1. < Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Traumatic Brain Injury: Come introduce yourself

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Nov 7, 2019

Welcome to the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
This is a welcoming, safe place where you can meet people who know first-hand about living with a traumatic brain injury. Together we can learn from each other and share stories about challenges and triumphs, setbacks and the things that help.

Pull up a chair and connect. Why not start by introducing yourself? What is your experience? Got a question, tip or story to share?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Support Group.

robertvirnig | @robertvirnig | Aug 4, 2020
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome @robertvirnig Ouch! that is most definitely not a soft landing. How long ago was your..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Welcome @robertvirnig Ouch! that is most definitely not a soft landing. How long ago was your injury? Can you share a bit more about your recovery and rehab? What helped? What remains a challenge today?

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October 2nd if 2019 was injury. As far as recovery, not much. Get dizziness like on the tilt a whirl going minty. Some comprehensive issues and a quick fuse do to injury. Just took a neurophysiological assessment and waiting for results. Also broke 4 vertebrae and cracked spine in two spots from fall

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1 reply
kk2019 | @kk2019 | Aug 4, 2020
In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @kk2019, welcome to the TBI group. Pull up a chair and share a bit about..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Hi @kk2019, welcome to the TBI group. Pull up a chair and share a bit about you. What brings you to the group? How did you get your brain injury? How's the recovery going?

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In Sept 2019 I was on my way home from work when the traffic on I-94 came to a stop due to a car fire ahead. I was stopped when a loaded gravel truck rear ended my car going between 60-65mph according to the police report. My car did a 180 from the passing lane through the drive lane and came to rest in the ditch facing the direction I just came from. The truck hit tre car in front of me did basically the same except into the center ditch. Then the truck continued on into the drive lane and rolled on to the drivers side dumping gravel all over the interstate. I didn’t know the extent of my injury until people around me identified signs and symptoms of concern. Physically I did not appear injured but there was definitely something going on with my head. The first few weeks it seemed that medical providers were so focused on a symptom that they couldn’t step back and look at the big picture and how the collection of symptoms might be connected. Finally, a PA who saw me as a walk-in at my small town clinic reviewed everything since the accident and referred me to a neurologist. That was the first step in the right direction (and continuing to bug until someone listened). Recovery has been slow and frustrating at times. I don’t adapt to change very well, task loading is like rocket science and the one thing I know for sure Is I can’t ‘push through’ like I used to do. I have supportive people in my life who check in with me. I have been working from home (I’m only working 32 hrs because of brain injury) but decided to go back to the office last week because there will be about 4 big (for the new me) changes and I didn’t wast to have them all at once. So I worked 3 days at the office and Friday I was so fatigued I was out by 6:30pm.

REPLY
2 replies
mugglemary | @mugglemary | Aug 5, 2020
In reply to @kk2019 "In Sept 2019 I was on my way home from work when the traffic on I-94..." + (show)
@kk2019

In Sept 2019 I was on my way home from work when the traffic on I-94 came to a stop due to a car fire ahead. I was stopped when a loaded gravel truck rear ended my car going between 60-65mph according to the police report. My car did a 180 from the passing lane through the drive lane and came to rest in the ditch facing the direction I just came from. The truck hit tre car in front of me did basically the same except into the center ditch. Then the truck continued on into the drive lane and rolled on to the drivers side dumping gravel all over the interstate. I didn’t know the extent of my injury until people around me identified signs and symptoms of concern. Physically I did not appear injured but there was definitely something going on with my head. The first few weeks it seemed that medical providers were so focused on a symptom that they couldn’t step back and look at the big picture and how the collection of symptoms might be connected. Finally, a PA who saw me as a walk-in at my small town clinic reviewed everything since the accident and referred me to a neurologist. That was the first step in the right direction (and continuing to bug until someone listened). Recovery has been slow and frustrating at times. I don’t adapt to change very well, task loading is like rocket science and the one thing I know for sure Is I can’t ‘push through’ like I used to do. I have supportive people in my life who check in with me. I have been working from home (I’m only working 32 hrs because of brain injury) but decided to go back to the office last week because there will be about 4 big (for the new me) changes and I didn’t wast to have them all at once. So I worked 3 days at the office and Friday I was so fatigued I was out by 6:30pm.

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I’m so sorry for your ordeal, both getting diagnosed and going to work! I can’t work at all since my TBI in Nov.2018.

REPLY
mugglemary | @mugglemary | Aug 5, 2020
In reply to @robertvirnig "October 2nd if 2019 was injury. As far as recovery, not much. Get dizziness like on..." + (show)
@robertvirnig

October 2nd if 2019 was injury. As far as recovery, not much. Get dizziness like on the tilt a whirl going minty. Some comprehensive issues and a quick fuse do to injury. Just took a neurophysiological assessment and waiting for results. Also broke 4 vertebrae and cracked spine in two spots from fall

Jump to this post

Can really relate to the tilt a whirl! Yikes! Your other injuries! Welcome to the right group!

REPLY
woodsyann | @woodsyann | Aug 5, 2020

Hi Folks, this is Ann from South St Paul--just joined the project yesterday and am SO happy that the computer algorithm put me in the Remote Care group. I just spent a few minutes browsing various posts here and have already found three specific things to try out for dealing with the dizziness. This is going to be a valuable resource. My TBI journey began last Dec. 28, day of a big ice storm in the Twin Cities. I was headed out at 7:30 a.m. as usual, to start my day with an hour of laps in a nearby pool. I slipped on the ice, landing in the middle of the street, knocked out. I came to expecting to be run over. It was very scary to lie in the street, calling for help and have no one come for a long time. Ended up in the hospital for a couple of days, no brain bleed, but a nasty scalp wound, persistent headache, bad dizzies, fatigue, and speech deficits. Speech and physical therapy over the next months helped a lot, but all closed down in March and my progress slowed down too. I'm looking forward, now 7 months out, to discovering things I can do on my own to improve.
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2 replies
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 1, 2020

Welcome new member @joyfaithhope. I love your username JoyFaithHope. I hope you feel welcomed and will pull up a chair to our virtual circle and tell us a bit more about yourself. What is your brain injury story? What brings you joy, faith and hope?

