Q: i know i should tell my parents , but i dont know how to bring it up
Hello Page
None of us are doctors here so we can't give you any medical advice. But it surely seems like there are some neurological things going on here. Have you had an MRI? What do your doctors say about how this injury can affect your emotions? I have never had a concussion but I do have Multiple Sclerosis...a neurological condition...and I can tell you that my condition does cause emotional lability.
Was your injury considered a traumatic brain injury? If so...some of the symptoms listed are depression, anxiety, irritability and emotional lability.
You really do need to talk about these symptoms with your parents or doctor. It sounds like this is neurological.
Let me research this some more. I am thinking that you probably need a neurologist more than a counselor. Are you currently being treated by a specialist?
I will be back later to find more resources for you. I am sorry you are going through this.
Thanks for reaching out here.
Hello Page
You said you are only 16...this is a ton of stuff to go through for someone so young. You do not present yourself as "hopeless" or "negative." You have presented yourself as someone who wants to know what is going on and how to feel better. To be in limbo like this must be extremely frustrating. I don't think any of us including your parents...can know what this feels like.
It does sound like you have a good team working for you. But do they communicate with you about what the possibilities are for the cause of all your symptoms and how to treat them?
It may help to keep a log of all your symptoms and mood each day so that you have something concrete to give to the doctors and also to look for patterns. It may help them figure all this out more quickly.
I am so sorry you are going through this. It isn't fair. It is normal to have emotions about your injury and health such as anger, confusion, sadness, worry, etc.
How long ago was your injury?
Keep talking to us. We are listening.
My injury was In April i believe it was April 8th actually. It was the first game of the season, and i continued to play for the rest of the season not aware of my injury. My doctors have asked me to keep a log of my symptoms but i just havnt, i think im going to start one right now. All i am aware of is that i cant do anything involving physical activity, i have to drink alot of water and take my pills on time. Its unbelievable how frustrating this is, i cant even tell you how many times i just sit on the floor in my room and not know who to do with myself, half of the time i just take alot of sleeping pills just so i can sleep and not have to think about it. And thank you for listining, i really do appreciate it alot
Hi again
So this has been going on now for six months just about. That is a long time. Do your doctors say anything about when you might expect to feel better? When you say you can't do any physical activity...what does this include? It makes sense that this would make you feel depressed if you are used to being active and playing sports.
I am wondering if any of the medications you are taking have side effects of altering your mood. You may want to ask this.
Yes do keep a log. This way you have something concrete to give them and then you don't have to keep repeating yourself. Just get a spiral notebook and take notes each day on how you feel physically and emotionally.
You are going to get through this. It sounds like you need some support and also just some reassurance that they will figure this out and treat you.
Hang in there...any time you wish to write on the site...use this venue to get out your frustrations. This is a very difficult thing you are going through...we are here for you.
They never really say anything about when ill get better, all they say is "this can last for up to a year". By nothing physicall i mean sports, jumping, running, doing pushups and all that, Im really stubborn and i workout anyway and i end up regreting it later because i pass out. The first time i passed out, i was in the shower and i woke up just lying there, with water hitting my face, i didnt tell my parents that i passed out untill it happened for the third time. It seems like its getting worse every day, i cant even stay in school for the whole day anymore, i have to get dismissed because my head bothers me so much. My grades are getting worse and worse~ Thank you for listining and caring it means alot
Hi again
Page...are your parents aware of how serious an injury this was...and how it is affecting you in these ways? Are your doctors communicating with your parents about what is necessary for you to feel well again?
I can totally understand where you would want to try to do things again but your body simply isn't ready. It sounds like you do need rest in order to heal. I am hopeful that this will not last for much longer. But you may have to prepare yourself for some more months of this.
I don't think any of us can begin to imagine what this is like for you. But it does sound like you are a very strong individual and that you will pull through this.
Keep writing. I hope that time is mostly what you need in order to heal. Please let us know how you are doing in the days and weeks to come. And yes we care very much.
My parents were more concerned about it when it first happened, but now that so much time has gone by it just seems like they are sick of it , sick of all the doctors appoinments, and sick of all the medications. I hope it doesnt take much longer for me to feel better, i want to play lacross again which starts in March. That is the only thing i look forward to, and its the only reason i havnt become completely hopless about this whole situation, i just want to be cleared by March, thats my goal. But i just wish i didnt feel so empty like im in a dream all the time, its begining to become difficult to differentiate between dreams and reality , i almost feel like im watching myself go through all of this rather then being myself..its hard to explain
Hi, Page. I'm sorry you've had so much trouble resulting from your injury. I want to encourage you to tell your parents how you're feeling. You can tell them pretty much what you wrote here, how you've been depressed ever since the injury. Now, add to that all the medications you are taking and any or all of that combined could contribute to depression - it's not your fault! However, you're also in a situation where you've suffered a loss, the loss of things you were able to do before but no longer can and it's not surprising you would feel depressed. I have two grown sons who became depressed in their teens and believe me, I wanted to know and I was glad they told me so that we could get them the help they needed. I understand your fear of what they'll think, but I'll bet it won't lessen their love for you. In fact, I'm sure of it. They would feel much worse if you were to let this go untreated because you didn't tell them.
