Facts About Concussion and Brain Injury

I was involved in a track and field accident. I did the no contact sport and always ignored the concussion mandatory meetings for all athletes. Now I have had a post concussion syndrome for almost 6 months. A long jumper hit heads with me at full speed which caused me to fall directly back onto the back of my head after hitting heads with him. In a way I got a double concussion. I blacked out only for a few seconds and was sent by ambulance to the ER. I have not been better since then. I would have been MVP and Captain of Cross Country this year and I can't even walk a mile without getting worn out. I am completely exercise intolerant. All I want is to be able to participate in my sport again.

A week ago I fell in the shower: I hit the back of my head against the toilet (the impact point was between the skull's lower part and where the neck begins): the toilet lid broke and went flying (which I think helped as that released the impact energy some more instead of being absorbed back by my head): I did not lose consciousness; I just rested a few minutes sitting down in the shower, then finished washing and iced my bump right away. For a few days I kept icing my head; and the bump has subsided: it doesn't even feel sensitive anymore, even though it's still there. I have NOT once experienced nausea, vomiting, blurry vision, or loss of balance: none of that. My concentration and attention at work have seemed fine, but I have started feeling subcutaneous tenderness at the top of my head and some slight tingle-like headache (I am not sure how else to describe them- they do not impair my abilities, but they are there as a dull background pain). Clearly, I did some "damage", but  I am wondering if the headaches are part of the healing process or if I am deteriorating. Is it normal to feel this way? 

Three years ago I went head on into a tree with a snowmobile. I had a concussion, broken back two places, broken sternum, broken clavicle, bleeding on the brain.

At 30 mph I hit a 12 inch diameter tree straight on. My helmet skipped off the tree on impact wrapping my neck and shoulder around the tree while the snowmobile back end crushed me against it.

I was put on pain meds Oxycodone 5 mg -325 ,for the next three years for pain from shoulder and kneck (it took 8 months for the clavicle to heal, knocked out a 1 inch piece of bone).

Two months ago my doctor pulled me off the oxy due to the recent spike in addiction related uses. For three weeks I went without pain meds other than Tylenol, which I took to many trying to control the pain (similar to an earache but in the neck). I had acid reflux and seem to vomit a lot.

He ended up putting me on fentanyl patch for 24 hour pain control three weeks ago. To make a long story shorter I have been constantly vomiting, so I stopped using patch. I still seem to vomit almost every day.

I have narrowed down my constant vomiting to this: any excessive stress situation, I get motion sickness while driving, visual stimulation, excessive visual or sound activities will cause me to vomit non stop.

After the accident I couldn't watch TV, be in a room with more than one person, spent a lot of time in the dark. Any brain stimulation (dog barking) would cause me to almost instantly become nauseous for the first month.

I am concerned that the three years I was on the oxy may have masked long term issues that I now seem to be having.

I have been at the same job for 20 years and have to leave meetings due to extreme nausea. I blamed the patch for the sickness, but even though I am off it I seem to be getting worst.

I need help with this.

I was recently at the weight room and Coach decided we should add these ropes to the weight lifting stations. We had to pull up from the ground using the ropes. I kinda felt like we should not be doing this, so he said.. One person at a time, so I went ahead and took my turn. But instead someone didn't want to wait and came down with tons of weight on the bad and hit me as I was coming up. Gladly there was no cuts or black outs, but it's been 2 weeks and it's been getting worse, and we can't afford further treatment and staying at home pretty much sleeping and just trying to cope with it isn't enough. I hope it gets better

Take him to the hospital. Better safe then sorry always

go to the hospital immediately. It could lead to a blood clot. You need to go. Some people think it will go away on its own? It might go away but I didn't go to the E.R and I wish I would have now because I still have symptoms 4 years later! I hope this information will help you. Good luck.

