Driving or overstimulation in the stores issues?
 

Hello everyone!
I’m 2 months past my head injury and haven’t been able to leave the house or drive.so frustrating trying to care for kids ..
How do you guys manage driving part ? How long did it take you to be able to resume ?
Stores- are another problem . I get nauseated and lightheaded if I go ..

Thank you so much and I would really appreciate your response!!
Nadya

Go to stores when they are not crowded. Try to avoid driving during busy periods.

You cannot maintain your same living intensity after a concussion and hope time will heal. You need to moderate your life by slowing down and simplifying everything.

I know- that’s what it has been happening. I can’t understand how some people jump back into the same rhythm of live and fully recover in just under a month ( that includes my aunt who lost conciseness and memory for a short term) and then was back to herself in 2 weeks), and some carry this through life..how are doing? How did you acquire a concussion and how long has it been? What treatments worked for you ?

Recovery is a numbers game. 85% recover with little or no intervention within 6 to 8 weeks. The rest can take much longer.

The key indicator is pre-existing anxiety and depression. People with pre-existing anxiety and depression can take a long time to recover.

Also, people who refuse to slow down and moderate their environment tend to take longer. We have had many here on NT who refused to slow down who spent years struggling. When they slowed down and accepted their current condition as the way things are and built a life within those limits, they started to improve.

Comparing to others is very problematic. Do not do it.

Some of us have lived with PCS for years or even decades. We learn to live with our limits. We find work-arounds and make accommodations and move on.

I've lived with PCS for 54 years. I have had serious symptoms since 1/16/2001.

There is no single treatment. Different treatments may help with different symptoms.

What symptoms are your worst?

What changes have you made and what treatments/therapies have you done?

Hi, I am recovering from PCS also. I can relate - I didn't leave the house for anything other than doctor's appointments for 3-4 months. Whenever I leave the house now, I wear a brimmed hat and sunglasses - even if it isn't very bright outside. They reduce the amount of stimuli I receive, which helps a lot - especially when driving or in stores. I also wear earplugs that don't block out the sound, but dampen it. These also reduce the amount of stimuli. I was incredibly sensitive to sounds and these help a lot. I also recommending not trying to multi-task. When you are driving - drive. I don't recommend talking on the phone or passengers, or listening to music yet. This can be overwhelming. Just focus on one thing at a time. Yes, visit stores when they are the least busy and bring a list. Wear protective gear : ). Also, I find that it is helpful to not have to look around a lot in stores, so going somewhere familiar is good. I'm typically very extroverted, but when shopping I've made it a point not to make a lot of eye-contact, get into conversations, and tend to look down to not overwhelm my system. If you're getting dizzy, be mindful of making a lot of bends and twists and turns with your body and head. I found that a lot of movement was causing nausea, vertigo, and triggering symptoms. Small sips of life, rather than big gulps right now. All the best to you. <3

Regarding how long it took me to resume - I didn't drive for about 4.5 months. I started driving only 1-2 miles, and with a buddy at first. I stayed off of the highway for the first few weeks. It's been about a month and a half since I began driving again and I am able to drive for an hour on the interstate. I know it is difficult to not be able to do what you need and want to do, but please be patient. I found that it was so easy to relapse. Also, this is the time to ask your friends and neighbors for help. I often had friends do shopping for me and we even had a Meal Train set-up. Happy to answer more questions. Best MV

Grocery stores are Kryptonit to me!

For years it was shopping with sunglasses with side shields, and noise canceling head phones..
For last 5 to 6 years I can go to store just with ear buds in....But It dosnt take much to set me off.....

Thank you all for your responses!

What ear plugs do you use? I’m just thinking long term for work ( hopefully I will be able to resume in a few months) and I m a high school teacher.. honestly don’t quite picture this due to lots of behavioral issue but I love my job to change
Thank in advance for all your posts

I have rather petite ears and have a difficult time finding earplugs that fit. The only ones that have worked for me, other than silicone ones - which can block out too much sound for me to converse with people, are some I found on Amazon, called "Vibes High Fidelity Concert Earplugs". They come with three different sizes that are interchangeable and have been working very well for taking the "edge" off of sounds.

I use noise canceling ear buds I will post a link for you..

For the person with small ear canals, they have different size tips for ear buds maybe the smallest would work for you?

ATH-ANC100BT QuietPoint® Wireless In-Ear Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones || Audio-Technica

ATH-ANC33iS QuietPoint® Active Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Headphones || Audio-Technica

ATH-ANC23BK QuietPoint® Active Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Headphones || Audio-Technica

The only reason I gave these links as they are the cheapest noise canceling ear buds that I know of....If someone knows cheaper type that would be awesome.

Thank you! Will be looking into

Driving, shopping struggles
 

Hey there,
I am so sorry you are struggling. TIME is needed to be able to function. Be kind to yourself! After my first MVA (1st of 4 in 5 years, people just like to hit me I guess) I tried to go Christmas shopping, my daughter dropped me off, and I lasted 10 minutes. PCS patients are EXTREMELY sensitive to sounds, lights, noise, crowds, it waxes and wanes still for me 7 yrs. Later. You are not alone!!! Be kind to yourself, it will slowly show improvement. My Neuro Doc said diet and hydration, and SLEEP are EXTREMELY important. The brain you jumbled up he said is like tangled Christmas lights and the neurons and all the "wiring" need to put back together. You WILL get there, so hang tough!!!! ❤❤❤

Take magnesium, I take magnesium oxide. It may not cure 100% but can definitely help to decrease overstimulation/startle form head pumps

Scratch that I meant to say magnesium CITRATE. Mag oxide is a crap supplement

Yes, mag oxide is a crap supplement. It is a laxative.

Hi, like the others said be kind to your body and listen to it. Treat yourself like a well respected friend who gives you advice.

I've had PCS for 5 years and I've done and continue to do these things listed below. It gets better with time.

Things that have worked for me for shopping:

Get a pair of sunglasses in different colors - find the ones that make you feel better. If that doesn't work just buy a few different cheap ones in different colored lenses and try each one until you find one that works. Blue can be common amongst TBI survivors, FL-41 lenses limit blue light.

Wear a brimmed hat in stores to shield your eyes.

Shop online and then pick up at store, find someone in your life to shop online for you if your having screen issues. Get someone to shop for you. Buy bulk.

Driving tips:

Noise cancelling headphones - I use only on open highway or freeway

Research quietest tires if your doing any high speed driving. Its amazing how loud some tires can be compared to others. My winter tires are actually quieter than my summers....I look forward to winter.

When your driving focus on objects that don't move relative to you, ie the back of the vehicle in front of you. It makes me feel more stationary.

Never look to the side while driving. Never track a stationary object while your moving or vise versa.

When at an intersection/lights don't look at the cars travelling across your line of vision, keep your eyes up at the lights they are stationary.

Get blind spot mirrors installed on your vehicle if they don't have them. It prevents you from having rotate your head backwards to shoulder check and this settles down your brain when you just have to use your eyes to check your blind spot. These things are a must in heavy traffic. Look up ampper blind spot mirrors on amazon, they are cheap and good quality - a rare find these days.

Always know your route beforehand.

Never speed, always go just a little slower than the herd that way its the least amount of activity to achieve the same result and your not lane changing or ticked off that someone is going too slow. Be a fast tortoise.

Leave early, stress induces symptoms. Unforeseen events get in the way, take the mindset that your going to need a break anyway so leave early to give yourself a break. This will take some experimenting to find out distance you can go and break you'll need to lower symptoms.

Hope that helps.