Recovery from concussion - other people's experiences?

Triathlon Forum
1

I concussed myself after a fall snowboarding back in July (I live in New Zealand) - I landed headfirst on ice, no helmet - and had a week off all training and work (well pretty much a whole week) following that. I tried to ease myself back into training, but whenever I did a bit of exercise I ended up getting headaches, dizziness etc.

Then in August/September, I had two big court cases to prepare for (I’m a lawyer) and was working some pretty solid hours for those. As a result, my symptoms got worse where I almost constantly had a headache.

Went to the doctors a number of times during all of this, and on third occasion got referred to a specialist concussion centre. Anyway, saw a doctor there, had my work hours reduced to half days with a gradual increase. Also got given advice on managing my fatigue, and have been given exercises for my vestibular system and a return to work plan.

Was told to start with walking for exercise. I’m now at a point where I can swim around 2kms and run up to 25 mins, but it seems not both on the same day without the post concussion symptoms coming back (which are mainly dizziness and headaches, if i’ve really over done it I’ll also feel really nauseous).

I’ve also basically been told to flag the rest of summer as far as any triathlons etc go.

I’ve also been told to try to avoid cognitive overload from watching too much tv, the net, listening to music, even social events (I’m having to miss a work function tonight as I know it will take me 2 or so days just to recover from…that has been my experience with that kinda thing recently)…too much net really seems to affect me badly.

If I do too much of the above things in a given day, I’ll be lucky if i get 5-6 hours sleep that night, which seems to end up in me feeling like i’m badly hungover the next day, but without the drinking!

It’s just soo boring! I feel like I can’t do anything really!

I’ve been knocked out before (hit over the head with a glass bottle in a pub fight), but that incident didn’t appear to affect me too badly as I did a half ironman 2 or so weeks later, and an ironman another 2 or so months from that (my first). I think I may also have been concussed slightly a few times whilst playing rugby (now that I think about it I had similar symptoms when I was 17 for a while), and also I remember seeing stars one time after a heavy wave in the shorebreak drove me headfirst into sand whilst bodyboarding.

Anyway, i was just wondering if any other people had experience with recovering from concussion and what their experiences were?

From what I understand, everyone is different. I’m trying to do all I can to recover as quickly as I can, but it seems that that means I basically have to have no life at all!

2

Time. There’s not much more to it then that. Everyone does recovery differently, you’re right on that one. Something I think you might be over looking is the cumulative affect. Each time you hit your head, it gets worse. Even if it’s not a hard hit, or you get completely knocked out. Each time adds up.

I’ve had more then my fair share of head injuries. At 27, I already show some bad signs of neurological deficit from head injuries, shacking hands, vision issues, memory problems, etc But what I can tell you is that some of my bad concussions did take longer to get over. I’ve been out for over 6 minutes, (not just confused, but out cold for over 6 minutes) 4 times, as well as a handful of other shorter bouts. The first time I was out that long, took a few months to get back everything. The last time took about 9 months till I felt good again. But after the last one I still never really felt the same again.

I’d listen to the docs. Give it time. If you feel dizzy, tired, just rest. Thats the best thing for it. It’s boring, but your best bet.

3

I’ve had 3 concussions this year, and none of them gave me any long term symptoms like what you are describing. The worst one (the first) had me feeling pretty dizzy for about 3-4 days, but I took it easy and eventually I felt completely fine.

I’ve never gone through such a prolonged experience with a concussion as you are describing, but it sounds pretty terrible. From my perspective (I’m not a doctor) I think it might be best to abandon training entirely for a period of time. In my experience with any form of injury, aggravating it will only prolong recovery, and from the sounds of it, you are “poking it with a stick”.

You recover cardiovascular fitness fairly quickly in my experience. So don’t feel too bad for taking the time off, it sounds like you may need it.

4

Yeah, I realise each knock has a cumulative effect. I’m not sure how long I was knocked out for when I was hit over the head (was found lying in a pool of blood).

