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TBI Handbook
Hi, I am new here. I'm going on 6 months of concussion recovery. Where can I get a copy of the TBI Handbook?
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gingercat,
Welcome to NeuroTalk. The link to the TBISurvival Guide is posted at the bottom of the Vitamins sticky first post. www.tbiguide.com Please ask your questions in the main forum. Not many people monitor these stickies and you question can be overlooked. You can start your own thread with the button at the top left of the TBI/PCS index page. |
3 year reflection: What I wish I knew
Today marks 3 years since the concussion that turned my life upside down. While this injury has taken much away from me, at the same time I've had many gains and grown in ways that would not have been possible were it not for my journey with post-concussion syndrome. I'm grateful for the progress that has been made thus far, but acknowledge I have a ways to go before I'm back to my pre-concussion health and activity levels.
Its crazy to think I'm not even certain I've passed the half way point in the recovery process. I'd like to think I have, but it wouldn't be the first time I had that notion. I am, however, fairly certain that the worst is over. There are now more moments in a day where I am headache free, the fatigue is not as severe and I can handle more activities. While I have yet to go a full day completely symptom free; it is encouraging to see an overall improvement in symptoms. The anniversary date of my injury naturally becomes a time of reflection. Looking back there are things I wish I knew when first starting out with PCS. -First, the understanding that things really do get better. It can be hard to believe it at the start, when day to day, week to week seems to be a relentless barrage of unchanging headaches, fatigue and extreme sensitivity to sounds, lights or anything that moves. But things do improve, although often nowhere near the timeline we would like. -Which leads to the next point that PCS is an ultimate lesson in patience. No one can say how long it can take, you just have to wait. And wait. And then wait some more. -So thirdly, be skeptical of anyone who claims they can hasten the process; there is no intervention proven to do so. As my specialist advised me, there is nothing you can do to speed up recovery, only things to slow it down. Rest and listening to your body's limits are your best tools for recovery. -And lastly, although concussion and PCS can be very isolating conditions at times, you are not alone. While it may seem like the rest of the world is "recovering" from concussion in 7-10 days and carrying on their merry way, there are plenty of unfortunate souls out there whose brains take significantly longer to heal. |
I wish I had known:
Acupuncture helps a lot, but getting treated for the headaches directly can make them worse. Turmeric can help with chronic inflammation. Pouring cold water over one's head can provide temporary relief. Get checked for a neck injury. There is no point that the brain will be healed nor when no more healing will occur. A lot of doctors no nothing about pcs. Sometimes one's emotions are completely unrelated to reality. This doesn't mean that one is crazy. Even if the pcs does not improve, one's ability to cope and techniques will, including the ability to circumvent using the injured part of the brain. Headaches and anxiety are closely related. Alleviating one often times alleviates the other. Everyone is strong enough to accept pcs. |
I wish that I had known that I and my life was inalterably changed for the rest of my life, not just for a period of recovery time. I might have adjusted to that hard fact of life better when I was younger, not yet the senior citizen that I must somehow now impossibly navigate through this senseless maze called life.
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Thanks for offering some hope, PCS Learner and for helping me as the caregiver to a once brilliant 16 year old who is going on almost a year now with very little recovery to date. Your post was the first that gave me some hope. Thank you so much.
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Thanks so much for this post. I have been reading these threads for months now and have got a lot of solace from other commenters. I am now in my 7th month after a concussion and getting a PCS diagnosis.
