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⬐ neogodless

My brief concussion story, as a software developer.

Stood up after looking through some stuff in a box on the floor, and hit the corner of a heavy mounted wooden shelf. Didn't knock me out; just hurt a lot. But a couple days later, I almost fell over, and I realized using the computer screen made me really dizzy and extra tired. My description of the symptoms to the doctor led him to assert that it did seem to be a mild concussion / traumatic brain injury (TBI).

To keep it brief... I had to take a good 9 days off work and completely away from screens. But by "luck" I was laid off barely a week later (and no it was not in any way tied to my concussion or reduced performance), and only went back 6 months later (small business, pandemic, yadda yadda). When I did, it took months before a day of work didn't leave me extremely fatigued. I discovered over time that I need computer screens to be higher refresh rate - 144Hz works well. And everything should use DC dimming. PWM dimming does not work for me. My phone is 90Hz, but I don't use it nearly as much and I hope to someday get a decent, affordable 144Hz one with DC dimming.

I think now about 16 months later, I still get can dizzy and fatigued from prolonged screen use.

⬐ c21h30o2

That's really interesting. I'm not brain damaged (at least not more than most people, heh) but I always had a pretty strong preference for higher refresh rate screens. They just seem calmer to me. Never had an issue with dimming but I'll take your anecdote as a canary in the coal mine on DC vs PWM. It's probably better for everyone to avoid flickering even if we don't notice there's a problem.

⬐ theteapot

> ... hit the corner of a heavy mounted wooden shelf. Didn't knock me out; just hurt a lot.

Jesus I do something like that every other week. Now it all makes sense why I'm such a dumb ass.

⬐ verytrivial

I concussed myself (because yes, I was at fault) trying to swing on some monkey bars during an evening involving some rather excellent (hard) cider in Bristol. I felt ... "wrong"? ... for maybe two or three months afterwards. Just never at ease. Forgetful. A bit confused and detached. I didn't even realize the fall was the cause until long after the hangover went away, but the hangover .. sort of didn't go away.

Until it did. No guarantees, but it's possible everything can turn out okay. I have a whole new set of worries, but my noggin isn't one of them.

⬐ ultrarunner

A friend of mine was recently in a mountain bike accident in which she hit her head. Despite her helmet, she sustained a concussion. Her experience mirrors yours almost identically, including the timeline.

⬐ kingcharles

I have seen lots of (hard) cider accidents in Bristol. An unavoidable consequence of living in the West Country, my lover.

⬐ forgatmigej

Sorry to hear that. I've had a few concussions, too, and there is definitely a psychological component. I found myself thinking "Is how I reacted to stimuli X because of the concussions, or due to a flaw in my character?"

One day I realized that I am who I am; no A/B test can be done for my life with and without concussions. Causal inference can't be done by comparing experiences pre and post concussion. At most, it helps guide me as learn to deal with situations better - but not much more.

Still get tired, but fasting helps me stay productive.

⬐ nyokodo

> One day I realized that I am who I am

Quite right. You don’t even need a concussion to have this quandary. Low blood sugar, lacking sleep, too much/little caffeine, stressful day, etc, all affect how I react but in all cases it was me albeit not at my best.

⬐ ttul

I had a brain injury a few years ago and I literally am not the same person. Be careful with your head, folks. It’s really easy to permanently change your existence.

⬐ dvt

My regards, and this is purely out of curiosity so feel free to ignore if I'm overstepping -- how are you "not the same person?" Can you tell what you "should" be like? Did you previously enjoy certain things that you don't anymore?

Hoping you get better.

⬐ johnisgood

I am not the OP. I have another comment in this thread, but to sum it up: personally I am just way more emotional, I cannot sleep because I have thoughts racing in my head and they usually make no sense. I cannot socialize. I live in the past. All these things add up and I am pretty much dysfunctional because of it. As I said, opiates are the only thing (I have been through many psychiatric medications before I realized this, by accident, even) that work for me. I do not get the effects other people get, or at least the ones they usually say they get, such as euphoria and whatnot.

⬐ kayodelycaon

Not the parent commenter, but I have had a complete change of self.

After my psychotic break and starting treatment for bipolar, I was a shell of a person. I had the opportunity to become anyone I wanted to be. I picked what I thought my best traits were from my last self and started on a journey of self discovery.

I vaguely remember my previous self and he had completely different motivations. The only similarities I recognize are things I decided to keep.

To keep this bit brief, my interests changed in ways I didn’t expect. My previous self would never have shamelessly written pornography.

My previous self used to care what people thought of him. I don’t. I only care about the consequences of how people see me. This doesn’t make a sociopath because I do care about how people feel. I want to communicate effectively. I try to tailor my actions so other people feel I am listening and that I care, because I do. My previous self wasn’t so explicitly and logically calculating about relationships.

My previous self was brutally honest. I try to be kind when confrontation or blunt honesty is necessary.

Overall, my maturity increased by about 20 years in the last 3 years. My previous self is a person I’m not fond of.

