13 weeks and getting worse
 

hello again everyone.

starting to lose hope and become very worried.
original symptoms since accident - nauseous, dizzy and head issues(headaches,tingling/pressure).
these continue but more persistent and stronger in the last couple of weeks.

i'm eating well, taking b12 and multi with other b's and trying to rest as best I can.
been working through the whole ordeal and in retrospect wish I hadn't. starting today I will be off for 5+ weeks.
doctors would not grant me time off.
also, continued to work because I did see minor improvements.

my symptoms are as before but now worse as mentioned. I wake up every day with a concussion hangover, in a daze, feel like i'm drugged.
at work I hit a wall after a few hours and cannot continue, it's scary.

I may have also made matters worse myself. Innocently shook my head twice and felt damage was done, it hurt.
also had a couple of very trivial knocks to the head, no aftereffects. sometimes I feel like my own worse enemy.

I do exercise, very mild and light. stationary bike with tension way down for 20 minutes, probably equivalent to an easy walk. also 15 minutes on weight machines, very light weight, very slow with very deliberate breathing. my body seems to tolerate this very well and I always fell good afterward.

I don't drink and have one cup of coffee in the morning which seems to help with the concussion hangover.
i'm 59, had a serious head bang when I was about 8 or 9, convulsions and taken to hosp.
have had normal bangs to the head as I imagine everyone has over the years, never any repercussions.
did whack my head two weeks before the recent accident, no aftereffects.

thanks for any input and I wish you all well.

Thanks for posting and I hope you find support, encouragement and some helpful ideas on this site.
I'm glad you have time off, it will be interesting to see how you feel. I suggest you keep a daily journal which really helps to track the multitude of symptoms. I think it also helps my psychologically to move on from the symptom.
Every concussion is different, but I can let you know what helped me. If you are waking up with a concussion hang-over it could be that you are not getting good sleep. There is a very high correlation between concussions and sleep disturbances such as central sleep apnea. My Neurologist who is wonderful and really understands PCS, made a point of telling me that sleep is critical to recovery. I had a sleep study and have been working with sleep docs, also neurologists, to deal with this issue. For me the treatment is a Cpap machine and meds.
I also had minor face and neck injuries with my concussion that I didn't figure out were contributing to my headaches and morning hangover for over a year. I am in PT for neck issues and I have been diagnosed with TMJ so I am working with a dentist to realign my jaw. Some mornings I wake up without the hangover, but often I still have a slight hangover but nothing like the first year. I have 2-3 cups of coffee and that helps and then I meditate which really helps to rid myself of the hangover and start concentrating-the strattera also helps with the concentration!
There are definitely things you can do to improve the condition, I keep a list of those things for when I despair. For me it is religiously taking my meds, using my C-pap machine,physical therapy/massage, limiting sugar, light exercise, vitamins, gentle stretching, meditating, cold compresses on my face, wearing sunglasses and noise cancelling headphones, limiting triggers-music, big box stores, airports, alcohol, parties, movies, excess computer time. I try to have fewer plans and first do what I need to do in a day, and constantly pare down my expectations of how much I will do in a day. I also build in recovery time. Everyone's concussion is different, but for me, life is more peaceful if I accept the reality of my health condition. I'm three years in and recovering but at a snails pace. Your recovery may be much quicker. But on my good days I have stopped waiting for the day when I am back to the old me. I now try to accept that I have a chronic health condition that limits some activity but is basically manageable if I spend enough time managing it.

Florida,

Don't worry about damage from the head bumps. Usually, they just set you back in your recovery.

Your hungover feeling in the morning may be due to poor breathing during your sleep. I have Central Sleep Apnea. My brain does not trigger a breath until I am oxygen deficient. It is triggered by poor neck posture while sleeping. I need to sleep on my back with a pillow curled so my head rolls slightly to the right. If I move too much during my sleep, my upper neck gets inflamed and the CSA starts up. It wakes my wife so she will wake me and tell me to change position.

You may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). It is very difficult to get help with CSA since it is rare but OSA is very common and there are plenty of treatments and sleep protocols available.

You sound like you are struggling with anxiety. This is very common to PCS. Ask for help with this. It will be worthwhile.

Hope you can get good quiet rest while you are off work. Check out www.tbilaw.com and www.subtlebraininjury.com . You need to equip yourself against incompetent doctors who do not understand your needs.

My best to you.