Hello, I am brand new to this forum and have been excited to read others posts. I would love to hear input and advise from others.

I was a police officer for 9 years. In 2009 I was riding in a van at work when we hit a large pot hole in the road. I was thrown head first into an AC vent that was an inch above my head. I was a little disoriented at first and it hurt, but I didn't feel "injured." Roughly 5 days later, I noticed my balance and coordination felt off, I had ringing in my head, things didn't look right, my ears felt full, I was having headache in the back of my head and my neck hurt. I didn't really make the connection to the head strike and went to a walk in clinic. They said I had a ear/sinus infection. It didn't improve at all. I just didn't feel right, like my head was buried in the sand.

Long story short, I didn't talk much about the symptoms at work. I just kept trying to do my job because I loved what I was doing. I continued to go to every specialist I thought could help and was diagnosed with a lot of stuff. Atypical migraine, Minerse disease, etc. No one ever suggest brain injury because the scans were normal (I had a neuro tell me some people just don't respond to meds and I should seek treatment elsewhere). I wasn't getting any better no matter what I did or took. I finally had to raise the red flag at work. They put me on light duty (a desk) and disempowered me because of the symptoms. This was absolutely humiliating. I had always striven to be a great cop and now I was on a desk with no gun and badge, and from the outside a looked fine. Fellow officers just didn't get it.

After a year of light duty, I wasn't making any progress. The dept. sent me off on a medical pension in Oct. I couldn't believe this was happening (i am 34 years old). I felt as though I lost my identity. I am struggling to deal with the symptoms (with no end in sight) and find new direction in life.

I just don't know what to do. My wife says I am a different person. We separated a couple of months ago.

They are sending me to see a new neuro in a couple weeks and I am so jaded. I hope they aren't like everyone else who thinks your fine because you don't have a brain bleed or arrow sticking out of your chest.

I am finally starting to accept the fact that I am broken and I may never be the person I once was. I just wish I could feel some relief from the symptoms and not feeling right.

Reading that other people have been through this nightmare gives me hope.

Thanks,
Bryan

I am sorry to hear of your separation due to your personality changes. I have undergone a personality change after a few of my concussions.

Besides dealing with doctors and such, there are a few online resources for you to check out. There is a video series on YouTube called "You Look Great." Here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Xso...ature=youtu.be It is 6 segments that take about an hour total.

There is also a great TBI Survival Guide at www.tbiguide.com It is 84 pages. You should print it out and highlight the symptoms that pertain to you. Then, let family read it to begin to understand.

Once you understand how your personality has changed, it is possible to over-come some of them, especially if you have others willing to help you and redirect you when you get triggered into a bad behavior.

Stay away from alcohol and caffeine.

Many of us use nutrition to help us heal and maintain a better perspective.

More on that in a later post.

My best to you.

Very sorry to hear about what you've gone through. Mark has pretty much covered everything.

He's also mentioned it is OK to have one drink during a day, just not to go over that.

To respond to the question of the topic, it seems the brain is extremely delicate, and if there have been head injuries in the past, the problems build up until you're stuck with a messed-up brain, hoping it will get better.

Unfortunately, none of us know when ours or your brain problem/pain will stop. Or if it will stop. I wish doctors could help more with that.

Hi, Bryan,

So sorry to hear of your struggles. I was a teacher and also tried to push through my struggles. Although it's high-stress in a very different way from law enforcement, in the end it also proved to be too much for my brain to handle, and I've been off work now for the better part of two separate school years. It's very frustrating not to be able to do what you're trained to do and what you love.

Here are some natural things I've found to do that can help strengthen the brain:

- Eat a whole foods (clean eating) diet high in omega-3s and tryptophan. Take 3 tbsp of ground flax seed in juice every morning for a complete daily dose of both and then whatever you eat during the day is bonus. There is a thread with more details about brain-friendly nutrition here: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...d.php?t=165807

- Be sure to stay well hydrated. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily (i.e. if you weigh 100lbs, drink 50 oz. of water).

- There are also hot and cold water treatments you can do to increase circulation to the brain. In the shower, alternate 3 minutes of hot water with 1 minute of cold for at least 3 cycles. The greater the temperature contrast, the greater the benefit (just be sure not to scald yourself). Don't get the very hot water on your head, but do get it on your shoulders. Cold water is okay to get on your head. Always end on cold.