⬐ johnisgood

My change was profound, but the cause for it is pretty simple. I was in love with a girl and I tried to be with her but she did not even reply to me. I started thinking about how this happened and how I could have avoided it, I started thinking about in what ways she has changed me for the better... From here I just sort of became a "better" person. Honesty, loyalty, not making promises I cannot keep, and so forth... In some ways being a manipulative prick paid me off more, but I do not mind, I am sticking to who I am now.

⬐ ttul

I just dimly remember being sharper and faster previously. It’s hard to pin down the precise changes more than that. Work is harder. Focusing is harder.

⬐ l8nite

I’m not the parent, but I had a moment where I physically felt something “break” in my brain (stress related), and ever since then I haven’t been the same person.

The feeling is hard to articulate, but I no longer connect to my feelings or thoughts in the ways I had been accustomed to.

My new behaviors and patterns are somewhat destructive to the life I was building prior to my “break,” and it’s incredibly maddening and depressing trying to balance “good for new me” and “good for the life old me built and the people he loved.”

It goes way beyond not simply enjoying the things I used to enjoy any more.

⬐ kayodelycaon

Interesting. I had a four month long psychotic break. It started mid-August 2018 when I physically felt something snap in my brain. (See my reply to the same comment)

⬐ sizzle

Would shrooms help you reset?

⬐ kayodelycaon

I’ll pass. I’ve already had the shrooms experience and the complete brain reset without them.

I’m on antipsychotics and no one is going to let me go off them, including me.

I’m never, ever going off my antipsychotic.

⬐ Enginerrrd

I'm pretty pro psychedelics, but you should know it's generally a REALLY bad idea for anyone with a history of psychosis to use them, to the point that I really implore you not to recommend them so casually to someone with such a history. That cohort is at very high risk and the use of psychedelics can really exacerbate the condition and make people less functional.

⬐ kayodelycaon

Yup. I’m bipolar.

⬐ jmrm

> I’m not the parent, but I had a moment where I physically felt something “break” in my brain (stress related), and ever since then I haven’t been the same person.

Same here. I had the mix of a heavy burnout and a broke up a couple of years ago and I'm still recovering.

It's curious how I totally had the same kind of "logarithmic" recovery that some other people wrote in other comments here. It might be how the brain reacts to that.

⬐ flycaliguy

Same. 2006. (In hindsight) I had some frontal lobe related issues beforehand, so it’s hard to really “blame” one thing or the other.

Overall, not worth the insurance settlement. If anything, the idea that I cashed out ended up alienating me from my entire support network. Friends and family, people I’d just met who had been told my story before hand… Yuck. Glad to now run in different circles selected for maturity this time.

⬐ hypertele-Xii

If changing your existence requires brain injury, I'd argue the opposite: It's hard not easy.

It's not like we can sell brain injuries at every corner store to change peoples' lives.

⬐ johnisgood

I have lesions in my brain. It is probably toxic leukoencephalopathy, but no one knows. Some neurologists say it is MS, but we do not know anything for sure. People probably does not or would not believe me, but opiates are the only thing that help with a lot of my symptoms. I do not get messed up on them like others. I get no euphoria. It works for me just like alprazolam (Xanax) does. The problem with benzodiazepines (e.g. alprazolam) is that I get a quick tolerance build-up, and I become tolerant after just 2 weeks, and when it works, it does not work as well as opiates do. Opiates have been keeping me productive and focusing on my future, otherwise I live in the past, I am stuck in the past, and I am an emotional wreck.

I had a couple of appointments with my neurologist. She saw me with and without opiates. The first time she saw me while I was being on opiates, she told me how much better I look and all that. If I told her that the difference between the two was opiates, I bet she would approve of its use in my case.

In any case, this is what works for me, and I have been through a lot of psychiatric medications without any success. Opiates are not really an issue at all. I get regular blood tests done, I get MRIs done and so forth... everything seems to be fine, otherwise I would not use it. Constipation is the only issue, but I take magnesium citrate for that.

I would like to add that I wish I did not have to depend on opiates or anything at all, I would rather prefer that, but this is what it is. I am happy I found something that works for me after so many unsuccessful attempts. I found it by accident, even.

⬐ Croftengea

Thanks a lot for sharing. I hope this is still recoverable condition.

⬐ johnisgood

Thank you and no problem! Sadly I have been going from neurologist to neurologist, but it does not seem like it is recoverable. There is no way to reverse demyelination[1]. There are some herbs that may help with that, but I am skeptical. If anyone knows something with regarding to this, their input would be welcomed! I know there is a lot of ongoing research on this.

For now I take propolis, vitamin D, B vitamins (B1, B6, B12 especially), garlic oil, quercetin, and bromelain. I just ordered CBD oil and this will be my first time testing it. I hope it is going to work for my muscle spasticity. Additionally I ordered Ceylon cinnamon, because I read some studies with promising results. I might as well give it a try. Opiates do help tremendously, but they do not treat all of my other symptoms.

[1] First search results: "There's no cure for demyelinating conditions, but new myelin growth can occur in areas of damage".

⬐ emmelaich

What tests have you done for MS? MRI + lumber puncture should confirm it.

