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Baby steps: How do you measure your recovery progress?
One of the things that has helped me greatly is paying attention to benchmarks in progress that I have made. Like the first time I could open the bag in a box of cereal with just my hands, no scissors. I knew I was slowly regaining strength in my left hand. When my dizzy spells finally went away, very encouraging! Although they returned twice, but only for a few days each time. When I got my mouth un-wired, and then about 3 months later could finally get my mouth open wide enough to eat a hamburger. Seriously, it took nearly an hour, but I did it.< r />Anyone else noticing little things that were huge indicators of progress?
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On Sunday afternoon, I came down with a full blown ‘Man Cold.’ I realize that this is the subject of many jokes, mostly from wives, referring to their wimpy husbands, but this is the real thing. Every square inch of my. body aches on level 8 or 9 on the ugly face pain chart. I’ve had Kidney stones, but that’s Just your abdomen. I took NyQuil at about 8:30 and again at 2:30 just to get a nights sleep. Last night I spent the last part of the night in my recliner so as not to wake up my wife.
Compared to this, my concussion is a cake walk. I hope I get through this soon as I don’t want to waste the best part of winter being sick.
Hope you get well soon!
Thank You, I am much better, although progress has been slow. Too many things trying to heal all at one time.
At my follow up 'regular provider' reminded me that I need a period of "Cognitive Rest". "Avoid activities that require intense focus."
Hard to do when I have 2 snowmobiles torn apart. One just body work, one, engine rebuild.
I have been taking it easy, but have also lost 10 pounds. Eating regularly, but not very hungry.
Hang in there, hevykevy. I do too much and end up exhausted. I’ve had a recurrence of the vertigo. Hard to eat if you can’t smell. A concussion doctor recommended PT, OT, Speech Therapy, and acupuncture for me, and I’m getting EOB’s saying they can bill me for $35.00 copay, even though my card says $10 and $ 25 for out of network coverage. And full price for the acupuncture, even when I called and asked if it was covered, and it was at an Allina clinic.
I’ve been doing the free exercises on Lumosity and it’s good to look at my scores and see the progress I’ve made since the start. Nothing dramatic, but having to multitask is slowly getting better. I’d recommend the site to all of us with our conditions.
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1 ReactionI do them too
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1 ReactionAll of a sudden I feel like I’m going backwards instead of forward. Dizziness has intensified, my ears feel like there’s water in them ( that I’m able to fix by swallowing, but the sensation comes back quickly, so I feel like I’m hearing underwater). My Former ENT guy was testing my hearing and nothing was getting better and he had said I’m borderline for hearing aids. $750 per ear from Medicare... is this good or crappy coverage?
Dizziness now happens if I walk backwards, like backing away from shower spray, has me whirling as badly as walking forward.
I’m not sure if I’m trying to make myself heal more quickly than I really am, or if I’ve gotten so irritated with these symptoms that are compounded by the country’s disintegration, more paperwork that I can’t finish in one setting, loss of concentration, etc. that I’m just ready to give up and not give a crap about anything.
Loss of control, big time here.
How frustrating, @mugglemary. It's not uncommon to have set backs. I'd like bring @littlepitzen @hevykevy @badbenny and @icydecember back into this discussion to share their experiences with setbacks and dizziness.
Mary, have you consulted your doctor about this?
I can say with a great deal of confidence, stress is not your best friend, and it sounds like you are up to your ears in it. I just replaced a patio door in our house and what should have been an afternoon project took 3 days. I just couldn't get it to square up properly. My dizziness returned for the duration of that project. Not a good thing when you are on your knees then up a ladder. It's gone now, the door is done with the exception of some paint touchup.
If I have any advice it would be trim down your to-do list to the necessities for the time being. Get done what you can so you can cross them off. Make sure you are taking care of yourself!!! Get plenty of rest and do something regularly that brings you joy.
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1 ReactionHey, Colleen,
I’m not sure if you mean my PCP or the concussion specialist that I’ve seen a couple of times. He was the one who said I could benefit from PE specific for brain injuries, which I had started up again the week before lockdown. I’m going through some hard, depressing things that I told my psychiatrist in our last Zoom visit.