Last post Thu, Feb 21 2008 1:13 PM by pointsoflight. 18 replies.
When I was a child I was involved in a bad car accident the back of my head was hit by a metal bar an enormous swelling happened aprox size of softball today 20 plus years later there is a bump and it is bone I don't know if ym skull was fractured I never lost consiousness at the time and ice was put on it quickly no doctor ever examined my head nor did I think anything of it until recently. growing up I had trouble in school staying focused on work etc. But it seamed only the subjects I was extreamly interested in could I even begin to do well in. I'm wondering if that bump on the head could have caused that. And I'd also like to know where would one start looking for answers as to if brain damage occured is there a test I should look into? I'm asking now because I've been having bad headaches on or around the bump and I'm very sensative to light lately. It is worrying me that I may have forever had something wrong and just don't know.
hi andy, bad bump! maybe this might be causing your headaches. i think you should call a neurologist, he will probably give you an mri. i am not sure, i am not a dr. but it sounds like something you should def check out and not let it slide. better to be safe than sorry, and hopefully will help you get rid of the headaches. good luck, please let us know how you are doing ok? take care,
yeah better to be safe than sorry. I'd get it checked out. Even if your pain is not related to your bump, at least your mind can be at ease!
Welcome by the way
Hi Andy,
You are doing good work Andy by asking questions. I agree with Kara. Please see a board certified Neurologist. They can perform tests, such as EEG's that can rule in / rule out the extent and severity of your injury. I am a traumatic brain injury survivor / master's level rehabilitation counselor. I share my story in My Journey thus Far on my web log at http://secondchancetolive.wordpress.com and I share on the topic of living and thriving with an invisible disability. I have a site map on Second Chance to Live that has 198 post addressing the matter of living with a traumatic brain injury.
Please feel free to ask me any specific questions and I will respond in a timely fashion.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. God bless you!
Craig
I work at a company that specializes in helping people with Head injuries. I have also had a few myself and have light sensitivity so I'm gonna say something about that too.
All concusions are head injuries, and chances are you had a mild head injury with a bump. There are few people that have avoided even mild injuries, whether it has caused problems or not isn't as clear. If you had a fractured skull chances are it will be clear on tests. Otherwise some are clear and some aren't there may not ever be a way of knowing exactly what a bump has done. Shearing, mild head injuries can cause problems but isn't easily tested for. A Neurologist can give you a good idea though.
There are many reasons someone can have headaches and light sensitivity, in fact either problem can cause the other symptom. Really only a Doctor can tell. It is something to check into though. With some light sensitivity it can be helped, and also there is a need with some reasons to protect your eyes, to avoid problems.
Something that also may help, with light sensitivity if can be helpful to wear sun glasses that are Polarized. It helps more than regular.
Hi Dearone,
Thank you for the information. I read your bio. Wow. I am proud of you for your courage and tenacity. You are a blessing to me. Thank you. I am a traumatic brain injury survivor. My traumatic brain injury happened when I was 10 years old in 1967 due to a motor vehicle accident. The car accident occurred when a 60 year old lady driving a cadillac lost control of her vehicle and careened across her two lanes of highway and across a grass median before hitting our Volkswagon Beetle on our side of the highway.
My Dad was driving and at impact I was thrown forward. I was sitting behind my Dad and snapped my left femur (thigh bone) on his bucket seat, before hitting the windshield. I sustained an open skull fracture and remained in a coma for 3 weeks. In 1967 neuro rehab was not available. Because I was able to -- by the grace of God and because I refused to give up -- teach myself how to walk, talk, read, write and speak in complete sentences I grew up with an invisible disability. Although I was not supposed to make it beyond high school, I went on to obtain both my undergraduate and graduate degrees. You can read more about me in my Bio. I am happy to be apart of the Disaboom community.
Thank you again for your hard work and determination Dearone. God bless you!
Have a simply amazing day.
Thank you Craig, and I will read your bio. I know though right off the amount of force it takes to break a femur is so great, that says a lot right there. You sound like you have accomplished so much, that is great to see.
I should explain maybe I have taken all the training possible and try to know all the newest information, so I sometimes have good informaion, I hope. I am not a Medical Proffesional though, so anything I say is just something to maybe check into with a Doctor. I just help people relearn things mostly, and know their rights. I just wanted to clarify that.
You are welcome Dearone and thank you for your encouragement. You are a blessing to me. You are doing a wonderful work. Thank you for the time and effort you spend to provide very pertinent information. Thank you for being an essential resource.You are a gift to the Disaboom community!
God bless you Dearone.
Have a simply amazing week!
I can't say how much that means. It helps me so much.
