am i the only one that gets tired so easily

[ncmurphy1951]

i am told its a result of my brain hemmoraghe but it is only 9.15 i think i slept well but i am tired yawning incapable of holding a sensible conversation with anyone and me who hopes to return to work as soon as possible .... very very depressing am i alone

[Hidden]

Hi, this is my first ever blog I had a brain haemorrhage Jan 2008. 5 years on i still get very tired and realise that tiredness (fatigue) will be with me forever, so i I have had to learn how to manage what I can and can't do depending on how tired I get. The brain recovers with sleep, so however much sleep you've had if you need more, sleep more

[ncmurphy1951]

Thank you my policy since waking in feb 2009 is to battle on etc etc not ideal but life will never be what it was again

Neil

[Jigsaw]

It is very hard to change and slow down - I used to be a 100 mile an hour person but its just not possible now! I do jobs around the house/garden for a bit and then sit for a while either reading or just 40-ish winks! It is harder I think now the winter is coming because Im a lot more relaxed sitting in my garden and dont feel so guilty doing that but I do when I sit indoors doing nothing! Take care x

[supertwizzle]

I live on the Isle of Skye so I face a three hour journey to go through to Inverness for hospital appointments/shopping etc.I had an appointment on Thursday, it is now Saturday and I am still feeling tired. I try to carry on as best I can but when I remember how I used to be (work hard, play hard) it is difficult. But I keep trying and I am sure I will get there on day

[lissaip]

Hi,

I often feel the same, sometimes i get so tired that it is hard to do things. It is getting on for a year now so like you i am hoping it will go away and i will get some energy back.

[Flumptious]

I am a bit embarrassed by how often I yawn, to be honest, and it's quite nice to know that other brain injury people suffer to! I am better than I used to be, but it hasn't gone away (after 7 years).

[headwayuk Partner Headway]

Hi,

Fatigue is a really common and debilitating effect of brain injury - it's one that often doesn't get the recognition it needs. We do publish a booklet called 'Managing fatigue after brain injury' which gives some background and strategies for coping with fatigue.

This costs £3.50 through our shop, but the helpline can send copies out for free to people with brain injury, family members etc.

Contact the helpline on [e-mail] or send us a private message here to request your copy.

If fatigue is a particularly big issue, it can help to speak to your doctor and seek an assessment from a neuropsychologist, who may be able suggest further rehabilitation and/or lifestyle changes that could help.

Best wishes,

Headway.

[ncmurphy1951]

thank you all i am beginning to accept that i willl always be tired my challenge not amoungst the many i have is to stop being so trusting of others i was brought up to tret others as you wish to be treated this am yet another con on me asked a chap to buy me some cigarettes gave him a £10 note 3 hours later no fags no man and no £10 total i have been conned out of to date £2000 painful when treying to survive on benefits neil

[deedeex]

Hi my name is Denise, I had a SAH 2010 and had it coiled also a second one a year ago, I dont think you can avoid being afraid and depressed about whathas happend, to you, waking up to learn you have been in intensive care and in a coma for 4 weeks, is a huge shock too to get your head around,memory and fatigue has been the major difficultiy for me, it does take time to except and get use to what has happend and how you find how much you life has changed, through the help of a very good freind, and a wonderful daughter, i have been able to be go out and about, i have found the sooner and the more you do that the better you feel. because as soon as you come accross situations with choices, your self worth and freedom feelings come back, and like others have said, getting intouch with your nearest headway group, its amazing how better you feel by going to there group meetings, i look forward to going to mine, and see the others there who have sufferd like yourself, and are freindly and very supporting, day trips out are great too, I think i get out and about now through headway than i did before my stroke they are amazing, dont know where or how i would feel now without them they have guided me and advised on all the things i never knew about, that can help you. when you first come home from home. it was a case of now what? i was very lucky my freind had heard about headway, from looking to do some voluntary work with them in scotland, ans so looked to see if there was a local group near to me, by searching on the internet, she came accross there website, with a list of headway groups around the country, with all kind of help to offer, dont know where i would be today without them,amazing group, would recommend them you can start by going on there website headwayuk and register, lots of luv and luck with your future xxx

[ncmurphy1951]

denise although i am further down the long road mine was in 2007 but life has changed massisly for me going out i grab every opportunity but i do get tired very tired physically and mentally bed each day at 6 up at 7am without much sleep headway groups are very good i tried for a while but their timings locally interferred with other activities i had

the journey isd long very long ONE HAS TO BE VERY ACCEPTING AS I USED TO PREECH IN BUSINESS IT IS WHAT IT IS CANT CHANGE IT JUST GET ON WITH IT A DAY AT A TIME

NEIL

[gymrat1279]

hi , i had a tbi over 15 years ago and the fatigue is alwys there just waiting , i also have balance problems and have to actually hold on to a person for support and when we are out walking i get tired very quickly especially if i hold a conversation at the same time as walking, this is your life now you have to accept it and live as best as you can i am lucky i have a supportive wife and children, and also i have a day at headway cardiff with other tbi people and i thoroughly reccomend it to anyone that can find a place.

