Brain Injury Support Group
Traumatic brain injury occurs when a sudden trauma causes brain damage. TBI can result from a closed head injury or a penetrating head injury. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. Outcome can be anything from complete recovery to permanent disability or death. A coma can also affect a child's brain.
Hi-It has been quite a while since I've been here, but I thought maybe someone could help me. I suffered my injury in May, 2009 when I fell in my basement and hit head first on the concrete floor. I remember thinking that it sounded like when my kids used to throw rocks onto the cement road. I think I passed out at some point, and I have no memory of how I got up to my kitchen, which was my next memory (I live alone). My neuro said that from the sharp pain I felt on the back of my head when I hit the front, he felt that my brain had hit both the front and back of my skull. I still have several problems-very little short term memory, a lot of long term memory loss, cognitive problems, loss of attention-things that many of us seem to be left with. But the most annoying one right now is with my eyes. Since the injury, I have not been able to move my eyes to the left, right, up or down to look at things without getting dizzy. My head can be perfectly still, and if I look at something from any direction but straight on, I get dizzy and off balance and have to shut my eyes to stop it.
This affects most anything I do. Right now, just typing on the computer, even though my eyes make only small movements, makes me feel awful. When I go food shopping at a regular large food store, which I try not to do, looking from one shelf to another will make me dizzy. I have tried to move my head when looking somewhere other than straight, but our eyes move so fast there is no way that it can work.
I also find that if I do a lot of reading or typing, I get totally tired. I know they said, after they decided that I did have an injury and PCS, that I should rest when ever I felt fatigued, but I assumed that was just right after the injury. Can my brain still be making me tired after almost 4 years?
To be honest, I have lately been questioning whether I have imagined how I feel. I and 63 and live alone-both my kids live pretty far away-so I have no one to back me up when I feel I am having a problem. I question myself when it comes to the fatigue-is it really from my brain or am I just getting lazy? Are these eye problems, memory problems etc. really happening or do I just imagine them? But I know how I feel, so I guess they are all real. I guess I read about those of you who have had really serious brain injuries having some of the same problems I have, and then question if I could have the same problems with just a fall and hitting my head. I guess every injury is different, and maybe age affects it too. When I was about 4, I fell and had a concussion. My neuro said that injury could have even had an affect on the current injury-I don't know about that though.
Anyway, thanks for reading my long post. It's good to be among friends again-it's been hard for me to get out with the eye problems, so I'm stuck at home, not able to do the things I used to be able to do easily and am very frustrated. I figured by now I would be much better than I am. But it could be worse, so I'm not going to complain.
Thanks again. God Bless. Kathy
This affects most anything I do. Right now, just typing on the computer, even though my eyes make only small movements, makes me feel awful. When I go food shopping at a regular large food store, which I try not to do, looking from one shelf to another will make me dizzy. I have tried to move my head when looking somewhere other than straight, but our eyes move so fast there is no way that it can work.
I also find that if I do a lot of reading or typing, I get totally tired. I know they said, after they decided that I did have an injury and PCS, that I should rest when ever I felt fatigued, but I assumed that was just right after the injury. Can my brain still be making me tired after almost 4 years?
To be honest, I have lately been questioning whether I have imagined how I feel. I and 63 and live alone-both my kids live pretty far away-so I have no one to back me up when I feel I am having a problem. I question myself when it comes to the fatigue-is it really from my brain or am I just getting lazy? Are these eye problems, memory problems etc. really happening or do I just imagine them? But I know how I feel, so I guess they are all real. I guess I read about those of you who have had really serious brain injuries having some of the same problems I have, and then question if I could have the same problems with just a fall and hitting my head. I guess every injury is different, and maybe age affects it too. When I was about 4, I fell and had a concussion. My neuro said that injury could have even had an affect on the current injury-I don't know about that though.
Anyway, thanks for reading my long post. It's good to be among friends again-it's been hard for me to get out with the eye problems, so I'm stuck at home, not able to do the things I used to be able to do easily and am very frustrated. I figured by now I would be much better than I am. But it could be worse, so I'm not going to complain.
Thanks again. God Bless. Kathy
I always remember your injury. Really a rough thing to have happen.
I'm 3 years out and I too deal with a lot of exhaustion. It's the combination of the TBI plus the high level of pain from the headaches, in my case.
There's something called "focus concentration" that one of my Doctors told me about that causes fatigue and headaches. It's when you do exactly as you described - use both the brain & vision to do something.
Have you had any vision specialists take a look at your eyes & brain? You may need special glasses or some other adaptations to help.
The neuro. also says that there isn't anything that he feels can be done to get rid of the problem. He says that if the dizziness and balance problems were due to problems in my inner ear, then there are therapies and medication that can help with that. But, like the eye doctor said, he said this is due to a problem with the collection and interpretation of information going from my eyes to my brain, and at this point, there is no treatment he knows of that would help that.
I know there are things I can do to help, like working in short spurts on the computer rather than for a long time. But it seems that once I get on, I don't realize I've been on too long until my eyes start feeling weird and I have to close them. At this point, I have to take a nap, no matter what time it is. I do spend a lot of time on the computer-I like to keep up with the news, family, etc. I also am a freelance writer-I write articles for a company called TextBroker. But most of the articles have a 1 day turn around time, and, although I used to be a very quick typist, between the research and typing time, I need at least 2-3 days to put together a 500 word article. If an article gives me more time, then I will grab it. Otherwise, I can't work fast enough. It is very frustrating to have lost all these skills that I guess I took for granted. I'm just going to have to find a way to deal with all these mTBI problems, especially the eye problems right now. Like said, I feel guilty complaining about the problems I have, because they are nothing compared to what a lot of you are dealing with. Anyway, I'll keep working on it, and with the support of this group, I'm sure I'll learn how to deal with these difficulties. Thanks!
Please don't feel that yours is "not as bad" as others. It's bad. It sucks.
And we're here to support each other. :)
I am 47 and I have to take a nap even if for only an hour. Plus, I don't wear glasses but I get the same issue with my eyes now. The peripheral vision is improving because of a computer gasme called Lumosity which is for cognitive training and maintenance. It helps a lot. I had a bad accident with a coma but our injuries are very similar, Dont minimize your problem; but I'm glad your greatful it is not worse. I'm inspired because I read your post and I related better to you than anyone else in so long it isnt funny. I feel so greatful. I was really badly impacted for so long and I am crippled with paralyses.I have made great strides. I get scared because I hear people going backwards; but I just keep doing what I am doing and hope the best for us all.