Good for you Margarite.

Often, I will not notice I have a headache until I stop for a moment. Then, as I try to relax, I notice the head ache is making me tense. Sometimes, I can relax through the headache and it will subside. Other times, I will need some Tylenol.

My biggest activity stopping symptom is my ability to think clearly. I do not get as active when my brain is in a fog. When I have this foggy brain and a head ache at the same time, I call it a mud head ache since my head feels like it is packed with mud.

Shorty - I can totally relate. Just to be clear I'm a bit of a kook but love surfing....one of the toughest things is not being in the water. I've kooked it up in Maui a few times, Tofino and Oregon and Oahu in summer.

That's a brutal injury.

Thank you for your post. I've been struggling so much with wanting to get in the water and I even did in Maui 6 months after my injury which could have been disastrous if I took a hit to the head - thankfully it was only in 3-4 ft and I really took it easy. Your post just reaffirms that surfing is still too great a risk until 100%.

I was OK and actually didn't feel too bad when I was out there despite serious nausea.

That said, here's my piece of advice - you can't risk another injury to the head before you recover. Don't do anything that risks a hit to the head. For me it means no surfing, snowboarding, motorcycle riding or hockey. I'm 14 mths in - doing much better but not yet 100%. No matter how hard it is you can't put a time on it. That's one of the hardest things about PCS - no time limit.

You have to give up doing what you love hopefully only for a period of time. I'm doing many things now I couldn't do just 3 months ago.

Hang in there and I'd love to see you in the water someday.

Second post
 

I wrote before about getting in there and doing it, but I also want to caution anyone.
I hit my head at least six times after my initial concussion. The first one was falling off a horse, then two weeks later I was sitting twenty feet away from a volleyball court and a soccer player kicked the ball as hard as he could and it slammed into my head, then my brother was trying to catch a ball in the pool and his head came right down on mine, then while dancing I was dipped and another girl who happened to be dipped near me kicked me in the head (this happened twice two months apart, then I went sledding because I was having only slight headaches and the jostling of the sled cause me to have four months of intense nausea and dizziness, the dizziness caused me to fall on some snow jostling my head again and then it caused me to stumble and hit my head on a metal heater.

Right now, the nausea has mostly gone unless I get too warm, the dizziness is gone unless I get too cold or my pulse gets too high, my headaches are as bad as ever and are causing me to be grumpy and have a lot of trouble remembering little things.
I have seen at least six doctors, had 2 CT's and one MRI, and the only thing I have been told is that I'm either imagining it all or that I will just have to learn to deal with it because it might not ever go away.

So, the moral of the story is one concussion makes you more vulnerable to a second...Be careful! Good luck all!

Margarite,

Your 3experience with doctors and CT's etc is normal. Even the last comment from the doctor who said, <the only thing I have been told is that I'm either imagining it all or that I will just have to learn to deal with it because it might not ever go away.>

The latter part of that line is the correct one. You have Multiple Impact Syndrome. You may get better but it is quite likely that you will be extremely sensitive to even very minor head impacts or jostles. I can not even shake my head "No."

The concussions you had in a short period of time could have been life threatening.

There is an important thing for you to do. Get a copy of your medical records and make sure the doctors have listed concussion in the diagnostic codes. It would be 850 or a similar number or simply concussion.

If concussion is not listed as a diagnostic, ask the doctor why and if he will put concussion or probable concussion in your record. Otherwise, the lack of concussion leaves the possibility of somatoform (imagined). The worst thing that can happen to the medical records of a patient with PCS is a diagnosis of somatoform.

You will also be wise to consider than any symptoms you have at a young age will be magnified greatly as you age into the 40's and older. A little prevention in youth is worth a fortune in less symptoms in older age.

I have noticed that things seem to be in slow motion and it is more noticeable when I drive. I think it is visual process speed or something...like I am a second behind everything. Also my vision seems off like things look a little different...I am still 20/20...it is hard to describe...I am also way to spaced out all the time.....

andy55,

If you seem to sense a slowing down, you should get tested by a driving rehab facility. I do not drive much but when I do, I feel comfortable at 35 mph, any faster and everything is coming at me to fast.

Get tested before you or someone else gets hurt.

The fact that your are aware of your problems means that any accident you cause could easily be considered negligent. It can make a simple injury to someone else into a felony in many states.

My journey continues - some ups and some down days. But there is something I want to ask if anyone has experienced. Something good - I find that when I am out golfing I'm at the stage where I'm not noticing my head - I may have a headache/light headedness before but once I'm in my game it goes away. Not sure if this is because of the focus or concentration it takes or if it is a stress reliever - it seems like it should be opposite. I'm also finding that sometimes when I'm feeling poor with big headaches - going for a run or to the gym is OK and my head feels better after.

Is anyone experiencing something similar?

I can't remember who recommended the book Brainlash by Gail Denton but thank you. It would have been great to read some of this at the beginning of my PCS journey. Anyone new dealing with PCS should try to get it - some good stuff in it.