Also, Tysabri is effective. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalizumab

⬐ johnisgood

Lumbar puncture is postponed due to COVID-19. I was finally going to have it, but they had to lock down the neurology department. That said, I had head MRI twice, 4 years apart. The last one showed no difference to the previous one. I had one just a couple of days ago along with a spinal cord one, I will know more in just about a week. If there are no changes, then it is most likely not MS, I would say. They did this one according to MS MRI protocol; we will see.

⬐ PicassoCTs

The brain is a very flexible thing of meat, even destroyed or damaged partways can recover, by shifting in adjunct areas.

There are cases, were people destroyed the centers for speech with drinking and recovered the ability by shifting it into other areas.

So to heal, one needs to rekindle the obsession and basically keep the request for the functionality constantly open. It is hard though, amounting to basically retrain a area of your brain for a different functionality.

One addition. As doctor, one gets a very good view of the finiteness of human life. This "grown up" perspective, is then expected from patients, who instead expect a miracle head electrician that can fix everything in an instant up to/not yet included neural death.

We all can end, any day.

In your sleep, one stroke and its over.

Such is the world.

Carpe Diem, Memento Mori.

⬐ taneq

When I was in high school one of our teachers died suddenly of an aneurysm. I hadn’t really realised up to that point that the human body could just… fail… like that. Triggered a bit of an existential crisis tbh.

⬐ gentleman11

Brain injuries are nightmares. I hope he feels better in the future. Neuroplasticity is at least a reason for optimism

⬐ dsizzle

Yeah, sounds terrible. I wonder what medical treatment he's seeking? My understanding is that there wasn't much you can do other than rest https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/di... but there must be something hopeful if he's willing to move states to seek it.

⬐ evocomp

Often the treatment includes visual therapy, but it can also include special glasses, eye patches, therapy for balance, psychotherapy, exercise programs, inflammation management, sleep quality, and a lot more.

It really depend on the exact issues and symptoms involved. Maybe the visual system is damaged, or the vestibular (balance) or other areas. Thankfully, the brain is incredibly fault tolerant, so it can still find workarounds and co-op other systems to make up some of the difference.

But the workarounds are less efficient and this creates a tremendous load on attention and working memory. In hardware terms, imagine you're playing some graphics-heavy game and your GPU gets fried. The CPU can still run it, but it'll be really laggy and overheated. Luckily the brain can (sometimes) heal and rebuild broken systems. But it takes work.

Somewhere around 90% of concussion suffers have visual problems. Poor tracking, double vision, light sensitivity, difficulty focusing. Their brain compensates so well they might not even notice, but that sort of thing interferes with memory and wears out the brain really quickly. Therapy involving eye tracking, smooth pursuits, focusing practice and the like can get your brain to repair or rebuild those skills. That frees up all that processing power and gets you feeling more normal.

The Shaken Brain by Elizabeth Sandel goes into the known science of concussions. Highly recommended if you've had one. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987418

⬐ throwaway_12122

I went to Mayo after a stroke.

I was (am?) a fairly high iq person, national merit scholarship, 99.8%tile SAT scores, etc. Degree in mathematics, compsci.

I had a stroke in my 30s, and it was thankfully mild (slight dysarthria that went away in a month) but I'm certain it impacted my intelligence and ability to concentrate. I can't focus/concentrate for long sessions anymore. I used to be able study without problem until the need to sleep kicked in, but now I get tired/distracted after only a short time even if I'm well rested. I find complicated math significantly harder to learn than I did prior to the stroke.

When I complained about this to my local PCP he would only run normal post-stroke cognitive tests like word recall, naming places/things, etc. "You test normal".

So I got a 2nd evaluation from a neurologist at Mayo.

Feedback was basically the same thing. He diagnosed mild depression, suggesting that could be part of it, and offered an anti-depression med, also threw in a "you're getting older so can expect some slowdown" for good measure.

I probably should have took it because the clear-to-me-loss of ability, with my doctors not seeming to give a shit, or even talk about it left me with no hope or plan to recover it has made me want to kill myself at times over the years. (I'm fine now, not a threat or risk).

I still read and try and just do my best even though my best isn't what it used to be, and count myself lucky that the stroke didn't leave me disabled or with permanent apparent deficiencies.

I just wish it were easier to find doctors interested in helping you be the best you can instead of simply not broken.

⬐ treeman79

I get tiny clots and mini strokes all the time. Factor 5 Leiden. Not at all rare.

Took 3 years and dozens of doctor and hospital visits to figure out. At every stage I was dismissed. Took a big clot that nearly killed me to figure it out.

I had severe cognitive decline, but since I started at borderline genius and went down to “somewhat slow” they felt I was fine. I regained much after starting blood thinners, but not all.

⬐ tomcam

> Took a big clot that nearly killed me to figure it out.

Infuriating. So sorry you had to go through that unnecessary part.

> I regained much after starting blood thinners, but not all.

Bittersweet! Thanks for sharing, and my best to you.

⬐ ianlevesque

> I just wish it were easier to find doctors interested in helping you be the best you can instead of simply not broken.

