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View Full Version : Very minor everyday head jars make TBI worse?


BruceAllen
06-01-2008, 03:09 AM
I got hit in the head with a tree log on the left side of my head which knocked my head to the right. I didn't lose conciousness, but I did get confussion and blurry vision.

The symptoms became worse after driving for an hour in my not-so-smooth-riding car.

I went to the doctor and they acted like I'd be ok, just get some rest and don't go boxing or playing football. But I soon realized I had to take it much easier than just not playing football or boxing. The smallest jar to my head would cause acute symptoms of pressure in my head, confusion, changes in perception, sensitivity to sound, extreme sleepiness etc.

I took it easy for 4 days and felt almost completely normal, but after driving just one mile the symptoms started returning.

I rested again until I felt recovered, which was a week this time. I drove, and the symptoms returned again.

I rested 2 weeks, drove, and the same thing happened.

This time I rested for over a month and my cognitive abilities seemed to have finally returned to almost normal again. Then my girlfriend came down, and so my head got jarred a little by her, but I didn't get any acute symptoms from those jars; they didn't seem to affect me. But the two nights she spent with me I only got 4 hours of sleep, so I was very behind on sleep. I was so sleepy and couldn't think, and it's now been over a week and I still haven't fully recovered from that. I still feel very sleepy and can't seem to get enough sleep even though I'm sleepying 8-12 hours most nights.

I am feeling better each night, but I still don't feel normal again yet.

I'm hoping that it was just the sleep deprivation and that because I have post concussion syndrome that I just have to get a lot of sleep without getting behind.

I'm hoping that when I try driving my car again in about 4-7 days from now that the symptoms don't start returning to where I have to start all over in my recovery, which takes longer each time.

Can some brain injuries cause the brain to be insanely easy to reinjure even after you've gotten plenty of timeout? Such as maybe the brain fluid level being low, the brain stem being weakened, or just the brain staying swollen for a long time?

I've never noticed the feeling of my brain moving around in my skull on a minor jar before, but now I can. But I've heard other people say that it's normal to be able to feel your brain move around in your skull when you move your head kind of qucikly and that they can feel their brain move too.

Jim59
06-01-2008, 04:54 AM
Hi Bruce,
I had a massive open head, partial skull breakage TBI in 1984. My situation is and was very different so here are some of my general thoughts given my experience. It appears that you may have been seen by the wrong type of doctor. A neurologist can order some basic tests such as a MRI or CAT SCAN. Then he can decide whether you have a normal concussion or something more serious which requires a specialist such as a doctor who specializes in TBI. I don't want to scare you but a TBI or regular run of the mill concussion could reveal injuries or other conditions previously undiagnosed such as a brain lesion or tumor. You really need to pursue this with an appropriate doctors until you are cleared of your symptoms. Good luck to your speedy recovery.
jim

BruceAllen
06-01-2008, 05:40 AM
Thanks for your reply. Yes I will go see a specialist if driving again causes my symptoms to return. I'll be making a 100 mile trip in about 4-7 days from now. Depending on how soon I get my car fixed.

I'll seem to almost completely recover and be able to think really well, and then after those minor jars, but especially from driving long distances, the symptoms would return within a few minutes.

So I've been having to behave as if I'm made out of very thin glass to prevent the symptoms from returning. I'm talking about holding my sneezes, and even walking very softly and carefully. As long as I take it very easy I continue to improve.

Although I have noticed that those minor jars don't seem to bother me now, I'm still afraid to assume that I've recovered, like I did several times before, only to have the symptoms return and have to start my recovery all over again which takes much longer each time. The last time it took a month for me to start thinking clearly again.

I'm guessing nobody else here has had to take it this easy even when their brain injury was more severe than mine. How easy did you guys have to take it while recovering?

davidmic61
06-01-2008, 03:19 PM
I had to take it very easy and am still very aware of the potential for injury. My last surgery was 10 years ago this December, and I have a history of subdural hematoma.

For quite some time, I could feel the changes in my head when I would stand up too fast. I had to learn to slow down when standing up, but that has seemed to subside now.

