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Old 02-22-14, 09:17 PM  
Sancho
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: My body is in Louisville but my heart is in Atlanta
Has anyone had a concussion ?

Hi All,

About 6 weeks ago, I slipped on the ice and hit my head pretty hard on the concrete. I think I blacked out (I was with the dogs, but no humans) and don't really remember coming home, calling my husband, calling 911. Apparently when I spoke to my husband I told him we lived in the wrong city. I do remember everything from getting into the ambulance and going to the emergency room. They did an MRI and all was fine. And I was released. The er doctor told me not to work out for a day or two. Fortunately, my brother is a concussion researcher and he told me not to workout for weeks and gave me much more instruction on taking care of myself.

So here I am 6 weeks later and I still have headaches (mild, and they go away with Tylenol), still very tired and my cardio capacity is cut in half. I basically do half the amount of time I used to at half the intensity and I usually have to stop mid way to catch my breath.

I've been back to my regular doctor and she's told me I'm fine and I need to just be patient. Same info from my brother.

But I'm curious . . . has anyone else been through this? How long until you felt completely normal again? The cardio issue is so weird to me. Why would a head injury effect my cardio capacity ? I did take about 2 weeks off after the injury, but even after taking 3 months off when I was pregnant, I recovered faster than this (granted, I was 15 years younger)
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Old 02-22-14, 09:38 PM  
Elise7
 
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I would definitely get a second opinion from a second doc. More and more research is coming out about the effects of seemingly mild concussions.
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Old 02-22-14, 09:40 PM  
rickets
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Sancho, I have only been knocked-out once, when I was a teenager, and don't remember having any long-term problems from it. However...I will say that the single biggest thing I have noticed about getting older is HOW FREAKING LONG it takes for injuries to heal. Everything from shaving cuts to muscular issues (I am in my mid 40's).

Regarding cardio issues: I travel a lot, and I definitely suffer a noticeable decrease in cardio capacity even after 10 days of slacked-off workouts. My strength and muscle endurance does not seem to be adversely affected in that amount of time, though, so I now focus on only doing cardio workouts in my hotel room whenever I can sneak one in.

I hope you feel better soon!
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Old 02-22-14, 10:04 PM  
kitty12
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
I had two concussions as a child. The first I don't remember but my Mom said I fell on the ice and came home talking odd. The second I do recall waking up. I was out for some time I think. My bike was on one side of the street and me on the other. It was before helmets. I remember asking for my Mom even though she was there. I stayed in the hospital overnight and was very sick the next day. I had scrapes on my face.

I did not have any long-term side effects from them. Perhaps when we are younger we bounce back easier? Don't really know. I knew one adult that did have one and had some side effects from it. I think I would follow up with another doctor. I hope you feel better soon!
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Old 02-22-14, 10:18 PM  
EnglishIvy
 
Join Date: May 2011
I've had several concussions (2 MVAs--both as a passenger, soccer mishap, fall at construction site etc). One of the most neglected aspects of treatment is addressing soft tissue damage. Meaning that when we bonk our heads, the muscles around the head and neck can be greatly affected. Resulting trigger points in those muscles can cause headaches and reduced blood flow to the brain. It's hard to sort the referred symptoms vs. any symptoms caused by actual brain injury. Since your doctor and brother have cleared you, it might be worth checking out if you haven't already done so. Jill Miller has good material and there is a general TRP workbook (Claire Davies) which can be purchased off Amazon. B&N also carries it. HTH.
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Old 02-22-14, 10:28 PM  
macska
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My daughter had, she was a soccer player in HS. We took her to a specialist who took special tests. We went several times for check ups, and the tests only became normal after about 3 months. You should not rush!!!! It is very important to recover completely otherwise you will have problems down the road. it is a good idea to see specials. Best of luck to you!!
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Old 02-22-14, 11:19 PM  
msladybug
 
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I'm sorry this happened to you. I've been through my own head trauma.

About 2-3 years ago I had a thunderclap headache. AKA: The worst headache you've ever had, that came on from no headache to full intensity in seconds, like a bolt of lightening.) It was followed within minutes with nasua and vomiting, but no mental confusion. ER did no tests because I had had migraines in the past. Afterwards I continued to have multiple short duration mild headaches every day, always in the exact same spot as the initial thunderclap headache. I was refered to a vascular neurosurgeon. I was told not to exercise until they figured it out which took a lot of time and tests and procedures. Eventually I was told I they made a conclusive finding of an AVF in my spine and that bleeding from that was causing my headaches. Later I was told, well maybe not.

The surgeon said that blood collected between the brain and the skull can take 4-6 months to be absorbed by the body. Mine stopped 6 months after the thunderclap headache.

When I was finally cleared for exercise, 6 months later. I had a hard time. I had been MIS diagnosed several times, so it was hard to completely trust the doctor when she said that my continuing pain was not life threatening. It's a lot easier to deal with pain if you trust it doesn't have dire consequences. I was also still dealing with injuries to my back and hip from the fall. When those healed...I was left with PF...and have had that over two years now. In retrospect...I wonder if it did not all start from that first fall.

I'm sorry this happened to you.

I guess if there is an upside, you at least know what caused your problem and you had an MRI with a positive outcome. Don't rush the exercise. If the headaches continue, you could ask for another MRI. That way you can feel more confident when the time comes when the headaches resolve.
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Old 02-23-14, 01:53 AM  
FitBoop
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Sancho, I am sorry that this happened to you. I agree with the advice to take the time off from exercising, and also with the advice to seek a second medical opinion. Head injuries can be very serious.
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Old 02-23-14, 05:11 AM  
AsSweetAsSugar
 
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I'd also see another doctor, and I'd take it easier on the workouts too. I wish you a soon and complete recovery.
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Old 02-23-14, 05:33 AM  
Sarah-lara
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My story won't exactly cheer you up, but I had a seizure and fell off of a stairmaster over 5 years ago, hitting my head on the metal base of another exercise machine and knocking myself out about a half hour. It hurt well over a month, though the scans were clean.

I've had a headache nearly every day since, ranging from manageable periods to downright terrible ones. I've learned there's not much doctors know or can do about chronic headaches. In addition, many days I still wake up feeling as if I slammed the injury site into a brick, though that "shakes off" a minute or so after I get out of bed.

The timing would naturally suggest my headaches and fall are linked, but my father also had headaches that went on for years (I would diagnose his as something called New Daily Persistent Headache, though his doctors eventually just chalked his up as part of his Alzheimer's once he was diagnosed with that). My fall may have therefore just accelerated --or even be totally unrelated to-- some headache curse that was already programmed in my genes.

Closed head injuries are still not taken as seriously as open ones, though as far as I know they can be even more dangerous and also deceptive. I've read you need to be aware that it can cause new problems as far as five years out, so if you have something funny pop up (even something as simple as weird smells), ask your brother about it or seek medical attention if it frightens you. But please don't drive yourself crazy in the meantime; trust me, there are always weird smells out there, etc. It's a weird world and if you are on the lookout for weird, you'll find it even without a brain problem.

A while ago, Natasha Richardson died after a CHI and I hope ER's treat people differently now with that information. The staff couldn't have been less excited about me, I know that.
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