[CatOhio]

I was involved in a car accident 18 days ago where I was rear ended while stopped at an expressway off ramp traffic light. I don’t believe I ever loss consciousness, but am not 100% sure. I had my seatbelt on, but my head hit my headrest very hard and I instantly felt the pain. Around 3pm the next day while I was in the kitchen chopping brussel sprouts, I started feeling extremely dizzy which was when I called my PCPs office to get medical advice and was referred to the ER. I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a concussion. The next day I felt fine enough to go into the office to work and that was the last day I would be able to work. Ever since then, I have consistently had a blanket of dizziness/blurred vision and confusion (similar to being drunk). It’s very difficult for me to even be on the computer right now and share my story, but I am desperate right now. Since several days have passed, my PCP has diagnosed me with PCS.

The fatigue is intense. I am constantly tired and am out of breath whenever I have to do something as simple as washing dishes. I used to workout 6-7 days a week with advanced workouts for at least an hour and now I can’t even get through 10 minutes of a warmup without breathing heavily, hands shaking, and extreme dizziness. This is the part that has been the most depressing. My PCP has given me Amitriptyline to help sleep. I took that for the first time last night and though I was in a deep sleep for a period of time, it did not last through the night.

This condition is a very lonely one. I feel like nobody around me (including my doctors) understands what I am going through. I am an extremely independent woman who was used to working 50-60 hours/week in a high stress fast paced office for a large company known worldwide. I was a leader in the office who was often sought out to lead challenging projects. Now I can’t even get through the dizzy blanket long enough to read and comprehend emails.

The emotional side of this condition is a bit much to handle at times. I am usually in tears or filled with anger as I try to navigate through this process (work disability, attorney, and coordinating collision repairs). It seems like whenever I try to relax, I get a call from someone who gets me back in panic mode.

I had extreme eye sensitivity to light last week to the point where I had to wear sunglasses indoors and outdoors (even to my PCP appointment). Based on that, my PCP ordered a MRI which ended up coming back fine. When having conversations, I do find it difficult to quickly find the right words to use. I cannot multi task anymore with my eyes or with my thoughts. If I am scrolling on my cell phone or if there are graphics moving quickly on TV, I have to turn away because it’s too much for me to handle. I had a less than a handful of instances where I lost my balance, so I am not too concerned about that. I have to admit that my short term memory has not been as sharp as it used to be. The headaches come and go when I try to concentrate to hard.

I have my first appointment scheduled with a local Neurologist in 2 weeks and I am hoping he can provide me with some answers. Because my PCP has not been helpful, I feel like this Neurologist is my last piece of hope. In addition, I have scheduled some counseling sessions just to be able to deal with the emotional side of this condition. In the meantime, I will continue to see my Chiro 3x/week to treat my neck and back stiffness.

Any advice or words of wisdom?

[qtipsq]

What you need is a concussion clinic to monitor your injury and yes your injury sound quite severe. A neurologist is going to waste your time, I saw 5 different ones, all had no idea about this injury. Now on to the reality check of what is happening to you. You have a traumatic brain injury and it needs to be taken care of very seriously or it's possible to be stuck like this forever. So here are my two cents...advice I gave to another newbie.

Turn off everything!
You are lucky that you are here early. Now heed this advice like your life depended on it! Cause it does.

1) You can heal this. Take a deep breath and believe it completely.

2) Shut off all stimulation to the brain that involves, screens, radios, or anything that overwhelms you. Movies, cell phones, books, throw them away. Pretend they don't exist. I mean it! For the first month or even two, I would go on a complete cognitive rest.

3) no excercise. A short walk around the block is okay. Find a family member that can be around to take care of you. Take all the time off work that you need. Quit your job if you have to! This injury is serious, it has the capacity to destroy your life if you let it.

4) Up that diet, eat steaks, lots and lots of greens, avocados, coconut oil,lots of water.

5) find an activity that promotes blood flow to the Brain. People often use adult coloring books, if you can knit, that is good too. Adult coloring books and easy jigsaw puzzles.

6) figure out a way to shut off the depression and anxiety. It is the single most important thing to do. It will polute your brain with chemicals that make it impossible to heal and you won't be able to heal. Anxiety and depression are the two deadliest things with this injury. So...please cut it out anyway you can. Meditation, breathing excercises, and restorative yoga all help. Yoga nidra works wonders.

You follow this advice, early on you have a very good chance at recovery. You could heal in two months three months, a year or. You don't follow the advice and you never heal, and spend the rest of your life with a headache, which is what happens to a lot of people on this form. You got the info you need, now get off the internet and try to turn yourself off. Please heed this advice!

I think this joe rogan podcast by Jane Mcgonigal is he best advice in healing this injury. This injury requires strict discipline and a resilient heart to get better from, both things that I lacked and it's almost two years later and my ears ring, my head hurts, I am a manic depressive, with insomnia and suicidal ideation. Before this injury, I think I was the happiest person on Earth.

