[nightnurse30]

Just joined this forum today. Im now at 4 weeks after my coup-contre coup closed head injury. i went back to work for 2 -12 hour night shifts as an ICU nurse this past week. I cannot go back in any limited or "light duty" capacity and after those 2 shifts, ive been wiped out ever since, no energy at all. I was out on disability for 3 weeks. Now I've run out of FMLA and will lose my health benefits unless i started paying for cobra if i got back out on disability. This is the reason i came back to work so soon. How long was everyone else out of work. My job is very physically, mentally, and emotionally draining along with messing up my sleep cycle. Should i go back out longer to help my brain and body rest? Im worried about becoming depressed if i stop working again but also worried about making my recovery time longer by the demands of my job. What did everyone else do with work? Thanks for all your help and thoughts. Finding this forum today has been such a relief to know i am not alone and that the symptoms im experiencing are happening to others with this type of injury. Wishing you all a speedy recovery

[Mark in Idaho]

Being in California means you can get State Disability. This can be helpful. The Calif State Disability office may be able to give you some help about protecting your job. California has many ways it regulates what an employer can do beyond federal FMLA.

Is there any way you can stagger your work shifts to 12 hours on then a whole day or day and a half off? Working Monday night then Tuesday night off then Wednesday night on then Thursday night off then Friday night on, etc. The 36 hours off between shifts may give you enough time to rest up. Your time off should be focused on getting rest.

When I was in the early months after my injury, I could rest up in advance of a stressful task/event. I could accomplish the task then rest up afterward.

There is no way to compare your injury to others. Everybody has their own limitations and capabilities. It is a futile and anxiety producing effort to try to plan your recovery based on the recovery of others.

I wish I had better words for you but concussion is just so variable.

My best to you.

[nightnurse30]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

Being in California means you can get State Disability. This can be helpful. The Calif State Disability office may be able to give you some help about protecting your job. California has many ways it regulates what an employer can do beyond federal FMLA.

Is there any way you can stagger your work shifts to 12 hours on then a whole day or day and a half off? Working Monday night then Tuesday night off then Wednesday night on then Thursday night off then Friday night on, etc. The 36 hours off between shifts may give you enough time to rest up. Your time off should be focused on getting rest.

When I was in the early months after my injury, I could rest up in advance of a stressful task/event. I could accomplish the task then rest up afterward.

There is no way to compare your injury to others. Everybody has their own limitations and capabilities. It is a futile and anxiety producing effort to try to plan your recovery based on the recovery of others.

I wish I had better words for you but concussion is just so variable.

My best to you.

I am very familiar with the state disability as i was on it for 12 weeks this year, but unfortunately, it doesnt protect your job nor your medical benefits. I believe my only option to continue my benefits at this point would be to pay COBRA if i go back out. My schedule is also made up ahead of time for the next month, so i dont have much flexibility. I am going to call my human resources tomorrow to see if i can temporarily become part time (although my manager doesnt think this is possible) and work just 24 hours. But i decided to attempt to work the next two weeks and if its too much and i cant tolerate the workload and stimulation, i may go back on disability to truly rest and recover. thank god for Cali's disability, if this had happened in another state, i would be in a big financial crisis! After speaking with my manager tonight, she doesnt think i should be working at all since my symptoms are still so frequent and at times debilitating. But i want to believe so badly that i can work through them

[greenfrog]

I had a "mild" concussion only but the first few days were pretty rough and it's taken me a while to recover (I'd had at least one concussion before, maybe 2 or 3). I've had a couple of minor setbacks and one more significant one (the latter resulting in some apparent tinnitus that has yet to go away). I'm now at the two-week mark and feel a lot better, although I have yet to really push the envelope with activities.

This whole process has been mystifying at times, but the things that seem to have helped the most are: (1) tons of physical and mental rest and "non-doing" (I'm on short-term disability and will be off work for at least another week), (2) good basic nutrition (not skipping meals, minimal caffeine, no alcohol, a healthy and varied diet), (3) *minimal* exertion (I'm gradually starting to do more around the house and introducing slow, short walks outside), (4) avoiding too much time on the computer / cell phone, (5) no TV, (6) support from family - I'm currently staying with them - and from my significant other and a few close friends (this can be a simple as an email, short phone call, brief visit, or sharing a meal), (7) seeing a good concussion specialist, (8) practicing mindful breathing to fend off anxiety / depression, (9) talking to a good therapist / naturopath by phone for 20-30 mins once a week, and (10) reminding myself to be patient (easier said than done) - it takes time to recover from a head injury, no way around this.

[nightnurse30]

Ya, i tried and failed to work. Im going back out on disability. Unfortunately my job is too demanding and responsibilities are too great for me to risk someone elses health and my own. Im going to take 2 more months off, find a way to build my stamina...i just wasnt ready for a 12 hour shift without the possibility of rest so soon after my accident. Ill be smarter this time and take it easy. Seems like what everyone says is true....rest is the only answer.

[wtrpk]

greenfrog... who is this neuropath/therapist that you talk on the phone with?