There are two things that I feel would really benefit anyone who has recently had a "Mild Brain Injury" or been diagnosed with PCS. The first is that these two terms are very misleading and probably in the end not that helpful. The problem with a "Mild Brain Injury" is that once you get it, you don't really know how serious it is. It may last for just a few days or years, so the best you can do is take it very seriously and get as much rest initially that you can--even if you need to take three weeks off before you feel better. Doctors have been taught to be very reassuring about a quick and full recovery, but the truth is that nobody knows. As for the PCS label, I think this is even worse. PCS is just putting a label on the 20% of patients that the medical field does not know what to do with. It gives us hope that our symptoms are only transient. This is excellent for those lucky enough to have their symptoms resolve in a few months. I think long term PCS will probably be found to be a set of those with some degree of more serious, as yet unresolved, brain stem injury along with whatever other brain areas may be involved. Every concussion is different, and while its great to be in the same boat, its also true that the experience is a bit different for everyone because we have different unresolved brain injuries. The PCS label is good for those in the medical field and those offering alternative treatments, but not very always good for patients who almost always battle unfair accusations of psychologically being weak or even worse malingering. Try any treatment or therapy, but know that unless you are pretty confident that it is working, you should probably try something else. A lot of treatments can not only be ineffective but counterproductive. But never stop trying and never give up hope. I think the think for me that has been most helpful are prism lenses for vertical heterophoria and eye convergence problems. I also liked using Alpha Stim microcurrent therapy and purchased a device. These helped me, but probably only because of my particular injury. You will find something that will help, but you must be patient and smart and most important NEVER GIVE UP!!! |
This is a great thread, thank you so much everyone for sharing. I am over 9 months post concussion and still struggling. I came across this forum after the accident, but have only lurked until now. It is very nice to find a group that understands what I am dealing with and how much my life has changed because of one stupid hit to my head.
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Make yourself a schedule to avoid setbacks
I had to learn the hard way that just b/c i felt good one day didn't mean i could go from 1 hr of activity (and by activity i mean visiting with friends, running errands, walking, computer, etc) to 6hrs of activity. after several setbacks i finally made myself stick to a schedule of 2-3hrs of activity a day, then have sorta reverse tapered it as i feel stronger. it means i have fewer "mountain" days where i think "i'm healed!" but also fewer utterly despairing days during setbacks.
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Do you know about the use of cell salts as a supplement in treatment for pcs? New here. Thank you, Julia |
Actually REST!!! I didn't and It probably caused my recovery time to be longer
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thank you.
Thank you so much for this.
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1)Start treating it ASAP.
I read about some recent research done on the mechanism of concussions, and basically it suggests that loads of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals (including fish oil) can significantly reduce damage if given very early on. I only started treating (supplements, rest) it after 3-4 days . 2) The symptoms might seem relatively mild at the beginning, but that doesn't mean they'll be over soon. You may be lucky and make an early recovery, but if you're not doing so bad right after the injury (I wasn't--I was basically feeling like I was hungover and that's about it) that doesn't mean you'll be out of it soon. I wasn't even unconscious and I'm still battling symptoms 2 months later. A friend of mine was knocked unconscious once, and became symptom-free within a week. |
What has worked for me
Here is a detailed on-going account of what has worked for me. I am sharing it in the hopes that it may be helpful for some: *edit*
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Feeling better?
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Ear phones
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7 months and counting
I I hit my head slightly on a wall almost exactly 7 months ago. I have had some improvement since the initial injury, but I am nowhere near what I thought I would be at this time. In the very beginning I was very sensitive to light and noise but the worst of the symptoms were the headaches. The noise and light sensitivity is still there and somewhat improving. My headaches though are still just terrible day to day, it is affecting me in a way I never thought possible. I was a very active 30-year-old running nearly 25 to 30 miles a week. I also played soccer twice a week. It's very frustrating not being able to do any of those things I enjoyed so much. Right now I would just like to be able to go a couple days without a pounding headache. trying to stay positive that things will get better soon, but not expecting it. For now just continue to work full-time and trying to take it easy as much as possible. For me right now the hardest part is the depression, some days aren't as bad as others, but those bad days I have, are really bad. For now just going day by day and hoping one morning I wake up and the headache is gone and doesn't come back. Hopefully soon I will be able to post my success story on here and give others some hope. To all those suffering out there, I wish you the best of luck in your recovery. Cheers for now.
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5) No offense to anyone here, but one big rule of thumb is not to completely trust the brain injured person for information about themselves. Sometimes my daughter would say, "I had a great day, I feel good." Then the next day she would say, "Oh yeah, I went to the nurse's office with a headache twice yesterday it was awful." Or when she told the neuro, "I'm having two or three headaches a day," only to say at the next appointment, "I'm down to having two or three headaches a day, before I had a constant headache most days." She was seeing double for most of the year but didn't really realize it.
