PCS: MY Story So Far
 

First time posting here on NeuroTalk but have been a reader since my PCS symptoms began. Here's my story...

First Concussion - June 2013: Was partying with some friends at the beach and hit my head. Woke up feeling kind of out of it. Three days later the symptoms hit me like a sack of bricks all at once: vertigo, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, just didn't feel like myself, etc. I was able to return to work after a week and was symptom free after two weeks.

Second Concussion - Feb. 2014: Was once again partying with some friends at a concert and some how manage to give myself another concussion. I felt slightly concussed the following 3-4 days but was fine after that. I decided to take a break from alcohol for three weeks. Three weeks later I went out with some friends and got intoxicated but not to the point of not being able to remember. A few days later my symptoms came back but with much more intensity than after my first concussion to the point where it was difficult to drive or walk a block. I decided to see a neuro and he told me to wait it out. For 8 weeks I was unable to do anything. No reading, texting, thinking. Nothing seemed to help until finally I built up the strength to go for a run. During my first run I felt terrible, but immediately after I felt my head become clearer. I proceeded to run 4 miles ever day for the next two weeks and after those two weeks my symptoms were gone and I was back in class (was in college at the time.) Life was good and back to normal again.

At the time I was studying for a rigorous charter exam (May 2014) and decided to stay away from alcohol for at least another month after my symptoms had cleared. In June I decided to test the bottle again and was fine. I probably would have waited longer but I was in a serious relationship with a girl and going out and drinking w/ friends was a big part of the relationship.

Around August (2014) I started to become depressed because I realized the relationship was coming to an end. I never thought that the depression could be related to my injuries. By September the relationship was over and I was an emotional wreck. Towards the end of the month I decided to head to NYC for my buddies birthday to blow some steam off. We ended up going to a night club and although I did not hit my head I woke up the next day and had a massive anxiety attack and immediately felt something was wrong with my head. I am not positive but I believe I ingested some sort of toxin or drug that triggered my symptoms. By October my symptoms were full blown but also different this time. It is now February and I am still concussed.

I now work a job that requires 8+ hrs of work on a computer a day and is extremely mentally demanding. When I felt my symptoms come back I immediately began running but it has not had the same affect. I assume the first time around was an issue with the blood flood in my brain, this time I am unsure. I am able to get through the work day thankfully, though it is very straining and may be keeping me from making a full recovery. It has now been 5 months and I have made very little progress. I am much more depressed than after my last concussion and have what I believe to be myoclonus. I have uncontrollable spasms in my hands and feet that present themselves when I work on the computer and go to sleep. I can not read for extended period of time and have trouble focusing. I also have anisocoria in my right eye (right pupi; considerably larger than the left). I have had MRIs and nothings showed up. I constantly have pressure and what feels like fluid in my ears. The mood swings are terrible and probably the worst part. I often times feel like I have no control over my mood and depression.

With that said I have been proactive in my recovery. While I do not have the energy to study or go out with friends I am able to work out still, which I have focused most of my energy on. It is a good release. I have seen a couple neuros (to no avail) and am now trying an alternative holistic approach. I started working with a board certified Functional Neurologist. The team I'm working with are some of the top FNs in the world and have worked with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Caitlin Cahow, and numerous other professional hockey players and athletes. The treatment is intense and expensive, but I believe it will be what gets me over the hump. I have been at it for a week now and have already seen some slight progress. Many of my exercises involve various body movements that when I first attempted I thought I would never be able to do. Try lying on your back with your right arm and right leg in the air and moving your arm in a large clockwise circle and your leg in a large counter-clock wise circle. After 3 days of practice I am now able to do this flawlessly as well a some other movements. So that is where I'm at now, building "neuroplasticity". I'm trying to stay positive and am trying some new things that will hopefully help. I am happy and thankful that my work has been accommodating to my therapies and that I am able to still go through my normal routine, which I know many readers here are unable to do. I refuse to believe that I will permanently feel this way but the idea does cross my mind at times. The most important thing is so stay positive and nail down your diet and vitamins! I recommend switching to an organic paleo diet if you haven't, it reduces the inflammation in your body. :winky: Good luck with your recoveries!!!

Hockey6789,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Glad to hear you are improving. We have heard of the Carrick trained and certified chiro neuros (FN's) many times. Some see good benefit, others see no value at all after spending big bucks.

Most find that working out too vigorously is counter to recovery. Your experience is unique.

We'll be watching to see how you do.

So it has been a month since I began my PT with a functional neurologist. Looking back on how I was feeling when I first wrote this I can definitely say that I have seen some great improvements over the last month. While all my symptoms are still present (depression, anxiety, headache, neuropathy issues, difficulty concentrating, different sized pupils); they have all decreased in severity. With the help of my neurologist I have been able to isolate where my injury is (right brain) and build an exercise routine to help stimulate the area. The depression and not feeling like myself are still the worst part of it, which I often bring upon myself. I become anxious and depressed when I think about never getting better, how long its been since I felt like myself, and thoughts of what if I've done some serious damage to myself, like Parkinsons, Alzheimers, or CTE. But I have had good days and moments when I feel nearly symptom free. I'm hoping that with the warmer weather I will be able to get outside and run more, as this seems to help clear up my symptoms. Running on the treadmill doesn't do the trick, it has to be outside. My neuro said this is most likely due to the increased oxygen intake outdoors as well as the changing scenery, which is all very stimulating to the brain. I'm looking to begin acupuncture next week as well as some talk therapy to help deal with the anxiety and depression. I will post an update on how this is all going. It's now been over 12 months since my initial concussion (which took 8-10 weeks to get over) and now over 6 months since my symptoms returned. I'm determined that I can get over this and it will not be permanent. Just need to stay positive as hard as that is. Cheers.