[Tengboche]

I have to decide this week whether or not I am going to go on Long term disability, or go back to work full time by the start of June. Its now been 10 months since my concussion (at least my fourth one)

I have my neuro-psych test June 7, and various other appointments after that. Since there is a law suit for the car accident, I had to wait for a year after the accident to start these tests.

I go into work to visit and do some odd jobs which is good, but it seems that after a short time I feel almost as if I am drunk, woozy and a little surreal.

My job is fast paced (manage an animal shelter and have to wear many other hats in the job) and it is one of those jobs that you can't do part time.

Since I am only able to do limited exercise, and apparently a small amount of work, I don't know how to sort out when I am better. The more simple my life is, the more I feel like "myself". I guess I am wondering about how much I should push through. I am the type of person who will keep going until it gets bad (which I did, I worked for four months and almost had a breakdown and had to go off work).

Does it help the brain to keep working it and challenging yourself, or should I just wait and just test myself every once in a while. I am sure that I will learn about things after the neuro-psych test.

Thanks

[vini]

hi Joanne

its a though one but like you ,I did not realize the extent of my head injury.in the first few months when I returned to work, I knew I was not the same could not, think, type, remember what I was doing and all the other stuff, I won.t go into, but the voice inside you says, I will be ok just get through another day, and it will come right HUH , well for me it did not in fact it may have made it worse. a kind off damaged brain burn out, then comes the kiss off from your employer , nothing to do with your injury of course

2 years 4 months down the road I have the same symptoms as a 3 months after, I cope much better, but I have 3 titanium plates in my face and skull . its all a matter of degrees with these injury's

my job was a fire engineering project manager. were life safety is the bottom line

no one chooses for them and there family to live on the bread line

but by not excepting your disablement you can loose the safety net, and end up there any how

for some a return to work will be the best thing they could do for them selves

this question needs to be answers

PCS the patient can recover from in time ?

TBI the patient can adapt to over time ?

[mhr4]

Hi JoannBC,

It is not a good idea to return to work, or any other type of activity, until your symptoms have subsided. Your symptoms are an indication of whether or not your brain has healed from your injury(ies). Since you are 10 months past your last concussion, you will probably need therapeutic intervention to get any further healing. The ones that I recommend are:

-Hormone Testing
You are doing this to asses pituitary and/or hypothalamus functioning. If
you have a lawsuit pending, your attorney should be able to get these
done for you. Have him/her consult with a specialist in hormone
replacement therapy.
-LENS neurofeedback
You can google this on your own. It is an FDA registered device and is
currently being considered by the Veterans Administration for use on TBI
combat vets.
-Vestibular Rehab
This can be done by a physical therapist who specializes in vestibular
rehab or by a neurochiropractor. If you have balance problems and vertigo,
this would be a good option for you.
-Vision Therapy
If you have vision problems (double vision, reading problems, one teaming,
etc.) then you should seek out a vision therapist.

Also, read Dr. Larsen's "The Healing Power of Neurofeedback." You can get it at your local library. In that book, he discusses a case study of a woman who had sustained 4 concussions with the last one being a very brutal one. He successfully rehabilitated her brain and she was able to lead a productive life.

Good Luck!

[Mark in Idaho]

Before investing sizable amounts of money in LENS therapy, I suggest reading the LENS Clinician's Agreement. Specifically the areas of treatment as I quote from the OCHS Lab web site at http://www.ochslabs.com/files/Agreem...10_02_2008.doc

<Below is a list of diagnoses. The LENS does not cure any of these problems. However it will often increase functioning for somebody with symptoms associated with these problems. If the problem is a progressive disease, the functional improvements will be temporary, somewhere between two and five years, before the disease takes its course.

