Short synopsis: Walking into horizontal metal pole on 7/1/13. Was diagnosed by Emergency clinic/PCP shortly thereafter with concussion, then later with PCS. In the meantime, also diagnosed with Graves, which they believe was triggered from the concussion/PCS.

MRI & CAT scan clean. Have attempted to return to work (financial management) unsuccessfully on 2 different occasions. Have seen PCP, Neuro, Endocrinologist, and today NeuroPsych.

Am completely confused as to who to believe as I am constantly receiving conflicting info (which I share with each dr every time it happens.)

Endo states that Graves was mild case and since regulated shouldn't have any symptoms from it.

PCP states concussion & PCS w/ complication from Graves'. Initially told me to get out and about and resume my normal life, however has recently advised me to stay at home if that was where I felt less symptoms.

Neuro gave Nortriptaline & states Post Concussive migraines & am scheduled for Botox in January. Stated that should sleep less (which has occurred with the Nortrip and even more so with Wellbutrin).

Saw well respected Neuro Psych today who stated that she doesn't believe it is possible to get concussion from walking into pole, stated I am too high functioning (even though I felt beyond terrible and super slow during and after testing), that ppl who have concussions only get better and do not suffer setbacks by trying to actively use their brain. Suggested I should go about my life as normal.

Who the heck am I supposed to believe? I'm definitely not making up these symptoms, and I am tired of feeling stoned and retarded all the time but don't want to put myself in the position to feel worse (which happens with the most basic stimulation).

I am young and confident that I will at some point get better, however all the differences in opinions can be confusing. I just want this roller coaster ride to be over so I can return to work.

Is there anyone else who has had the same experiences and can share what has worked for them? I feel like when I mention the conflicting info to every doctor they say to just follow what they say.

Penny,

The first thing you need to grasp is the "well respected neuro psych" is an idiot regarding low impact concussions. It is well known that the intensity of the impact has little to do with the intensity of the symptoms. Every brain and every concussion is different.

I am also high functioning despite having some very low scales such as 12% to as low as 5%. The seriously confuses Neuro Psychs. Intelligence can provide high functioning even with severe dysfunctions or cognitive limitations. All I did was take a bad step off a curb and land hard jarring from my hip to my head. I felt the 'dinger' sensation but discounted it since the step was only an 8 inch drop.

What symptoms are you struggling with ? Which ones limit your ability to return to work ? What treatments / therapies have you had other than the meds ?

My best to you.

Thanks Mark, sometimes I feel like I am going nuts with all the misdirection, even though I know it's not intentional.

I am still struggling with (not in order):

-My speech -it gets reallllly slow and I often stutter, which I didn't before

-Daily migraines for the past 2+ months, although I have made progress and had 1 day this week without one - YAY!

-Comprehension/processing things I read and I often have to ask ppl to repeat things so many times I usually just give up asking since it's so frustrating. Not to mention I can't problem solve to save my life, (one of y main tasks at work is to put out financial fires).

-Major light and noise sensitivity.

-Brain fog,dazed feeling where I feel like I am in slow motion in my brain and in my movements & I feel like I have absolutely no personality. (This dazed feeling is really the most disturbing frankly.)

Although my PCP has been great, I can get discouraged and never know who to listen to. What I do know is that I don't trust myself to return to work and not mess up a clients financial accounts or make a financial decision that would cause a loss to the company or myself. The last time I returned I remember a staff member asking me to make a minor decision and me just staring at them blankly - uggh!

I also noticed that you have taken Clonazepam, which I have been prescribed but for the most part take only when necessary, not regularly. I've taken .125 maybe < 5 times a month.

I seem to get exacerbated migraines from it even thought the Neuro said that it shouldn't have any effect on them.

What were your results with it?

I have had no problems with clonazepam. I was on it for a year 13 years ago. It just made me sleepy.

Did the neuro psych report what your brain processing speed is ? Mine is at the bottom 10% of the population. It is why I struggle to follow others talking, especially if they are talking fast or with lots of detail. Did you get a full brain injury battery Neuro Psych Assessment (NPA) ? They should take a few hours minimum. The NP you saw sounds like a poor choice for a full NPA. Many Neuro Psychs have a bias against long term symptoms from a concussion.

