When I'm not the driver, I wear a cervical collar in the car. It stabilizes my neck against the pot holes (craters, really) on our bumpy, rural roads and would save me from another whiplash if, heaven forbid, I was in another accident.

Unfortunately, I can't wear it when driving, as that would nullify my insurance.

I tried another session yesterday morning. I found the bus ride worse than ever. I am not taking another bus. heck even the cabs down here are pretty bumpy because the roads are so bumpy. this so sucks. I definitely feel much worse than I did a week ago before I started taking the bus out to the clinic. I am looking for a place out by the clinic but the logistics of it all kind of overwhelm me. I am thinking of just heading back to vancouver, but the logistics of that overwhelm me to...I am supposed to be back to work by january, but I don't see that happening by the way I am feeling right now. thanks for the replies.

I haven't got a clue if they're any good, but there are private TBI clinics in Vancouver, like NeuroKinetics Health Services. They do alternative stuff, like Biophotonic stimulation. Does anybody even know what that is?

Hockey,

I think you wear a cervical collar, not a clerical collar. I don't think you are a member of the clergy. Fun mistake. A brain fart. We all have them.

LOL That's a fabulous TBI typo. Not that some divine intervention wouldn't help my recovery.

Rough brain day, today: forgot about an appointment and ruined dinner. Oh well, the sun can't shine everyday.

Hi all, I thought I should update this thread, since I started it. I finally found a place close to the hbot clinic. I moved out here a couple of weeks ago I think. I am up to 21 treatments as of this morning, I am usually doing 2 a day, one at 11am one at 6pm monday to friday. So far I have noticed no positive change. Sometimes I even think I feel worse, but that could be due to a lot of other things I guess.

I guess I will continue and do the 40 sessions as that seems to be recommended by most hbot experts. It is expensive but not even close to what it would cost in the US. The 40 sessions are costing me a little under $1700 US as compared to $8-10k in the US and Canada. So even if it doesn't work I can at least say I tried and not be always wondering if it would have made a difference.

The only thing I am not sure of is the almost week long break I took while I was looking for a place close to the clinic. I had done 7 or 8 sessions then took about a week off and then started again. I am not sure if I should do 40 sessions from the time I started or from the time starting after the week off.

I still have all my symptoms, screens (computer, tv, ereader) hurt my head, but I find later in the day I can watch tv quite a bit, and I am on the computer more than I should be. But I get so lonely and depressed here by myself if I can't watch some tv or surf a bit. I am much more isolated out here than I was down town Puerto vallarta where I had a lot of friends.

They offer to come out and visit but I turn them down a lot because I can't handle long indepth conversations very well. it was easier to have short conversations and then go home down town, if they come out here it's like I have to entertain them for the afternoon. in the evenings I am much better than in the mornings, it seems I get better as the day progresses, mornings are usually hell.

My biggest problem is sleep, I just don't know what to take for sleep anymore. when I got my first concussion last aug I was on elavil which worked but had to many side effects, then I was on trazodone for about 6 months, it worked ok but now it makes my left leg twitch when I am trying to get to sleep so I gave that up about 4 months ago.

I hate to say it but since you don't really need a script for drugs here in mexico I have been using benzo's more than I would like, ativan and valium take away my stress (heck valium takes away just about every pcs symptom) and help me sleep. but I know they are so addictive. I usually try to at least take them ever other day if I need them, sometimes every 3rd day.

What else can I try for sleep? I have tried a lot of natural stuff but non of it works very well. and sometimes I have so much anxiety and depression thinking I am never going to get better I just want to take a valium and make it all go away, at least for a little while.

But I have noticed that both ativan and valium make my memory worse so that is a little scary, it comes back after I stop taking them for a day or so but still.

Ok, enough rambling, I hope everyone else in PCS land is having as good a day as they can. I just want to stay positive and know at some point things will get better. I will keep you posted on the hbot sessions.

good luck bro. at least you could say you tried it and gives the rest of us a heads up at a discount. be careful wth valium it is a slippery slope.
I haven't slept well for eight years an cyclobenzaprine and ambien did the trick. it might even be just the cyclobenzaprine. again, goo luck and keep us informed. I'm still waiting to heaer from the guy who went to get the eternacept injections. ciao

Well just finished session 22, feel not to bad tonight, when for a nice stroll around the marina tonight...I guess if you have to be trapped somewhere with a concussion it could be in a worse place then puerto vallarta .

Oh, I wanted to share this in case anyone wasn't aware, there is an hbot study going on now at LSU in New Orleans, they are accepting applications. I have already applied. It is an all expense paid 2 month (1 hbot session a day m-f for 8 weeks) study, they will fly you there and cover accommodations and food. It is being put on by the Harch clinic, it would be great if someone here got in it.

I tried to post the link but you have to have 10 posts to post a link. just google hbot study and it will come up. the url is hhbottbistudy.org, I think it will let me post that.

Hey markneil I am glad you found a combination that is working for you for sleep. It gave me an idea. I have some ambien, I took it a while ago a couple times, just a half a pill because I had heard about these people that got up and did things like drive and stuff when they took it, but the half pill made me sleep till about 3am.

I am going to try a whole pill tonight, if it works I think I will take it for 2 or 3 nights then, because you get so much rebound insomnia from it, I am going to do an ativan or valium for a night. that way I think I can avoid getting addicted to benzo's and possibly ambien. kind of excited about it actually.

Well I thought I should update this thread. I am back in vancouver now, came back about a week ago. I finished 37 hbot sessions. I am not sure if they helped or not. Where I got them they didn't have pet scans or anything. so all I can go on is how I feel. I think I can look at screens longer, although in the mornings the computer screen and tv can still be an issue. But that is about all I can notice really. I am glad I did it in mexico as i would be much more unhappy if I had of paid 10-12k for hbot sessions and this is how I felt. The hbot unit was a multichamber one so you had to wear a mask, which was a hassle as it was kind of uncomfortable and kind of loud when you breathed in and out, it sounded like you were darth vader or something. I would much prefer a mono chamber where you didn't have to wear a mask.

fabulous. i knew exactly what you meant...didn't even notice the typo