Concussions And Syncope- Some Questions????

[jenglynn]

Hi Everyone,

I have had a diagnosis of post-concussion syndrome for some time. After I left inpatient at Mayo I spent a week and a half or so at an acute inpatient rehab. Not to "cure" but help me develop some safety skills because of my frequent and daily syncope. I met with a cognitive specialist and speech therapist and they determined that I had "Mild Cognitive Impairment" which I was not at all happy about. She said that were a few clues that led them to this dx. First the gait of my speech. I guess I talk a lot slower than most people and with frequent stops to search for the right word (I KNOW the word but it take my brain a little longer to find it). My immediate family has commented that they have noticed a change in speech pattern since my last concussion. Also, my retention has really suffered. I am a grad school student (online thankfully) and halfway done and totally determined to finish (why, not sure, I will probably be on disability for a long time but it is a pride thing I guess It used to be I'd read something once, remember it and get my work done quickly and ahead of time. Now I procrastinate horribly and I don't retain anything I read. I am constantly referring back to the book and it has doubled my time at leasst for completing assignments. FRUSTRATING! I think I procrastinate because of that reason. I hate to accept what has happened to me. I am in denial to an extent.

So while in rehab, the most important thing they stressed to me is they want me to go 3-6 months (well, forever optimially of course) without any concussions because my brain is really healing. I have had six concussions and many of them have been within the last few months. And I am sure all of the syncope and lack of oxygen for even a few seconds hasn't helped either. I was a little scared by the importance they were placing on this. They indicated that six concussions is not an acceptable number, especially so close together because the brain has not healed from the last one, and another one could be "disasterous" for. This really scared me.

My question, for those of you with syncope and concussions... how many have you had and do you think you've had a cognitive change from them? I guess I never really thought about 6 being such a high number so I am curious to see what others have. Is there "brain rehab" to bring back some of those skills? We didnt really go into that but I see her next week for a follow up. I felt like she was telling me I had brain damage and that is some serious and scary stuff... and my syncope is very frequent (multiple times a day) so to be safe for the next few months I won't be walking much. Thanks for any insight. Just another issue to have to deal with with autonomic neuropathy that really isn't related directly but a side effect, as if we need anymore!!

Jen

[jenglynn]

Something I forgot to mention... the horrible headaches. These are almost a constant for me, every day and I have yet to find anything to relieve them. It is so miserable and the thought of a lifetime of these is not appealing. Another thing I've noticed- my mood! I am slightly quicker to be irritated and will snap at someone faster than I would have in the past. I was always the type to really think through a response before I would say it now, but now if someone says something that annoys me I am much more likely to snap right back. So I guess it has also changed my personality to an extent because I used to be SOOOOOO easy going and now I am just a little bit more high strung. Noises bother me so much more. Bright light, any extra stimulus. I try to keep this in check but sometimes I just can't control it. My poor family, bad enough they have to deal with all of the autonomic issues and now this!

Jen

[Alyssa]

We have a pretty similar story!

I also have syncopal episodes upwards 30x in a day (though it averages about 10x per day). After a few of my falls, one of them being my head through a glass table, I noticed that I would have short term memory issues lasting for a couple of hours, I was having visual disturbances, etc. I never went to the doctor after a fall - bloody noses, busted head, broken teeth, etc; I just couldn't bring myself to go to the doctor. This was all over a period of several months. (disclaimer, it is very important that every see a doctor after a serious head injury - do as I say, not as I do lol)

At my last visit with my doctor, I talked about how I haven't gone several months without a headache everyday. My eyes were having trouble focusing, and I was seeing spots all day, everyday. My cognitive function had decreased slightly, but I could tell a difference. I became very light sensitive to the point that I keep all lights off in my apartment at all times (hey, it saves on electricity too!)

His guess was that I had had minor concussions that went unnoticed by anyone because I was too stubborn to admit that I was having that much trouble. The frequency of these likely concussions has left me with all of these problems that may or may not heal up on their own.

In the meantime, he has asked me to wear a helmet to prevent any further damage until my appointment at Vanderbilt.

So I guess to answer your question, I'm sure I've had my fair share of concussions, although I can't say for sure how many. And yes, I can tell a noticeable difference in cognition.