location for the image of that model car and quickly recognizes the others on the road. Prior to that, that model car was just an abstract undefined image with no specific importance to the brain.

The same thing happens when we establish a file or memory location for clumsiness and label it PCS. Any little clumsiness that is in the slightest way possible to label as caused by PCS is put in that file. If before the PCS, you only made two clumsy moves per day but after PCS you are making three clumsy moves a day, all three get attributed to the PCS.

Lighten up, the lower stress will give the brain more attention to avoid the clumsy moves.

btw, a third issue is called the law of clusters. Randomly happening events tend to eventually happen in clusters. Then, we tend to get wrapped around the axle by the cluster of the same event.

My best to you.

Listen to Mark, he knows extremely well what he's talking about. Just to follow up, be aware that its quite common once you have PCS to label issues under it, whether that be slow healing time, anxiety, or clumsiness, etc. It has only been 7 months as you said, and i believe things will begin to get better for you sooner rather than later. I wouldn't worry so much about that. :-)

Thanks guys. Really appreciate it.

Yeah, Mark, good points...

Just have to say that I really wasn't clumsy before my brain surgery. I used to be a dancer. Had a very good sense of balance. So, I can say that my tendency to bump into walls (due to my blind spot) and having to hold onto rails when I walk is necessary and due to the brain surgery & TBI. That is fact.

I do frequently remind myself to look again, slow down, etc. It takes time to make those things regular habits though!

Shez

Thanks for posting this
 

I have a real problem with this clumsyness. Yes I am more wobbly and am off balance more that is the little stuff. I cut my hands in the kitchen, in the garden. I burn myself on the grill, on the oven. I bump into things and bruise, my bruises last longer due to my Meds. The two things that really scare me that happened lately while volunteering at a park using equipment. I was operating a log splitter and put my hand on the end of the log being split and smashed my hand between the log and the metal log stopper.the day prior to that I was cutting down trees with my chainsaw and cut my chaps. I wear all the protective gear and work with an extremely observant, safe park employee. I am afraid I am becoming more of a hindrance that an asset. I didn't break my hand by some miracle just smashed it real good. i didn't cut my leg by another one, my chain cut the nylon on the outside of my chaps but stopped on the kevlar. ilove the park and being out there, it is th only thing I have found that I can do. Advice please.

Jeffrey,

I can't comment on the healing part. I know for the first 8 months after my injury that I kept bumping into things frequently.

Once I was well underway with my behavioral optometrist treatments that my vision started to improve my accident prone went away. He gave me an explanation, it is likely different for everyone. One thing that I know for sure, in the evening when the lights got darker inside my home, I kept bumping into door frames and corners when moving from room to room. I could not preceive distance properly in my field of vision. So I got many a car door and other items.

Good luck!