- Sunlight through the skin is good for vitamin D and through the eyes is good for melatonin (sleeping at night).

- Listening to baroque music (such as Bach) can help strengthen frontal lobe function (provided it does not increase symptoms).

- Exercise (even light exercise such as walking) can reduce harmful biochemicals and release endorphins. Again, be sure you are keeping it gentle enough to avoid symptoms.

- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and other non-prescribed drugs.

- Avoid or strictly limit television, video games, smart phone, and computer usage.

- Get fresh air daily and take 10-20 minutes specifically to do deep diaphragmatic breathing.

- Try to have regular times for sleeping and waking.

- Connect with spiritual practice, even something as small as making a list of 3-5 things you are grateful for.

These things will strengthen the brain naturally and shouldn't interfere with any medications or treatments your doctors want to use.

Medically speaking, the two things that helped me the most were having my vision evaluated for vision therapy and seeing a physiatrist. Physiatrists specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation, which many of us have found to be more helpful than neurologists, who mostly focus on identifying what is wrong with you (Concussion! Thanks, already knew that!)

Since you are having trouble with your ears and balance, your physiatrist may be able to refer you to vestibular or other occupational therapy to help with that. You may also be able to get some cognitive therapy to help with your personality issues.

These links may help you find practitioners in your area.

http://www.braininjuries.org
http://www.nora.cc
http://www.aapmr.org/patients/findph...s/default.aspx

Hope you're able to find something that helps. It's so frustrating when the symptoms just linger on and on and it feels like nothing is helping.

Bryan,

You have definitely come to the right place to learn and share. I have found that when I am frustrated and upset because everyone around me thinks I should be fine, I read the threads and know I am not alone.

It is hard, especially in your line of work, to deal with what is going on, and to have people around you understand. I too, hope that you find a good neurologist. I completely understand what you are going through as far as your career is concerned. Mine never got started, and I am no longer allowed to train either, which is killer. But, healing has been a good (although difficult) journey.

Welcome, and keep us updated...

Sorry to hear your story, this forum is an amazing resource and a great source of comfort. I completely undeerstand what you mean about personality change and loss of identity in being unable to continue with a vocational job such as police. Hang on in there xx

Welcome to Neuro Talk. You have found a site that has alot of compassion. I also want to thank you for your service to the public by being a policeman. You put your life on the line for us and I appreciate what you did. I am sorry that TBI has gotten in the way of you having a fullfilling life right now. Keep in touch with the people here who also have such injuries. It will help you while you heal. These injuries can and do get better. Keep your spirits up. also keep seeking those physicians that have an understanding of TBI. Your injury will improve with time, I really believe that. Nobody is what they were prior to illness or injury. We do change. If you can go for council, to help you through this trauma, I sure would recommend it. I was sorry to hear of your separation in your marriage. Injury or illness does sometimes put stress on the partner too. Hope you will go for more help to ease your way through this. Your relative youth works in your favor, and there may be something else in time that you can do. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I hope others will be supportive of you. ginnie

I'm sorry to hear about all the stresses you're going through. Another member already mentioned going to therapies, and I think that sounds like a good idea. I assume your job allows you benefits, and as I have learned, there are a LOT of different types of therapies out there.
My mom is seeing a chiropractor right now for ringing in her ear and neck pain, and it's helping quite a bit after a month (although she's not head injured). There are also vestibular physiotherapists, craniosacral therapy, osteopaths... It may not make everything better, but at lease it could help. Hopefully your appointment with the neuro goes well and they can give you some more guidance on treatment.

My relationship also just ended last month, we weren't married, but it still sucks.. feeling like you're not a whole enough person to be with someone else..

Sending healing thoughts your way.

Hi Village Crest, I read your story and I feel for you. Most of us are in the same situation, we "look" normal but have all these weird symptoms. Personally I can't stand the dizziness it is by far the worst symptom for me.

I still have a hard time explainning to extended family what I'm going through, they don't understand because I can walk and drive yet still feel unsteady on my feet and off kilter and also feel like my body is in motion sometimes pulling to the right. Also very sensitive to noise yet my hearing test came out "normal". Also MRI and CT were mostly clean so family and friends just think it's nothing, if only that were true. If I do too much physical exertion then the tension headaches are crazy! But I've come to realize I'll have to adapt and learn to live in this "new" body.

My advice is get good sleep, it's crucial. I use melatonin and herbal tea as natural ways to help.