Post Concussive
 

I'm new on this site. It is very difficult trying to follow directions on how to use this site, so I'm hoping this is working? I don't understand how a worker's comp doctor can, for 18 months insist that there is nothing wrong with me?? I have not been symptom free for 18 months, not for one day. I have begged her to help me and she continues to tell me there is nothing wrong with me except that I need exercise and more vitamin D. I am an athlete suffering from a closed head injury. How do I get help?

Hybernating,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I am sorry to hear of your struggles, especially with WC. I have been through the WC nightmare myself.

WC doctors have very low standards of function as their standard of ready to return to work. I can't understand how she can say Low vit D living in Florida.

Nutrition is a very big part of recovery.

Tell us some more about your injury, diagnostics, symptoms, work limiting issues and job requirements and we may be better able to help you.

There are lots of good experienced and friendly people here.

My best to you.

Mark,

I can't even imagine how you get through the day having all those concussions, I've only had this one and I can't function. August 2010, 18 months ago I was standing in a chair, fell completely backward, onto a hard tile floor. I don't know if I were ever unconscious, someone that was near by said I may have lost consciousness for a short time? Went EMS to the hospital, evidently I was telling the doctor I fell out of a tree? The lights were so bright in the emergency room and I was wondering why they weren't bothering anyone else everything was so loud. In hospital Wed & Thursday. Left on Friday because I was a Maid of Honor in my brother's wedding. Attended the wedding, made a speech and to this day, I have no memory of the wedding. The noise in my head started, can't sleep, fells like I'm going crazy. I was begging someone to help me. I have had Brain MRI. Evidently it showed a white spot, whatever that means? WC doctor put me on Elavil 150mg, and all I did was sleep 15 hours a day. I told her I felt so drugged on this medication, she said it shouldn't make me feel that way. She took me off the medication and sent me back to work. I thought she was crazy sending me back to work. I had and still have serious symptoms, but being that I am an athlete and have the Wonder Woman/Super Girl mentality
I went back to work. I don't know how I did it? I was a recreation leader, taught kids sports, worked on City events ect...everyday I would go to work and try to hide in the bathroom where it was dark and quiet. I would get off work at 5:00 and by 5:15 I was home with a pillow over my head...everyday! I lasted 8 months and just couldn't do it any longer. I took FMLA and was fired before the 3 months was over. Now ...it's much easier to survive at home where it is quiet and dark. I have been diagnosed by a shrink with a Closed head injury but the WC Neurologist will not diagnose me with a Closed head injury. I now see this is a game that they play with your life. It's been 18 months, everyday is painful. Does it ever go away for real? I am no the person I was before I hit my head.

Every concussion is different. It sounds like you suffered quite an impact.

The WC doc was/is just as worthless as most doctors in regard to concussion. The Elavil (amitriptyline) is usually prescribed at 10 to 25 mgs per day. Yes, you were sure dosed.

What state are you in? Different states have different WC laws. I just saw your listing of your county and remember you are in Florida.

You ought to get an SSDI application started. If you recover to be able to return to work, then you can let go of the SSDI. But, get the application started. The process will help you identify and come to better terms with your symptoms.

You also need to download the TBI Survival Guide atwww.tbiguide.com. Print it out (84 pages) and highlight the symptoms you recognize.

You can also watch the "You Look Great" videos by John Byler on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Xso...ature=youtu.be It is 6 episodes and takes about an hour to view them all. You friends and family will benefit from watching them.

In you future posts, it will help if you add a paragraph space every 5 lines or so. Many of us struggle to follow from the end of one line to the next. 5 lines per paragraph helps.

It is very difficult to get an official diagnosis of a concussion or closed head injury except from the records of the ER and you follow-on symptoms. If the WC doctor only examines you, there is now way to say you have a concussion or CHI. They need to use the ER report.

Did the ER report list your behaviors and other symptoms? A common problem is doctors do not include an IDC-9 code of 850.9. impact to head, unspecified or one of the specific concussion codes (850). If they did not do this, it was an blatant negligence on their part.

So, what are your most problematic symptoms?

There are lots of ways to tolerate many of the various symptoms.

My best to you.

Sorry to hear about your injury, and the "treatment plan" you get from your WC doctor. Remember WC doctors are NOT there for your sake, they exist for the INSURANCE COMPANY. They cater to whomever greases their wheels.

I am struggling with a similar event at work, and I have found it necessary to get a lawyer to ensure proper treatment. Mark in Idaho helped me find one that understands PCS and TBI, and she has been great. But, if you are not currently under the WC constraints, it might not matter.

18 months sounds like a long time not to have improvement; you should know that this could turn into a very long term issue, and some symptoms might be permanent. Not to alarm you, I'm just trying to be honest. You have not been treated properly, which has only exacerbated the situation.

The best thing the lawyer was able to do for me was to insist on a second opinion, basically informing the insurance company that if they did not approve one of the two nueropsych's she listed, we would get an appointment anyway and a WC judge would force them to pay for it. The laws can be made to work for the worker, but it takes a lawyer to pull the strings.