I was bucked off my horse 4 days ago. Had my helmet on, thank God. Landed on a hard surface on my lower back. Kinda remember hitting my head but it was the pain in my lower back that had my full attention. Did not go to ER went on the trail ride after I got up. Here it is 4 days later, my back is still sore but I got up this morning feeling like I was going to throw up. Have had a headache pretty much all day. Trying to decide if I should go to ER or not. I have insurance but I hate hospitals.

Sounds like symptoms of a concussion. I hope she's feeling better.

My daughter is 6 years old she got her first concussion at home today walking with a blanket on her head. She got knocked out she lost consciousness I called 911 immediately. She theny woke up really confused she vomited 3 times. Then came back to it when paramedics were working on her she was alert and was asking what happened to me mommy? I explained she tripped and fell and bonked her head and mommy has to call them here to make sure my princess is safe. She relaxed. She stayed awake the whole ambulance ride we arrived we were put in a room then 30 minutes later when the Nurse made her try and walk she vomited 4 more times. Is this normal to vomit that long after hitting her head? Also CT scan came back normal. They sent her home still nauseous still confused and not all there. Should they have kept her at least overnight to monitor her? We're home now I woke her 1 hour into her sleep to make sure she will wake up. She woke up really confused she was fighting me to not hold her hand on the way to the bathroom she even got lost on the way to the bathroom is this normal? If anyone has had a similar situation and knows anything about it please help. I am not familiar with concussions or head injuries. Thank you in advance

I fainted in my elevator and sustained a massive blow to my head, a 5" laceration to my scalp (8 sutures - instead of staples since I had to do MRI), and two fractures in my C4/C5.  Yep, the blow was so hard, my neck snapped back and literally broke my neck!  Luckily no serious brain damage, and luckily no spinal cord damage.  The fractures are slightly displaced but stable so no surgery needed, thankfully.  I'm in a hard collar x4 weeks and a soft x2 weeks, ruined summer :(  

Anyway, my concussion is awful.  I've had a few in my life (sports injuries) and nothing compares to this.  Sensitivity to sound and light, constant headaches, forgetfulness, dizziness, trouble forming sentences and communicating.  It's been 7 days with no signs of improvement and I sincerely hope it doesn't last much longer.  Concussion recovery is certainly varied depending on the person and injury.  Good luck to all, hope you don't suffer too badly.

In my early childhood I was run over by a backing up car. I'm now 60 and I've experienced short term memory loss and I'm concerned about dementia now. Can that be a trigger for dementia?

Well it takes time recovering even if it's just a week or a few months. Some people have a really slow process with recovery. It's normal to have headaches and nausea after a concussion because it's your brain is still healing. It's important you rest even if it has been 6 months since you had the concussion. Since you had that concussion your brain is going to be more sensitive so you should be careful. If your headaches increase and get worse or you have nausea you should see a doctor. Hoping this helped.

I was in a bad car accident. I had 2 places that were bleeding in my head. After it stopped the worst of the swelling and bruising went away but my eyes were black and my forehead. It's been 3 weeks and some of the feeling has come back but the top of my head is still numb most of the time. Every now and then I have feelings in head and forehead. It's going to be a long road but everyday is a little better.

My fiancé had a concussion in 2013 and he's still suffering from it to this day. Almost everyday he has a headache, sometimes worse than others..and feels tired all the time. His sleep patterns are strange and he says he hasn't felt the same since his accident. I feel so bad, I wish there was something I could do to help him. We've seen a neurologist and audiologist..but basically led to nothing so far.

Im am only 18 years old and this is my 5th concussion, i am on week 4 of recovery and still dont feel like myself and dont know how much longer it will take, i also have gotten anxiety from this last concussion and i cannot control it.... does anyone know how much longer this will take or what i should do to feel healthy?