It takes a lot of energy for the injured person to describe how they are feeling in a way that the caregiver can understand. They simply don’t have the energy, or feel so bad, that they don’t provide the information you might need to help them make decisions. You must learn to observe. Those scary, glassy-eyed stares should be read as neon signs saying, “closed for business…temporarily shut down”. It’s tempting to try to get the person to re-engage, talk, whatever when that happens but that’s when they really need to rest. This is a good reminder for me. My husband's brain injury as a child progressed, we believe, into the periodic nighttime seizures he has now, and until i read this part of your post, it simply did not occur to me that his persistent lack of decision-making and constant changes in response to any conversational stimulus could be attributed to this. not once. 6) You MUST advocate for your person. Research any symptoms that might respond to some kind of treatment (i.e. ambient vision, hormone/adrenal/thyroid issues, vestibular problems). It's up to you to research and find the right docs to help. You must also help them navigate through school or work or household responsibilities and especially help with personal relationships to reduce stress. Help them make decisions so that they don’t hurt themselves again (i.e. sledding is a bad idea right now, wear shoes with traction, eat your protein, etc.). [COLOR="rgb(139, 0, 0)"]I would second and third this statement: my hub was not put on antidepressants until i did some research and found that most people coping with seizures from a head injury are on anti depressants.i was rather appalled that the doc didn't seem to be aware of this or perhaps simply didn't care. it may be time to find another doc now after reading all of these comments though. i've been worried about leaving the doc he's been seeing for years, but in hindsight, it is time. he's never liked the doc anyway.[/COLOR] i am still searching. my hub's mood swings after each seizure are roller coaster worthy. i never know who will emerge from the seizure: jekyll or hyde. i do hope it gets better. the seizures may never go away. we are searching for alternatives to the medication he takes for them however. |
@MarkinIdaho-
I just joined and thank you for your post. I'd like to PM you but don't know how as I have some questions that are specific and are specific to the Treasure Valley. I've had PCS for 2 years now and am having a horrible time here in the TV to find doctors who know what to do with me. I was a bike racer prior to my accident and cannot ride for more than 20 minutes before getting awful facial pains. I want to return to my life and you seem to be the guru! Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated. |
Things I wish I'd known when I first got a concussion PCS
I am using Siri to dictate as typing is a challenge. September 2014 I was crossing the street at a controlled intersection after I confirmed it was safe. I see the walk sign, I am almost halfway across the street and then I feel this incredible pain. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that transit bus just hit me. I was lucky,The police said if I was 3 feet prior it would've been a different story because it would around me over. It was turning left and connected with my body, through me 10 feet and I landed on my head on the roadway. I could not Get up and when I managed to feel the back of my head I had was covered in blood. I received nine staples. I have been made to feel stupid because people don't understand how I could get hit by such a large object and not see it. I believe the comfort of crossing out a controlled intersection and checking both ways made me feel secure that it was safe to cross though I did see the bus 30 to 40 feet down the road which gave me time to cross and most importantly I had the right away.