I used to be an international teacher/rock climber and now I sit in a a room in my moms house and think about if I can go on with the life that has been bestowed upon me. I didn't follow the advice, I ended up loosing my mind reading people's stories, anxiety drove depression. I have tried everything out there and the more I read the more I realize that time and discipline, plus a positive attitude are the only things that can cure this. This injury is serious, I believe as serious as Cancer, more serious than a heart attack. It can effect your whole life for the negative or you can suck it up for this one year, six months or 3 months and try to become your human self again.

Also people on here often say there is no timeline to recovery, I will go ahead and say that there is one. You have two years to try to get better. After that it is a slow grind forward. Two years, a lot of people get back to normal in 6 months, other take 3 months. But take this more seriously than anything you have ever taken, cause life with this injury is pretty unbearable.

Here is the YouTube link. So, please heed the advice, don't take it lightly and be resilient. Also, don't waste your money on quack doctors, there really is nothing out there, I have tried hyperbaric, chiropractic neurology, neurofeedback, gyrostim, and I think all of it is garbage science with no proof. Instead spend your money on a good diet and get some adult coloring books and color up a storm, a vitamin regimen can't hurt either, fish oil, cocnut oil, b12, d3. Getting a pt to work on your neck can be helpful if you have a neck injury. Necks are as hard to heal as brains. Listen to your body. Good luck...I hope you heal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qh20XWwxMY. This lady healed herself by figuring out how to cut out her depression and anxiety, it's a super interesting to listen. Cut out everything after you listen to this talk.

[todayistomorrow]

I am 4 years post car accident from car running red light which launched my suv into the air and landed on its side. I did the route you are doing now which is see neurologist and I echo the above statement that it's a waste of time. First thing I would do is go to neuroopthamologist and get tested for convergence insufficiency. A good majority of people with mTBI have it and it causes headaches and a bunch of other symptoms. I can share more details. Feel free to private message me and we can talk via skype.

[Jomar]

You are quite early in your injury, so don't get into a panic..
Every person & every injury is different.

Take you time as needed and explore these sticky threads of good information-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread181974.html
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread140214.html
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread19462.html

There are a few other sticky threads but these will get you started nicely..

For specific topics /symptoms use out search tool to find past postings - http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/search.php

I suggest getting into a relaxed healing mental state & not stress over "I used to do all these things."
Just like with a broken bone- you do need to take it easy , on yourself physically & in your mind..

Does your chiro do upper cervical, and soft tissue modalities? And gentle with adjustments?

[Bud]

Cat,

I think you better stay away from Brussels sprouts...you had a pretty severe reaction to them!

Couldn't resist that!

In all seriousness, sorry about your accident and that you have reason to be familiar with the site, sort of a great family you don't really want to join. This place has been a real godsend for me...lot more help than any doc I have seen this far.

You will get better. Be patient.

It is very hard for us active people to have to be still. I am back at a gym after 20 months off, can walk and swim now but my beloved running is still difficult. I have learned to really enjoy walking once I got past the blow to my ego.

I would echo Jo Mar in that you are very early so stay calm, hopefully this will be over soon for you and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Bud

[CatOhio]

I don't know if my chiro does that, but I will check. He has been adjusting my neck with this small pogo stick like instrument which has seemed to help. Although lately when I lay my head on my pillow, the back of my head (where the blow occurred) and the back of my eyes will ache throughout the night.

[Mark in Idaho]

My chiro, who has been a true healer with every other need I had, could not get by Atlas (C-1) where it needed to be with the Activator (pogo stick) alone. I needed to change my sleeping posture. I needed a straight head and neck posture consistently for months to see an improvement. An upper cervical chiro uses special techniques to adjust C-1 and C-2 but still, the patient needs to be disciplined with sleeping and resting posture.

As JoMar said, read the stickies, especially the Vitamins sticky. It has a lot of information.

And try to learn to relax. Get it done personalities struggle until they can learn to slow down and let the brain heal. It heals best when all stress is at its lowest. You cannot make up for a stressful task by resting the rest of the day. Peak stress and activity levels need to be moderated to a lower level. If you can take short naps during the day when you feel a moment of tiredness or strain, that can be good.

And, even though a very few have miserable recoveries, most do quite well if they give their brain the time and rest it needs. Don't let those 'worst case scenarios' scare you. You should do well.

My best to you.

[Bud]

Cat,

What Mark said about get we done people is so true.

I have always busted my butt at work (16-18 hours a day for 3 straight months during the busy season is common) and play but when I couldn't it was and still has been a very difficult but mandatory lesson to learn.

I'm not sure I would say our best friend is rest but maybe I could make a strong argument for moderation, wisdom and knowing when to walk away for a few minutes.

