[CegeeGirl]

Hello to I hope new friends..
Last may I suffered a head injury.. resulting from a trip/fall like situation that threw me and my head into the corner of a wall. The injury felt severe.. as my skull was indented with a 3 inch long line and 1/2 inch deep depression. I was rushed via EMS to the ER and had the examine.. Ct Scan etc.. The scan was negative they said and they werent sure of a concussion and just said basically to give it time.. Ice it .. Ibuprofen. Well.. here I am Its almost a year and the road Ive been on which is now a pillow on the bed I am always in is still my everyday life.
I have been at my emotional end for months now.. each day I tell myself to hold on one more day.. one more second.. whatever that may mean at the moment.. as it appears that those few seconds it took to have a head injury have now changed my life . changed ME forever. I feel like I am dying every moment of my life and I cant get an answer and no one knows what to do. They try.. they just dont know... as I have other medical issues.. so they get piled into one. When I KNOW that is not the case .. after all who knows me better than me?
I have been going through every single symptom of this Post Concussion Syndrome.. I seem to have them all.. it is a nightmare.. and if that wasnt enough the head injury knocked my jaw out of place as the injury is on the skull suture line so I now have a TMJ / Jaw/ misaligned teeth issue as well. THey say.. you are too stressed out. I say.. I could of threw stress balls in the air juggling them while cooking.. talking on the phone and being on the PC at the same time before this head thing.. It is like I have lost my mind. I feel like an animal behind glass that people are looking at.. they see me but have no idea what is happening inside. I am feeling guilty that I am less than I was and worse yet..that I feel like a burden.. which is a nightmare to someone who prides herself on being so strong . SO..I am so GRATEFUL that I see this here today. It all began as I watched "The View" today ... Tom Shadyac A director..said in a passing moment the words.. "Post Concussion Syndrome.. I felt like I was dying"
My never ending sensitive ears took notice.. I think this may be the thing changing my life right now. I was laying in bed (of course) My PC next to me and typed the words and There I was.. right there in all the symptoms.. in all the shared misery that others understand. I havent stopped crying. tears have been rolling down my face as I read the posts and stories.. the things that we are all going through.. Finally I can say I AM NOT CRAZY.. I surely thought I was.. everyday I wondered will I die today.. because it doesnt feel like living .. I am gone.. a shell of myself.

Symptoms:
Dizzy
Lightheaded
Vertigo
Nausea
Choking feeling
Swallowing is hard/ like things are stuck there
loss of appetite
Insomnia
Anxiety
Stress
Fogged thinking
Blurred/ impaired vision at times not constant
Trouble pronouncing words/ spelling
( something I treasured as I a write poetry )
Fatigue
Light sensitivity
Hearing sensitivity
Loss of hearing left side of head where injury occurred
Severe Sinus issues that I never had
Bad headaches that wont go away.. cluster/ tension like.. spot temple
A strange feeling on my scalp.. like something running over my skin
Loss of hair
BP issues
Flushing
Lack of concentration
Inability to be around people the noise is too much the effort too hard
the sounds of anyone eating sounds like a freight train in my head
Head pain local to the spot I hit and left side.. so delicate it hurts to touch it to a pillow even..
Oh my .. there is more.. so much more.. As I am here longer I will share.

I called my spouse Deb ( Wife I am a gay woman) into the room and showed her.. we were thrown back.. this had a name.. maybe finally the answer..
I called my doctor right away.. left a message with the nurse that I needed the doctor to look into this and get back to me tonight.. I am thankful for a great Doctor as she will do this.. and maybe she too will look into something we hadnt thought about.

Heres the thing.. I dont really need at this moment to be told I have this... I KNOW I do.. I knew when the tears started to flow and I dint realize I was crying.. I knew and know when I read the stories here.. I am sure .. I now need to find the path to the end of this nightmare.. and the support and friendship that I so desperately need from someone who GETS it.
Please forgive me for going on here.. I know I am new..
But its like the light just came into a very dark house.. and I can breathe without as much fear..

I hope to talk to many of you and get help through any wisdom you all have that I am yet privy to.
Thank you so much for being here...