I wanted to post an update to my last post. My accident was March 26 2016, I posted about my falling on my face/forehead in a driveway. After 2 months I am feeling 90 % better. I was so out of sorts in the beginning- total haze and hopelessness for the me I had lost. The first 4 weeks were awful. But slowly I've been returning to my pre fall brain function. I wanted to give everyone hope! I still have headaches - get tired easy and know my processing speed is slower. But the haze is gone and I continue to see improvements. Part of my personality shifted, I'm not sure if that is going away or that old me is coming back. But I'm hopeful I can adjust to the different me. I have lots of encouragement around me. Although most everyone doesn't get that I am still experiencing difficulty. I just realize I have to make adjustments for me. Still I am thrilled with how much better I am. 

Keep the faith!

Almost 2 weeks ago I tripped and hit headfirst into a plastic barricade around a steel roof support at work. I may have knocked myself out for a few seconds but am not really sure. I couldn't feel or move my hands for about 5 minutes then started feeling "shards of glass" in both my arms from shoulder to wrist. At the time, a flashlight was shined in my eyes and I was told my pupils dilated normally. I was taken to the ER and diagnosed with 4 compressed discs in my neck. Nothing about a concussion. As days went by I kept having issues like nausea, vomiting, dizziness where my vision blackened, confusion, memory lapses, and I almost passed out. Went back to the ER 10 days later with a diagnosis of post concussion syndrome. I always though I had to have hit hard enough to have caused a concussion if I had 4 compressed discs but no one thought to make sure. Now just a matter of time waiting to fully heal and have neck surgery.

My 15 year old daughter recently was diagnosed with 2 separate concussions within 7 days. She has seen several doctors and has been pulled out of school and advised to have no activity. For the past 2 weeks she has been sleeping 18-22 hours a day and has been in severe head pain every day. The last day and a half she has seemed to be making a dramatic turn for the better. Less severe headache and much more energy. She seems to have returned to herself almost overnight. Is it normal to have such a quick reversal in symptoms? Definitely not complaining, just seems odd she would turn around so quickly.

I was hit on the side of my head just above my ear by a thrown softball while playing in a coed game.  While running to first, the second baseman threw it and I was knocked to the ground.  This is my first head injury and I am a go getter type of person that doesn't give in to pain.  This has thrown me for a loop. I feel for anyone who has gone through this.  I am going on two weeks since the injury and I am still not myself.  I am still very bruised and sore where I was hit.  I get sharp pains in the side of my head and back behind my eye and temple area.  Still a little dizzy if I move to quickly and my memory is not working to well.  Getting my words out is almost like I have a stutter at times.  I cannot seem to find what I am trying to say.  Very frustrating.  I definitely will sympathize with anyone going through this. 

My 13 year old daughter jumped over a cement wall that separates my house from my neighbors. When she jumped over her foot got entangled in the vines and she fell over the wall slamming her head on the concrete. I saw the whole thing and I ran over, I thought for sure she split her head open, but she didn't. She was dazed, staring into space and was quiet. I monitored her for the next 15 minutes when she began to become very sleepy, had ringing in her ears, she was dizzy, walking sideways and complaining that she felt like she was going to puke. I took her to the ER and she was diagnosed with a concussion. It has been a week, but she is still not herself. She still has ringing in her ears, is extremely sensitive to light, is on nausea medicine and still has headaches. She is a very active child, but now she is careful, can only go to school for half days and is a little more sensitive. I hope she continues to heal and becomes more like herself. It was a very scary night for me, especially when I witnessed the accident.

A very concerned parent, but this article has helped, but also made me more concerned about her.

My concussion changed my life. I was a type A functioning executive that turn into a mild mr individual. Nothing worked n nothing made sense to me. The doctors didn't know what was wrong n I lived in hell for 3 years until I received the right treatment. Before getting the right treatment I tried to kill myself because I couldn't get used to a person that needed assistance from others. It's been almost 7 years and I still haven't fully recovered. I pray for everyone that's on this unpredictable journey with me

I have had 3 concussion in my life the last concussion my words were not comings out right the last one was the worst. I still have problems remembering what I had just said