Traumatic Brain Injury: Come introduce yourself

Thank you! I’m wondering if it’s okay to post in chat group what medications others take and share what is working for me?

My PT had to do that eye business for weeks - looking at an x in the wall and moving my head up and down, back and forth. Didn’t prove long lasting. There are days when I feel like Im sailing through rough seas all day long. Where did you get the I.D. Card? I’m an ex-Sheriff Deputy and I keep my old badge in my car because I know if I get pulled over for any reason I’ll fail a field sobriety test! A card would sure be usefull!

Hi I’m Jean19 I live in Saint Paul. I have had 4 TBIs, the first was in Washington DC on May 18, 2002 at approximately 11:20 am. It was about 10 minutes before going into my daughter’s graduation from GW University. I didn’t get to the graduation I spent the day in the ER, I passed out, I don’t remember what happened, but I ended up with a fractured Right Orbit (blew out the bones of my eye socket) so my Right eye sits slightly lower but no one notices it. For the longest time it was’t a problem, but I will get back to this later. So I had an appointment with the eye doctors later that week. I was in DC for business that week anyway. I was told to ice my face and take pain meds. I flew home the end of the week saw an eye surgeon on Friday I needed to get the bruising and swelling down before eye surgery could be scheduled. The beginning of June surgery was scheduled for the next week, a plastic strip would lift up my eye. I continued to have pain in my eyebrow, mid cheek, and jaw, the surgeon kept refilling the pain meds. I got connected to a pain clinic for both my my facial pain and migraines. I had a lot of problems with my sinuses, so I went to my kids ENT, explained my fall, a CT was done and I needed to have surgery but the CT also diagnosed a problem with the plastic under my eye - one screw on the back of the socket, appeared to be coming unscrewed, so I was directed back to eye surgeon. Showed him the CT, explained the issue and I couldn’t have the nasal surgery until the eye was resolved, he could not agree with solution so I told him I would go to the UM for a second opinion. The doctors suggested surgery to remove the sling. My eye surgeon still wasn’t sure. I told the ENT all of the eye issues, he said he would call back in a few minutes. The eye surgeon called, he could do the surgery the next Monday. I put the surgery off by two weeks. 6 months later I had nasal surgery, I could breath again. It was almost 5 years to the same date as my first brain injury. I tripped on an uneven sidewalk in Saint Paul this time a fractured nose with a few lacerations. I had 2 TBI injures in 2019, the first was a MVA a truck lost control in snow then hit the dry pavement coming across the interstate perpendicular to the road, I hit him broadside, I lost consciousness, checked out by paramedics and told I was fine didn’t need to go to ER. I had the worst headache and neck pain, so I went to the ER the following morning. I had a subdural hematoma and spent the next four days in the Neuro ICU. Two follow up CTs and resolved hematoma in 4 weeks. Six months later I passes out walking into Rosedale Mall. This time a right sided subdural hematoma, another 4 days on the same unit as before. This time the hematoma had significantly enlarged after discharge so another CT, bleed was stable, so 6 weeks later another CT again resolved. I have spent weeks with physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Still missing words or forgetful thoughts. I still have chronic pain due to damage to a nerve in my cheek, significant increase in migraines, and other headaches. Chronic neck pain due to damage of my cervical spine. I still have balance issues but all in all I’m still here, getting up each day and keep putting one foot in front of the next. I’m retired now with days one after another.

Hi I’m Jean19 I live in Saint Paul. I have had 4 TBIs, the first was in Washington DC on May 18, 2002 at approximately 11:20 am. It was about 10 minutes before going into my daughter’s graduation from GW University. I didn’t get to the graduation I spent the day in the ER, I passed out, I don’t remember what happened, but I ended up with a fractured Right Orbit (blew out the bones of my eye socket) so my Right eye sits slightly lower but no one notices it. For the longest time it was’t a problem, but I will get back to this later. So I had an appointment with the eye doctors later that week. I was in DC for business that week anyway. I was told to ice my face and take pain meds. I flew home the end of the week saw an eye surgeon on Friday I needed to get the bruising and swelling down before eye surgery could be scheduled. The beginning of June surgery was scheduled for the next week, a plastic strip would lift up my eye. I continued to have pain in my eyebrow, mid cheek, and jaw, the surgeon kept refilling the pain meds. I got connected to a pain clinic for both my my facial pain and migraines. I had a lot of problems with my sinuses, so I went to my kids ENT, explained my fall, a CT was done and I needed to have surgery but the CT also diagnosed a problem with the plastic under my eye - one screw on the back of the socket, appeared to be coming unscrewed, so I was directed back to eye surgeon. Showed him the CT, explained the issue and I couldn’t have the nasal surgery until the eye was resolved, he could not agree with solution so I told him I would go to the UM for a second opinion. The doctors suggested surgery to remove the sling. My eye surgeon still wasn’t sure. I told the ENT all of the eye issues, he said he would call back in a few minutes. The eye surgeon called, he could do the surgery the next Monday. I put the surgery off by two weeks. 6 months later I had nasal surgery, I could breath again. It was almost 5 years to the same date as my first brain injury. I tripped on an uneven sidewalk in Saint Paul this time a fractured nose with a few lacerations. I had 2 TBI injures in 2019, the first was a MVA a truck lost control in snow then hit the dry pavement coming across the interstate perpendicular to the road, I hit him broadside, I lost consciousness, checked out by paramedics and told I was fine didn’t need to go to ER. I had the worst headache and neck pain, so I went to the ER the following morning. I had a subdural hematoma and spent the next four days in the Neuro ICU. Two follow up CTs and resolved hematoma in 4 weeks. Six months later I passes out walking into Rosedale Mall. This time a right sided subdural hematoma, another 4 days on the same unit as before. This time the hematoma had significantly enlarged after discharge so another CT, bleed was stable, so 6 weeks later another CT again resolved. I have spent weeks with physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Still missing words or forgetful thoughts. I still have chronic pain due to damage to a nerve in my cheek, significant increase in migraines, and other headaches. Chronic neck pain due to damage of my cervical spine. I still have balance issues but all in all I’m still here, getting up each day and keep putting one foot in front of the next. I’m retired now with days one after another.

Hi, this is Bob. I fell 53 inches backwards onto a concrete slab.