REPLY
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 1, 2020
In reply to @woodsyann "Hi Folks, this is Ann from South St Paul--just joined the project yesterday and am SO..." + (show)
@woodsyann

Hi Folks, this is Ann from South St Paul--just joined the project yesterday and am SO happy that the computer algorithm put me in the Remote Care group. I just spent a few minutes browsing various posts here and have already found three specific things to try out for dealing with the dizziness. This is going to be a valuable resource. My TBI journey began last Dec. 28, day of a big ice storm in the Twin Cities. I was headed out at 7:30 a.m. as usual, to start my day with an hour of laps in a nearby pool. I slipped on the ice, landing in the middle of the street, knocked out. I came to expecting to be run over. It was very scary to lie in the street, calling for help and have no one come for a long time. Ended up in the hospital for a couple of days, no brain bleed, but a nasty scalp wound, persistent headache, bad dizzies, fatigue, and speech deficits. Speech and physical therapy over the next months helped a lot, but all closed down in March and my progress slowed down too. I'm looking forward, now 7 months out, to discovering things I can do on my own to improve.

Jump to this post

Hi @woodsyann, I love your picture. If you can, it would be lovely if you could upload it to your profile. Click this link for instructions on how to update your profile https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/newsfeed-post/how-to-update-your-profile/

Ann, as you approach the first winter since your slip on the ice, how are you feeling about venturing out in the cold weather? Are you still swimming these days?

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totto | @totto | Nov 5, 2020

Hi Everyone, I am Theresa from the St. Cloud area. I am very excited to be a part of this group. I had my accident on August 22, 2019. I was living on the beach in Florida. It was the year anniversary of my father's death, and I was walking the beach thinking of him, and I stepped on something that cut my foot really bad, and I fell and hit my head hard. I guess I knocked myself out. I returned to work a month later after my foot and arm had healed and then the extreme dizziness and blackouts started. I was a respiratory therapist at the time. Well fast forward, those days are gone. I love one of the mottos from the Brain Injury Alliance "Respect the Past, Embrace the Future...the new you!!!

REPLY
totto | @totto | Nov 5, 2020
In reply to @woodsyann "Hi Folks, this is Ann from South St Paul--just joined the project yesterday and am SO..." + (show)
@woodsyann

Hi Folks, this is Ann from South St Paul--just joined the project yesterday and am SO happy that the computer algorithm put me in the Remote Care group. I just spent a few minutes browsing various posts here and have already found three specific things to try out for dealing with the dizziness. This is going to be a valuable resource. My TBI journey began last Dec. 28, day of a big ice storm in the Twin Cities. I was headed out at 7:30 a.m. as usual, to start my day with an hour of laps in a nearby pool. I slipped on the ice, landing in the middle of the street, knocked out. I came to expecting to be run over. It was very scary to lie in the street, calling for help and have no one come for a long time. Ended up in the hospital for a couple of days, no brain bleed, but a nasty scalp wound, persistent headache, bad dizzies, fatigue, and speech deficits. Speech and physical therapy over the next months helped a lot, but all closed down in March and my progress slowed down too. I'm looking forward, now 7 months out, to discovering things I can do on my own to improve.

Jump to this post

Thank-you for sharing your story Ann. I am a little ahead of you in my journey. I was also making good progress in rehab when everything shut down. I am back in all my therapies and making good progress again.

REPLY
totto | @totto | Nov 5, 2020
In reply to @kk2019 "In Sept 2019 I was on my way home from work when the traffic on I-94..." + (show)
@kk2019

In Sept 2019 I was on my way home from work when the traffic on I-94 came to a stop due to a car fire ahead. I was stopped when a loaded gravel truck rear ended my car going between 60-65mph according to the police report. My car did a 180 from the passing lane through the drive lane and came to rest in the ditch facing the direction I just came from. The truck hit tre car in front of me did basically the same except into the center ditch. Then the truck continued on into the drive lane and rolled on to the drivers side dumping gravel all over the interstate. I didn’t know the extent of my injury until people around me identified signs and symptoms of concern. Physically I did not appear injured but there was definitely something going on with my head. The first few weeks it seemed that medical providers were so focused on a symptom that they couldn’t step back and look at the big picture and how the collection of symptoms might be connected. Finally, a PA who saw me as a walk-in at my small town clinic reviewed everything since the accident and referred me to a neurologist. That was the first step in the right direction (and continuing to bug until someone listened). Recovery has been slow and frustrating at times. I don’t adapt to change very well, task loading is like rocket science and the one thing I know for sure Is I can’t ‘push through’ like I used to do. I have supportive people in my life who check in with me. I have been working from home (I’m only working 32 hrs because of brain injury) but decided to go back to the office last week because there will be about 4 big (for the new me) changes and I didn’t wast to have them all at once. So I worked 3 days at the office and Friday I was so fatigued I was out by 6:30pm.

Jump to this post

I can relate to your story with not being diagnosed correctly. I kept blacking out at work in the hospital and ending up in my own ER. The first doctor who was the head of the ER diagnosed me with anxiety. The second, a PA, at least saw that my eyes were doing rapid, jerky movements and that I could not track with my eyes. He gave me a diagnoses of vertigo. I kept telling them about my accident not to mention my face was black and blue. I finally packed up my car and came to Minnesota where my family is and started getting good medical care. Best decision I could have made for myself.

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