Yeah I went through some medical things some years ago and one interaction has stuck with me. I described the issue to a specialist and the doctor’s response was “what makes you think that’s abnormal?” and basically tuned me out. It’s abnormal for me!

⬐ lexapro

I had a similar interaction with a doctor once. It was a regular check-up and at the end I asked him: "Is it possible that my eyesight gets worse as I get older because of my particular condition?". He replied with "What makes you think that?". He was offended that I'd dare to ask a question, as if I was not supposed to speak at all.

⬐ pcarolan

Anecdotally I've heard hyperbaric chambers can help: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxyge...

I have no idea and wouldn't claim this is true for you in your situation though. My partner has brain cancer and I wish I'd tried this earlier.

⬐ taxicabjesus

Anecdotally I've heard that oxygen is toxic at higher-than-atmospheric pressure. Your link does mention oxygen toxicity, but I didn't notice any discussion of the antidote.

I wrote a blog post, which I intend to submit for fact-checking some day: https://www.taxiwars.org/2021/06/folly-medical-hyperventilat...

After posting that I figured out how the antidote for oxygen toxicity got memory-holed. It was in the 1950's, and ... there was a little protest, circa 1959, saying the new guidelines weren't so great for carbon monoxide poisoning.

My email address is in my profile, drop a line with a link to this comment and I'll provide more references.

⬐ ttGpN5Nde3pK

> I just wish it were easier to find doctors interested in helping you be the best you can instead of simply not broken.

I wish there was a searchable index of Dr's that fall into this category. I have no idea how you'd reasonably determine this though... Plenty of Dr's I've tried based on reviews are no different than the others. Maybe friendlier, but that's about it.

⬐ vimy

Take a look at /r/nootropics and /r/peptides

BPC-157 and lion’s mane in particular.

⬐ pineal

All too common. Despite our best efforts, even the most detailed neuropsychological battery does a very poor job at detecting certain categories of cognitive changes -- especially in patients who were above average at baseline.

I'm a neurosurgeon and we commonly advise our patients: Even after a "perfect" or minimal surgery without any evidence of periprocedural stroke or complication, you may not ever be the same again. Sometimes it takes months for these changes to be noted, sometimes it's only even noticed by family members. Odd word finding difficulties, perception changes, memory/concentration issues; the gamut is endless. As we say, no one's the same when the air hits your brain.

⬐ tomcam

> I'm a neurosurgeon

Username checks out

seriously, though thanks for the insights and... how the hell do you have the time/energy to visit HN?

⬐ catlikesshrimp

So far, the following parts can fail without a person losing its humanity:

Heart, gonads (testicles), lung, kidneys, liver, stomach, pancreas, limbs.

But you can't transplant a brain out into a new body. Take care!

⬐ hypertele-Xii

Eyes, ears, skin, nose, tongue, many bones, etc. Our bodies are very redundant and resilient!

⬐ donatj

About ten years ago I had the right side of my face go limp. I was under the most stress of my life, in a management position I was not built for. After a CT scan, ER told me it wasn’t a stroke rather stress induced trigeminal neuralgia. I’m not convinced that’s what it was.

They gave me some anti-inflammatories for my nerves and sent me on my way, and everything seem to get better. I quit that job within about a week, and I’ve never experienced that kind of stress since.

It took me a long time to notice but my face still kind of droops on that side, and I don’t think I ever went back to feeling … normal. I genuinely feel like my personality changed, but maybe that was just the stress’s effect on my life, I don’t know.

The point of my story is who we are is just so much more malleable than one would think in our day-to-day lives.

⬐ adsteel_

This sounds like Bells Palsy, not neuralgia. I had it and have seen one other person have it. The cause is unknown but it clears up on its own over months. That side of my face is still a touch droopy but it gives me character.

⬐ donatj

Was there facial pain as well?

I had what I described as buzzing lightning bolts across the right size of my face at the time.

⬐ adsteel_

I had some pain behind that ear beforehand, but it was numb. No pain or lightning for me. I think Bell's Palsy often comes with some kind of pain, but I'm not sure about your kind.

⬐ pcthrowaway

I had Bells Palsy also, brought on by Lyme disease. It's kind of a divisive topic, but may be worth looking into if you or GP have had other symptoms which are common with Lyme disease

⬐ sizzle

Lyme disease from ticks?

⬐ pcthrowaway

Presumably, yes. I don't remember actually seeing the tick but I felt it when I scratched it off thinking it was a scab, and later developed the typical bullseye rash

⬐ sizzle

This is terrifying and I love hiking, might have to give up this hobby for fear of tick bites.

⬐ turkeygizzard

I'm not sure if the submitter is Scotty from the video, but I'm sorry to hear this. I hit my head on a rock surfing almost 4 months ago and have been dealing with similar issues. I don't have any tips or tricks to share about relieving symptoms, but just wanted to share in case it's helpful in any way to know there are others, because just watching this video was helpful for me.