It may help to read www.tbilaw.com and www.subtlebraininjury.com. Attorney Gordon Johnson has some great experience with Neuro Psychs and such who do not understand concussions. Even if you are not involved in a legal action, his information is valuable.

Do you track your blood pressure and compare it to your head aches ? Propranolol can be helpful if your head aches are BP related.

Do you have tenderness at the bony part behind your ears ? This usually means you have muscle spasms coming from your upper neck.

I was in a bad way with executive functioning (decision making) during Aug to mid November. Docs put me on Celexa and Xyprexa and I am on top of my game. Better than I have felt in over a year. Clear headed and able to focus. Still have my over-stimulation issues but I know how to manage them after living with them for 13 years.

You might try to observe the different types of reading you try to do. I can process mechanical style writing but get totally lost with fiction or overly descriptive writing. You may find you have similar issues. Trying to process the abstract or overly described issues causes me to spin. I get lost in a zoned out kind of response. A sentence or paragraph with a lot of detail such as numbers, percents, dollar amounts, and their relationships in a financial document could be problematic. You will likely need to work on discovering some work-arounds to handle such reading.

The stress in the financial industry may also be counter to a consistent mental state.

Feel free to lean on me and others who have been through more of this. We are here for you.

My best to you.

Mark,
Thank you for the encouraging words and suggestions. I have been stalking this forum for a while now and I am constantly finding new information which has been super helpful.

I am fairly certain that I had a full workup - it was about 4-5 hours long, but I won't have the results for another week.

Did you use the Celexa and Xyprexa primarily for depression or to help with decision making? I have really only started taking the Wellbutrin so I feel proactive in this process (and to appease my doctor), despite not feeling depressed (only anxiety). I am not against them at all, and have previously taken them years ago, however I just don't feel distraught/sad, etc. My theory is that trying it can't hurt at this point, right?

I find that I am okay reading fluff magazines and light books (pretty much anything that I don't have to remember or care about) however when I pick up the WSJ or anything in detail, I also find myself rereading the same sentence over and over again trying to process and understand, which doesn't really work I am hoping I can learn some type of work around for these types of things, which I will definitely post if I can figure out!

Maybe there's a thread for work-arounds that I haven't seen yet? That would be beyond useful, even if they don't work for everyone.

Admittedly, the financial services industry (I manage a local credit union) can be sometimes stressful, for the most part it is pretty pleasant. I enjoy my job, my boss & staff, and (IMHO) am good at helping the public and resolving their problems. I am trying my best to reconcile that I may not be the same person that I used to be, but am more stressed thinking that I may not be able to go back to a job that I like.

Thank you so much for your guidance, I will do more research to see what other avenues that might be good to pursue. I really appreciate all of your time!

The Celexa was prescribed for anxiety from PTSD. My mind would just take off in what I called 'spaghetti brain' with all my thoughts jumbled and twisted together. The Xyprexa was to help with thought processing / executive functioning and to help me stop losing weight. I was 190 lbs in mid July and only 159 by mid early October. I also added L-Theanine and more B-12 to my daily regimen. Have you read the Vitamins sticky at the top ?

I suggest you try reading things like the WSJ with a note pad handy. Read it as if you are taking notes at a college lecture. Writing down the facts and figures will help your brain process the information and remember it if needed. This is called multi-sensory learning or multi-sensory processing. You can even try reading out loud so you hear your own voice as you read. Keeping a note pad handy to jot down notes during the day will help immensely. It can be a sort of daily running journal. If you need to look back, you will have the notes to recall.

I used to do this as I talked on the phone. As I talked to a potential customer, I would right down what I was saying in a sort of short hand. Each steno pad was dated for start and end date. I could look back and see my notes and recall conversations. I just recently trashed 2 decades of steno pads.

I have all kinds of work-arounds. Just tell me what your struggles are and I'll tell you if I have a work-around for that.

My best to you.