Pain, pain, go away! (update)
 

And don't come back another day!

Update number 1: I cannot, cannot get relief from this debilitating pain!!! Arrrrrgh!!!

Head and neck. Killing me. I've also developed very noticeable slurred speech. I was on phone with a mental health practicioner who said, you sound as though you've had a stroke, yes? Uh no, just a terrible fall, I said with some embarrassment. I notice a metallic taste at the back of my throat when the slurring is really bad. Coincidence?

Update number 2: The update for my "back to work" drama... Reassessment is a week away. Yesterday I had a visit at my home from the Acquired Brain Injury outreach coordinator thanks to a dear friend who made a phone call! I finally felt heard. She heard my laboured speech. She heard that I'm having trouble sleeping. She heard that I'm in constant pain. She heard that travel in a vehicle is intolerable for me. (The incoming images at high speed equals yack)

No promises were made but she will take on my case, and I'll be seeing a team that will COME TO MY HOUSE. Huge victory there. We shall see what they say for therapies but most importantly they validate my case with WCB while I am unable to work.

I even explained to her that I work at a casino, and she said, oh no you can't be subjected to that, I'll do my best with your case worker at WCB. I am not getting my hopes way up but I felt some relief from that stress. Having someone on my team instead of the terrible disinterest I've encountered from physicians so far!

Update number 3: Still no drug therapy suggested at all. I mentioned Elavil but no plan in place yet. I'm supplementing best I can, with the resources here in remote Saskatchewan in the middle of ANOTHER blizzard, and attending physiotherapy but I'm in SO MUCH pain... Icing my neck, resting, and so frustrated. In related rant, does Tylenol work for anyone on the planet? It's like taking a Nerf ball to the front lines of war... It's utterly useless to me.

I would do almost anything for pain relief. I'm brinking on breakdown. Ideas?

Thanks for reading. Have nowhere else to vent and am very shy about slurred speech so I'm talking very little.

Have you considered Amantadine? I am currently taking it and will let you know of progress.

SO VERY GLAD that you got the coordinator to come talk with you and that you will be able to get services at your house!! That is fabulous!

Don't know if you can get Aleve there, but I found that helped somewhat better than Tylenol. Also, some people on the board find that taking a full dose of tylenol with a full dose of aspirin is more effective than taking either one alone.

Rio~
I can relate....my speech went so bad I sounded drunk all the time....I was so embarrassed.....I think it was a balance thing but eventually you will get better...do you get muscle spasms in jaw/neck area? I was best friends with anti inflammatory meds and ice during that time.....I wish you the best in recovery:grouphug:

MsRrio,

Have you tried taking aspirin and Tylenol together? They give pain relief comparable to codeine. You can take a maximum dose of each at the same time. I was told to do this by my doctor.

If you use this daily, give your liver a break from the Tylenol once a week for a day or two.

Do you have someone who can do some light traction while you lay on your back? Have them literally hold your head with their finger in your ears and pull gently. They can not pull hard from your ears so it is more of a gentle pull for maybe a minute, then release, then pull again. My physical therapist taught me this.

You can also use 2 towels, one under the chin and the other behind the head. Twist the ends together to hold the towel in place then pull gently.

Some have access to a inversion table like a Teeter Hangup (google it) that can use the heads weight as the traction force.

This should not cause pain. If it does, stop. There should be some relief if it is working right.

Hope it helps.

My best to you.

Hang in there. That unrelenting pain is very difficult!!!!

Tylenol 2 (a bit of codeine) was probably the only thing that helped get through some pain....and I also used Zomig (a triptan medication for migraines) when my headaches (non-migraine but concussion ones) were unbearable.

mark suggests apsirin and tylenol together....Excedrin has both plus a shot of caffeine which apparently helps it get taken up.

Good you are getting a bit of help. Is your job unionized? If so, you need to call a union rep. You CANNOT work in a casino with this injury. The employer has a legal duty to accomodate your injury up to the point of undue hardship, which is a tough teat in Canada. it means they would have to be very near bankruptcy, and that is unlikely with a casino. Who is the employer? Public or Private sector? Good luck!

Bad news today
 

Not unionized. Zero support.

Bad day today. Very upsetting news. Acquired Brain Injury Coordinator called. The outreach team will NOT take my case. Turns out they stick by the "we don't see concussions" rule. Because hey everyone with concussion injuries DID YOU KNOW WE ALL HEAL to be 100%? (Sarcasm) apparently I am not a candidate. Despite her statement that I was.