Feel free to message me if you want to talk more about your experience with someone

⬐ skyechurch

I had a brain tumor removed 2 years ago, and I have very similar symptoms still, although everything seems to be improving. I don't know how comparable these situations are medically, but I do know it is very difficult to find doctors who will listen or even group for people who have had brain injuries, except for random online message boards etc. It is extremely frustrating to not know if this is normal, or psychosomatic, if it will last forever, or what.

⬐ turtle_

Jan of 2021 I fell on a small wave ~2ft. I hit the water with the side of my face in a strange way that felt like a moderate slap but didn't think much of it. I kept surfing and caught plenty more waves. A couple days later I noticed I was very tired and couldn't focus. Finally I figured out I had a concussion, took a few days off work and got better within a week.

In Oct I fell again, in the same strange way, but this time from a much higher height. I didn't blackout but I immediately knew it was not good. My symptoms have still not fully resolved 2 months later. The skin on the left side of my head is at times extra sensitive and at times borderline numb. I frequently have trouble focusing and have ended up taking 50% sick time to recover. The good news is that overall the symptoms are getting better.

I've surfed for over 20 years and fallen on significantly larger, more critical waves with no injury. Losing the ability to focus and think clearly is terrible, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I also believe that because it's not a visible injury (ie I'm not walking around with crutches) it's harder for others to empathize with. Thankfully I feel supported by my employer, but I now believe that head injury severity likely goes undiagnosed and certainly under-appreciated in our society. The falls I took were very minor, if it can happen from that, my guess is it's more frequent that we realize.

⬐ jevoten

If I understood you correctly, you only hit water, nothing solid? That that was able to cause concussion-like symptoms makes me suspect you might have some other underlying condition that made you vulnerable. But I'm playing Dr. House without any medical training.

⬐ turtle_

that's the fear. worst case would be cte or some high sensitivity to concussions. i'm still in the evaluative stage, so fingers crossed it's not

⬐ dharmatech

Yup, head slaps on the water can cause that.

I experienced this summer of 2020 on the California central coast. Symptoms lasted for about a month. Happened again around December 2020.

I had been on a high-carb low fat diet for a few months before the first incident. I think that may have made me more vulnerable to inflammation issues. I've since switched back to a higher (healthy) fat diet. Fat is protective for the brain.

⬐ turtle_

i'm no doctor, but my current self help plan is to keep exercising cardio, low impact due to attributed anti-inflammatory effects, reduced carbs and sugar (i'm already low here but will probably fully go to zero). i've also started hyperbaric oxygen therapy which so far hasn't had immediate effects but does provide extremely deep sleeps which seem to help significantly.

⬐ dharmatech

See also:

https://www.reddit.com/r/surfing/comments/q34gv1/sterling_sp...

Tons of comments from surfers experiences there.

Check out the book:

The Concussion Repair Manual by Dr. Dan Engle

⬐ turtle_

thank you for the book reference, i will check it out. Sterling's case has been eye opening for the community for sure. thankfully he posted as recently as today that he seems to be doing better https://www.instagram.com/p/CXXW6zpjQT7/

⬐ 14

My friend was hit in the head by a heavy piece of metal and suffered an injury. He had to fight workers compensation tooth and nail to get any help and all they would do is say you seem able to work. He could if he was on a good day. But other days he struggled to work a few hours. He is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever know so truly believe he was not well. I’m not sure the point of my comment other then it is really horrible if you get a brain jury he struggled with not only work but personal life as well after.

⬐ mgressek

I had a bad concussion in 2016 on the receiving end of a t-bone car accident. I too had a bad experience with Mayo Clinic Jax concussion expert, clueless and insulting. After 5 years, I’m still feeling the usual post-concussion syndrome affects, like issues with sleep, cognition, focus, agitation, and memory. Studies show that 1 in 5 concussions are “long-haul” chronic conditions and no one is sure why.

Here are some things that helped me: 1. Many of my symptoms improved immediately with the Jim McMahon (the football player) concussion treatment. It fixes a neck issue with C1 and C2 shift. Google it. 2. Antidepressants did nothing, but Provigil has been a lifesaver for focus and xanax when I’m overwhelmed. I take them when needed. 3. Good doctors understand the issues, but you need to find them. I’ve had success with USF Dept of Neuroscience.

I still have the concussion symptoms, but I have adapted to a new way of living and I’m at peace and grateful. Good luck to everyone in this boat, you’re not alone and it can get better.

⬐ jhatemyjob

Reminds me of my injury in 2016. At first I felt optimistic like this guy, looking forward to full recovery. But as the years passed, I realized it will never go back to the way it was before. You just have to adjust to the fact that this is your life now. It sucks

⬐ antisthenes

What happened? How severe was it?

⬐ jhatemyjob

Herniated disk. Used to be in constant pain. Now it's mild discomfort.

⬐ kayodelycaon

I can relate. Had a serious back injury that blew out all of the muscles in my midback when I was 26. Still gives me problems 9 years later.

⬐ jhatemyjob

I feel you. Silver lining is we learned what "aging" really is when we were young. It forced me to eat clean and go to yoga classes. If I didn't blow out my back I'd probably still be eating like shit and not exercising. So at least there's that.