Sincerely.. Karen AKA CegeeGirl and Facebook Karen A. Lilly

[Concussed Scientist]

Hi Karen,

Welcome to the postconcussion thread.
I am so sorry that you find yourself in the condition that has made you seek this site out.

I know what you mean when you read other people's posts: you just know that they are describing the same condition that you have.

It is a small comfort that others are in the same boat. It would be better if there was no such boat to be in, but here we are.

There is quite a bit of info on postconcussion syndrome on this site and elsewhere on the web.

You are definitely not alone.

You have a horrible condition, but it is not a hopeless one.
I wish you the very best in dealing with it.

Concussed Scientist

[Mark in Idaho]

welcome to NeuroTalk.

Your experience is the norm. That ah ha feeling when you realize that this strange life is not you going crazy but instead, it is PCS and you are part of a large community of people with PCS is the same experience we all have had at one time or another.

Rather than give you the boiler plate comments for your symptoms, I suggest you do a search in this forum for each of your symptoms. You should find plenty of comments with suggestions for coping strategies. If you do not find all of the answers you need, post you questions here and someone will have a quick response.

btw, if you ever bump your head again, stay away from that ER. They are clueless.

In case you do not find this comment in your search and browsing, you should seriously consider getting a thorough exam of your neck by an upper cervical chiropractor. Some of your symptoms sound more like a neck injury symptom. The head bone is connected to the neck bone. Too bad doctors don't seem to realize this.

It would help many of us if you would break you posts up into paragraphs of 5 or 6 lines maximum. Many of us struggle to find the start of the next line when the paragraphs get beyond 6 lines. I copied your post and pasted it into MSWord so I could add paragraph spacings. Then, my damaged mind could make sense of it.

My best to you.

[Grady Lady]

Ah Karen,

Your tears of gratitude for finding this site, were my sentiments too.
Welcome and know you are not alone on this road.

It's certainly a bumpy and very curvy road with many steep hills to climb but learning to understand the road (post concussion syndrome) makes it easier to navigate.

Like many here, I have learned a great deal from this site and have received comfort from this new knowledge.

Yes, a light has been turned on - breathe and welcome

Peace
Grady Lady

[JaneLdn]

Hi there,

So sorry to hear of your experiences.....but as people are saying, know that you are not alone and that you can find info and support on here.

I have found that meditation helps a little with managing the symptoms. I can only manage short periods but I find it gives the brain/emotions a rest. Maybe you could try this or guided relaxation exercises.

Jane

[Anneteaem]

Hi Karen,
So sorry to hear youre one of the many of us. I too fell...28 mo ago and have many of the same symptoms you describe. Here are a few suggestions to help ease your situation.
There is an eye dr in Birmingham, mi...Dr. Feinberg that is AWESOME! She understands the connection between brain injury and vision issues. Check out her web site **** fill in her questionnaire, she may be of help. I'm in PA and have seen her 4 times (it's worth the trip!). She uses prisms to correct many of the issues associated with tbi and she just completed a clinical study with 3 other doctors from Detroit on this subject.

Contact your state dept of health or brain injury association of MI. They may be able to help with services and or referrals for help.

Lastly, attitude is EVERYTHING...what is that saying? What doesn't kill you will make you stronger??? While this is a difficult ride, hopefully you'll find a new perspective to life. I tell people I salt my attitude with humor....it gets me through each day...good luck!

