Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Concussion Syndrome For traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post concussion syndrome (PCS).


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Old 03-16-2018, 01:56 PM #1
BenW BenW is offline
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Default what does it take to get a diffuse axonal injury?

what are rhe chances i received a diffuse axonal injury whwn i was flung violently fowrard and then back multiple times in the metro malfunction incident a few weeks ago and that is what is causing my deteriorating state?
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Old 03-16-2018, 02:11 PM #2
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No chance of a DAI from bouncing in the metro.

A diffuse axonal injury results from violent impacts to the head where the brain matter violently impacts the skull. Often, it is the result of a violent twist of the head. These would be more common from car crashes where the head violently twist as it hits the head rest and door frame.

Bouncing in the metro would at most just aggravate a tender neck. Unless the metro impacted another solid object and you were flung into a seat or wall, there would not be enough energy in the movement.

Stop looking for things to worry about.
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Old 03-16-2018, 02:37 PM #3
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Hi Ben,

You seem to be worried again about new things or events. I am sorry to see this, and I hope this will pass soon. All the things that you mentioned should be on your list of "non concussive or subconcussive impacts".

In my experience, it is perfectly possible to have a fairly long relapse after an innocuous event. In the last Fall I inadvertently hit my sternum against a table and I felt the consequences of this for several weeks. But this does not mean that we should be worried about the long-term effects. Hitting one's sternum against a table might cause a relapse, but it does not cause a concussion. I think the same applies to all the events you are worried about.

There is another thought that I would like to share with you, as it sometimes helps me to reduce my anxiety. This thought consists in imagining ourselves in 20 years talking about the important events in our life, and more specifically about the events that had some permanent effects on our health.

I think everyone on this board (including ourselves) would tell stories about really big events or injuries. No one would start her/his speech by saying "my brain has been permanently damaged because one day the hairdresser was a bit rough", or "my life has been changed permanently because one day my girlfriend kissed me a bit too hard". People would laugh at us if we made such statements, and they would be right! So, even if we feel really awful now, I think it helps to remember that our long-term self will probably have forgotten about the event entirely.

To be transparent, I am writing this in the middle of a pretty bad relapse that started yesterday after I had to brake abruptly while driving. The symptoms are real, that sucks, and that makes me somewhat anxious. But thinking that, in some time, I will have completely forgotten about this event, is a reassuring thought.

I also have a question for you: have you tried practicing the "willpower exercise" with self-talk that I suggested in a previous post? Have you found it useful or not, feasible or not, ...?
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Old 03-17-2018, 04:48 PM #4
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Thanks Vania, I'm sorry to hear about the incident you had yesterday and that's definitely good advice about looking at it with a wider lens perspective.

Ive been trying the self talk techniques and they help but unfortunately this past week has been the worst one symptom wise in a long time. The brain fog and blankness is much worse and the walking is becoming almost unbearable and causes me burning sensations in my head.

What symptoms do you get when you experience a "setback?

Also I have another question that would extend to mark in Idaho if he sees this.
At what point and how much should I be slowing down and cutting down my every day life (going to school, relationships, metro, cars, walking, etc) and just stop everything and rest? Like are you guys sure its safe for me to be continuing my every day routine and normal life which involves daily things like walking, bouncy metro and other unavoidable occasional bumps and jostles that can trigger symptoms?

I'm asking since ive recently learned from someone on another forum that symptoms are indicative of brain inflammation and therefore "minor" every day things that trigger symptoms woulf be damaging since symptoms means inflammation and inflammations means more brain damage if I understand correctly.

Wouldn't that mean that since I'm having trouble with basic stuff like walking I should cease all activity until the inflammation is down, no matter how long that takes? Obviously I don't want to do that but I also don't want to be causing myself constant brain damage that will eventually cause me severe disability and perhaps vegetative state or at the very least to be confined to an assisted living facility. I hoping that I'm wrong and that the doctors are right in saying that my daily routine is not damaging and at most is simply slowing my recovery somewhat but I'm not so sure and I know some people on here, especially Mark, may be more knowledgeable then even most sports med doctors.
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Old 03-17-2018, 06:32 PM #5
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Do what you can do, and not things make you feel worse..

Have you read anything about Somatic symptom disorder? It may be a factor ..
Somatic symptom disorder: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Search results for: Somatic Symptom Disorder - Merck Manuals Consumer Version
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Old 03-17-2018, 10:00 PM #6
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Ben,

PM me with a link to the other forum. Left click on my screen name and select Private Message. I want to see what that person is meaning. Inflammation is a problem with concussions but it does not cause damage without causing other very severe symptoms. The chemical stress from your anxiety is more of a risk.

How many online forums and web sites are you following?

[Obviously I don't want to do that but I also don't want to be causing myself constant brain damage that will eventually cause me severe disability and perhaps vegetative state or at the very least to be confined to an assisted living facility.]

This is a ridiculous idea. If you would visit a brain injury support group and see some people who had to relearn to walk and talk.

I know plenty who would give you a serious talking to for that statement.

One friend took 2 years to learn to walk, a year to relearn to talk. He lives on his own and travels to participate in para-athlete competitions.

Another friend was throw from a car his senior year of high school. He was in a coma for a few weeks. He recovered enough to go to college. It took him 10 years to get a bachelors degree then a masters in counseling. He is a licensed professional counselor. He has a passion to help people with brain injuries but has a full spectrum practice. He has to work extra hard because of his struggles but he is married with a wonderful wife and 2 kids.

What all of these people have in common is quite simple. They refuse top look at the negatives. They are constantly moving forward.
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Old 03-17-2018, 10:27 PM #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jo*mar View Post
Do what you can do, and not things make you feel worse..

