PTA - feeling scared.

[Saraholdham76]

My husband was hit by a car on March 22nd and suffered injuries to his head. His CT scan is clear but he is still suffering confusion and short term memory loss after 10 days. He has had an MRI scan today but I've not got results yet. Has anyone else experienced PTA for this long?

[paxo05]

Hi sarah

although hopefully the confusion and short term memory loss is temperary but may still take awhile to settle down. If not it may be something that may be improved over time. I still sufer short term memory loss and sometimes have boughts of confusion after 16 years. Things have improved and I have adapted my life to accomodate this. At its worst outcome things are never as bleak as they first look. Hope your husband a swift recovery.

[cat3]

Hi Sara. Has anyone mentioned Post Concussion Syndrome, as this can occur after trauma to the head and usually continues for 10-14 days but can last longer.

As it's only 10 days since the accident, your husband might need more time to recover from such a blow as, in terms of brain injury, this is very early days to be seeing any improvement.

And short-term memory loss is the commonest side-effect of BI but it's much too early for even the doctors to predict the outcome. After examining the MRI results the doctors might be in a better position to comment on his present condition but no one, not even they, can offer anyone with a BI a definite long-term prognosis.

My surgeon told my family to 'Fear the worst but hope for the best' after my brain haemorrhage but three years on, although there are some residual issues, I have recovered pretty well and the recovery was beginning to show after the first 3-4 months.

If you'd like some official print-outs regarding brain injury & its after-effects you could phone the Headway helpline on 0808 800 2244. It's a free call and they're available between 9am-5pm Mon-Fri.

Best wishes to you both Sara, and I hope you'll see a good outcome from the scan results.

Regards Cat x

[headinjuryhypo]

I hope the MRI shows something. I am so sorry for what you're going through. What I want to say won't help you now, but it may be useful in the future. Around a third of head injuries damage the pituitary gland, and if your husband develops symptoms like fatigue, depression, loss of sex drive, obesity, inability to tolerate heat/cold, excessive urination - any or all of these - then do push for proper testing. The short synacthen test is not sensitive enough, and IGF-1 levels won't be enough either - you have to press for the insulin stress test or the glucagon stimulation test and for some reason it's a battle to get these. Google hypopituitarism thoroughly before you do anything. I hope your husband gets better quickly and that you don't need any of this information!

[StrawberryCream]

I had Post Traumatic Amnesia when I came out of a 3 weeks coma and it continued for nearly another 3 weeks of being very confused, kept repeating myself, had memory loss (I thought my son should be younger) etc. I think that it can go on longer than that. However, I now still have problems of a frontal BI but what I experienced in those early weeks was PTA. For me there was evidence on my scans but a scan doesn't always show any damage but that doesn't mean that he hasn't suffered a BI.

[Bards]

I would have thought the majority of those reading this with a Traumatic Brain Injury - 10 days is very early. Stay calm, stay away from scare stories and I hope for the very best for you both x

[StaceM8]

Hiya Sara / Sarah Oldham. My head injury was 21 years ago & my memory is still pretty poor. As it goes it's weird cos sometimes it is actually quite good but my concentration is shocking so I listen, take things in, understand but if the conversation continues, especially if it changes to an entirely different topic, please don't ask me to repeat what was said ;o)

I've never suffered from confusion myself but believe a lot of people who have had a head injury do. Just be grateful that it was quite minor & hopefully his injuries will correct themselves a lot quicker than mine and most people on the site, but my accident was very serious (5 weeks in a coma & then In and out of hospital for about 7 years & a lot of people on the site, far worse than me. Not dismissing your husband cos injury to the brain has similar effects regardless.

You have come to the right site though cos you'll find the information U need cos they're a nice & friendly bunch who will have experienced a lot of what your husband goes through & also people who are close to those who have had the HI understand - it has some weird side effects that even the person who's going through it doesn't understand.

Personally I realised after 20 years when I found this site that it wasn't just me that couldn't understand why people treated me as if nothing had happened, but if I don't know what's going on with my brain, how do I expect anyone who hasn't experienced the same to.

Hopefully not, but be aware that he might not be the same person he was from time to time. Just be patient with your husband though & importantly be there for him & understand that injury to the head can cause a lot of unforeseen problems that people that haven't had a HI

PTA ???

Oh and everything that Cat said

[thepiercy]

Hi Sarah, I'd echo what others have said. it is early days. From your brief description it sounds more like post-concussion syndrome than PTA which is the complete inability to lay down new memory. This can last quite some time, try to help him to use notebooks or calendar functions on phone to help remember things that need to be done. Many on this list will tell you that even 'minor' injury with clear scans can still leave some people with real problems, but there are also many people for whom problems clear up in time. Good luck and keep hanging in there.

James

[Saraholdham76]

Thank you so much everyone form ours kind words and support - it's reassuring to see that things will get better. I am seeing the Consultant today re: the MR scan so fingers crossed. I am also meeting the Headway Counsellor today so that should help. X

[sporan]

Hi Saraholdham,

As you can see from the replies every BI is very different and individual but that the vast majority will improve over time, some quicker than others to be sure, but improve none the less.

The brain is so complex that even the best neuros can't ever fully understand it.

Good luck with the Headway councellor, they will be really helpfull and invaluable to you for info and support the medical staff quite litetrally don't have the time to give you, not from personal choice, but from the pressure they themselve are under to treat and care for so many patients.

Take care and best wishes for you husbands recovery.

Sporan

[RecoveringH]

Might appear simplistic but for the moment, short walks - guided with another - no more than 15-30 mins followed by a lie down with low or no pillow to get the faster moving blood up into the brain to start clearing it out. Staying upright as a normal healthy individual, blood has to defy gravity. Give nature a helping hand! Garlic thins the blood, can aid this process.

Best.