Also, I don't understand how you were fired before the FMLA timeline exhausted; I thought that was what FMLA was for, and I would definitely be talking to a lawyer about that. If three months doesn't have to mean three months, what's the use of the law?

Sorry again to hear of your troubles, but this is a great forum to meet folk with similar problems, and air them out. Don't be afraid to unload on us, we're in the same boat.

I'm outraged that you were fired before your FMLA time was through.

Please contact an attorney.

I've been recovering for 20 months and I'm still improving, and my Dr. recently told me she believes I'll be normal again and she wasn't able to say that until very recently. Every brain injury is different and so is every recovery.

Take care of yourself. Make sure you're eating healthy food, stay away from caffeine and alcohol and be sure to take all of your vitamins, minerals, omega oils and pay special attention to taking a good B complex.

Scott and EsthersDoll are correct about attorneys, except for a simple problem. Some states so limit the fees a WC attorney can collect that it is next to impossible to get an attorney to help you. I was turned down by every attorney I tried to use due to California's restrictive fee structure. They only get paid when there is a settlement agreed to by the judge so the judge can award fees based on a preset schedule of fees.

Oh my....thank-you...thank-you...thank-you so much. I'm sitting here trying to type and just crying. I'm soooooo glad I found you guys. It shouldn't have

taken 18 months to find out what's going on with me. There really needs to be more educa tion on concussions and what they can do to you. I

mean..the WC Doctor didn't even mention the word concussion to me. They don't want you to know and when a person is experienceing severe head

symptoms they want you to believe your going crazy. Thank goodness it's only brain damage. :) All I want is the truth.

This Thursday I have mediation. Settle $$$ for peanuts or go before a judge? It's certainly not about the money !! NO AMOUNT can bring back what is lost.

I don't see another route to go except to go before the judge? I hope this is the right thing to do because I can't trust my own attorneys for advise.

Mark...you seen to be an icon on this site. If I could, Id'e give you a big hug right now :hug: Thank-you for your kindness.

UOTE=Hybernating;865812]Mark,



I can't even imagine how you get through the day having all those concussions, I've only had this one and I can't function. August 2010, 18 months ago I was standing in a chair, fell completely backward, onto a hard tile floor. I don't know if I were ever unconscious, someone that was near by said I may have lost consciousness for a short time? Went EMS to the hospital, evidently I was telling the doctor I fell out of a tree? The lights were so bright in the emergency room and I was wondering why they weren't bothering anyone else everything was so loud. In hospital Wed & Thursday. Left on Friday because I was a Maid of Honor in my brother's wedding. Attended the wedding, made a speech and to this day, I have no memory of the wedding. The noise in my head started, can't sleep, fells like I'm going crazy. I was begging someone to help me. I have had Brain MRI. Evidently it showed a white spot, whatever that means? WC doctor put me on Elavil 150mg, and all I did was sleep 15 hours a day. I told her I felt so drugged on this medication, she said it shouldn't make me feel that way. She took me off the medication and sent me back to work. I thought she was crazy sending me
back to work. I had and still have serious symptoms, but being that I am an athlete and have the Wonder Woman/Super Girl mentality
I went back to work. I don't know how I did it? I was a recreation leader, taught kids sports, worked on City events ect...everyday I would go to work and try to hide in the bathroom where it was dark and quiet. I would get off work at 5:00 and by 5:15 I was home with a pillow over my head...everyday! I lasted 8 months and just couldn't do it any longer. I took FMLA and was fired before the 3 months was over. Now ...it's much easier to survive at home where it is quiet and dark. I have been diagnosed by a shrink with a Closed head injury but the WC Neurologist will not diagnose me with a Closed head injury. I now see this is a game that they play with your life. It's been 18 months, everyday is painful. Does it ever go away for real? I am no the person I was before I hit my head.[/QUOTE]

I suggest you be very careful at mediation.

First, you need them to acknowledge in your file that you suffered a Closed Head Injury from the At Work accident. It is mandatory for you to have this acknowledgement in your file.

Second, they need to pay you your full WC disability pay for time off work, this includes your FMLA time. They need to agree to continue WC paychecks and medical care and rehabilitative services at a brain injury rehab facility.

Don't get your hopes up too high. Getting them to acknowledge that you suffered a work-related Closed Head Injury will be the biggest goal. Your ER records should support that. The EMT's should also have good records (hopefully).

There may be transcripts or recordings of the ambulance radio communications. Hopefully, they would include 'orientation' ( your ability to recognize who you are, where you are, date and time, etc.). Hopefully, these records are available.

It is a war but it is won by one battle at a time. the first battle is over getting Closed Head Injury or severe concussion listed as a Work Related Injury.

Good luck to you.

Thank-you so much...

I didn't even think of the EMT's. Theve've got to acknowledge that something was seriously wrong with me!! I have learned a lot already from you :) I hope you are having a 'good' day...