I have not received one sent to help with the treatments I have been able to attend from the insurance company for the bus. My doctor told me that the referrals he made have been questioned by the insurance company and to date no specialist have been seen . The insurance company says I should be better because it's two weeks to heal. My doctor try to send me to PCS specialist and told me that insurance has stopped the referral. How can that be? He also referred me to speech therapy because I stutter really bad and he referred me to a psychologist. Not one of these appointments have been okayed by the insurance company for the bus. I have received over 50 pages of paperwork to fill out in the past two months which was a real challenge when all I could do was sleep because my head hurts so much. Light hurts noise hurts and if I go out I get really anxious around buses and now I cross the streets anywhere but at a satellites because then you're more alert and aware that you can get hit. Is it normal for the call to hurt my head so much now that it's winter. Is it normal to be so angry and have fits of rage that are uncontrollable and instant. Then there are fits of crying it seems for no reason but I realize I'm so frustrated because it takes me so long to get anything done because my short-term memory is nonexistent. I have a book that I write everything down when I eat when I sleep because I can't remember and I have no hunger pangs. Is this normal? I am so frustrated and yesterday I just thought why do I bother living like this with no treatments. I know I had an MRI scheduled to weeks after the injury and the insurance company canceled it! How can insurance companies go against a doctor that's been seeing you for years and knows you and knows you don't stutter and have anger issues and feel frustrated and anxious and now depressed? I am no longer dealing with the insurance company as I told them all you have given me is a lot of work which I had to get people to help me with in the little bit of time that I'm awake when I need to focus on taking care of me and eating. I was totally broke in September and I'm not doing that again. I need to know how to get better on my own because my doctor can't seem to push to get me to the specialist that I need to see and I can't handle it anymore I just want to live. |
Hi WittsEnd
I have put a copy of this post in its own thread on this forum so other members can respond to you there rather than on this thread Here is the link http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...d.php?t=212519 |
Great Forum!
1) Get the right medical professionals (may take a while) and get into a rehab treatment program Stat. 2) Be Patient with yourself. Don't push through symptoms and don't harp on yourself for sudden lack of ease of doing remedial tasks. 3) Be honest with your family, work, friends, and Dr.'s. - also write all weird symptoms down so you can tell your Dr's about them in case you forget (don't rely on your memory). 4) No Brain Poison! You will at some point think that you are going crazy. You are not going crazy... it is the nature of a bump on the head to jostle things around. Get bad negative thoughts out, clear your mental house and focus on what you do have, can do, and are doing to get better. 5) Don't put a time limit on your healing. It is not a broken arm, 6 weeks in a cast will not cure this. Patience and rest are your biggest assets. 6) Brain Breaks! Every 2 hours take a 20-1 hr brain break. Overstimulation is the antithesis of healing and can slow your healing down. Brain breaks! Use noise cancellation headphones, eye mask, etc. to tune out and rest. 7) Meditate. Yup. It helps slow those fast brain clutter thoughts down and brings you back to you. iRest Yoga Nidra has been my favorite, also Deepak Chopra has excellent guided meditations on his site. 8) Routine. Get up at the same time. Go to bed at the same time. Eat at the same time. Get your body into a habit so it doesn't have to think as hard. 9) NO! Alcohol, caffeine, refined sugar, gluten ('Nourish your Noggin' noticed these act as neurotoxins on your brain and slows healing). Literally feed your brain fruits, veggies, lean meats, good grains to rebuild those neuron networks. 10) Listen to your body. If you are tired, rest. If you are getting irritable, take 10. If you are overstimulated, stop. If I had done these simple things early on, I believe my healing would have occurred more quickly. |
PCS tips
I’m new to this forum, 6 months PCS and counting.