Have you read anything about Somatic symptom disorder? It may be a factor ..
Somatic symptom disorder: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Search results for: Somatic Symptom Disorder - Merck Manuals Consumer Version
Thanks I'm trying to balance not giving up on my life and school and still letting myself rest but it's been very hard recently.

I am very familiar with somatisation, it's what my parents and certain doctors thing I have and they question if I'm even dealing with pcs at all.
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Old 03-17-2018, 11:08 PM #8
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Thanks when I get the chance I will pm you the website.

I was first told about inflammation by talking with with a guy on this website called reddit who is having very similar symptoms to me with the sensitivity. We were sharing experiences and concerns and I asked what he thought the cause of the sensitivity was and if it was harmful. He said that all symptoms are caused by inflammation so anything that triggers symptoms is triggering inflammation.

He said inflammation damages the brain since there is only so much space available in the skull so therefore the small things were harmful regardless of if they were concussions and they should be limited. He said the sensitivity had caused him to cease all activities and now he can't leave the house or do anything really. He also said he had a very similar incident to my metro malfunction incident (except for him it only happened once as opposed to 4 times for me). He said this incident triggered him so bad he had to go to the er. He also said he had a lot of problems with the same subway I take(the one in Montreal).

All this has seriously made me question what I have been doing in the past several months were I've been attempting to live a regular life and routine expect for making certain changes(reduced course load, no more contact sports). It made me rethink everything I've been doing and the harm Ive caused myself and if maybe I should be like him and stop everything to focus on rest. Especially since the sensitivity has been a lot worse recently, walking has been very difficult and the fact that I've had several mildly traumatic and out of the ordinary incidents with the 8" drop, metro incidents, haircut etc.

Not saying his opinion is necessarily correct only stating that it made me reconsider everything, especially with my recent rough patch and brain fog/burning.

I will get back to you with the website
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Old 03-18-2018, 03:28 AM #9
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Hi Ben, I am sorry to hear how you are feeling this week. My symptoms are quite similar to yours (headaches, brain fog, fatigue, some memory impairment and concentration difficulties).

I am sorry but I am unable to give an educated answer to your question, as Mark will surely do. Have you thought about giving yourself some quiet rest to see if that helps? I would certainly not quit all activities for an extended period of time, but a few days of rest to go through the relapse would perhaps be useful. I sometimes do it (for 24-48 hours) when my symptoms are too strong.

Have you invested in good shoes? I personally find hiking shoes to be the best, but there are also some comfortable sneakers or running shoes, as I already told you. Walking shouldn't be a problem with these.

To reduce the inflammation, have you started an anti-inflammatory diet? I think I mentioned that to you already. Many people on these boards have had good results with it, in particular for the sensitivity that many suffer from. It takes some discipline and patience, but it is probably worth trying. You can see these threads for instance:
Update on diet and PCS
An unusual head injury

There are many people on these boards who recovered well even after a prolonged period of post-concussion syndrome; perhaps you could try thinking more about these cases than about the nightmare scenarios that seem to obsess you?
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:10 PM #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vania View Post
Hi Ben, I am sorry to hear how you are feeling this week. My symptoms are quite similar to yours (headaches, brain fog, fatigue, some memory impairment and concentration difficulties).

I am sorry but I am unable to give an educated answer to your question, as Mark will surely do. Have you thought about giving yourself some quiet rest to see if that helps? I would certainly not quit all activities for an extended period of time, but a few days of rest to go through the relapse would perhaps be useful. I sometimes do it (for 24-48 hours) when my symptoms are too strong.

Have you invested in good shoes? I personally find hiking shoes to be the best, but there are also some comfortable sneakers or running shoes, as I already told you. Walking shouldn't be a problem with these.

To reduce the inflammation, have you started an anti-inflammatory diet? I think I mentioned that to you already. Many people on these boards have had good results with it, in particular for the sensitivity that many suffer from. It takes some discipline and patience, but it is probably worth trying. You can see these threads for instance:
Update on diet and PCS
An unusual head injury

There are many people on these boards who recovered well even after a prolonged period of post-concussion syndrome; perhaps you could try thinking more about these cases than about the nightmare scenarios that seem to obsess you?
Thanks for the response, yes I've dug out some old basketball shoes and will try and wear those for a change since the have more cushion than skateboard shoes or boots. I've also bought some insoles but I don't find them to provide much relief. I went out last night and had to do a lot of walking and it was hell.

Ive been eating as healthy as I can but it's almost impossible for me to never eat any 'inflammatory' foods.

Your right, the thought that I'm causing myself constant damage with every step or bump in the road/train does consume me at times but if only I could get that idea out of my head it would be much better.

My mom had an interesting idea, she said that perhaps the walking sensitivity and sensations in my head started out mild but now that i look for it and focus on it whenever I'm walking and I essentially move around on eggshells with my whole back tense and now that has made it much worse. Not because of physiological reasons but because I've built up so much in my head.

She said maybe if I could convince myself that there was no way waking could actually harm my brain, I would not think about it and it would go away.

I'm not sure I agree but it's plausible, regardless I just want to be able to walk comfortably again, without thinking about it and without it causing me problems, it is truly all I care about and it not being able to do so makes my day to day life a living hell.

I'm also considering moving in with my grandma who lives much closer to my school than I do. This would diminish the travel I would have to do and would reduce the time I have to spend on the awful metro every day.

Ive been taking it easy, as much as I could this week but I still had to leave the house to go to appointments and a few events. I had a bad setback on the metro earlier this week also.
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