where do you get a diagnosis of concussion? my partner fell down a flight of stairs, cracked his facial sinus bone, and required 18 stitches in his forehead, and still didn't get a diagnosis on his charts of concussion? We now figure this has been min. his 8th - and yet nothing in medical records history to show for it. Apparently its not unique, and very frustrating, you can have multiple hits to the head, and have cumulative damages, to the point where suddenly you have new behaviours, cognitive losses, pain, depression, anxiety, all of the above, and not have known anything about it. Be VERY careful, it seems like a bad joke, but putting on a helmet for everyday life, is now seemingly a good concept. you are not alone, but medically you might not get the help you need. listen to your own body, stay in the dark if you need to, sleep, repair the damages yourself. Good luck.

I'd suggest having your partner see his doctor and talk about what has happened over the years. Maybe he/she will suggest having and MRI done to see what's going on inside his brain. If the doctor doesn't suggest it, I would request it. Same thing if he ever ends up in the ER again with a head injury. I'd ask for a CT Scan or an MRI and be sure to mention his past injuries. Maybe that could be the first step in the direction of some answers.

I'm sorry you and your partner are dealing with all of that. Hopefully this is helpful to you.

This is ridiculous and its making me insane. I hit my head AGAIN today. Since my last official concussion diagnosis last month, I've been hitting my head weekly. I don't understand why this is happening. I'm trying my hardest to be so careful and it isn't working. I don't know what to do anymore. My head is throbbing.

I just started working out for the first time to see if it might be helpful for my symptoms. I've been taking it slow and just bike riding for about a half hour. Unfortunately every time I've done this so far I've gotten a nasty headache during and after. I drink water before, during and after so I know I'm not dehydrated.

Has anyone else had this issue? Am I pushing myself too much too soon? I'm not sure what to do anymore. My neurologist appointment can't come soon enough.

hi,

my post history is in here....I have pcs.....i would suggest you take time off.

work and try to feel better....you are doin too much...i tend to put my head at

risk for another bump when I feel like i am running around like a chicken with

its head off {no pun intent}...its like your body can't catch up with your brain..

i have learned patience the hard way...stay positive and try to relax

Meditation, Tai Chi or Yoga may help.

Do not think it has to be all or nothing. Perhaps start slowly with exercise, even walking and then gradually build up.

Eat well, sleep well and hopefully you will feel better. Don't think there is a magic bullet for it.

Best of luck!

Yesterday I went to the ophthalmologist for the first time in about 6 years. I explained what has happened to me over the past 2 years with the concussions and the fact that I've been seeing spots and am concerned about my peripheral vision. She was skeptical at first that I actually had suffered 5 concussions and asked where I got those diagnoses. I hate it because I always feel like no one believes me when I tell them that. I told her that I had gone to my Dr. or the ER each time I hit my head and everyone told me I had legitimate concussions.

She checked my peripheral vision and did a regular eye exam and determined that my eyes are fine but I do need glasses. I expected the part about needing glasses since I used to have them when I was in college.

Its just a little frustrating because one the one hand, I'm happy that she didn't find anything wrong with my eyes. On the other hand, I'm annoyed because I still don't have any answers for why I'm feeling the way that I do. I have my neurologist appointment next week so I'm hoping that she'll have some for me. I'm also looking forward to having another MRI so I can know what's going on in my brain. I guess I'm just really anxious to know everything. I just want to understand what's happening to me, why its happening and how I can fix it.

Another MRI will likely be a waste of time and money. They can not show the microscopic damage from a concussion. They can show bleeds but if you had a bleed, you would not be posting online. Actually, CTs do better at showing bleeds.

Your neurologist will not likely have any worthwhile information for you.

If you have the MRI, ask about getting a good view of your cervical vertebra. Undiagnosed injuries to the cervical vertebra is often a cause of persistent problems, even your asymmetrical reflex tests.

An MRI/MRA may be worthwhile. Ask your doctor.

You said <I just want to understand what's happening to me, why its happening and how I can fix it.>

And the ophthalmologist's questioning your concussion history is common. Many doctors do not consider any impact a concussion unless there are severe symptoms. I was being seen by a new doctor at Kaiser. I told him about the impact to my head where all I sense is a metallic taste in my mouth. I told him that I believe these are concussions. he agreed. he is the only dr to ever acknowledge this metallic taste as a symptom of concussion.

btw, I have experienced the metallic taste with other concussion symptoms and alone. Maybe they are sub-concussive impact. Either way, they are not good for my brain.

We all would like this. Chances are none of us will ever achieve this. Concussions are still not understood, even by the best neurological scientists.

bright&dark, You need to consider the fact that you are suffering from Multiple Impact Syndrome. MIS is much more likely to cause prolonged or even permanent symptoms. As mu neuro said, sometimes, the brain runs out of ability to compensate after a critical number of impacts or combined damage from multiple impacts have been suffered.

Sorry to hear about all your hits to the head. But you are on the right road getting your eyes checked and seeing a neurologist. An MRI will be just a confirmation that you dont have a bleed like Mark said....most people have perfectly normal MRIs and CT scans with TBI and PCS.

Sadly, this is our world now....anxiety, headaches, dizziness, feeling off, exhausted, seeing spots, photophobia, etc. What we feel is very very real for us....but no one else knows what we are experiencing. Its a lonely, scary feeling for all of us.

Rest and Time...and patience. Thats what your neurologist will tell you. And hopefully find meds to help with your headaches as our headaches are very unique and everyone responds differently. Good luck to you!!

By the way....im from Mass too....brockton. I used to work at a NeuroSurgery ICU at Brigham and Womens....the neurologists there are great!

I've had nine concussions, eight of which came through "legitimate" means ie: doing something crazy. The ninth came from lightly bumping heads with my 3 year old son. Got it just right in the spot where I'm most vulnerable.

I can tell you that I'm terrified to hit my head. If I accidentally bump it or brush up against something, the panic that washes over me is palpable. Just this past Saturday I was at a wedding, and a server absolutely drilled me in the back of the head with a full plate. I was ******, and I was really paranoid that the familiar concussed feeling was coming up next. It didn't, but living in fear is brutal.