Things I wish I’d known, besides the obvious (rest rest rest!), would include: *First and foremost, do not bump your head again. You may think a concussion is a one-off and you are actually a careful person, but you are probably wrong. As Mark and others have explained, even routine head-bumps become an issue with concussion. I advise rethinking everything you do, through the lens of what could happen to your head. When I bend down, I think about what is above me and stand up slowly. I anticipate other people’s movements, to make sure I’m far away from stray elbows and such. I’ve accidentally bopped myself once or twice in half-sleep, so I’ve ordered myself to think about all half-conscious hand movements; and I wear gloves in my sleep to reduce any such issues. *Further to the point above: I installed an accelerometer app (“accelerometer monitor”) on my phone, to better understand impacts. It makes clear, for example, that when the head shakes, it does not really compare to a head-hit. *I’ve had problems getting to sleep (and continue to do so), but classical music often helps me drift off. *Audiobooks can be great for boredom. *Re exercise: I do lots of walking. One doctor told me to make sure I got in some hills, to get my heart-rate up and oxygen pumping into my brain, which made sense. *Swimming is helpful. I just started. It’s very relaxing, especially for those like me who may have anxiety issues, and I generally feel quite normal in a pool. You cannot be anxious while swimming, because you’ve got to focus on what you're doing. Of course I do not dive into the water. *Do not despair. Concussion recovery is not necessarily linear. About two and a half months in, I suddenly started recovering my capacity for reading. In just a few weeks, I went from maxing out at 10 pages a day to spending an entire day at the library. I was astonished. Of course, I have bumped my head a bit since then (in ways the doctors ignorantly tell me not to worry about) but it hasn’t really diminished my reading capacity — mostly increased head pressure and, sometimes, head pains. *Read Mark in Idaho’s posts! They are so wise… Good luck everybody! |
Post-concussion-like symptoms of anxiety
About a month ago I was getting something out of the back of my Subaru Outback with the hatchback up. All of a sudden I felt like I had the feeling of a concussion, with 'out of body' feeling. To my knowledge, nothing hit me in the head, and I didn't have any bumps or sore spots from having hit my head on anything, and I don't recall hitting my head on anything. Immediately after I had to coach a youth soccer game and was out of it, disoriented, etc., just couldn't get my thoughts. Since then I've been fairly anxious. Prior to that I had been having headaches, left temporal, for several years, and after the incident doctor put me on 25 mg of Atenenol for headaches, then doc upped it to 50 mg, and that made me more anxious. I stopped Atenenol about 4 days ago, and have been trying natural supplements.
The anxiousness is affecting my work, and I'm generally feeling out of it in social situations, not able to contribute/concentrate, and I worry over small matters that I didn't worry about before, and my sleep has been real off. Does anyone have any knowledge of situations where one can have a concussion-like event without hitting your head on anything?, I feel like this anxious feeling is a result of what happened, as I didn't have it prior to that. |
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http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...d.php?t=213485 |
New member here. Just reading up on this. 3 months back the doctor diagnosed me with a closed head injury. He stated he diagnosed this way instead of a mild concussion so it would be easier for me to get cleared for work. I've had 3 previous concussions that I know of.
The situation is unique kind of. I was training with my M4, doing a standard rifle drill. Wearing full body armor...but no helmet. Anyways the round ricocheted off the back stop in hit me in the head. Felt like i got hit by a baseball. There was blood. Our medic cleaned it up and I kept training. Anyways as the day progressed I started feeling worse and worse. Finally at the end of the training day I went to the ER. So here I am 3 months later. Head pressure, sharp stabbing pains in my head, slight dizziness and some nausea now and then. Obviously i can't do my regular job so I'm sitting a desk. More significantly the Doctor is concerned even if I recover in the long term that I may not be able to go back to my regular duties. Suffice it to say I can't control my work enviornment and it's when and not if I take another good hit to the head given my occupation. So that's where I am. Just trying to learn as much as I can to educate myself and see what happens next. |
jafo0799 - copied your post to the main area for hellos & discussion --link for it -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...d.php?t=213758 |
This is a "sticky thread" it's generally reserved for tips and Things you wish you'd known when you first got post-concussion syndrome. .
