Hello everyone, glad to have found this forum. Being on my phone and typing text is still very trying to my senses. My 14 month old pushed our telescope that was on a tripod (not spread wide enough apparently) onto my head between my left ear and midline of my skull. Immediately my language was effected. I’ve had symptoms off and on and seemingly changing over the last 2.5 weeks. Yesterday I was irrationally irritable and over the top with my reactions. It was a first for my mood and personality to be effected.
Mantra ‘being better beings’ for my 3.5 year old daughter and I to make it through tough moments.
Any advice for someone early in their TBI recovery? I’ve got all the classics: dizzy, nausea, pain, sensitive to light and sound, extreme fatigue.
For sound we got Sony sound canceling headphones that are my oasis! Extreme fatigue is that if I don’t lie down during preceding symptoms, I will loose the ability to move and simply collapse unable to speak. Thankfully this has only happened once, my husband and was home and the kids were asleep. Well, once on the bathroom floor. Today I really pushed doing household chores and 5 minutes after lying down I felt paralyzed but was still conscious…like how people are if they wake and can’t move. It felt like 30 minutes at least and on the bathroom floor it was close to an hour. Also, anyone find relief with THC/CBD and dosing. There are a lot of articles but it is SO difficult to even look at a screen than even read something technical.
Nice to meet everyone and hope you are having a good ‘on’ day.
Hey Dystopia,
Welcome to Ben’s Friends.
“Any advice for someone early in their TBI recovery?” Go and get things checked out, medically. Look, like many of us, you may get told don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong or you’ve had a knock to the head and ‘…It’ll settle…’
BUT
It sounds to me like you are having some progression of symptoms and that should be investigated. I say this because I have in the past had a progression and due to my history with medicos (and me being an arrogant male) I ignored things, ignored things and then waited a bit longer before things got real bad. When I eventually (with the push from my wife) went to see the dr’s they found there was an issue which needed urgent surgical follow up, which, if I’d followed up sooner ‘could’ have had a differing out come. As I say you may simply get told '…you’ve had a knock to the head and ‘…It’ll settle…’ but on the off chance, get it checked out.
Take it from someone who knows, a simple knock can have massive consequences.
Get it all checked out.
As for the THC/CBD question. I’m presently on a trial of a pharma concoction of both THC and CBD. Now I say ‘a pharma concoction’ because it is not green vegetable matter, so it does not have the whole range of cannabinoids that GVM has.
Has there been a benefit? Yes. I’ve gone from 8 opiates per day to 2 opiates per day. And my headaches are more manageable. Don’t get me wrong here the THC/CBD has not ‘fixed’ nor ‘cured’ my situation but it is an important part of my pain management regime. Personally I would absolutely love it for the medication to be my ‘magic bullet’ but unfortunately, for me, this has not been the case. In saying all of this, no two brain injuries are exactly the same, so what maybe of benefit to me, may be of no benefit to another and as both myself and others have discovered it really can be a case of trial and error to establish just what can help. When it comes to TBI’s there is no such thing as a ‘One size fits all’ scenario.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply! I got a CT scan within an hour of the incident and have seen my primary care at the one and two week marks. Thankfully I’m improving in many areas like balance and tolerating car rides (with headphones and closing my eyes). Doctor said if I’m not more recovered in two weeks they’ll order an MRI. The CT showed no internal bleeding. Last night I was finally able to read to my kids for bedtime! <3
That’s great to hear. This ‘recovery’ thing can be a long, slow process. I have good days, bad days and OMG days that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy and there does not seem to be any great pattern. I can have 3-4 days that are good then have 2 days of OMG. My symptoms vary with very little input from me.
If you are seeing some improvement, any improvement, be thankful for that.
Great advise , Dystopis , you will get good advice here . Real advise from folks that live this . Merl is awesome , take what he says and at least think about it . I am a cannabis advocate I was using 12 percacets a day I don’t take anything for pain other than weed . I’m s Christian man and don’t feel god honors smoking but I do eat edibles . They have changed my life . Hope this helps you . Good luck on your recovery . For me I embraced this TBI stuff and told myself I can still live a good life how can I make the most of what I have left . I got on the pitty pot why me bla bla bla that just kept me down . We are still that amazing person that we were before the accident we just have to adjust a few things . Praying for total healing for you . God bless
Thank you. It’s such a struggle! My husband thinks I’ll just wake up fine one morning and that isn’t happening. As Merl said, I have great days where I feel my old self (well, yesterday was my first from 6am-5pm when I couldn’t hold it together anymore). Now today I’m exhausted. I hate being a shell of who I was. I was supermom taking kids out every day, running community craft project, socializing!!!, playing, interacting, being happy . It’s painful to talk on the phone for more than 5 minutes, face to face interactions are exhausting and I have to excuse myself…the extrovert!! My little girl is the only reason I’m clinging desperately to keeping this life. Even at reduced capacity, she revels in being cuddled…and I can still do that! Ugh today I’m a downer, but appreciate you guys.
Guess who I am that hasn’t change: 38, married (thank goodness because how the hell someone would go this without support is baffling!), 2 kids: 3.5 year old girl and 1 year old boy, 5’5”, 170 lbs but dropping because no appetite and just don’t eat.
All mental and emotional aspects of myself have gone from extreme extrovert loving to take on new projects and driving 1.5 hours to bring a fellow mom friend a cake and wine is gone. 15 minute drive from house to doctors is agonizing, shopping, too bright can’t do, communication is difficult, jilted and awkward, tasks…putting on my shoes is an accomplishment.
Venting but thank you.
. It’s painful to talk on the phone for more than 5 minutes, face to face interactions are exhausting and I have to excuse myself…the extrovert!! My little girl is the only reason I’m clinging desperately to keeping this life. Even at reduced capacity, she revels in being cuddled…and I can still do that! Ugh today I’m a downer, but appreciate you guys.