I’ve been advised by the concussion clinic people that light exercise can assist in recovery. The running is very easy, as is the swimming. It only gets aggravated when I overdo the exercise, otherwise a bit of light exercise actually seems to make me feel better. i’m not too worried about loss of fitness, what I guess I am more concerned about is the impact it is having on just having a somewhat ‘normal’ life!

5

I did the same thing snowboarding, though I landed backwards and my head slapped the ground after my shoulders hit. I had similar issues afterwards. The symptoms should resolve in time. Mine took around a year. My employer thought I was nuts. At least now there is more awareness about concussions and a growing understanding of their effects.

I skiied for 20 years before that and never got hurt, then tried snowboarding twice and knocked myself silly. I bought a helmet the next day and now feel naked without it on the snow. Haven’t tried snowboarding since.

6

Fulla,

Have a listen (or read the transcript) to this podcast from Oz Radio National Health Report: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2010/2850387.htm

It’s a pretty sobering report.

The interviewee is Doug Smith, Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of the Centre for Brain Injury and Repair at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He is infuriated that people refer to “mild” concussion and underestimate its effects - mostly because they can be hard to measure. Apparently the effects are often life-long, including the fact that traumatic brain injuries are a number one environmental risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Don’t mean to alarm you, but I know you’re after the best available info.

7

Fulla,

I had a skiing accident back in April where I broke my collarbone in 4 places and had a serious concussion, while wearing a helmet. I was pretty much out of it for about 4 hours and it was 11pm before I was really aware of things.
I took the week off work (though had a few tin, had a couple of days back in then needed another week off before my collarbone operation. Then I started back to work but had to come off the project I was on as it involved travelling.
I started to behave more aggresively in work than my normal friendly self and friends/colleagues/my wife picked up on this.
After 7-8 weeks I also began to be quite depressed also, and this was affecting my behaviour too and I was probably drinking a bit too heavily as well. A friend who’s mother was a nurse said that it can take a while - up to a year- to get back to normal after a serious concussion - no-one really knows how the brain really works. This was valuable in having some quite difficult conversations with my wife about the issue and symptoms.

Like you say, everyone reacts differently but be aware of depression-type or non-normal behaviour, and ask friends to look out for it.

The brain’s a rather important part of you. Don’t mess with it.

8

I was hit by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel and was knocked unconscious for two hours, in addition to three fractured vertebrae, three fractured ribs, and a fractured fibula. I am currently in occupational and speech therapy. The operative word is time, with time it will get better. The therapist said something that has stuck with me “I need you to be a patient with patience.”. Words to live by. Good luck on a speedy recovery.

9

Just thought I’d provide an update to this thread…

jmike, if you’re still around how is your recovery coming along? I know what you mean about having patience!

Anyway, so I am almost back at work fulltime. Well ‘official’ fulltime hours anyway. I’m still getting headaches just about every day, altho I do get the occasional symptom free day. Occasionally also get a bit of dizziness. Have eased myself back into a bit of activity now with bodyboarding (soft board = no sore head!), and running, as well as some rehab exercises for this swimming injury I’ve had for the last year or so. Am able to run anywhere up to an hour. I could prob run more but just don’t want to push it. I would really like to get back into triathlon training but am just really wary of overdoing things.

It’s still a bit frustrating in that when I feel great for a few days, it doesn’t seem to last too long until the symptoms are all back. I’ve gotten pretty used to living with a headache for much of the time - often the medication (paracetomol, ibuprofen, maxalt for the migraines) I take just doesn’t seem to have any effect.

Sleep is still being affected a little as I will sometimes wake quite early, but it is nowhere near as bad as it was. So all in all, I think I’ve made a bit of progress but still nowhere near doing an actual triathlon again, even though it’s now 9 or so months down the track from the original injury.

Now that I think of it, I reckon I’ve been concussed a few other times in the past and that I might even had had post concussion syndrome unknowingly back when I was 16/17(had a period where I got a headache at the end of just about every school day).

So much for concussion being ‘mild’!!!

10

NZ Based, Triathlons and Snowboarding - We should be BFF’s!