These chronic symptoms still fucking suck though. I feel like I haven't been thinking straight for the past 6 years

⬐ CJ153

IMO, UNC's Dr. Bob Dennis' and Dr. Mark Tommerdahl's inventions are the most exciting and in my own experience have proven invaluable with mTBI. I use the ICES PEMF M1 and the Brain Gauge (both available directly from the inventors at https://fluxhealth.co and they have a nice community forum) and had excellent results.

A study using ICES PEMF and measuring efficacy using the Brain Gauge (as far as I am aware, it's the only tool out there that can accurately detect mTBI) https://downloads.corticalmetrics.com/pub/corticalmetrics_ma...

A list of links from Dr. Bob Dennis on this topic: https://forum.fluxhealth.co/t/closed-head-injury-epilepsy-an...

More research links on the Brain Gauge and how it works https://www.corticalmetrics.com/publications

I hope this information helps others.

⬐ ghosty141

Oh man, that's sad. I hope he recovers and gets back to making these great videos again. Wish him the best.

⬐ howstheweather

I never had a head injury per se, but I did hit my head a couple of times with no particular changes in perception, but as someone with OCD and probably a whole range of other undiagnosed disorders, and probably future schizophrenic as I don't know how to get out of the pit I've dug myself.

I wanted to talk about a special case of brain injury, namely: self-asphyxiation through psychogenic problems.

I had to experience this myself the last month, I wasn't particularly aware that such a thing could occur, 2 weeks ago I was in a delusional loop, that in turn caused me anxiety, which lead to psychogenic dyspnea(irregular breathing, feels like choking). It wouldn't dissipate for a long time, my head or brain I'm not sure what to call it anymore, constantly: tingling, itching, like gears constantly pulsating, until the sudden onset of what felt like a screw loosening and jumping out, this is the best analogy I can think of as of now. This isn't a one time occurrence, there have been plenty of similar experiences that I've piled up over a timespan of 3 years as of now. I am 24, just for the record.

As the reader may infer, sleep schedule?: sucks, diet?: sucks. friends?: none. Loneliness?: since a long time.

I'd like to think of myself as someone very patient and resistant to most things other humans can't deal with, but I too have occasional meltdowns. In some rather amusing fashion, I've glanced upon this post before sleep, and after sleeping I broke down in tears, and came back to this thread. Everything is becoming too much, I probably have to seek help, this facade of the invincible is probably hindering me much more, and the delusion of self-progress through ones own intellectual effort seems to be in vain, more and more. I'm trapped in this maze within a maze, I've given up as of present. I don't know how to continue, but I will.

There is no tyrant, like a brain.

edit: I'm at a point where I can't tell apart whether I became dumber due to the asphyxiation or not, I do notice a change in perception ever since that last week, but is that a delusion? Can I delude myself of a feeling, a physical one at that? And, yes, I don't visit the doc very often. Nonetheless, as the days pass my capabilities seem to return more and more to the "usual".

⬐ voortuckian

I learned a few things from this book by a computer scientist who had a concussion: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23398971-the-ghost-in-my...

He worked with these people: https://mindeye.com/

⬐ kayodelycaon

Brain injuries are horrible. While I don’t have a physical injury, I had an absolutely devastating psychotic break in 2018 that destroyed my entire sense of self. The connections to my memories prior to the break are extremely disconnected and haven’t recovered much. I have memories of an entire childhood I only lived in my head.

I had to learn who I was again. I’m not the same person. I don’t even know the person I was before.

Before the break, I used to run table-top rpgs. I found I could no longer run them. The mental capacity just wasn’t there.

I still can’t work full time consistently. I average two days off per month without notice. Fortunately, my current employer is happy to work with me. I am beyond thankful none of my technical skills or abilities have been significantly impacted. They come from parts of my brain that weren’t damaged.

I’m slowly recovering but the pandemic and medications for bipolar aren’t helping.

But I am recovering. It’s three years later and I’m just barely managing to run an online game for some friends every two weeks. Maybe in a few years, it would be so hard.

⬐ clubsoda

Similar position as myself in 2017. I recently graduate college and got a job as a software developer at a top 10 college. While the job was great, my boss was not. This led me into a psychotic depression and eventually surfaced my underlying OCD to the extremes.

Almost five years later, I am doing much better. I found the right medicine (sertraline) after a long year of mixing and matching medicine to curve my OCD. However, I feel like I haven't fully recovered. I still question almost about every feeling, thought and action. Intrusive thoughts are an every day occurrence. I have brain fog, thoughts are scattered, constant noise in my head, and somehow developed tinnitus in the midst of all this chaos.

I look back at what I was able to achieve, and keep using that as a goalpost. I get upset with myself that I am not at that level performance. I am getting to the point where I am learning to accept life for what it is, and not "looking in the rear view mirror".

⬐ mitchtbaum

DMSO is very good for reducing inflammation causing increased intracranial pressure, as well as following The Concussion Protocol.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2290457/

https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2007/7/cover_dmso

⬐ mitchtbaum

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2290457/

https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2007/7/cover_dmso

⬐ tibbydudeza

I thought New Mexico was a pretty big state - how can healthcare be an issue or does he mean specialists in neurology ???.

