Traumatic Brain Injury: Come introduce yourself

Welcome to this forum! It is a great place just to visit just to be reminded that you are not alone and to learn of new ideas and therapies that might help. Our two cats, Galileo and Copernicus, are a big help. We're lucky enough to live in a place of beauty with a lot of nature (deer, turkeys, hawks, etc.) and our walks remind us of the bigger world. Music has also proven very helpful.

Thank you for being welcoming!

I suffered a head and neck injury from a severe concussion when I walked full speed into a glass wall eight months ago. I have many symptoms including double vision, full headedness, light headedness, tingling in the face, arms, back and legs, headache in the back of my head, stiff neck, and soreness in the base of my skull. Because of double vision and neck symptoms, I have not been able to drive.

The doctor at the concussion center recommended physical therapy but it did not help. Every time the PT added strength training, I had a setback. My orthopedist told me that my cervical vertebrae shifted and they are not in alignment anymore. He recommended PT. I was out of the country for two months with no PT and my symptoms subsided. When returning to PT, the load of exercises immediately put me in a bad flareup. Now my orthopedist recommended stopping PT. So, currently I am just doing home self care using cold and warm compresses on my neck and upper back, and hope that I will heal over time.

My neuro-optometrist prescribed prism glasses, which helped when I am riding in a car, in a bookstore, and in the grocery store so that visual pathway was not over stimulated. He did not recommend vision therapy because my double vision is side glance at far distance.

I do not feel I have any brain rehabilitation and I know my brain was injured because the brain MRI showed changes in the white matter, and I have facial tingling that might have been trigeminal nerve involvement. My neurologist did not recommend any rehabilitation.

I am a Speech and language pathologist who have treated TBI patients, so this is even more frustrating knowing that I do not have brain rehabilitation.
I am researching on red/infrared light therapy, and I wonder if anyone in the group had experience with it. I would appreciate feedback on it.

Thank you for listening to my story.

@patty78962 you need new friends 🙂 I’ve started talking to people with canes or mobility issues . I live in a small town so I’m comfortable doing that . I started therapy because I was scared I would wear out my family / friends and become a burden . I wish you peace and new relationships! Be Still and quite and God will speak

@dollyjaneprenzel thank you I am trying to!