Bud

[lilyNYC]

Originally Posted by CatOhio

I was involved in a car accident 18 days ago where I was rear ended while stopped at an expressway off ramp traffic light. I don’t believe I ever loss consciousness, but am not 100% sure. I had my seatbelt on, but my head hit my headrest very hard and I instantly felt the pain. Around 3pm the next day while I was in the kitchen chopping brussel sprouts, I started feeling extremely dizzy which was when I called my PCPs office to get medical advice and was referred to the ER. I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a concussion. The next day I felt fine enough to go into the office to work and that was the last day I would be able to work. Ever since then, I have consistently had a blanket of dizziness/blurred vision and confusion (similar to being drunk). It’s very difficult for me to even be on the computer right now and share my story, but I am desperate right now. Since several days have passed, my PCP has diagnosed me with PCS.

The fatigue is intense. I am constantly tired and am out of breath whenever I have to do something as simple as washing dishes. I used to workout 6-7 days a week with advanced workouts for at least an hour and now I can’t even get through 10 minutes of a warmup without breathing heavily, hands shaking, and extreme dizziness. This is the part that has been the most depressing. My PCP has given me Amitriptyline to help sleep. I took that for the first time last night and though I was in a deep sleep for a period of time, it did not last through the night.

This condition is a very lonely one. I feel like nobody around me (including my doctors) understands what I am going through. I am an extremely independent woman who was used to working 50-60 hours/week in a high stress fast paced office for a large company known worldwide. I was a leader in the office who was often sought out to lead challenging projects. Now I can’t even get through the dizzy blanket long enough to read and comprehend emails.

The emotional side of this condition is a bit much to handle at times. I am usually in tears or filled with anger as I try to navigate through this process (work disability, attorney, and coordinating collision repairs). It seems like whenever I try to relax, I get a call from someone who gets me back in panic mode.

I had extreme eye sensitivity to light last week to the point where I had to wear sunglasses indoors and outdoors (even to my PCP appointment). Based on that, my PCP ordered a MRI which ended up coming back fine. When having conversations, I do find it difficult to quickly find the right words to use. I cannot multi task anymore with my eyes or with my thoughts. If I am scrolling on my cell phone or if there are graphics moving quickly on TV, I have to turn away because it’s too much for me to handle. I had a less than a handful of instances where I lost my balance, so I am not too concerned about that. I have to admit that my short term memory has not been as sharp as it used to be. The headaches come and go when I try to concentrate to hard.

I have my first appointment scheduled with a local Neurologist in 2 weeks and I am hoping he can provide me with some answers. Because my PCP has not been helpful, I feel like this Neurologist is my last piece of hope. In addition, I have scheduled some counseling sessions just to be able to deal with the emotional side of this condition. In the meantime, I will continue to see my Chiro 3x/week to treat my neck and back stiffness.

Any advice or words of wisdom?

Hi CatOhio,
I’m sorry to hear about the accident. I was in the same position 4-5 months ago. The beginning is the worst. The symptoms are horrible but please give yourself a break. Understand that these are just part of PCS and this is something that you now have to deal with, don’t push yourself to work out right now and just relax.
The emotional side is the WORST, personally i experienced panic attacks, anxiety, and moments of depersonalization that worsened with acknowledging my symptoms.
I’m glad you have the appointment with the Neuro, I had a bad one at first but got a second one who was amazing and sent me to vestibular physical therapy to deal with the dizziness/vertigo which is still affecting me 4-5 months later.
Advice:
1.) file for no fault ASAP so the insurance of the person who hit you can repay your lost wages and doctors visits and therapy.
2.) give yourself time to relax, you mentioned working out a lot, try to focus on yoga as any cardio will worsen your vertigo/dizziness and avoid swimming!
3.) don’t read too much. i was constantly reading about PCS and comparing myself with other people and seeing them heal so quickly was making me nervous. also hearing about severe cases made me even more nervous!
4.) start taking vitamins ASAP, i felt a lot differently as soon as i started taking them and can feel the difference when i don’t.
5.) youtube: guided meditation. put on headphones and really dedicate the time to do this at least once a day. i love this one: http://www.themeditationpodcast.com/episode_06.html (episode 6 + 28 - especially for sleep!)
6.) write about it, getting your feelings out and acknowledging them is pretty cathartic, but also make sure you include goals and things you’ve achieved (this helped me personally a LOT, attitude is a huge part of healing!!!)
7.) allow yourself to zone out, binge netflix a series you’ve already seen, it will allow you to focus on something else. i found that reading books/on the computer/on my phone made the vertigo worse.
8.) follow qtipsq advice, i did early on and everything they said REALLY helped. it was awesome.
9.) if your memory is funky right now, get a little notebook and take it EVERYWHERE with you. lately i've been getting things in the mail I don't remember buying and walk across the kitchen/office to grab something and totally forget what it was i wanted about 20x/day.

Good luck, I hope you heal quickly.

[CatOhio]

Thanks so much for the information...very helpful!