⬐ rl3

I certainly feel for that guy, brain injuries aren't fun. Some personal experience on the subject:

I hit my head often, probably averaging a major hit once a year. It's usually a lack of spatial awareness due to momentary inattention that results in a hit, and they usually come in pairs; minor hits tend to beget other, sometimes larger hits within hours or days. To qualify this, I classify minor hits as something that briefly hurts with no lasting effects felt, and major hits where it's fairly devastating, there's almost always a contusion present, and I feel the effects for days/weeks/months afterwards.

The latter would be called a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) should the symptoms persist. I was actually diagnosed with one of those based on symptoms, following a neurology visit for my first hit where a standard 3MT MRI scan saw precisely nothing.

For every subsequent hit I haven't bothered seeking care. If you have the money, standard imaging will generally rule out anything life-threatening. In order to quantify something like repeated mTBIs, you need advanced imaging. That's typically the purview of research settings, and in a clinical setting is typically only used for acute cases.

---

As far as management, what works for me is as follows:

I view proper mTBI management as a combination of ample rest, high amounts of good stress, low amounts of bad stress, good nutrition, and generally clawing back as much function as you can.

For me, that means intense cardio post-24hrs to enhance cerebral perfusion. If I don't die, great! It means eating well, and avoiding alcohol like the fucking plague until you're better. It means sleeping at least 7 hours a night for a while, preferably longer. It also means using your brain as much as you can when you can, sometimes even if you don't feel like it. I thoroughly believe depression and lethargy is the enemy with mTBI, and that it's possible to get an unusually high amount of rest while otherwise remaining mentally and physically active.

As far as compounds, low-dose tadalafil and modafinil are spoken of in mTBI research as potentially effecting better mTBI outcomes, although I'm not qualified to recommend either. The former definitely helps with headaches in my experience.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is interesting, but my takeaway is that science guiding its therapeutic use isn't in yet. A very complex neuro-inflammatory cascade occurs to promote healing in the hours and days following a head injury, and cannabidiol compounds introduced too early in this process may lead to worse outcomes via way of arresting said beneficial inflammation. By the same token, it's also being studied for its potential to arrest undesirable long-running inflammatory processes commonly associated with brain injury.

There's a paper that very eloquently described the highly temporally-sensitive nature of these initial processes while elucidating how much isn't known about them, but I can't for the life of me find it.

I've linked some of my thoughts from a couple years back, when I had a few less hits.[0]

My most important piece of advice is that, when your friends (one of whom is a physician) tell you to wear a helmet, well—you probably should listen. :)

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23128814

⬐ bserge

So do I, buddy. And not only do I have no access to doctors, I don't have money for it either lol.

You ain't special, keep on living and hope to die at an old age in relatively good health, that's all there is.

⬐ planetsprite

The solution is trans-cranial direct current stimulation

⬐ difosfor

A big metal Christmas street ornament installation fell on my head and shoulder as a rode my bike on the street underneath. Briefly on a ventilator. Thankfully can't remember that or the week after personally and mostly recovered over the following weeks, months and years. Kind of like a logarithmic curve; fast at first and then ever slower. From what I was told, that's generally the case and there isn't really anything you can do except accept it and learn to deal with it and just take care of yourself as always. After being able to speak again etc I remember the frustration of feeling tired but subsequently not even being able to deal with previously relaxing things like watching TV or reading a book or listening to music. Pretty much was just sleeping 16 hours, eating and meditating during that time. Had to learn to speak a bit slower (used to speak too fast anyway) to work around damage in that area of my brain. Still get brain fatigue almost every day which gives a subtle strange kind of headache and makes me struggle with words and clumsy etc. I still get stressed a lot more easily and find it more difficult to concentrate. I think my IQ must have dropped; also according to friends. Regardless I've learned to live with it pretty well with a lot of help from experts; kept my job but working 20 hour weeks now, with colleagues shielding me from stress, helping out and accepting when I have a bad week. Also learned that even while I'm tired and feel stupid; that's not the end of the world either and I can still do and enjoy things. All in all I can do most anything again; just for a shorter time and gotten used to it where it now just feels normal. Feel pretty blessed with all the help I got and that I was able to recover as I did. Could have been a lot worse.

Anyhow, yeah, sorry for my rambling. Be careful with your head and carpe diem and all that!

PS: Keep doing fun and challenging things as far as possible. I happened to dance 3 to 4 days a week before; am back to 1 to 2 days now except for Corona measures getting in the way these last years. Think that can help exercise your brain in many ways. Also working and speaking different languages etc.

⬐ weaksauce

That's terrible. Glad you are on the mend. I know it sounds hokey but it might be worth looking into lion's mane mushrooms as they have had some results with neurogenesis in the brain.

⬐ tomcam

Thanks for sharing. Nightmarish. Good on you for keeping at the healing process.

⬐ Noumenon72

How long has it been since the incident? How do friends tactfully tell you your IQ has dropped, and would you rather they hadn't?