[ncmurphy1951]

thank you i hate being a burden but it is wat it is and most people are willing to lend an arm to get me about

[brighton88]

my understanding is that brain trauma often leaves excessive tiredness, it took me quite a long time to learn to mange fatigue after my ABI

[deedeex in reply to brighton88]

Hi brighton88, you say manage your excessive tiredness, can you tell how, as I am unable to stay awake most of the time x

[brighton88 in reply to deedeex]

sorry no magic answers, I know that after a brain injury 'we' become very tired, in part due to the brain working over time on the simplest of tast;

the larger and busier the place the more tiring it is because we have more information for our brain to process. So one way is to avoid places like ASDA (for example) unless it is at night when it's quite.

I never fight the tireness, going to bed twice a day IS OK, it's easy to feel guilty which makes the fatigue worse so I never feel guilty.

When I make arrangements I always give the proviso that if I'm not well I will break the appointment at the last moment.

To begin with my neuro physio told me to have a plan; 1( get up washed dressed and breakfast 2) go have a lay down 3) get up and to a few chores 4) go have a rest. In short plan your rest periods throughout the day and never feel guilty but I accept that there is the odd day, few days or even a week when I will feel like S*** and not be able to cope. I go with it and don't fight it. (now I normally only sleep once in the afternoon) recently I redecorated a room...took months as I was resting every 15 minutes, but I did it without help.

When I visit anyone I always tell them in advance that I will need a quite room where I can just go and sit or sleep if I feel the need. I've found that often just sitting quitely for a short while can ease the fatigue when socialising.

An exercise my neuro physio gave me to help with the balance which in turn also helps with the fatigue (if we are always feeling giddy it's exhusting) ....walk from A to B for example one side of the lounge or garden to the other side and as you walk look left and then right as you try to walk in a straight line......I found it very hard at first and felt like a wolly. I am not giving you advice just explaining some of the techniques I've used to manage my fatigue and found that it is like any sport the more I've done the better I've become. Are you under a neuro physio if not please ask your GP for a referal to one and do not accept an ordinary physio, but one that specialises in brain damage/ giddyness and fatigue In my time I have been under 5 physio's each working with me on different aspects of my condition

[zainey-lainey]

none of my family understand my tbi... they just think i am lazy. they got no advice what i would be like when i came out of rehab. when i tell them i am tierd forgetful clumsey, etc they just say " oh i am like that, its your age" but i no it is not. i have 3 kids and a house garden to run and with no help. My children dont understand either as they were not told. so the have no empathy.sympathy... ii would love to go to work but how are you sopose to cope if you are tierd after 15 mins work? it has been so hard to moan because kno one understand so my fellow friends i maybe be moaning quiye alot on here...bare with me hehe

[Hidden]

I suffered TBI 45 years ago. Like you I was constantly knackered as well as plenty of other ill effects.

Now, the tiredness seems to have passed as has stuttering for words, short term memory effects, the massive headaches and so on.

I do still suffer from depressions occasionally that I try to ignore and my depth/distance appreciation is not good but I am as well as I can be and there has been a massive recovery, albeit slow, over those years.

I went to work 2 weeks after being discharged from hospital and followed a typical text book one job after the other course; I also took my professional qualifications within the first four years and eventually settled into long employment.

I also got a new personality [the old me didn't swear as much or was as caustic with words as I am now. Then again that 'old' me had plenty of friends, this one hasn't].

I'm telling you this so you can see there is a future for you. I know it takes a bloody long time but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

One strong word of advice, step away from alcohol. It doesn't help.

[gymrat1279]

hi i had my accident 15 years ago and the brain injury has left me exhausted doing simple things, i actually went to watch wales v samoa and the day started when i rose at 8.am and at 10 am was at headway cardiff for the day at around 1pm had a short nap and then at 5.30pm we went to startthe journey to watch the match even though i was in a wheelchair the whole event was tiring and by the end of the game i eventually got home at 11pm today is tuesday and i am just about over it. you have to remember that your body needs glycogen (from your food) and your brain uses more than half of that to keep going ( probably more for someone with a TBI) so theres not a lot left for the rest of your body. you just have to keep going nad know your limitations.

[zainey-lainey in reply to gymrat1279]

just tried to look up glycogen. as i am dibetic i guess my sorses are low but what can i eat that is full of the stuff that makes glycogen? I am so very tierd this week!. your advice would be kind.

[gymrat1279 in reply to zainey-lainey]

hi sorry i am late answering but try this web page it should help essortment.com/20-snacks-ki...

[Bodygemz]

I had a leaking aneurism and resulting brain surgery in 1987 and I have to say the overwhelming tiredness is something I struggle with. I find it difficult to hold down a job as I end up making mistakes due to the tiredness. I can cope physically and mentally with a very part time job, but financially it's crippling.

[BaronC]

If you are alone, then I'm alone as well. So I guess by definition, that means we're not alone

[Hidden]

Yes, fatigue is common to most of us. I was always a night owl and hated getting up pre-BI but now I will happily collapse into bed at 8, am often up for a few hours in the small silent hours when I can hear myself think and plan my day then up bright and breezy at 6. Your brain tells you when its had enough, you just need to listen to it. All the best