I can't get out -- and that might be a good option for me.

[greenfrog]

Prior to my injury, I had been meeting every week with a very good therapist in my home city (in Canada) to deal with various life issues. So we're continuing to meet by phone, just for less time (20-30 mins) to discuss issues related to the injury and to help keep my morale up. I've also talked to my naturopath a couple of times - again, I've met with her in person before, and since the injury we've talked by phone for 15-20 mins a couple of times. Most of what she's told on the medical front me I already knew, but I find it helpful to have an extra "objective" person to talk to.

I'm paying a lesser, prorated amount for these appointments. It's worth it to me, b/c I've had issues with mild depression before and I'm doing my best to stay strong while I deal with this medical issue (having a significant concussion is enough to test the mental health of even the most robust person IMO). These conversations are by no means a panacea, but I'm willing to do anything that helps even a bit.

[Klaus]

Originally Posted by nightnurse30

Ya, i tried and failed to work. Im going back out on disability. Unfortunately my job is too demanding and responsibilities are too great for me to risk someone elses health and my own. Im going to take 2 more months off, find a way to build my stamina...i just wasnt ready for a 12 hour shift without the possibility of rest so soon after my accident. Ill be smarter this time and take it easy. Seems like what everyone says is true....rest is the only answer.

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. I'm working in a fairly full on healthcare environment as well (acute forensic mental health) and initially tried to just go back to work with PCS as I couldn't really afford the time off and didn't really understand what was happening to me.

My manager kept sending me home as I was clearly not with it, and I thought more than once I might have to just quit my job. It seemed so hard because when you're seeing patients with severe problems of whatever sort you can't expect them to slow down for you, or to stop being so demanding.

I was able to come back to work a lot quicker than I expected to because at least in my case the fact that I worked in a healthcare environment meant that my manager and workmates were a lot more understanding than I had expected (in general I would say that they seemed to understand my symptoms better than I did actually!).

So initially I was able to work a few days with no patient contact (just admin - boring but low pressure) and then was allowed to take lots of breaks, go home early etc. I'm now seeing the patients again but my weekly timetable's been tweaked so for a while I'll be doing less of the more demanding stuff (in my case group sessions and anything involving physical exertion) and more 1:1s, admin work and suchlike, still with extra breaks if i need them.

Sounds like this kind of grading might be harder in your job but may be possible in some respects - certainly here in the UK the employer has a responsibility to make workplace adjustments if they are reasonable. Surely when you're up to it (and that might not be yet) there is some useful work you could be doing which doesn't involve the kind of high pressure or overly stimulating demands which are likely to bring symptoms back?

I'd say working in healthcare must be one of the harder jobs to try and do with PCS but it's a poor show if healthcare employers aren't prepared to make more of an effort to look after their own employees in a situation like this. That said make sure you take as long as you need.

All the best to you hope you're back on your feet soon....

[nightnurse30]

Originally Posted by Klaus

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. I'm working in a fairly full on healthcare environment as well (acute forensic mental health) and initially tried to just go back to work with PCS as I couldn't really afford the time off and didn't really understand what was happening to me.

My manager kept sending me home as I was clearly not with it, and I thought more than once I might have to just quit my job. It seemed so hard because when you're seeing patients with severe problems of whatever sort you can't expect them to slow down for you, or to stop being so demanding.

I was able to come back to work a lot quicker than I expected to because at least in my case the fact that I worked in a healthcare environment meant that my manager and workmates were a lot more understanding than I had expected (in general I would say that they seemed to understand my symptoms better than I did actually!).

So initially I was able to work a few days with no patient contact (just admin - boring but low pressure) and then was allowed to take lots of breaks, go home early etc. I'm now seeing the patients again but my weekly timetable's been tweaked so for a while I'll be doing less of the more demanding stuff (in my case group sessions and anything involving physical exertion) and more 1:1s, admin work and suchlike, still with extra breaks if i need them.

Sounds like this kind of grading might be harder in your job but may be possible in some respects - certainly here in the UK the employer has a responsibility to make workplace adjustments if they are reasonable. Surely when you're up to it (and that might not be yet) there is some useful work you could be doing which doesn't involve the kind of high pressure or overly stimulating demands which are likely to bring symptoms back?

I'd say working in healthcare must be one of the harder jobs to try and do with PCS but it's a poor show if healthcare employers aren't prepared to make more of an effort to look after their own employees in a situation like this. That said make sure you take as long as you need.

All the best to you hope you're back on your feet soon....

Unfortunately Klaus, unless my accident happened at work, they are under no obligation to give me lighter duty or modified assignments or shifts. So i just simply cant go back until i can provide care with no restrictions. Im pretty sure going back 3 weeks after my accident was too soon....but it shows how much i love doing what im doing. But sadly, i am no good to my patients if i am foggy, dizzy, in pain, and not on my game. So we"ll reassess after a few months with howmy symptoms go and see if i can slowly increase my activity to where i have more stamina, less symptoms, and my body and brain can tolerate. Thanks for your support!!