10 weeks after mva - my update
 

Most symptoms of PCS have diminished considerably. The extreme fatique and cognitive issues seem to be the most lingering for me.

I actually spoke for 2 one hour sessions at a conference the first week of June. It was extremely difficult. I can usually do it off the top of my head but I had to have it all written out in front of me. Even then I found myself losing my place now and then. Everyone was amazed at how well I did considering my condition. I think it came out good but inside I was struggling to form thought and questioning what I just said. The fatigue afterwards was horrible. For three days I was unable to do anything except basic life functions.

I overdid it one day this week and paid for it! I try to watch for signals to tell me that's enough but sometimes I think that warning light is broken.

I struggle with words, simple things like "that thing you put dishes in" instead of "dishwasher". It seems I'm thinking the right things but the words just don't come out.

I still have anger issues. My 15 year old daughter says it's worse than what I make it out to be.

Short term memory still an issue too although recall time is lessening.

I have an appointment Monday with neurologist followed by appointment with regular doctor.

roadrunner,

Your are in good company. The word finding is very common. Your relapse after the conference is to be expected. I am surprised it was only three days. I can be down for a week.

I can picture the word as an image but not get the word to become a word at my mouth. Sometimes, I can actually see the word in my head but can't get my mouth to say it.

Sometimes, the signals are not there. You need to look back at what you were doing and next time, stop sooner.

And, your daughter is most likely right. She sees you from the outside, not from the inside of an injured brain. The injured brain is prone to understating the negative and overstating the positive.

Try to adjust for this by stopping at 50% of where you think you should stop. It will impress your daughter.

My best to you.

Today
 

I had neurologist appointment at 9 this morning. I got lost trying to get there. Then I struggled filling out the stack of paperwork. Then when answering questions from neurologist I just had a total meltdown. She was very compassionate, seemed to understand PCS very well, and even explained where my brain had most likely hit my skull to create the symptoms I have. She did prescribe Amitryptiline as she said I need better, regular sleep for my brain to heal. She also set me up for MRI and EEG awake/asleep for next week and a follow up appointment with her in two weeks. She said everything I'm going through is normal for PCS and she doesn't expect anything from the MRI. She wanted the EEG as a baseline so that at the six month mark if I were still having problems they would do another and compare the brain activity on them.

I went straight to my regular doctor from there. I only had a small meltdown there. They put me off work for another 6 weeks and I continue with muscle relaxers (Soma 350mg) but he would like me to taper down as soon as possible.

I still have to go to the chiropractor later this afternoon.

roadrunner,

Wow, I know how your day went. I always have my wife with me to fill out the forms. They can be brutal.

I am surprised you are on the Soma for so long. I see why the doc wants you to taper off the Soma.

Have you tried different therapeutic massage techniques? It may help your body better than the Soma. I think I posted before that I take Neurontin to help my body relax so I can sleep. I started at 600 mg one hour before bed but after 8 years, I had to up it to 900 mgs. It not only helps my body relax but it also prevents most of the muscle jerks during sleep.

Do you have access to a clinic that does qEEG brain mapping? It will likely show your problems better than a plain EEG. I have had both multiple times. The EEG was inconclusive but the qEEG showed problems every time. There are a variety of professionals who do qEEG brain mapping. It uses more leads for more reference points. EEG is usually 14 leads while qEEG can be 18 to 28 leads and even up to 128 leads.

My best to you.

Have not tried different therapeutic massage techniques. The muscle spasms are deep down. My regular doctor today felt my shoulders and said I needed a good massage.

I started on Soma 350mg twice a day about a week after my wreck. I still take a full one each night but during the day I usually only take 1/2 pill now (sometimes none). It is the Soma WITHOUT Codeine as I am allergic to Codeine.

I don't really have anyone to go with me and help with forms, etc.

I'll have to ask about qEEG instead of EEG.

Maybe if you know you have lots of forms to fill out, you can call ahead and arrange for the doctor's office to provide assistance. For me, one of the big problems is the over-stimulation of a page full of blank spaces. My brain wants to look at all of the spaces at the same time.

Trying to fill out the papers on a clip board is just too much. One thing that helps is to have a desk to sit at and two sheets of blank paper. One sheet covers the text above the line I am working on and the other covers the text below that line. The vague questions are also a problem when they ask for subjective answers.

The most annoying part is when most of the forms asks questions that have little use to the doctor.

Regarding the massage, have you had any physical therapy for your upper back/neck etc? My PT uses myofacial release to convince the stiff muscles to relax. If your chiropractor is not helping you with these muscle spasms, maybe you need to check out other chiros.

I have been to about 15 or 20 different chiros in 30 years. Most were of no help but a few where gifted healers. The healers tend to be the most humble. The "wellness' oriented chiros with the big egos tend to be of much less help. They tend to want to generate $$ more than help me. I have always had to pay for chiro out of pocket due to no chiro benefit with my health insurance. This forced me to be much more critical of the chiro's benefit.

My recent chiro find just moved to Madison Wisconsin so I am without a good chiro again after 4 years of good care. I used to have to fly to San Jose from Boise for a good chiro adjust back when RT fares were $99. Then gas skyrocketed and at $250 RT I could not afford the trip.

Regarding the Soma, have you considered whether it may be causing you cognitive problems? Some research might be worthwhile. I was on clonazapam (Klonopin) for a short time until it was suggested that it my be making my problems worse. CNS active drugs can be brutal on brain injuries.

A common neuro or Gp will not think much of qEEG because one neurologist back in 1997 dissed qEEG in a neurology journal. His article has been disproven many times but the lie still has legs.

Find a Psychiatrist, neuro-psychiatrist, psychologist, or maybe a MFT type that understands qEEG. Google "qeeg validity mtbi" or such and you will find lots of good stuff. Robert Thatcher, PhD. is well published about qEEG.

My best to you.

I did go off the Soma for several days at one point to see if that made a difference in my pcs symptoms. It didn't.