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

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#51

Post by kayodelycaon » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 3:38 AM UTC

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#52

Post by kayodelycaon » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 3:48 AM UTC

jhatemyjob wrote: post #23

antisthenes wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happened? How severe was it?

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

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#53

Post by 14 » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 3:56 AM UTC

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#54

Post by dharmatech » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 4:00 AM UTC

turtle_ wrote: post #44

turkeygizzard wrote: post #5

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…

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 th…

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#55

Post by dharmatech » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 4:05 AM UTC

turtle_ wrote: post #44

turkeygizzard wrote: post #5

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…

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 th…

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#56

Post by l8nite » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 4:07 AM UTC

dvt wrote: post #18

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.

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#57

Post by jevoten » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 4:08 AM UTC

turtle_ wrote: post #44

turkeygizzard wrote: post #5

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…

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 th…

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.

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#58

Post by turtle_ » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 4:18 AM UTC

jevoten wrote: post #57

turtle_ wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 th…

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.

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

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#59

Post by turtle_ » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 4:19 AM UTC

dharmatech wrote: post #55

turtle_ wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 th…

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

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/

Re: I have a brain injury [video]

#60

Post by turtle_ » Sun, Dec 12, 2021, 4:22 AM UTC

dharmatech wrote: post #54

turtle_ wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 th…

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…

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.