I have a brain injury [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#11

Post by pcarolan » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:01 PM UTC

throwaway_12122 wrote: post #8

dsizzle wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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 u…

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#12

Post by verytrivial » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:09 PM UTC

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#13

Post by jhatemyjob » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:09 PM UTC

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

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#14

Post by pineal » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:12 PM UTC

throwaway_12122 wrote: post #8

dsizzle wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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 u…

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#15

Post by PicassoCTs » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:14 PM UTC

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#16

Post by antisthenes » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:15 PM UTC

jhatemyjob wrote: post #13

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

What happened? How severe was it?

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#17

Post by ttul » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:16 PM UTC

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#18

Post by dvt » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:20 PM UTC

ttul wrote: post #17

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.

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#19

Post by lexapro » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:26 PM UTC

ianlevesque wrote: post #10

throwaway_12122 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 u…

> 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 !

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#20

Post by hypertele-Xii » Sat, Dec 11, 2021, 11:29 PM UTC

ttul wrote: post #17

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.

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.