Have TBI but not normal symptons-Why?

[HarleyLady]

I am new to this forum.  A little about myself.  I totaled my Harley in April, 2009.  I was airlifted to a nearby hospital, spent 8 days in a coma and giving my last rites as a request from my strict Catholic Irish Mother.    I had a fractured right arm and right eye totally shut due to nerve damage. Spent 3 weeks in ICU then transferred to a therapy hospital (TBI result) where I was giving hard core therapy but cried so much that they gave me a MRI and found that I had tore my rotate cuff and finally had surgery late July that put me back 2 steps.    I am still going through arm/finger therapy and waiting for my brain to rewire to help me with my dropped wrist.   My eye could not be fixed, they cosmically move it to the middle and gave me a contact to wear over it to block the vision to reduce double vision. (Another surgery moving me 2 steps back)    So now I am a one eyed skier, roller bladder and runner , but holding off until my TBI  symptoms go away.   I have major headaches and fatigue until around 2:00 in the afternoon

   
My problem, I don’t see anyone who has similar symptoms.  I have not lost any memory (still able to do my accounts and charges updates and monitor real estate closings at my office) but not about my accident or in the hospital).   I can walk and remembered all the people’s names when I awoke from a coma..  I don’t have speech anymore since I passed their tests during the 2months I took it  and OT was stopped shortly after I started since I was able to move and walked with ease.  My only  problem is that when I awake and get up - usually by 7:00 is that I  am very tired, but cannot sleep and feel my head clouded until around 2:00 p.m. (I was wearing a helmet on my Harley)     I do therapy twice a week and  exercise for at least an hour every day on my bike and treadmill regardless of the headache and/or dizziness    Because of this I am thinking my TBI maybe mild but why can’t I recover since it has been 9 months.   I just feel worthless until then.  Any suggestions?    (Oh yes - I celebrated my 60th birthday while is my coma but I am young a heart and have stayed fit.   I also stopped the hard core meds  and only take Excedrin along with ReQuip when my legs get “dancing” and Paxil for anxiety.  If I need to stay awake my doctor has giving me Provigil.  All medicines are taken at ½ dosages )

[deedeenh3]

Where specificall was your head injury? To the front/back/side or diffuse? Fatigue is extremely common with head injuries and unfortunately time sometimes is the only medicine.  I do believe in alternative medicine have you tried anything non-traditional?

[HarleyLady]

Thannks for replying so qucikly.   My husband has told me "diffuse" like shaking baby.   My neroe told me after last cat scan that  evertything was fine.  Mrynew neuor wants a MRI because he can't understand why the 8 day coma.  (i checked my records and it was not induced)

[brokenbrilliant]

HarleyLady -

It sounds like you have made a pretty amazing recovery.

I've got headaches, too. All the time, pretty much. They tend to vary and are rarely intense, but they're always there. Oh, well...

For your fatigue, have you tried exercising first thing, as soon as you get up? I've had a bunch of TBIs and I have spent the first 4-5 hours of the day, most of my life, in a foggy daze. Could never wake up till about 11 a.m. Then, for some reason a few months ago, I started doing exercise, first thing in the morning, as soon as I got up. 20 minutes on the exercise bike, followed by stretching and lifting light weights (5 lbs each). I don't do anything else until I exercise (except feed the cat and put the kettle on the stove for coffee).

The difference is amazing -- life-changing. I'm actually awake at 8 a.m. That never happened before.

If you're exercising anyway, and you're up at 7 a.m. each day, anyway, try doing your exercise before you do anything else, and see if it helps.

And also -- watch the meds. TBI makes you very susceptible to any kind of sedative medication, so even a smidge of Benadryl can do a number on you. I cannot do any sort of sedative medication, including the night-time pain relievers, because it knocks me out too much.

You may want to check with your doctor about whether or not your meds are knocking you out. Not all docs admit that meds are sedative, but check around.

[parkerbrain]

Hi HarleyLady,

I had frequent headaches for the first couple of years after the accident. I would also cry lots, sometimes for no reason. Now I express sadness appropriately.

It took six years before I really started to get better. From what I gather from hearing other people’s stories, recovery is quite varied. 

A few months into therapy for my brain injury, I suddenly started flailing my head and arms in violent spasms. A neurologist gave me medicine that instantly stopped the intense tics and also ordered an MRI. Even though I had a CAT scan at emergency and was cleared, the MRI showed six fresh hemorrhages in the frontal lobe.

Staying physically active, if one is able to, helps the body/mind/spirit to heal, I believe.

Be well,

Donald

[swimrx]

Yikes!  First thing - there are no NORMAL TBI symptoms.  Second thing - there are 2 things that affect recovery 1) length of coma 2) age at time of injury.  And cognitively - the higher the IQ pre-acccident - the easier the cognitive recovery.  So I would say that you must be REALLY bright and in very good shape. Congratulations!  I would try the exercise thing that was mentioned and if all else fails- just work your schedule around when you know you're going to feel OK.  One thing I've figured out is that everybody's brain is different.  I agree about being careful with the meds...I'm a registered pharmacist and I can tell you that there is no such thing as a med without a side effect.  Good luck and stay positive- Marty

[HarleyLady]

Thanks everyone for responding.   Sorry I have not responded lately but I am doing some hard core therapy on my injured arm and great news it has begun to moved and I can now type with both hands so my doctor was right, I may be re-wiring.   I have found that I was exceptionally fit, did not drink alcohol, and never took anything but TYLENOL for pain.   You can imagine after I woke up from the coma, how long and difficult it was to weaned off the Michael Jackson drugs.   

You are all right on the exercise. I am now starting to exercise 4 times a day for 30 - 45 minutes each time and it has helped especially when I do the first one before breakfast. I have even brought a WII fit as well.   For the first time yesterday I was able to stay fully awake all day but I may have overdid it because I feel over tired today.   I hope the weather gets warmer so I can begin my 5-mile walks.  In upstate NY, it will be about a month and ½ before Spring.  I am hoping that being stuck indoors has prevented me from recovering faster.   I also have stopped all drugs including my restless legs meds and that also has proven to be worthwhile

I will continue to stay positive because my  5 year old grand-daughter wants me back skiing with her and playing soccer in the summer.  I am hoping 2010 will be a better year and in 5 years I can retire again or take up snowboarding with her.   Of course I will always wear my helmet. 

[parkerbrain]

Hi HarleyLady,

Physical exercise is instrumental in bringing the mental/emotional/physical/spiritual systems into sync.

I admit that getting regular exercise is my biggest challenge these days. It’s all about momentum. Once I commit to a regime, it lasts for quite a while. If I back off, it takes a lot of motivation to get back on track. I have lost 25 pounds in the past 6 months and that is a great incentive as I see results from my efforts.

Also, the goal of getting involved in sports with your daughter sounds wonderful.

Be well,

Donald Parker