The main posting area for hellos & ongoing discussions is linked below http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum92.html and Here is the link to make a new thread of your own- http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/ne...newthread&f=92 Thank you.... |
Things I wished I new before,
- Don't trust everything a doctor says. Even most neurologists had no idea how to improve the healin. - Look into this forum to get reasonable information. There are people, who have gone through all of this. - Start with vitamin supplements as early as possible. I wasted two months. |
I get by with a little help from my friends
It's very tough to be a PCS patient, because of the lack of quality information in the medical world. It can be frustrating at times and cause us to lose hope. The best way to be positive about your new situation is to lean on certain people:
1) People who stay current on the latest in Concussion scientific journals/studies - these people may just be science buffs, medical professionals, anyone who is intrigued by the phenomena of concussions and more so the fact that the scientific world knows so little about them. They can help you understand what exactly is taking place in your brain and reassure you that you are not in fact going crazy. 2) Family members, friends - people who care about you and can provide unconditional love and support. This can be a tough one because sometimes we seem OK on the outside but in reality we are going through hell and it's hard for "normal" people to understand. People close to you are going through a painful time having to watch you go through this. Always remember that they are dealing with the concussion almost as much as you are. They might try to avoid it or ignore it. It's hard to have to repeat yourself over and over again and explain that "I am not OK" Just be careful who you choose to surround yourself with. 3) Doctors - this group you have to be really careful about. There are some horrible physicians out there that will give you the worst advice and drugs with nasty side effects. But, you will find that there is the rare doctor, may it be a neurologist, General practitioner, whatever, that actually is compassionate enough to try to understand what you are going through and use their medical expertise to help. 4) Former/Current PCS patients (AKA this forum :)) This group of people is probably the most valuable. You can learn from them what works and what doesn't. What to expect. Ways to cope with stressors. Obviously, there can be some overlapping here. In the end, every concussion is different and it will come down to you learning to control your expectations and anxiety. Always be mindful that recovery does not take place over night and like it or not, you are in for a long ride. Look at your condition in the scope of weeks or months and not days. You will have good days and bad days. When you notice a trend over the course of a few weeks, this is a more accurate description of where you stand. That's my two cents. I hope some of you find this helpful or at least agree with it. -Danny |
So happy I found this page. The more and more I read on this forum/thread the more I realize how little my doctor actually knows.
Took in a lot of information while reading these comments, going to have to write some of this down :P Hoping a new regiment will help my recovery process. Thank you |
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Hello Teri,
Welcome! Please feel free to start a new thread via the link below if you want, so that you can introduce yourself and ask any questions you may have. Your post here may be missed because it's on one of the "Sticky" information threads. http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/ne...newthread&f=92 |
As soon as you feel, or become aware of fatigue symptoms, STOP and take time out, rest that brain. Mindlessness techniques should part of your tool kit, and use it regularly. Never ever listen to anyone who says you have to push through it, by pushing you need more down time which can be days if you really overdo it.
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Mtbi
Just because the lable says mild TBI does not mean the effects to you will be minor.
My functional level was basically nil. I slept. I could not read, follow a tv program make a cup of tea, look after myself or my children. I hit deisel on a country road, was doing around 30 mph, my car span and hit a verge causing it to roll across the other side, it went into a hedgerow up an embankment and rolled back down. I only remember the wheel being whipped from my hand as it span out. I wish someone had not let me sign myself out of the hospital. I wish that I was aware enough to follow pt/OT/ and doctors advice. I thought there was nothing wrong with me. I wish someone had told me that it can take years to recover and you will not get everything back. I wish someone. Could have told me about the stress of legal action. I just accepted a payout at 8 yrs post accident because I had just had enough of it. I saw a neuro phsyc at 2 yrs, to find I have severe executive function difficulties and congnitive difficulties. I have poor working memory and other memory issues, flexible thinking is affected. Neuro ophthalmologist sorted out double vision issues with botulinum injections and prisms in my specs, also I have reactolite lenses that cut out lots of light as I am photosensitive. I got fed up of being told you'll be better, a week, 4 weeks,6months then told you will bet better but not completely. I spent many futile months trying to prove I was intelligent and not broken. Things only started to improve once I had accepted my new limitations and adjusted accordingly. Brain injury is scary, confusing, enlightening, funny and exhausting. I could sleep anytime anyplace anywhere! Listen to your body! Keep a diary. Then when Drs ask how have things been? You don't look a complete fool by having not a clue or even any idea if you have seen them before. Thing can and do improve. I'm now working part time. It feels like full time and I really could not do any more. I have also been told at some point that I had somatoform disorder or functional neurological disorder. This was during the medico legal process. I believed all I needed was some phsyc appointments to get well. It didn't work, I got distressed because they lied, I felt like a failure and fraud. It set my recovery back no end. Work with what you have got, don't be afraid to try something new. Believe in yourself! |
"Just because the label says mild TBI does not mean the effects to you will be minor.