So. No therapy. No help. No advocacy. No intervention with WCB.


This has got to be the loneliest most stressful time of my life yet I "can't allow myself" to feel stressed because it makes symptoms worse. Awesome. Neutered feelings can't cause harm I'm sure.

Well. The pain and speech problems along with cognitive failures should serve me well for my premature return to a casino career, also known as career suicide. Realistically I cannot adequately do my job in this condition but we've reached WCB's expiry date on what's realistic.

I see YET ANOTHER doctor for reassessment this Friday. ABI lady says she will send her a report with her observations. I predict the doctor ignores it and also everything I try to say. Not trying to be negative but realistic and I can quite easily piece together a trend here.

WCB will win as they always do.

I feel your pain :(
 

I am so very sorry you are going through this. I know you said you weren't going to get your hopes up but I am sure that you did without wanting to. With our heightened emotions the hurt and frustration would seem worse.

Today I received a phone call that the neuro opthalmologist I was hoping to see, to hopefully solve my eye and dizziness problems, has refused to see me. I felt the hurt, shock, frustration, etc. and all my symptoms flared up (migraine, brain fog, dizziness, etc)

Your news must be so much more distressing than mine. It's so crucial to have good mental health for recovery.

I only have one bit of advice for you, which I think I mentioned before but just in case...... if you can find a neuro psychologist anywhere near you...they might be worth seeing. No referral is needed and the wait time to see one shouldn't be long if you explain the urgency.

Mine explained thoroughly to my insurance company that while 85% of people recover in less than three months 15% unfortunately don't. She gave specific symptoms and a return to work plan once I reached a certain point.

They aren't cheap though but you might have some psychologist coverage through work. Getting the rest you need and some help with WCB would be worth it.

One last thing....if for some reason you end up having to go back to work.....make sure you get modified hours and/or duties.

Good luck to you. I hope you're pleasantly surprised by your appointment Friday.

CC :hug:

You are so sweet! Thanks for the compassion and no I don't think mine is any worse than your news, I'm sad for you too! Totally sucks.

I've never seen a condition so misunderstood and ignored like PCS is (there must be worse, surely, but that's not exactly a faith builder in physicians is it!)

When I can form a thought longer than a few seconds I will heed that advice about researching a neuro psychologist, none in my area but because of the terrible health system in Saskatchewan I may have to try a neighbouring province. (Alberta)

Some things that enraged me today in my conversation with the ABI coordinator: (for your amusement, because at this point, what can I do but shrug it off)

- you don't have a brain injury it's a brain bruise (what the ????)


- the team wont take concussion cases because nothing in your case is permanent (she's a fortune teller!)


- there is no medical evidence in your case, CT and MRI negative (but, PCS doesn't show on those scans) Irrelevant, because WCB will want proof. (I can barely talk, isn't that proof?) No.


- because you suffered depression (4 years ago, not since) you need to know that WCB will blame your prolonged symptoms on that, rather than the concussion (but many of my symptoms are physical like speech issues, dizziness, physical pain) Depression can manifest in many ways. (So can a person be sad enough to develop a stutter? Porky Pig must feel SO sad and misunderstood!)


- physiotherapy commonly causes an increase in symptoms (so should I stop?) No but WCB will say this contributed to your delay (so should I stop?) Well you should ask your physiotherapist. (but he's getting paid for his time through WCB!)


I was so lost and demoralized by the end of the phone call I could have cried when she said, call if you need any help. With what? My bruise?


Long live free health care.

There is a doctor in Alberta who wrote an article for the Canadian Medical Journal about her own brain injury...I think she has opened a clinic for concussions and brain injury. Will try to find it and post the link or citation here. I travel wherever I can to get some help and insight. Am spending all my money in the process. But getting better is more important to me than any material goods. I need to heal for my kids!
having said that, I am lucky because I have a spouse that works and I have not run out of my LTD yet! Others are not so lucky.
Sask govt should pay for your doctor in a other province. You just have to follow their rules. Travel you pay on your own unless a specialist in your own province says you need to travel outside.
Hang in there. I am now 16 months post injury and I see some improvements every month! But it is hell. No doubt about it. I tried to take it hour by hour.