Concussions and lasting effects

[Lewie]

Hi all-

I don’t know the best way to jump into this (I’m not good with words, unlike my namesake) so uh yeah. I got a concussion last February. I was walking outside, slipped on an icy patch and hit the back of my head on the sidewalk. It’s odd...it honestly didn’t hurt that bad. It’s kinda funny cus just a few seconds after I fell I blacked out. The paramedics arrived and whisked me away, and asked me questions...I couldn’t remember my name, where I was, what year it was, or who the current president is, etc. I was taken to the hospital, got put in a bed...I honestly don’t remember the rest....and that’s the problem....I can’t remember anything anymore. Dates, times, places, they are all a blur...you can ask me what I had for lunch yesterday, I won’t remember. Play some song lyrics for me, I won’t remember the song. This has been a huge problem in school, as I’ll work on a concept one day...and won’t have any clue about it the next. This is especially fun with my parents...I’ll tell them i simply cannot remember how to do said math problem...my mom’s answer is ‘bull crap, yes you do! Now do it!’ But I can’t!! I gave up guitar (I just....lost musical ability with this. Piano, ukulele, harmonica, guitar...all gone) I fear that this is going to have life-long implications...does anybody have any ideas/know anything about this kind of injury?

cheers-

Lewie

[Dman979]

Hey dude, I'm sorry you're not feeling so hot. I'm no doctor, and I don't want to give advice that could be wrong, especially in a field that I know nothing about.

However, I strongly recommend that you talk to your doctor about how you're feeling. Brain injuries are no joke, and you've been feeling this way for half a year.

If you're comfortable calling the doctor's office, tell them that you have concerns about your concussion and that you want to speak to your doctor or a nurse. Call between 9AM and 4PM, and have a pen and paper with you. I also encourage you to talk about how you're feeling with your parents and to have someone on the call with you. Don't be afraid to ask questions or to pipe up if you're concerned: After all, you are the expert on how you're feeling.

 

If you'd rather speak at an appointment I'm sure that's possible, but it might be more complicated because of Coronavirus protocols and your insurance coverage.

 

Whatever you end up doing, I hope you feel better soon.

[Lewie]

Thanks @Dman979 will definitely see to that! Thank you for the advice, I do believe it will prove to be beneficial 

[tater]

Yeah, talking to a doc is a good idea. My wife (a doc, not of the brain, though) just told me that that people sometimes have issues going forward indefinitely, and often it will resolve after a surprisingly long time period.

A buddy of mine had a concussion and amnesia for some hours, and it took him a long time to get certain memory back (like many months), and I think he still has a hole in his memory around when the bike accident happened.

 

Edited August 9, 2021 by tater

[StrandedonEarth]

I would also suggest contacting your local Brain Injury Society (or your local equivalent) for support and suggestions. Even if it’s a support group that will allow you to share with a group that understands what you’re going through. 

My brother suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in a car crash twenty years ago. He refused to go because “he’s not like those people “ but he hasn’t really accomplished anything since either. And we could never convince him otherwise. Please don’t be like that, because a concussion IS a brain injury. 

I don’t know, but maybe there’s a society that leans more toward concussions than TBIs

[Dientus]

I agree with everybody here, definitely talk to a doctor and don't stop talking even if they try to tell you nothing's wrong. If you think something is wrong it's actually a good chance that there is. We haven't developed the technology to be able to experience what other people experience.

 

I wish a lot of times I had done things different.