Adult Life after a Traumatic Brain Injury

In October it will be 23 years of my traumatic brain injury. I prefer to call my new normal my comment normal.

I meant to say, I prefer to call my new normal my current normal.

@pcg I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles. It is quite a challenge to explain to others that you are struggling when you have no obvious outward signs of your injury. (It's all in your head!)

Are you able to enlist an advocate to go to the doctor with you? Keep track of your symptoms and share them with your primary care provider. Ask them to refer you for a PCS evaluation. If the doctor doesn't take you seriously, find a new provider. Unfortunately, in 2007 awareness around TBI's was not as high as it is now. Even now, I have found that I (and, more often, my family) have had to really advocate for what I need. Having family on my side during this journey and in doctor's appointments was so crucial for me because I was not able to articulate my needs in the moment., and I was not able to remember what the doctors said during the meetings. I would recommend you keep a diary and share it your health care providers. My doctors said that they found my notes to be very helpful.

And, BTW, my MRI and Scans did not show any bleeds or obvious swelling at the time of my injury. But 3.5 years later, I'm still feeling the effects of my fall.

Good luck on your journey!

Thank you for sharing! For me, Mood disregulation, short term memory, easily overwhelmed, seem to fight depression and anxiousness...tbi and a new marriage 3 years ago. I am so discouraged. Recent high stress has started head pain in the back of my head that I haven't felt since immediately after my accident. Advice on meds?? I went off an antidepressant because my tmj teeth clenching side effect was so bad I was making my gums bleed from grinding.

So sorry to hear anyone has to go thru this life changing event. How did you have your accident? My head has head 24/7 for well over a year and a half. I also discovered after the accident I now have a brain tumor sitting on an artery in the back of my head. They don't want to check it until December but I'm concerned because of new numbness issues. No matter how sleep, no matter flat, right side or left side I went from my hands going numb to my whole side going numb. Wondering if the tumor is getting larger. It's like when your foot falls asleep only one whole side of my body. I have had good luck for anxiety and being overwhelmed by taking good old fashioned Valium. I take 2 5mg pills a night before bed. No side effects at all and it just calms me so I can try to get some sleep. know it's not coming from my back because it goes away as soon as I get up and move around, although my head still kills me. My eye damage is worsening and they are not considering that as associated with the TBI.

Hi I also have had TBI was a nurse hit in the head and had severe post concussion and had to quit work . I’ve tried many different medications to help with pain and I have reoccurring pain with airpressure systems and bad ones does anyone have any answers as what they take for these / I’ve been on ketamine and ketamine infusion, topiramide and many others with no success . Your help would be such a blessing !

So sorry to hear this, I certainly feel your pain. Ketamine is a horrible drug, at least the reaction I had to it. My head hurts constantly since my TBI and I hate that they keep calling it a migraine. It's not a migraine, it's head pain. It feels like a balloon being inflated with helium. When it gets really bad I take a Imitrex, which is for migraines. Some times it helps other times it does not. But I've developed a lesion at my brain stem since the accident that they can't touch or test, it's sitting on an artery. New symptoms are appearing so I'm concerned the lesion is getting larger. So, you. may want to try Imitrex, they have a generic. I have found all those shots do nothing. My worst times are when the back of my head rests up against something, even my pillow when I sleep. I went to the movies the other day to see Downton Abby and was miserable thru the whole movie....I hope you find some relief.

Thank you for answering back to me sure appreciate it . Mine gets really bad with low and high airpressure and in this part of Canada I live in well that’s pretty well all the time so it’s a life time of pressure headaches . Will talk to the the doctor about this med thanks .

I am so sorry to hear about the pain and lesion on your brain stem I hope they can help you so you can have some relief .

Thank you. something I just have to learn to live with.