Beginning of March I slid down my driveway after a bad snow and ice storm here in New Jersey and landed across the road on my head and lost Consciousness for roughly 10 minutes. Was taken by ambulance to the hospital and was admitted for two days under observation .
. What ensued from this awful fall was a concussion, a fractured orbital floor of my eye, a nose fracture, a sinus hemorrhage, and a sprained wrist and Ankle. Without going through all the details because it would take forever to write them, since then I have had Visiting Nurse home, home health aide, physical therapist all in my home. My face was totally unrecognizable and the doctors refer to it as the raccoon eye face because of the big black swellings and puffiness around my eyes and my whole face.
I have seen 14 specialists since then for each part of my body that has been injured. I had to see the neurosurgeon because I have a brain aneurysm from before which did not come from the fall and he had to check it out but he sent me to a neurologist because I was losing my balance walking and he prescribed Balance Therapy of which I've had 24 sessions so far. It seems without realizing it the eye doctor diagnosed me with double vision peripheral and they're not sure if that's because of the concussion or the eye fracture but they feel that's probably what's throwing my balance off.
It's been a rough road for these last 4 months but I'm on the mend. I have an appointment with a neuro ophthalmologist because of the double vision. I still have to follow up with the neurologist, the ophthalmologist, the hematologist because I am on coumadin and that was the reason for the Hemorrhage in the sinuses I guess I probably would have had the haemorrhage anyway because of the way my head slammed on the roadway.
I'm also seeing the dentist because my front tooth got knocked loose but I'm probably not going to lose it. For the first couple of weeks after the fall my brain was quite fuzzy and I was losing a lot of my words but this has gotten much better. Now it happens occasionally maybe a couple of times a day that I try to think of a word and I can't but as I said better than it was. I was told by the neurologist that the concussion can take up to a year to be fully gone. He said there's no test but as long as I still have the symptoms, headache poor balance Etc I still have the concussion.
What's bothering me is that I've changed emotionally with this and I even expressed it to one of my doctors that I feel nothing. I'm kind of emotionless with everything that goes on. I'm functioning very well but it's hard to explain nothing really affects me emotionally lately.
Has anybody ever experienced a concussion and felt this way? and has it lasted as long as up to a year?
Mozelle
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mozelle
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Firstly, let me say how sorry I am that you have gone through this.
I have to say ( and I can only guess that I suspect many of us feel the same way) that feel very vulnerable on warfarin ( brand Coumadin.)
It’s not easy to get away from this feeling when our doctors remind us of it at each appointment!
I have not had an injury like this to my brain, so I cannot say.
I am not sure, but does this fall under the , “ traumatic brain injury “ criteria? I think it might?
If so, I know there is an on line forum much like this one that provides support and information.
Neurology is so highly specialized and specific
It will be very important for you to share your, “ emotional “flat affect” experience with your neurologist. He will be able to shed light on it I suspect.
Again, I’m glad you are slowly but surely making progress. Welcome back!
Thank you so much. Would you know the name of the online site for traumatic brain injury? It's an awful feeling "not feeling." Physically I know I'm going to be fine eventually, as I stated in my original post I am much much better than I was before.. I'm back to driving( the double vision is only peripheral so I am not aware that I am seeing double and therefore the neurologist said I can drive I'm not a danger to myself or to anybody, I can see fine straight ahead). And the loss of balance has improved after my 24 sessions of Balance Therapy. And I see the neurologist on August 7th for a follow-up and I will definitely mention to him this emotional state that I'm going through. Thank you so much for your response
I accidentally replied to myself instead of you... but do read my response to myself- I have a link for you there.
I have to go into my office for a few hours today. ( and get my INR dream over the lunch hour . The hospital I can just manage to get a bar of signal if I stand next to the window while I wait for the phlebotomist! Lol!)
It’s part of the HU ( health unlocked) plat form. Like this one - we are on now. It’s British owned platform company.
There are also forums in the United States when I did an internet google search. But you yourself would need to type in “ traumatic brain injury support forums” and choose.
If you have any trouble or questions let me know.
Above all, I do think your neurologist will be the best person to guide you.
Thank you so very much. I will look for the site this evening. I used to be on this forum for quite a while do to my APS and Factor V Leiden and got a lot of support from this site . A lot of it helped me understand what I have and it helped knowing that others go through the same thing . I have not been on it for quite some time.
Remember me (Kerstin in Stockholm) ? I have missed you.
I am so very sorry for your horrible fall due to a snow and ice storm in March. Must have been awful for you.
We spoke 5 years ago and at that time you already had visual problems and saw at least an Ophtalmologist for that.
At that time your Doctor wanted you on an INR not higher than 3.0. Between 2.0 - 3.0 and I think you also took Aspirin.
Even if you have had this terrible accicent you still have APS so I wonder what INR your are at today. We know both of us that neurological strange symptoms occur together with APS when we are not correctly anticoagulated.
I am so glad that you have contact with those 3 Specialists which i think you need. I understand that they can not let you go too high with the Warfarin because of a possible bleed. I am not a Doctor so i do not know though. I only guess.
There are "early days" as to your concussion (the Neurologist told you that). Must be difficult for you. I also had a severe fall in November last year and I felt the brain moving from right to left and back again. Broke my right arm also. The brain and our body is fantastic how it can heal.
I surely do remember you. You were very helpful when I first was on the Forum when I got diagnosed with APS and Factor V Leiden. And we used to dialogue many times. How are you doing?
This last thing that happened to me, the fall, the concussion, the fractures in my face in my eye, the loss of balance, and having to see so many doctors, and so on and so forth has really done a number on me.
To everybody I appreciate all your replies. I know it's going to take a while until I can really come back to myself but I am much improved since it all happened. The neurologist said it could take up to about a year until I'm finished with all the after effects of the concussion. I will look on the site for brain trauma forum.
HI, on here (this platform) is Headway! healthunlocked.com/headway From my experience of talking to other people over the years, it can take a while to heal and get back to some sort of normality with a brain injury including a stroke, one of my friends who does not have Hughes Syndrome/APS, described it as feeling so fatigued that they could not feel anything at all, just felt flat, but that did lift over time. I am pleased you have lots of medical help going on, it sounds awful what happened, wishing you a speedy recovery! My friend many years ago was thrown out of a car in a crash, and felt like this for a long time, but it did slowly lift, they had very serious concussion. MaryF
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How do you know when your INR is not within range?
A strange experience with my vision
Should I go to London Bridge to see the Prof?
APS AND EYESIGHT PROBLEMS 
