Hi everyone, I wanted to welcome you to your TBI and PCS room.

Its been a while since we have had a introduction thread. But it isnt'
that exactly. Its more of a I'm here for you thread.

I'm going to notice of you stop posting.

So lets see, I'm really bad at icon names. My real name is Donna,
and I've always had a falling problem. I had my first TBI at the
age of I believe 23. But I could easily have had concussions as
a child and I don't remember.

But the one at the age of 23 was totally my fault. I can tell you
don't go through places that are like holes to go from one room to the
next. I did it all the time, I worked at Laughners, Like MCL, a cafeteria.
Well one night at closing I was closing my pies and salad bar.

And like usual not wanting to go through the doors the right way, and take
more time. I was slipping through our little place, and putting things up.
For some reason I decided to come up to early. And pulled the heavy
sign down on my head.

Talk about a TBI, wow, I had to yell for someone to come get the sign off
my head. Then they had to catch me before I fell. Of course I was bent
over so far it wasn't funny. Then I found out just how dizzy I was.
It took a while before I could move. And instead of letting them call a ambulance to take me to ER. Dummy as I was, I drove myself.

I was out of work with whiplash and all the rest for 10 days. But the headaches continues. I had to return on light duty. Either no closing,
and usually hostess on the floor.

That was the first of about 7. And none were pretty.

So say hi, and tell us your story. And please don't get upset if I call you
the wrong name till I get everyone straight.

So lets all try to smell some roses, or whatever flowers don't make you have headaches and sick.

Donna

My head injury was the result of a seizure, but not what you would think. I had a seizure in our vehicle with my husband driving. It was my first one ever. He called 911 and I was taken to the hospital. While waiting for the results of the CT scan that they had performed, I suffered another seizure. The bed rails were not up at the time and during my seizure I fell to the floor off of the bed. I suffered a broken nose, large hematoma over my right eye and a concussion. I left the hospital with 2 nice black eyes. For the past 8 months, I have been dealing with daily headaches, fatigue, etc. I am trying to learn to live with my "new self". It is not as easy as it seems. I try not to dwell on the past, but the hospital is what I consider a "safe" place and I left worse then when I went in.

I've pulled up my chair and as my neurologist instructed, my beverage is always non-alcoholic and caffeine free.

My first brain injury was in 1965 at 10 years old. I fell when riding a bike fast down a hill and hitting a sandy area. I was unconscious for thirty minutes. When I came to consciousness, I talked with slowed and slurred speech for three days. My mother says her sweet little boy was not longer sweet.
Sophomore year, I decompensated most likely due to heading the ball at soccer practice. Started having petit mal seizures and serious cognitive/memory problems. Put on meds for three years.

Second semester of freshman college spiked a fever over 104.7 and decompensated badly again. Dropped out of school before I failed out.
Minor concussions with minor decomps until a serious concussion in 1996. No LOC.

June 1999, assaulted from behind with a blow to the head. No LOC. Wife says my personality changed.

Jan 2001, tripped off a step and landed hard and jarred my back vertically to my head. My life changed forever. Serious memory and cognitive problems. Had to stop driving due to loss of short term and immediate visual memory functions. Started having seizures while sleeping. Neurontin started a year later. This was a Work Comp injury. Tried to get Work Comp benefits. Denied after 7 year struggle.

Applied and finally was approved for SSDI March 2009, after three year application and appeal process. Spent hundreds of hours doing research to help with my WC and SSDI cases.

Total of 13 memorable concussions. Who knows how many I do not remember.

I had been able to retrain my mind many times previously. This last time, all efforts to retrain my brain were just exhausting and frustrating. My neurologist thinks I have finally exhausted my brain's ability to retrain.

I have been on a serious nutrition regimen since 1981. When I fall of my nutrition wagon, my wife can see a big difference and gets me straightened out.

One thing I have learned is there are plenty of Pro's who know a little bit but very few who know a lot about closed head injury/concussion.

Still on meds, still seizing from time to time, like this morning from 4:30 to 7:30 am according to my exhausted but wonderful wife.

Attending a brain injury support group was enormously helpful for my wife. Now she can understand what is the injury's behavior and what is just my behavior.

[HI there. I think I'll wheel up in my motorized wheelchair...I only use it for long travel days and activities...but may use it more in the near future.

I was injured in an industrial accident. A weather shelter, flat roofed, collapsed with a half ton of water onto my head (and mainly left side of my body. That was 22 1/2 years ago.

I'm back here at Neurotalk because I've just been diagnosed with homonymous hemianopia...and doctors are calling for immediate MRIs and tests to find out why. Of course, immediate isn't like right now to the insurance company, is it?

So much is up in the air. Hopefully this was "just" caused by a terrible migraine and won't last (though it's been at least 2 weeks.) Now that I look at the symptoms, it's been increasingly progressing for many, many months. I just hope it isn't a tumor. I suffer with myofascial pain from the accident, along with a myriad of other smaller issues (like migraines!) Did I say smaller? Oh snap, that's so not right!

No one at PC knows yet. I suppose if they read here and care, they'll PM me. Alas! I'll take all support...though I'm not afraid...just kind of alone. (Well, God's with me. )

Good to meet all of you.

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My choice of beverage is Diet Coke tonight. Upset stomach makes it necessary. So glad to see you all.

Hoping you are having a better day or night. And that those waiting on testing get it soon.
I know that route, and its no fun. I send prayers out to any need that especially when insurance is reason its waiting.

I want headaches to go for all, I've got a doozy tonight.
Donna

I forgot to mention. No artificial sweeteners in my beverages. The excitotoxins in artificial sweeteners (aspartame) are a definite No No. I also avoid the organically chlorinated artificial sweeteners (sucralose).

I look for natural sugar beverages vs HFCS. Besides, natural sugar tastes much cleaner and crisper than High Fructose Corn Syrup.

I am eager to see if the FDA will allow Stevia to be used in beverages. It is being sold as Truvia as a sugar substitute and is far safer that either aspartame or sucralose.

Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Cargill are working to get it approved as a food additive so they can put it in their beverages.

By the way, aspartame is high suspect in many neurological problems. It breaks down into aspartic acid, a compound that kills brain cells by stimulating the neurons of the brain to death. excitotoxin....excited to the point of death. If soda with aspartame is allowed to get warm, the aspartame breaks down into aspartic acid in the bottle.