Treatment of symptoms associated with the following problems are recommended during the first two years the LENS Clinician gains experience:

Alzheimer’s Disease (early stages)
Anxiety problems
Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis PDDs
Attention Deficit Disorder, with and without hyperactivity
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Depression, all types from reactive to lifelong endogenous
Explosiveness and Irritability
Head injury and post-concussive problems
Migraine
Parkinson’s Disease (early stages)
Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome
Stroke and spinal cord injury paralysis (when the home trainer is available)
Thoracic outlet syndrome

Treatment of symptoms associated with the following problems are recommended after Clinician feels more confident:

Chronic fatigue syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Multiple-Personality Disorder
Seizure disorders
Tourette’s and other tic disorders>

I am unimpressed by the qualifications recommended for LENS clinicians.
<The LENS Clinician must be licensed or certified in a health care profession, or have graduate university training and supervised experience in psychotherapy, have been trained to use the LENS system and are strongly encouraged to carry malpractice insurance.>

The OCHSLAB.com web site is still devoid of any supporting research or clinical studies.

The FDA registered device label is of little meaning. It is not an FDA approved device. It is an exempt device meaning it can be used as long as it is not promoted to treat any specific diagnosis of medical condition.

In past documentation, Len Ochs (the developer) cautioned against using it with persons who have experience seizures.

The claim that I find interesting is "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome." As one who has suffered from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for almost 20 years, and who has used all of the non-surgical therapies available to help me avoid surgery, I am totally dumbfounded as to how LENS could effect the symptoms of CTS. I also suffer from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, sort of an upper back version of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. And, useful for spinal cord injury paralysis????

There is a saying; "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

There may be some people who had directly benefited from LENS therapy but I would believe this number to be a very small part of those treated. There is likely a large 'placebo effect' in this group.

A sound double blind clinical study is called for. Such a study could settle this controversy.

This post is not meant to denigrate or devalue any other poster. Their opinions are their opinions. I am just presenting the documentation behind the LENS system with some observations of such documents.

[shezbut]

Originally Posted by JoanneBC

I have to decide this week whether or not I am going to go on Long term disability, or go back to work full time by the start of June. Its now been 10 months since my concussion (at least my fourth one)

I have my neuro-psych test June 7, and various other appointments after that. Since there is a law suit for the car accident, I had to wait for a year after the accident to start these tests.

I go into work to visit and do some odd jobs which is good, but it seems that after a short time I feel almost as if I am drunk, woozy and a little surreal.

My job is fast paced (manage an animal shelter and have to wear many other hats in the job) and it is one of those jobs that you can't do part time.

Since I am only able to do limited exercise, and apparently a small amount of work, I don't know how to sort out when I am better. The more simple my life is, the more I feel like "myself". I guess I am wondering about how much I should push through. I am the type of person who will keep going until it gets bad (which I did, I worked for four months and almost had a breakdown and had to go off work).

Does it help the brain to keep working it and challenging yourself, or should I just wait and just test myself every once in a while. I am sure that I will learn about things after the neuro-psych test.

Thanks

Hi JoAnne,

In my experience, the more predictable my day is, the better it goes. This is a general pattern that goes for people with TBI. The more changes, variations, etc we're put up to, the harder our brains have to work.

I don't know about you, but I've very slowly come to terms with the fact that I cannot handle work. Just watching my 2 girls, or the stress of following directions puts me through a loop! I frequently (daily) find myself saying "left" instead of "right", but sure that I had said the previous word. Or I'll call a bed a tree, then push myself for the right word.

The more stress I'm under, the word mistakes occur more frequently and more stressfully. I have yet to think of a work environment to work in where that wouldn't be a hazard. Simple mistakes like that often cause others (my girls, friends, family) a lot of stress and frustration with me. I then kick myself and become more angry with myself.

Best wishes to you!
Shez

[BeccaP]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who frequently says the wrong word! It's worse for me when I'm stressed or tired as well, like my poor brain is just unable to make the necessary connections to keep things flowing smoothly. Most frustrating. My kids are at the point where they just laugh and say, "did you mean...?". Doesn't seem to bother them as much as it does me, sometimes I can laugh about it with them, sometimes I can't. I'm scraping by, doing the minimum and resting as much as I can and things get worse when I try to do too much. If you're still having so many symptoms it seems like you would be setting yourself up to fail if you try to go back to work full time. Accepting this junk stinks but it is better to deal in reality than pretending that we're the same as we were pre-injury. Just my opinion...Hope things work out well for you no matter what you decide, that's a hard decision to make.