God bless you, I am grateful for your words and to know you.
You are a champion Dearone!
Posted by secondchancetolive on May 16, 2007
Welcome back. I am glad you decided to stop by and visit. You are always welcome here. I enjoy our times together. I have been thinking about what makes a champion — a champion — and then who certifies the individual as a champion. Society as a whole seems to promote several notions that, by nature disqualify most of us from believing we are champions. Some of these notions include the following scenarios. Being a star athlete or a professional athlete who makes millions of dollars. Being an Olympian who has achieved a bronze, silver or gold metal in the Olympic Games. Being a race car driver who wins a certain amount of races or someone who has won the Nobel Peace Prize. I am sure you could think of other instances where society deems a person worthy of being a champion. Each of the scenarios stress achievement and recognition.
From an early age, many of us get duped into believing that being a champion is the goal to strive for in life. Consequently, we set off on personal crusade to win the prize and become a champion. I spent many years of my life attempting to qualify to be some ones champion. I was convinced that if I could just win the prize (education, athletic superiority and a high paying job) then I could, too be a champion. Through my process, I learned a valuable lesson. If I am waiting for some one to certify that my efforts are in league with other champions, I may find myself chasing after the wind. Subsequently, I may find myself frustrated and despondent.
As a person with a disability, I need to remind myself that I do indeed have a disability. I need to remember lest I fall into someone’s denial system (read my post, Traumatic Brain Injury and Denial—My Perspective as a TBI Survivor). Although I am not my disability, I do have specific deficits and limitation. Although I have limitations and deficits, I am not those limitations or deficits. You may have a disability, but you are not your disability. You may have limitations, but you are not those limitations. You are a champion because you pursue excellence on a daily basis. You are a champion because you do not give up on yourself. You are a champion because you get up more times than you fall down. You are a champion because you chose to live as an empowered being. You are a champion because you learn from all of your experiences. You are a champion because you refuse to believe that you are a victim of your circumstances. You are a champion because you are doing your best.
We are champions because we live life on life’s terms. We are champions because we trust the process. We are champions because we know that we are not alone. We are champions because we celebrate small successes. We are champions when we take advantage of the opportunities that become available to us each day. We are champions when we follow our passions. We are champions when we refuse to be ignorant or arrogant. We are champions when we are accountable to other people and for ourselves. We are champions when we look for solutions. We are champions when we think outside the box. We are champions when we are honest with ourselves. We are champions when we trust the God of our understanding.
We are champions because we are… You are a champion, because you are… I am a champion, because I am… not because I have been approved by…
Table Topics for the Soul – Journey to the Heart. LC Registration #: TXu1-330-434 Copyright © 2007
andyd5: growing up I had trouble in school staying focused on work etc. But it seamed only the subjects I was extreamly interested in could I even begin to do well in. I'm wondering if that bump on the head could have caused that.
growing up I had trouble in school staying focused on work etc. But it seamed only the subjects I was extreamly interested in could I even begin to do well in. I'm wondering if that bump on the head could have caused that.
If you are going to see a medical professional I would also ask them about attention deficet disorder (ADD). Your brain injury mostly like did not cause a possible case of ADD but it could have been something you were born with. I had trouble in school as well because of ADD. I only did well in the classes that interested me. I was only diagnosed with this problem a few years ago and knowing was half my battle and explained a ton about the reason I did things. I'm not saying that a brain injury couldn't cause this type of focus-problem but I thought of ADD when I saw this sentence.
Yeah that's exactly what I was trying to say Whitney but you worded it much more clearly:-) You're right a brain injury can't *CAUSE* ADD but it could either produce symptoms that mimic it (difficulty concentrating, fidgeting, etc.) OR ADD may have been present before the injury and now exacerbates the cognitive problems caused by the TBI.
Great Information Kara. Thank you.
Craig, that is amazing, thanks for posting it!
I agree with what was said too, really worded well too.
KaraSwims:a brain injury can't *CAUSE* ADD
Couldn't it cuase the same effects as ADD though should the portion of the brain damaged deal with ones concentration etc.... BTW I'm doing okay the weathers been changing I've been feeling sick but not sure that isn't just old agedness when my head hurts I notice it hurts to get on my knees on the floor like joint pains etc :)
I just go on with my life it's very odd to me why somedays I'm a genious and other days "duh" is really saying too much vocabulary.
I just hope i get to feel better soon I can't write when I have a headache oh and I've been sensative to light my entire life my hearing as well i Hear Neon humming and it drives me crazy to walk into banks and office buildings.
Everyone have a good holiday season mine is rather busy I have friends in many religions so the present giving season starts in a couple days and doesn't end for most of the month.