I went to the Arizona Diamondbacks ball game with my wife Friday night and had front row seats right at third base. The home team dugout was right in front of me, and Baxter (the team's bobcat mascot) came up to me and started playing the drums on my head with his padded paws. I was a star on the jumbotron, but could only think about the risk involved. I'm sure he would have had second thoughts had he known he was hitting someone in the head who had experienced brain injury.

No harm done, and we loved the game, even though we came in second place. (Sounds better than lost.)

BruceAllen
06-01-2008, 05:26 PM
Thanks for your reply David. Yeah, I guess second place does sound better. lol

Do you remember how long you had to take it that easy, and not get up very fast etc. I've been taking it that easy for over a month now, but kind of got the taking it easy part messed up when my girlfriend came down. I also only got about 3 hours of sleep in two days while she was down.

The minor head jarring didn't cause any immediate symptoms, if any; it didn't seem to affect me. So maybe it was the sleep deprivation that messed me up again, but after she left I was extremely sleepy and couldn't think very well, and this lasted for over a week even though I would sleep 8-12 hours each night, and slept 14 hours the first night trying to catch up. It improved each day, but this would have never taken a week to recover from before the brain injury. Actually I'm still not quite back to where I was before she came down, but I think I'll be there in probably 4-5 more days at this rate.

Hopefully it was the sleep deprivation, and the minor jars won't affect me anymore. I can easily deal with sleeping a lot and never messing it up, but I really need to start driving again and get a job.

Did driving or riding in a vehicle ever make your symptoms worse?

Also did you stop feeling your brain move around in your skull on those minor head jars etc. Or do you still feel it but it doesn't seem to bother you now?

Kevin Jackson
06-02-2008, 11:37 AM
Hate to be the bearer of bad news. But things will never be the same. But you could say----------- well I'm still here:o. Thats not a lot of help huh. Theres some things on my thread that may make it bearable everyday. Just tweek them to suit your needs. But they work;). Theirs nothing wrong with the staute of the indevidual you where before this. Its the carerecter of that staute that you must work on.(emotinal,mental)
Best of luck

BruceAllen
06-02-2008, 09:57 PM
Yeah I can deal with not ever being as sharp as I once was, personality change, and with not being able to participate in high risk activities such as football etc. I just want to be able to drive a car and be able to handle a playful push by my girlfriend etc. without the symptoms returning.

I may be recovered enough to where my symptoms don't get worse on little jars though. I'll find out soon.

Kevin Jackson
06-06-2008, 11:54 AM
Well I HAVE'NT BEEN INTAMATE WITH THE OPPOSITE IN MANY YEARS CAUSE OF MY HEAD INJURY AND/ OR MEDICATION. LAST YEAR I DROVE FOR THE FIRST TIME BACK TO WISCONSIN TO GET THINGS I'D LEFT. I JUST GOT MY TRUCK FIXED. SO ME AND MY BABIES CAN GO IN THE WOODS. AND FOR ME ITS BEEN 10 YEARS MOTHERSDAY WEEKEND. I USE TO DRIVE MY BIKE ACROSS COUNTRY. NOW LOOK AT ME. YOU KNOW IF YOU CAN HANDEL NOT BEING AS SHARP OR THE PERSSONNALTY CHANGES. THEN YOU NEED TO HELP THE LOT OF US IN DEALING WITH THAT DEPRESSION. CAUSE IT STILL BOTHERS ME. A HECK OF A LOT. OR IS IT THAT TELLING YOURSELF THAT MAKES YOU STRONG. KIDDIN ONESELF ONLY MAKES THE HILL STEEPER

BruceAllen
06-07-2008, 07:26 PM
Well it seems I can drive again now; my symptoms didn't return after driving this time. I just tested it out and drove all over town. :) The problem with my car was some tires that were seperating or whatever. So it will ride very smooth after I get some new tires.

Well Kevin it would be nice if we could completely recover, but as long as I can enjoy anything in life then I'll be happy.