Becca

[Mark in Idaho]

Becca has made some excellent points. Especially <Accepting this junk stinks but it is better to deal in reality than pretending that we're the same as we were pre-injury. >

Her comments about her kids just laughing off the wrong use of a word or such shows how much family can come to you support. We need to learn to laugh with our family. Laughter is a stress reliever.

As I said in a previous thread. When we learn to say to others, " I have a brain injury and sometimes it does strange things" and learn to believe this ourselves, we can start to change and learn to work-arounds and other accommodations that make life so much easier. It is amazing how our kids pick up on our behaviors.

I was watching some friends kids while mom had a chance to get out of the house with dad. I played a recording of wolf pups howling. Once the kids identified the sounds as wolf pups, I asked why they would be howling. With some clues, they realized it was because mom and dad wolf were away from the den. I asked why mom and dad would be away. One quickly answered, "Because they need some alone time." There was not bitterness or negative attitudes. They understood the value of alone time for mom and dad.

With a little help at understanding our symptoms and the modeling of seeing us accept our struggles, our kids can become very supportive and helpful.

Regarding going on disability, it is a tough and humbling decision. I would bet that most who have made this decision will agree that we put off the decision to go on disability much longer that we should have. Once we start the disability application process, we often get access to information that helps us better understand the extent of our disability.

Disability, whether short term, long term, or permanent is an option we need to keep available. Sometimes, by denying our condition, we hamper our chances of getting disability at a later date.

There is great value at being evaluated for disability, even if it only give us a marker of our current condition. Then, if our condition gets worse, we have that marker for comparison.

That humbling decision can also be a watershed event in causing a change in our attitude about ourselves and how others perceive us.

[Tengboche]

Thank you, these have been helpful.

I went into work to do some odd projects to see where I am. Well, 6 hours done over three days and it took me a day and a half to recover. I couldn't look down the street at night (street lights too bright), headaches, confusion, stuttering, and I felt like I was foggy and drunk. So I guess that answers that question.

Funny thing, right as I realized that this is the right choice, I got an email from work stating that they will have to replace me until I can come back to work. I am fortunate that they are so supportive, and will continue to give me side projects that will help me.

I too have found that repetitive tasks are easier, and require less recouprative time.

Humbling, yes it is. Right decision, I now see that it has to be. And I am happier knowing that if/when I can go back to work, my job will be there.

Thanks for the input!

[Mark in Idaho]

Joanne,

I wonder if you could put together a job where you facilitate the adoption of rescued animals over the internet. Just an occasional visit to the shelters to get pictures to post with a reasonable locator fee per animal. Often, those too close to an organization get stuck in the bureaucracy.

You could also try to establish it as a pet finder operation. Prospective pet owners who are too busy during the work day to visit the shelters could put in a wish lists. You could help them with their choice by interviewing the family and home.

As you know, many rescues are the result of bad decision making on the part of the new pet owner.

I would bet there are opportunities to benefit others who are overloaded with their job duties, whether they are at the shelters or the prospective owners. Your contacts and experience should open a few doors.

Such an endeavor could be just what you need to augment disability income and keep you 'alive.'

I've been hoping to set up an old fashioned 'fix it shop' and fix things that are usually thrown away. I can fix almost anything. It would give me a chance to have people come to me for personal contact. Difficult otherwise since I do not drive anymore.

What are your strong skill sets and passions?

[Tengboche]

Hi Mark,

I think that I can still get some hours with the shelter even being on long term disability as that is coming out of insurance.

As far as strengths and passions, I retrain abused and traumatized dogs. I can do some training on the side as long as I dont overload and I still have rib/shoulder issues to deal with. I can always do cat/dog sitting, especially with special needs as I have had to work a lot with post surgery/hit by car and severe neglect.

I find if I do some admin work at home, or repetative tasks, I can at least manage how much I can do, without the distraction of someone at my office door every 20 seconds.

Planning has started for a huge fundraiser in Sept so I may be able to help do some prep work there.

These suggestions help, it makes me think of things to do to keep in the loop. I am not one to sit still, so this has definetly been a lesson in patience!

I have to say, it must be amazing to be able to fix anything! I can fix animals, but couldn't put up a shelf!