My functional level was basically nil. I slept. I could not read, follow a TV program, make a cup of tea, look after myself or my children. I hit diesel on a country road, was doing around 30 mph, my car span and hit a verge causing it to roll across the other side, it went into a hedgerow up an embankment and rolled back down. I only remember the wheel being whipped from my hand as it span out. I wish someone had not let me sign myself out of the hospital. I wish that I was aware enough to follow pt/OT/ and doctors advice. I thought there was nothing wrong with me. I wish someone had told me that it can take years to recover and you will not get everything back. I wish someone could have told me about the stress of legal action. I just accepted a payout at 8 yrs post accident because I had just had enough of it. I saw a neuro psych at 2 yrs, to find I have severe executive function difficulties and cognitive difficulties. I have poor working memory and other memory issues, flexible thinking is affected. Neuro ophthalmologist sorted out double vision issues with botulinum injections and prisms in my specs, also I have reactolite lenses that cut out lots of light as I am photosensitive. I got fed up of being told you'll be better, a week, 4 weeks, 6months then told you will be better but not completely. I spent many futile months trying to prove I was intelligent and not broken. Things only started to improve once I had accepted my new limitations and adjusted accordingly. Brain injury is scary, confusing, enlightening, funny and exhausting. I could sleep anytime anyplace anywhere! Listen to your body! Keep a diary. Then when Drs ask how have things been? You don't look a complete fool by having not a clue or even any idea if you have seen them before. Thing can and do improve. I'm now working part time. It feels like full time and I really could not do any more. I have also been told at some point that I had somatoform disorder or functional neurological disorder. This was during the medico legal process. I believed all I needed was some psych appointments to get well. It didn't work, I got distressed because they lied, I felt like a failure and fraud. It set my recovery back no end. Work with what you have got, don't be afraid to try something new. Believe in yourself! " Wow, you got a lot of bad care and counsel. Welcome to the club. |
I wish had avoided the negative thoughts that made me depressed. I thought I was depressed because a bad thing that could destroy my dream to become a doctor had happened to me. But my depression was the result of structural damage to the brain.
The other thing is slight acceleration and deceleration of the head in every day life. A normal brain can tolerate them if they are smaller than 10G . But after a concussion, I think, the ability of the brain to tolerate them is lessened. when I was driving I felt something because of the bumps on the road. It is not like that the 1G has no effect on the brain( in my opinion) but the ability of the normal brain to recover from that is so good that it does not leave any effect. And the greater the acceleration is, It is harder for the brain to recover. fast roller coasters have accelerations up to 2.7G so do not try them after a concussion. Some people thing that the only thing that cause the damage in a concussion is the impact of brain to the scull but that is not true.The acceleration can cause the veins to tear and leave bruises because the blood does not want to change It's speed but the vein is accelerating. the same thing happens with axons which are even weaker than the veins, although they might be at the center of the brain and do not hit the scull they will tear apart( not all of them of course). because of this, water diffusion increases and scientist use the water diffusion as a marker of axonal damage. A really good way to SEE this is to drop a watermelon on the ground you will see that its color is more red which is because of the fact that water comes out of it's cells. with all this you might be disappointed but don't be. because the ability of the brain to recover is great. just as the brain can learn a new language it can also learn how to remember things better or hear voices without hearing the ringing. by the way the solution for avoiding road bumps is to lean a little forward. this was given by someone else. |
Hello shayan
As there seems a lot to discuss in your post, I have copied it to its own thread below http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...d.php?t=224384 |
You are not alone in Seattle!
The issues I have are with florescent lights and noises from crowds (too many distractions visually and audibly). My biggest issues with sound is hearing clicking, high pitched noises, harsh noises like dogs barking, eating noises, background disturbances, and multiple (more than 3) conversations going on at once. I come from a large family and have a boyfriend with Cerebral Palsy, so sometimes I have to just deal. The hardest part for me is hearing myself chew. It grosses me out and is hard for me to block out. So, I prefer to eat somewhere that has noise of some sort.
The only problem I have with lawnmowers are my allergies. LOL... Thank you so much for the idea of sunglasses. I may try that in class and see if it helps. |
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