Am I being pushed too hard?
 

Well, its been a little over 2 weeks since I started at NCEP. In the beginning, I was so overwhelmed that I really thought I wasn't going to make it through. After a few days of treatment, my cognitive endurance started to increase more and more each day. It was really starting to feel beneficial towards me. Then, I started to feel a setback coming on, starting last Monday. They are really strict on attendance, so I had no choice but to push through the crappy feeling. I managed to push through and have some pretty "normal" moments, however, everyday got worse and worse. Today, I wasn't able to push through at all. Now, I'm setback to how I was at the beginning of March. Really foggy, serious trouble thinking and speaking, blah blah blah...

On the bright side, I'm coping with it pretty well. I just question the program's experience with Post-Concussion Syndrome. I've been told by everyone there that its hard for them to tell I have any problems at all. They tell me I'm so intelligent and well spoken...so when I tell them I'm feeling foggy and I feel a setback coming on, they don't really believe me??? I was told by my case manager to "push through the barrier". So I did and now I'm paying for it.

Am I being pushed too hard?

Nick

Sounds like it to me. You should be building in intensity in steps. Add a bit of extra push and stay at that level for a week or two. Then step it up again.

The client who was comatose can push through more successfully because they are needing to wake up the lazy or dormant brain pathways.

You likely just need shorter sessions with a break between them.

And, yes, I bet they do not have a lot of experience and training in PCS.

Can you take a walk between sessions? Especially if it can be in a low stimulation environment? It can be a big help at recharging your brain's batteries. Not cardio level exertion, just a stimulating walk with good shoes so you do not hear your foot plant in your head. The most important need you have is support and efforts that increase blood flow without causing more symptoms.

My best to you.

All I can say is good luck Nick. :hug:

I've been following your story for 6-7 weeks now Nick and I just want to wish you good luck with your program. I hope you find it beneficial! :)

Starr

How are you feeling Nick? KMFX that your headache was short lived...

What is KMFX?

KMFX = Keeping My Fingers Crossed :)

Starr

Thanks guys. I'm doing better this week...but its been a roller coaster. One minute I'm fine and the next minute I feel like I've blown a fuse in my brain. We're trying the "pushing through" thing for this entire week to see if that works. If it works great, if it doesn't, we're trying a different approach. I think Plan B is to make my schedule less stimulating...and increase stimulation as the weeks go by.

Uggghh...I'm so burned out.

Goodnight everybody.

Nick

I had the same concern at the Nedley program. I was very intimidated looking at the schedule. The days were very full of exercise, classes, music therapy, puzzles, etc. Looking at the schedule, it seemed like a recipe for a setback.

HOWEVER, they were very intentional about doing things that would strengthen the brain and not just tax it. I hope your program is doing the same thing.

Early on, I did have symptoms (headaches, mostly). Dr. Nedley encouraged me to "push through" with modifications. For instance, stay in class but close my eyes or put my head down if I needed to (as opposed to leaving class and going back to my room). Try to do as much as I could but back off a LITTLE bit.

On the day early in the week I got a really bad headache, he pulled me out of class for a short while, did a headache treatment (feet in hot water, ice packs on head and neck) to get it under control, then sent me back to class -- as opposed to giving me an imitrex and sending me to my room for the rest of the day.

Granted, they were also feeding me and controlling my leisure activity so I was getting optimal nutrition and brain input round the clock, but this approach seemed to work pretty well for me. Following this approach, by the end of the week, I was headache free and have continued to be so after returning home except for a couple of minor (normal pre-concussion level) headaches.

Hope this helps!

my thoughts
 

Space cadet, I too am concerned sometimes when dealing with people\medical professionals, that I come off as too normal so how can there be a significant problem going on here? I have periods of rage\frustration that I try to vent in private. I have been told I have a good logical understanding of what I am facing and dealing with; however this comes off as normal to anyone who doesn’t know or doesn’t care to understand you have a brain injury. I sometimes fell like saying I suffered a brain injury but it didn’t make me stupid or I didn’t lose my common sense. I believed at first, the concussion I had was just that, and would resolve in a few weeks of the accident. This has not been the case and dealing with my employer and insurance co has been more than challenging. My employer will not offer reasonable accommodations as outlined by the neuropsyc doc. The insurance companies are trying every tactic they can to minimize the situation. The only bright spot is that the accident was clearly not my fault and that fact cannot be disputed. I wish you well in your recovery. It sounds like you and eown are enrolled in some sort of rehabilitation program? Is this something offered to you in your area or how did you learn about it. Is it helping?

Frankly just taking meds and waiting it out doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me at this stage since I did undergo testing which showed deficits that validate a closed head injury; however there doesn’t seem to be any other alternatives other than meds\and figuring things out on your own to find new ways to cope with the challenges.
I would assume that this is the same with most other TBI, but do you have problems sleeping getting to sleep or staying a sleep?