I suffered a concussion on Jan. 3rd of this year. I was trying to open my car door which was frozen shut. I was pulling on the handle when all of a sudden my feet started slipping on the ice, and then all of a sudden the door flung open and I fell back and I hit the mirror of the pickup behind me with the back of my head.
I remember seeing stars and the next thing I know I was sitting in the snow and my mom trying to help me up. I had a slight headache, little dizziness, big lump on the back of my head and I felt little nauseous. I got back in the house and laid down, but my sister's fiance said that I needed to go to Urgent Care.
The doctor there did an exam and CT Scan, she said that everything was normal and that I just had a concussion and that I should go home and rest and take tylenol for my headache, then follow-up with my regular doctor.
A couple days later I developed real bad dizziness, unsteadiness, and real bad headache. A week later when I went to see my own doctor then I developed ringing in my ears, light headedness, light and noise sensitivity and nausea. So she put me on pills for the nausea, headache and sent me over to see a neurologist that day.
The neurologist gave me some IV medicine for the headache, which helped but couple days later it came back again.
I am going to be starting physical therapy for my neck next week to see if that will help, because ever since my accident my neck has been bothering me too. I keep asking my doctor's why I'm not getting better and they now told me that I now have Post Concussion Syndrome.
I don't care if its concussion or pcs, I just want to know how long it's going to last and when will it go away. They don't have any answers for me every time I ask them, except that it takes time for a injury to the brain to heal no matter how bad the injury was. That is'nt the answer that I'm looking for.
I can't drive my car, go to the mall or Walmart, or even work at my job right now. I"m afraid to even walk down my stairs in my condo because of my dizziness and the fear of falling down them.
I'm just getting so frustrated and upset right now, and just feel so alone because I feel like my doctor's are giving up on me, because they don't know how to help me or treat me anymore.
If anyone is going through the same thing that I am or has any answers for me Please let me know!!!

yup...sounds like me...same symptoms. I can barely watch tv or computer...few mins at a time. My accident was at a waterpark 6 months ago.

Today I sat in all day long...nothing to do...barely read, no tv..no music, just the kids in and out. I saved it all up to go to dinner with my husband to a restaurant that is very quiet. Needless to say...I'm more dizzy now and my head feels all tingly and I'm tired and i was only gone an hour.

I hate to tell you but there is no answer to when you will be better. I've been to a half dozen different doctors if not more...and no one can tell me. My hubby told me today...stop looking for when it will be over and be happy the worst is behind you and only better days to come. GOod advice just didn't want to hear that.

Sorry to hear of your struggles. It has been 20 months for me since I had my latest concussion.

I was in full post concussion for about 14 months before my symptoms started to subside somewhat. The fogginess reduced but I still deal with the headaches, dizziness, insomnia, sensitivity to light/sound, confusion etc. This is also after having many concussions in my life, from sports, car accidents or just accidents.

But, that is not to say that this is what you will face. I am just saying I have said those very words so many times. I did that until someone told me to stop looking for someone to answer a question that there is no answer to, to instead practice patience and realize that your brain will need time to heal.

Stressing over how long it will take and feeling frustrated won't help things heal faster, it will just leave you feeling more frustrated. Your brain needs time and stillness - as do you. There are many amazing posts on this site that will help you, Mark is a wealth of information.

Just try to be gentle with yourself, it may not last long and unfortunately not many doctors know a lot about PCS.


Post any questions you have, and I am sure that you will find that there are many caring, supportive and knowledgable people here for you. People who have experienced what you are going through and will support you or just be there if you need to vent.

Be well

my husband just gave me the same advice...and he never had a concussion.

did anyone see the movie What About Bob?? Richard Dryfus is the psychologist and Bill Murray is his patient who follows him to his vacation home. Its hysterical...but the bottom line is "baby steps". I have to remember that...maybe even rent the movie and watch it in "baby steps" ...aka 15 min intervals for me!

Sorry to hear about your troubles, we all are going through similar troubles and feel for you.

The advise I can give you is
1) DO NOT GET A SECOND CONCUSSION!!!!

2) Realize that this healing process might last three months or a year or even longer than that, if this is your first concussion, chances are you will heal within a year...but it doesn't mean anything super bad if it takes longer.

3) If all the docs say there is nothing seriously wrong with you, it means that you are basically OK. All docs know to do right now is treat each symptom, they don't really know what is wrong with us, but if they said you are clear you aren't going to keel over or anything.

4) Find something that can motivate you both short term and long term. This has to motivate you to get out of bed every morning and slowly push you to try new things. You probably can't work out and definitely don't do something where you might hit your head again, but push yourself. For me this is keeping my friends and family from worrying. I also know that if I give in just once to sleeping all day or quitting college, then I will give in for good...I know my weaknesses, and if I give in once I will give in for good.

5) Realize that this is an opportunity. Yes it is ridiculously hard and frustrating, but it is through the hardest things in life that we can grow the most. I have pushed myself further than I would have though possible. I have learned more about myself. I have learned that many things like cards and movies and books can be a lot of fun. I don't dance or jump up and down any more because I will pay for it sorely for the next month if I do. When I work out it is all low impact and I have to be careful not to let my heart rate go up too high. I am 21 years old and I still love having a good time, I have just redefined what a good time is.

