[blundermonkey]

Hello!

I've just signed up to this forum so that I could seek some advice. People on here seem very helpful. You may have to bear with me though as I'm unsure about what details are pertinent so I may overdo it!

Anyway, my situation is that thirteen months ago I was involved in a road cycling accident. My bike randomly collapsed into two pieces as I was cycling down a hill and I landed face first on the concrete. This resulted in four fractures to my face, including a crushed cheek bone, and a further fracture at the top of my spine/base of my skull. I lost consciousness for a few minutes. Somehow I avoided any brain hemorrhaging which surprised the doctors given the state of my skull. This unfortunately happened the day before I was due to start my second year of university.

For some months I had issues with powerful fatigue, concentration, conversation, memory, anxiety, aggression, slurred speech, headaches, dizziness, etc. I tried to stay at university within this period despite advice to suspend my studies for the year but due to my condition I was unable to appreciate it was the best idea. In hindsight I also think I was very difficult to deal with regarding my behavior toward the university. In the end I did have to suspend for the year. At about four months I was mostly dealing with lots of fatigue, loss in social confidence, depression, headaches and cognitive issues. I was signed off for the year from work by my doctor to allow me proper time to recover because if I tried to complete a day of it I tended to be exhausted for about a week. By eight months I was starting to feel much better. I was still prone to fatigue but I could do days of work here and there and had begun to read again in preparation for uni.

This brings us up to now or six weeks ago, which is a year since my accident. I returned to university thinking I was essentially fine. However, I quickly discovered that the rate of study required of me left me feeling extremely tired such that I would have to force myself out of bed after ten hours sleep. Some days I have had to spend lying in bed and walking up and down stairs is exhausting. I've had a headache every day since the first couple of weeks of university. This has all affected my dexterity and I became very clumsy, falling up the stairs, dropping drinks, etc. I've even had nausea again. Furthermore, I discovered that although I could follow a lecture at university I was unable to move into my own thinking if I had been listening to somebody else for a while. In seminars if more than once person spoke I could not keep up. It's like I get stuck in a particular mode of focus and I can't change to other modes quickly enough to keep up. I am also unable to multitask ideas such that if I try to relate one to another I forget the previous one very quickly and get lost. I can read course material and confidently comprehend it but in trying to write an essay and organise myself according to the varying parts it's like there's an absence in my "mind space", so to speak, where before there was previously some directing thought or feeling. It reminds me of after my accident when I was sometimes unable to converse with people. Normally in conversation somebody says something to you and it spontaneously evokes a feeling that guides your response but at that time in place of the feeling was its absence; just a void. Today though I've started reaching the point where I can't even process people's speech which was also previously a problem. I just end up hearing noises if they start expressing more than one idea.

Basically, I've been falling behind in my work and missing lectures. My uni have said this is my last chance and aren't being especially sympathetic because I told them I was fine at the start of year. Probably my previous behavior has made them reduce me to a problem rather than a person with problems. I may end up getting kicked out.

I've seen my doctor who has referred me to a specialist unit regarding "cognitive rehabilitation" or something like that but I have no idea when that will be. My experience of my doctor was, as always, vague. I have little sense of whether what I'm going through is attributable to my accident and, if so, whether I could do myself more damage given how ill it's making me. I guess I've often found resources about health aside from doctors to be very useful and so I've ended up here. I was just hoping somebody could tell me whether it sounds like what I'm going through is probably from my accident and also was wondering if anyone has advice on how to approach it if that's the case. It's just that a year seems like a good amount of recovery time and it's not like my brain hemorrhaged, I was in a coma, etc. so I'm suspicious.

Having to leave university for good will be very disappointing. Furthermore, it suggests I would struggle with full-time work and England is becoming increasingly worse for people with disabilities that mean they can't work. I'm a mature student, single with little or no family or finances to fall back on. It's quite a frightening prospect.

Sorry if this is overly long or incoherent. One of the problems I have these days is recognising whether I am communicating too little or too much information and also whether I'm maintaining sense! I've erred on the side of lots of information today though. I feel quite spaced out from writing so much actually, haha

Thank you for reading!

[rabbit pipefitter]

I found it hard when i went back to school for my trade upgrades, but i somehow made it. i would ask the university if the have programs for injured students. some offer note takers, letting you write tests in a quiet room etc. you may be able to record your classes. all they can say is no, but you will never know unless you ask. let them know your situation, it may just surprise you how much they will help you!

