[Stevie]

Hi all,

I had an accident 8 months ago where I was hit on the head by a falling roadsign. It didnīt feel serious at the time as I didnīt collapse or anything, but slowly my condition began to detoriate and about an hour later I had to call the emergancy number and run straight downstairs to the road in a hysterical state, I was certain I was going to die, it felt as if my brains were giving up and I thought I would collapse.

I was diagnosed with a mild concussion and kept in for several hours in the hospital and was told that everything would be back to normal in a few days. How wrong could they be! Looking back, I went back to work (and long shifts) much too early and was struggling really bad the week after the accident, I work in customer service. I got through the first day somehow (it wasnīt easy - constant nausea, a really bad and strange constant headache, lack of balance, really bad anxiety etc) but the next day I had to be taken to the hospital again as I started to feel so bad I couldnīt take it. Iīve never had a panic attack before but this feeling I had was like a very bad and abnormally long (lasted for a few hours) panic attack combined with a lack of balance, nausea and blurred vision. I was taken to the hospital by a taxi and that taxi drive felt like the longest in my life. Yet again I was told it was nothing serious even though I knew it was as I had never felt like that before.

Since the summer, Iīve had one more of those "panic attacks" when I just need to get to the hospital or somewhere as the feeling is totally overwhelming. Thankfully, I havenīt had them for a couple of months now.

Iīve gone through many different doctors and it took about 5 different doctors before I got a PCS diagnosis! Iīve realized that there are lots of clueless and ignorant idiots acting as doctors. Most of them seemed to think I was malingering my symptoms or that I was a mental case . I wonīt even go into insurance companies!

8 months on, things have at least been stable for some months now. I now have a neurologist who is symphatetic, understanding and well informed on PCS. I canīt do much exercise or work (I work part time now) because they trigger the symptoms. I have days when I feel almost normal, then I might have worse days for 2,3 days. I usually feel okay during the morning, but the anxiety sets in in the afternoon and when Iīm stressed. Also, working in customer service, I sometimes struggle when we get a lot of customers etc. (bad anxiety+customer service alone in an office= not a good combination). I have also noted that being in front of a computer is not good for me, it often results in bad nausea..

It might seem a lesser devil to some, but one strange consequence of my condition is a total alcohol intolerance. Iīm a young single guy and it has destroyed my social life. I donīt enjoy going out without drinking, when everyone else is off their heads. Itīs no fun. Iīve managed to have a few drinks on about 3-4 occasions since the accident without bad consequences, but when they come, they are REALLY bad. The risk is just not worth taking anymore because the last time I got drunk I was in a terrible state for over a week. This was about 6 weeks ago and before that, I hadnīt had the worst PCS symptoms (the BAD headaches etc) for some time, but the day after I had got drunk, they all came back really bad. And the anxiety and nausea after drinking is terrible for many days. Basically, I canīt do anything for some days after drinking. The really bad feeling starts when the "normal" hangover is gone away. Itīs nothing like a hangover, they are nothing compared to this. Do any of you have similar experinces? Am I doomed to spend the rest of my life without drinking?

One more worry: before the accident, I was regularly playing football (soccer to the Americans here ). Iīm very worried about whether I will be able to play at all anymore . In fact, I canīt bear the thought of it. It will probably be risky for me to play a game where you are tackled to the ground and have to head the ball a lot. Itīs been 8 months now, Iīm still optimistic that things will improve before the summer when our team starts playing again. Any experinces on returning to sports would be much appreciated.

Reading about your experiences on this forum has been very supportive and helpful for me especially during the first few months after the injury when I was very confused and worried. Hopefully Lady Luck will for once smile for us all during the year 2008

Stevie