⬐ andy_ppp

Yes, I think most friends would say “don’t worry you weren’t that clever to begin with” or some other friendly jokey thing. I’m not sure offering up their version of the “truth” is helpful at all, they are unlikely to be brain specialists!

⬐ difosfor

Just over 6 years ago now. I'm still working out my damage claim to the city with my lawyer and was discussing the differences before/after to claim with friends when they gave me their outside perspective*. So that was fine by me. They normally don't mention it; we're just getting on with our lives. Also, to be clear, I'm really not that bad off; I'm used to it and can live a pretty normal life.

*) E.g: Not being as good at board games as before; more forgetful, slower, struggling with words etc. Noticeably also especially in cases where I experience my what I call 'brain fatigue'. A really weird thing to get used to besides the usual physical and sleep types of fatigue. I think it used to be aligned with sleep but now I usually get this before I get that.

⬐ axiosgunnar

Hi, excuse the question, just genuinely curious, did the bike helmet help prevent worse damage in any way?

⬐ difosfor

I wasn't wearing a helmet; we usually still don't wear those on bicycles in the Netherlands. I do when I'm on a holiday and have thought about wearing it here as well, but still don't to be honest. I guess you could say riding a bike is like going for a walk here if that makes sense to you?

⬐ watersb

Thank you very much for posting this. Holy cow.

I had a slight brain injury in college, a concussion. Everyone was taking care of the urgent cases, so it took a while to realize that I was no longer tracking anything beyond five minutes at a time.

I almost remember a dream-like experience of sitting in the Emergency Room under observation: they made me sit upright, when I so desperately wanted to lie down and sleep. A good friend sat with me through all that and throughout the night, waking me up every half hour or so. Each time he did so, I would be experiencing the whole shock and fear all over again, asking the same exact questions. After some long hours of this, I "woke up" and started to have a continuous narrative.

I will never forget waking up, staring at the hospital ID tag on my wrist, with the date, May 27th... I could not believe it. I was missing six weeks. What the hell?

I had to sleep a lot that week. In the months that followed, a flash of memory would surface, like a fish jumping out of the pond: a fleeting, flash of silver. I would grab my pocket day planner calendar, and mark down the date that memory illuminated. And so over that summer, I got back almost everything except those final few days before the fall.

It was a year later that I got back the day, just an hour or so before the crash.

First responders said they saw that kind of thing all the time, with guys who had too many beers in them when they whacked themselves in the head. I hadn't had alcohol at the time, but it was college, I bet there was some chronic sleep deprivation in there.

Did I fully recover? I have no idea. It's me. My self.

(The following semester, I had a Philosophy of the Mind class, heavy stuff, Paul Churchland and Professor Searle.

I am actually somewhat thankful I have had this experience, for it is a visceral perspective I cannot imagine inducing on purpose, in a survivable way. Acid or peyote? I don't know. I never tried. Not interested. I've had my ride.)

I absolutely feel that good physical condition -- it was a relatively athletic phase for me -- contributed to the shape of my recovery. And the brain challenges of software and electrical engineering (and philosophy)...

I certainly feel way dumber now, and indeed I flunked half my classes that following semester. But I've had doctors administer IQ tests since, and have gotten the impression that that number didn't change very much.

A good friend of mine has had a life-altering stroke some months after a nearly fatal bicycle crash. His stamina and conditioning still sees him riding as much as 100 miles each weekend, but can no longer speak clearly or walk without some support.

My experience is by no means comparable to his, or to yours. It just drives home the tenuous nature of my experience of reality. It's not just a philosophy class.

⬐ difosfor

Wow, that's an interesting write up of your experience as well! Yeah, an accident can give you a fresh perspective on life. And brain trauma also on your consciousness. I remember really wanting to improve my life afterwards; really digging into therapy for pre existing psychological issues as well. I have to admit I've kind of lost that flame again which I guess is normal after time. But my perspective has definitely also been widened and I think/hope that will last forever.

⬐ SpikeDad

Such an inspiring story. Glad to hear you're recovering your life.

However I have to say that you are lucky. I doubt the majority of employers would be so kind and accommodating nor would work colleagues be as supportive.

⬐ difosfor

Thanks. Helps that my brother is the CEO Also we have a lot of long term employees for an IT company, feels almost like a family with them. So yeah, very lucky indeed.

⬐ nickkell

Did you manage to get any compensation from whoever installed the ornament?

⬐ romeros

this. OP.. did you get to sue the person?

⬐ difosfor

City is taking intermediate responsibility and covering costs. They could in turn still claim it from the final responsible party, but I think that's really just them. I'm still working out a final future damage claim for my career etc. Will definitely get something, hopefully enough to help me buy a house.

⬐ qPM9l3XJrF

This book has been a godsend for my chronic pain problems, including, somewhat surprisingly, neurological stuff: https://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-T... (I suggest looking up "whiplash" in the index.) As weird as it sounds, when I massage the muscles around my head and neck, I get noticeable cognitive changes in the minutes and days that follow.

⬐ difosfor

Interesting, will check it out. Could use help with my neck.

⬐ sizzle

I second this book, it is honestly life changing for me and my pains, to release them with them methods in taught in the book.