I hope this has been of some help. You may need the help of a psychiatrist because of all the medications you're on and to decide if you need an antidepressant, but a therapist would be very valuable for you, too, because of the situation you're in. I hope you get better soon and take the risk of telling your parents. This concussion could be part of the cause of the depression, so it's important that you get this addressed, okay? Let us know how you're doing and thanks for visiting our site.
Hi again
I am going to give you the link to our Migraine site...so you may ask any headache or migraine questions there. They may also know more about concussions.
Are your parents aware of how serious a concussion can be? I think the best thing here is if you ask your doctor to talk with your parents about the changes that such an injury can cause to your emotions and personality. It may be necessary to not only consult with a neurologist but also find a therapist as well to help you to deal with these changes. This must be incredibly difficult for you...and you need support.
Here is more information on Postconcussive Syndrome. You may want to share this information with your parents. You should not be dealing with this on your own.
You may also be interested in visiting our chronic pain site since you are having trouble with headaches.
Let me know if we may be of more assistance to you. Please do talk to your parents...they need to know how you are feeling.
I know what you are going through and it does change your life! and so many symptons you don't understand? and that is the mental part of it.and that will make the phyiscal part of you become more down. so if you can manage the mental part it will help you to be stronger! learn to live with the concussion, and how to adjust then thinking what you can't do anymore! i too had a concussion ): and it's no picnic. you know what might be good for you? is find group counseling classes and listen to others and see how they cope with it and that will be away for you to vent and get it out and see how they live w/ it. and something they do might help you too! and just tell your'e parents you need there understanding and support in order to get better and hopefully to over come what you are dealing with and going through. and that you know it's hard on them too! but it's a team affort and when you got that, everything will fall in place instead of playing tug-a-war. get regular MRI'S because concussions effect the brain and you just want to make sure there is no swelling because there are concussions, that are called post-concussions which means symptons may not show up for months. so good luck w/ you and that bad boo boo don't let it control you, you control it.
Page, can you give us an update? Did you have a talk with your parents? Are you feeling any better or worse? It can be one of the hardest orders in the world -- to take it easy -- when you are young and full of life and energy. But please be aware that taking good care of yourself now may make a big difference later in life. Concussions are serious stuff. I'm sorry it happened. I was with my mother once when someone knocked her down and she hit her had and had a serious concusssion. The doctor made her stay in BED for 3 MONTHS. She had 4 kids and had to sacrifice to hire a woman to come in and do the housekeeping and make sure we kids were okay. Doctors rarely make you stay in bed with a concussion now. But you do have to accept responsibility for taking care of yourself..and part of that is the courage to be honest with your parents and with your doctors.
I am doing so much better, im working on being cleared to play sports again...lacross season is really soon. I still have an empty feeling and i dont know how to have mental emotions but im doing alot better, I stopped taking all of my medications because i no longer wanted to be controlled by them. I never talked to my parents about much of anything. It seems that, ever since i stopped taking my medications ive been having trouble dealing with my emotions though, im still trying to figure out how to handle that, but other then a few things im doing alright
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I have been to so many doctors, and my neuroligist has asked me if i was feeling depressed or having any weird thoughts, i tell him no everytime. The doctors all tell me that the symptoms can last for up to a year, It just seems so long and for some reason i dont think that the concussion is the reason for all this. Its just sickening going to the doctors and telling them the same thing every single time, that i dont feel good, i havnt gotten better , and i still have the headakes. My mom told me today that she didnt excpect me to be so negative and hopeless about this situation. I find it kind of difficult to not be so hopeless when the doctors are still not posotive whats wrong, and they still havnt found medication that works for more then a week. Im currently being seen by a neurologist, a concussion specialtist, a cardiologist (they found i have a irreguler heart beat), and eye doctor (i poped a hemridge in my eye from the head injury) and im going to be going to an ear, nose and throat doctor because my neurologist wants them to have a look at me. The concussion specialist is going to have me go to therapy so they can work on getting me to walk straight and see straight again. Ive had an MRI and a Catscan done, nothing showed up in either of them