I am trying to give you the facts because in the first year of my PCS I saw 8 docs and none of them said more than "Yep, you got a concussion alright...you should be better in a couple months...." Well, I got 6 concussions in the year following my first concussion (all from unlucky coincidence) and it has been over a year since my last concussion. I still have daily headaches, nausea, dizziness, trouble with concentration, trouble with any activity, my immune system is down, I have constant pressure in my head, and more. But all the doctors say I am fine.
I have learned to cope. I get mostly A's and B's in an intense 20 credit/semester Liberal Arts college (I had a 3.8 GPA in high school which sunk to a 2.1 immediately after the concussion and has risen to a 3.3 now). I am planning on going to graduate school for Architecture or nursing.

I believe that while this injury has changed me for the rest of my life, I am a better person for it. I have more sympathy for those who are sick and injured, I have more of an understanding of myself, and I have learned to live life to the fullest because tomorrow it might be changed completely or life could just slip away.

I am sorry this is so long, but I was so desperate for answers when I first got my concussion and it was not until a full year after my first concussion that I started to understand what was going on with my body. If you have any questions, please just private message me...
Good Luck!
Margarite

Sorry to write in again, but search the thread called "Things you wish you'd known when you first got post-concussion syndrome." http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread140214.html There is a lot of good info for people just starting on the PCS recovery process.

Hope this helps.
Good Luck,
Margarite

I am writing because I read your post and applaud your ability to continue on. It is quite frustrating to know how you used to be and work so hard to just get thrown back 100ft. I am currently in Nursing School and I am watching my grade drop from A's to C+ or B's. I am having problems studying and taking tests. It is not the same before my accident. Very frustrating!!!

My accident involved me and my fiance. We both were walking across the street and were hit by a car moving about 45 mph. I was sent to the trauma room and my fiance died at the scene. It's been over a year but had to start school a month after the accident to get accepted into the Nursing Program. I use school to keep my mind off of what happened but it takes me longer to study and to understand the material I am reading.

I just want to know what people are doing to help them get back to normal or is it time that will heal my injury. I got off medication and started to exercise to help keep my body to stay healthy and to combat depression.

Any help or advice will be great.

Thanks...

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss!
I know what you mean as far as grades, before the accident I had a 3.8. Immediately after I think I had a 2.1 and since then, each semester, it has gone up a little until now I have a 3.1. I think it has been a combination of me healing and learning to cope with my injury. I also find that school is a very good distraction, I can't give into my weakness or I will fail out. I can't sleep in, I can't skip class, I can't not study or I will have to leave. My question always is if that would be so bad, but I realize that I wouldn't have any idea what to do. I got my concussion second semester of Freshman year and now it is second semester of Junior year. In the year following my first concussion I got at least 6 more and saw 8 docs who couldn't tell me much about what was wrong with me, but now I understand a lot more.
Stay active, keep studying, get someone or a couple people who are understanding and don't mind helping you with your homework and who enjoy doing the things you can do. This is what helped me. One of my good friends even read some of my homework aloud to me a few times when my headaches and light sensitivity was so bad that I could not read myself. The first few months are the hardest, but after that you learn how to live.

It is hard, but you will become a stronger person from it.
Again, I am so sorry for your loss!
Good Luck!
Margarite

holy crap...how are you guys going to class no less studying? I just did 2 math word problems iwth my son and my head started spinning!!
IS my PCS that bad????

oh...and reading...read 20 pages of a book thur fri and sat...by sund i was a mess...so exhausted. I think that was the reason

On Oct 26, my daughter slipped and fell in a shower. 1st hospital said 6 staples, no concussion, take 2 days off work. She started getting worse. I took her to local hospital. They kept her for 3 days. She totally lost all memory of events. Short term memory gone.

They released her, said she had a mild concussion. Then she became worse. wobbly, then speech drunk, or drugged , it was awful. I really don't think her Neruologist took it serious. Then she had to go to get staples out, they sent her back to the ER, the dr that treated her was the head dr of the group.

He explained she had PCS. that helped me to understand. But she had to go back to original dr, all he'd say she's angry, etc. I told him with her elephant memory she was upset, she list 6 weeks if memory. He sent her to a cancer center for blood work. Which scared her. Then about 2 weeks before her death, she told me she was starting to lose short term memory and she was twitching, but she never said where. I told her to see dr ASAP, dint wait 6 months.
She flew up to see me on a Thursday, she was fine, went out with some old friends, came home early, I noticed she'd passed out on her bed, I took wet clothes, sweater shoes etc, they'd been walking in snow. In middle of the niggt, she kept in thinking she was back where she lived. She slept all the next day off and on, me not even thinking about what could of been going on.

To make a ling story short, I had to put her in the plane in a wheelchair. The next day, she was upset, was trying to sell her car, going right back or worse than she'd EVER been. That Tuesday night, she was fine, I explained to her not to upset about car, etc, see the dr. I love you. That was the last words anyone said to her.
Because thank Fid she was a good worker, they came to the house. From Wednesday morning Thursday I called texted, everyway I could think off, I couldn't get intouch with her. I KNEW something was wrong! Friday morning 6:00am, 1 hr of sleep in 60 hrs, her father came up stairs to wake me up to say tge police where here.... I knew. I really think some of the neurologist really dont take their patients serious. The last time her brain was scanned was nov 1?, she passed March 3rd.

Something in my opinion was starting, the plane flight finished whatever was going on......remember the infomercial guy? I won't know what really happened for another 2 months. I'm wish the dr someone would of sent her to physical therapy, anything to help her, maybe she would if had a chance. Only God knows. But I do believe flying and severe head injuries don't mix.