A Playful Smack to the Head
 

Hi all,

I'm an 18-year old sophomore in college and I suffered a TBI last April when I got hit by a heavy and undamped door. The symptoms ended up lasting way longer than I expected, and I ended up taking nortriptyline per my neurologist. I got off the nortriptyline on New Year's Day, and I've been feeling pretty good for about a month, with mild light sensitivity on bright days and not really much else.

Last Friday, I was working on some physics homework when my friend(who was unaware of my TBI-related issues) decided to sneak up behind me and smack me in the back of the head with his notebook. It wasn't really hard, but I don't think it was really light either, maybe moderate. I don't really have a good way to gauge the strength because it took me by complete surprise. I told him about my situation and he apologized, and I wasn't dizzy or anything after the incident. However, I had a bad headache all of yesterday, and I was extremely tired on Saturday and Friday, and I seemed to work a little slower and make a few more mistakes than usual.

The thing is, I'm not sure if these are related; for example, I didn't sleep much during the week, and I only really got a good night's sleep on Friday night, so the tiredness and lack of productivity could just be from lack of sleep. Also, the type of headache I got yesterday was one that I used to get even before I had a TBI, and it seemed to originate from my neck.

Basically, what should I make of this? Could it be that I had a mild worsening of symptoms due to the incident, or is it more likely that it is unrelated to anything? My rationale is that I shouldn't be worried about anything serious because I doubt it would have worried me if I didn't have a history of TBI. Also, I doubt he hit me really hard out of the blue, and perhaps the reason that it registered as being harsh was because of the surprise element.

Make a poster that says "My rationale is that I shouldn't be worried about anything serious because I doubt it would have worried me if I didn't have a history of TBI. Also, I doubt he hit me really hard out of the blue, and perhaps the reason that it registered as being harsh was because of the surprise element. "

Then, anytime you start looking for symptoms, read the poster and realize you are smart enough to put your anxieties in a rational light.

You have already outsmarted the anxiety. Do it again and again.

And, tell your friend that the next time he wants to be a irresponsible jerk, stop and think about the ways somebody can pay him back.

I doubt you will suffer any ill from such an incident.

I can tell you that your friend was pretty dang lucky it was you and not me he did that too.
I can have a short fuse concerning such folly regarding my head...my real friends know my head is OFF LIMITS!

Good luck at school.

Bud