[MiaVita2012]

I am back in school and it is VERY TIRING because we are re training our brains at a University level! If we were to go to cognitive therapy(which is very hard to get Insurance to approve for me)the cognitive therapy would start us at a level lower than college could be anywhere from elementary school to high school it depends on your Neuropsyc testing, impairments etc.Even with the cognitive therapy I was told if I was able to do it that the fatigue would be high for awhile. I had 4 impairments that was in zero percentile range a year ago.

I do 30-45min work and take breaks.I work best right when I finish my vitamins and breakfast. And try to take naps. This is TOUGH WORK!!!

I have noticed better memory with life, I remember little of studies because it's patchy, but more fatigue/lack of motivation over last 4 classes and I went from a B average to struggling to get C average with ADA help, I am happy to be passing at this point. This is hard work....I believe no pain no gain with the brain as well as exercising any other part of the body. You are not alone it Sux!

Do you have ADA help? If not I suggest to get it ASAP.Keep pushing!!!Mia

[ReWiredKris]

Hello Back!

I recognize many similar issues as you describe when I returned to school. My main deficits are short-term memory, altered speaking/hearing ability and executive brain functions like organization, time management, etc. Honestly it made me smile to read that you tripped going up stairs because I did the same darn thing. Even with short term memory issues...tripping up the stairs is permanently etched in my brain probably from the embarrassment. I had proprioception issues which working properly it lets you know where you are in space - out of synch I closed doors on myself, tripped up stairs and earned a black eye walking into a stupid door. Massage, Shiatsu or any bodywork really helps proprioception issues.

I'm going to try and keep this short, but I doubt it will work...another similarity. I returned to school the week after my accident and it became clear I needed to take a medical leave of absence. Six months later I returned in better condition, but hindsight affords me the knowledge that I still wasn't ready - although I persevered and graduated with help.

Here are some tips:

• My neurologist stepped out of the box prescribing me Adderall (10 mg 2x/day), an ADD medication, to help me focus and most importantly stay awake. I still take this and it makes a HUGE difference in my functioning level.
• Being from the states I utilized the American's with Disabilities Act and talked to the administrative staff to find out what services they offered to help me succeed. It officially consisted of private rooms for testing without time limits, note taking service and adjusting physical requirements for classes. The unofficial help came from the instructors themselves and was a critical key to my success.
• I just checked what the UK offers for higher education students with disabilities and sadly it says to check with the individual university to find out what programs they offer for disabled students. I'd check into that, but don't know the university name. Either check their website or go to the office to inquire for assistance.
• I introduced myself to my instructor or scheduled an appointment 1st week of class to explain my brain injury and asked if they had any suggestions to help me succeed in their class. Knowing me as a person along with my weaknesses and strengths as a student with brain injury they seemed more receptive to helping me. Most gave real effort to keep talking in class to a minimum knowing it literally hurt me. Several offered to read my work ahead of time by email and returned to me with suggested changes.
• Due to class noise I had to leave many times because it made me dizzy and caused a headache - which then caused my speech to decline. Because my teachers knew about this issue they assisted by finding another student willing to help me by getting photocopies of their notes after class.
• I took advantage of teacher office hours to get personal assistance with course material.
• Wearing ear plugs helped filter ambient noise and teachers voices that hurt my brain (too shrill). I later had hearing tests diagnosing hyperacusis and prescribed professional hearing filters - wish I knew then.
• Tutors and/or teacher aids are a great resource to help overcome deficits like organization that make writing a challenge. There are also free and pay for online tools ranging from study aids to tutoring if your university doesn't offer much assistance.
• Know your limits and don't push yourself too much or it can increase symptoms.
• Sleep is crucial as its when your brain repairs and rewires those neural pathways.

After failing an exam my physiology teacher took the time to figure out what happened after class. The worst scored part was labeling the brain and listing the functions. Knowing about my brain injury and how much I knew about the brain she knew something was wrong. Together we discovered the course material pictured the brain stem on the left and the exam image was mirrored with the brain stem on the right - that simple alteration threw me off and my brain shut down. She allowed me to retake the exam and ended up with high marks. This was only possible because I made sure she knew me.

Not all instructors will take the time like the above one, but it doesn't hurt to give them personal insight into their student and make sure they know you want to succeed. Even my most bristly teacher helped me because she saw me making an effort to succeed and told me that's what every teacher wants to see. I passed her class by my teeth, but I passed.

Because I attended a small, private school they didn't offer much aid aside from the instructors themselves. However, larger institutions where my daughter attends have a whole resource center with evaluators that determine the level of assistance you need to succeed. If I can answer any questions you might have I'm happy to help.

I wish you all the best on your journey!

Kris