So another fall on some ice while carrying my son...14th Concussion! Yay...
More CT, MRI, XRay, blood tests etc...they've had me on so many different medications over the last year & a bit that I can't even remember the names. At one point I was on 5 different things and it started affecting my liver!
Right now I'm taking Celebrex every morning. Couple Tramadol during the day, Percocet at night and Zopiclone before bed so I can get a bit of sleep. After the 13th one I took all of one day off and was essentially chastised by WCB for doing that and guilted by work for not powering through it. Now this one wasn't as bad of a fall, but it's giving me troubles. Memory is foggier this time and finding the right words is a problem a lot. I've noticed my balance is off from time to time and I get dizzy/nautious if I see something on TV that's Point of View (like a video game or some commercial or anything like that) My doctor (and wife and friends) suggested taking Short Term Disability - but I'm worried that I'll get fired for doing it. I know it's illegal to do this, but my company doesn't exactly treat the employees very well. I can see my position being "absorbed" by another department or me being transferred to another department and wanting to quit because it sucks. Essentially, I know that not taking any time is affecting my recovery but it's hard. My ears ring constantly, my hands shake, my sense of smell is all but gone, I have essentially a migraine headache 24/7 and am dead *** tired because of lack of sleep. Marital life isn't exactly what it should be so to speak either because any kind of "excercise" makes my head pound...and yes, my wife says that I'm not the same person I was before the 13th hit...and am even more emotional now after the 14th. It's just so frustrating.

I've been on so many different drugs that I can't remember them all but so far not much has helped. Heck, I was to the point that by the time I had enough Tylenol 4's to make a dent in my headache...my guts sounded like a bag of marbles!

Boydo,

I hope you son is OK after your fall. Neither of you can afford another fall.

It sounds like you need to be speaking with a Work Comp attorney about protecting your job and getting disability. You don't say what state you are in so we can try to find a referral for you. You can check www.tbilaw.com . There are others who have good experience in mTBI. You sound like a walking drug factory. Are the meds just for head ache and insomnia ? Tylenol (acetaminophen) is rough on the brain besides the liver.

Have you tried the Vitamin and Supplement regimen in the sticky at the top ? Your brain needs help to be healthy besides pharmaceuticals. Omega 3 DHA should be at the top of your list.

My best to you.

Yeah I'm in Alberta, Canada...not sure if that's going to make a difference or not. My little guy was totally fine...I took all the brunt of the fall and held him up. He was upset about me laying on the ground looking dazed while he ran to Mom...
At any rate, I had a WCB claim last year and they cleared me for work (desk duty) but even after it's been a real guilt trip if I take any time off for doctor's visits etc. Now, after this other fall (which wasn't at work) I just know that somehow I'm going to get screwed over with disability. Having as many concussions on my records isn't going to help either.
The meds are all for pain. Which is funny because I have a high threshold to begin with and rarely took pain medication for anything before this. They've tried separate meds for the shaking hands and ringing ears, but they didn't help and just made other symptoms pop up.

There are no meds to help with tinnitus (ringing ears). If the shaking hands are only when you are trying to hold them still or do fine work, there are relaxation skills you can try to learn. My hands will shake the more I try to make them not shake. If I relax, they stop or lessen in their shaking.

Your prior concussions did not cause your current symptoms. It was the fall at work that did. It may have been the straw that broke the camel's back but without it, you would be doing much better. This last concussion should not be a big deal because your 13th could have contributed to it with balance and coordination deficits. Either way, it sure sounds like number 13 was the life changing impact.

Number 13 was definitely the one that did me in so to speak. I guess the most frustrating thing about it is, it just doesn't seem to be getting better. Before (when I was younger) it would be a couple weeks...then good as new.

Now, it had been just over a year since I fell off the ladder and still had a 24/7 headache. Then add to that the slip and fall last month - I tried to make it seem like it wasn't that bad - but it's just worse and worse.

The joking and ribbing I get about needing to wear a helmet and being a rough haircut away from drooling in a cup were fine the first couple times - but now it's starting to get to me.

Boydo,

Have you had any diagnostics done on your neck ? Headaches often are caused by upper neck injuries. The injuries are subtle and may not show up on MRI's or CT Scans. The common symptom is a tenderness at the bony part behind the ears. This is significant of a spasming muscle due to trauma.

Some gentle traction with gentle manipulations may help. Icing can also help. It also requires serious discipline with neck and head posture, especially when sleeping or resting.

You might ask your doctor about a short term script of Soma (carisiprodol), a muscle relaxant or something similar to see if muscle spasms are part of your problem. Be sure to use good resting posture when taking a muscle relaxant. You don't want to make things worse.

Hope you can find a way to get some relief.

My best to you.