QUOTE=CegeeGirl;752941]Hello to I hope new friends..
Last may I suffered a head injury.. resulting from a trip/fall like situation that threw me and my head into the corner of a wall. The injury felt severe.. as my skull was indented with a 3 inch long line and 1/2 inch deep depression. I was rushed via EMS to the ER and had the examine.. Ct Scan etc.. The scan was negative they said and they werent sure of a concussion and just said basically to give it time.. Ice it .. Ibuprofen. Well.. here I am Its almost a year and the road Ive been on which is now a pillow on the bed I am always in is still my everyday life.
I have been at my emotional end for months now.. each day I tell myself to hold on one more day.. one more second.. whatever that may mean at the moment.. as it appears that those few seconds it took to have a head injury have now changed my life . changed ME forever. I feel like I am dying every moment of my life and I cant get an answer and no one knows what to do. They try.. they just dont know... as I have other medical issues.. so they get piled into one. When I KNOW that is not the case .. after all who knows me better than me?
I have been going through every single symptom of this Post Concussion Syndrome.. I seem to have them all.. it is a nightmare.. and if that wasnt enough the head injury knocked my jaw out of place as the injury is on the skull suture line so I now have a TMJ / Jaw/ misaligned teeth issue as well. THey say.. you are too stressed out. I say.. I could of threw stress balls in the air juggling them while cooking.. talking on the phone and being on the PC at the same time before this head thing.. It is like I have lost my mind. I feel like an animal behind glass that people are looking at.. they see me but have no idea what is happening inside. I am feeling guilty that I am less than I was and worse yet..that I feel like a burden.. which is a nightmare to someone who prides herself on being so strong . SO..I am so GRATEFUL that I see this here today. It all began as I watched "The View" today ... Tom Shadyac A director..said in a passing moment the words.. "Post Concussion Syndrome.. I felt like I was dying"
My never ending sensitive ears took notice.. I think this may be the thing changing my life right now. I was laying in bed (of course) My PC next to me and typed the words and There I was.. right there in all the symptoms.. in all the shared misery that others understand. I havent stopped crying. tears have been rolling down my face as I read the posts and stories.. the things that we are all going through.. Finally I can say I AM NOT CRAZY.. I surely thought I was.. everyday I wondered will I die today.. because it doesnt feel like living .. I am gone.. a shell of myself.

Symptoms:
Dizzy
Lightheaded
Vertigo
Nausea
Choking feeling
Swallowing is hard/ like things are stuck there
loss of appetite
Insomnia
Anxiety
Stress
Fogged thinking
Blurred/ impaired vision at times not constant
Trouble pronouncing words/ spelling
( something I treasured as I a write poetry )
Fatigue
Light sensitivity
Hearing sensitivity
Loss of hearing left side of head where injury occurred
Severe Sinus issues that I never had
Bad headaches that wont go away.. cluster/ tension like.. spot temple
A strange feeling on my scalp.. like something running over my skin
Loss of hair
BP issues
Flushing
Lack of concentration
Inability to be around people the noise is too much the effort too hard
the sounds of anyone eating sounds like a freight train in my head
Head pain local to the spot I hit and left side.. so delicate it hurts to touch it to a pillow even..
Oh my .. there is more.. so much more.. As I am here longer I will share.

I called my spouse Deb ( Wife I am a gay woman) into the room and showed her.. we were thrown back.. this had a name.. maybe finally the answer..
I called my doctor right away.. left a message with the nurse that I needed the doctor to look into this and get back to me tonight.. I am thankful for a great Doctor as she will do this.. and maybe she too will look into something we hadnt thought about.

Heres the thing.. I dont really need at this moment to be told I have this... I KNOW I do.. I knew when the tears started to flow and I dint realize I was crying.. I knew and know when I read the stories here.. I am sure .. I now need to find the path to the end of this nightmare.. and the support and friendship that I so desperately need from someone who GETS it.
Please forgive me for going on here.. I know I am new..
But its like the light just came into a very dark house.. and I can breathe without as much fear..

I hope to talk to many of you and get help through any wisdom you all have that I am yet privy to.
Thank you so much for being here...

Sincerely.. Karen AKA CegeeGirl and Facebook Karen A. Lilly[/QUOTE]

[Treefrog]

I too had a head injury a few years ago and because of all the other physical injurys my brain was the last on the list to get looked at. Money is a factor by the way for us. I have to get tested next week by a neuropsycologist for short term memory. I am going to bring up your PCS. I have exactly the same issues. I was ran over by a car and was knocked out. It was a hit and run. I finally gave up and have filed for disability due to not working for the last 2 1-2 years. With 19 other injurys my brain is still not right. No one has ever said PCS to me....glad I seen your post.