On topic, I’ve suffered both a skull fracture and a snowboarding injury. I fractured my skull in 96 while at Uni & my year was pretty much a write off, I couldn’t focus or study and ended up dropping out of uni at the end of that year. It was only several years later that I realised the real reason why I struggled so much in that year. I hope you do get better soon and are able to come back for 2012 season, the good news is as of today the season is pretty much over. I’m off racing till Nov 20th :slight_smile:
When you do hit the slopes again I’m guessing you’ll be wearing a helmet to protect your brain, noting that even with protective gear things still go wrong. I broke both wrists 20/08/09 at Turoa, I was slowing for the Giant chair and fell backwards onto them at about 2pm in the afternoon. I rode till lift close at 4pm knowing something was wrong but I’d paid for my lift pass!

Good luck with the recovery :slight_smile:

11

Cheers…yeah unlikely that I will go boarding this year, but am definitely keen to get back into it. And will definitely be getting a helmet!

12

It was really un-nerving to get back on the mountain last year after the operation etc to fix it all. I took a lesson with my normal instructor which improved my confidence no end, I still have some shudders on the run into the Giant :slight_smile:
Are you AKL based? If so and you’re not in the M30-34 AG hope to see you back racing for the ITU cup in November :slight_smile:

13

Yeah, I am based in Auckland, and yes I am M30-34, am pretty unfit though so you prob won’t have anything to worry about. hah…there’s a few nzers in that age group on this board…

Turoa is waaay better with the express chair huh? And it was the steep bit just above the top of the Giant chair where I crashed I think??? My memory is a lil hazy…went flying through the air and landed headfirst on some ice.

14

It is quite weird how many AKL based M30-34 guys there’s here, seems to be the most common kiwi posting. I’m natually unfit, getting fit is always a battle for me! I raced my final race of the season today at Mission bay.

I’d never been to Turoa when it didn’t have the express - first day there was 2009, I grew up in Alexandra & went to uni in CHC so I always hit the snow in the south island, in fact it’s a reasonable guess I’ll hit the southern slopes for a week or so this winter. My 6 year old is a pretty good snowboarder, she learnt at 4 at Coronet Peak :slight_smile:

15

Damn dude. When I first saw this thread title months ago I thought “fulla, stop getting drunk so often”…never thought it was this serious. Another get well soon from me.

16

Thanks for starting this thread Fulla. How are you coming along now? Have you been able to increase your exercise further without the symptoms coming back?
How soon after you, well, concussed, did you start doing something? or perhaps the better question is, how long were you able to stand doing nothing?
How soon after a concussion do folks start doing anything at all? Is there consensus among doctors on this?
I ask b/c I received my 3rd concussion last Saturday on the floor of a local pharmacy (they offered the video - I can see that haunting me forever on failblog). Same headache, nausea, sleepiness, dizziness, and friends poking me every 2 hours for the next 24 hours. Sitting still. Doing nothing. Repeat those last 2 until you want to go crazy. I still have a headache all day and every day, but not nearly so intense as the first days.
I can’t really say that I completely stopped working after the first 48 hours, although I did try. My boss is really tough and he really doesn’t like me taking any time off, sleeping, or the like.

  • Paul
17

Thanks for starting this thread Fulla. How are you coming along now? Have you been able to increase your exercise further without the symptoms coming back?
How soon after you, well, concussed, did you start doing something? or perhaps the better question is, how long were you able to stand doing nothing?
How soon after a concussion do folks start doing anything at all? Is there consensus among doctors on this?
I ask b/c I received my 3rd concussion last Saturday on the floor of a local pharmacy (they offered the video - I can see that haunting me forever on failblog). Same headache, nausea, sleepiness, dizziness, and friends poking me every 2 hours for the next 24 hours. Sitting still. Doing nothing. Repeat those last 2 until you want to go crazy. I still have a headache all day and every day, but not nearly so intense as the first days.
I can’t really say that I completely stopped working after the first 48 hours, although I did try. My boss is really tough and he really doesn’t like me taking any time off, sleeping, or the like.

  • Paul

Hey…only just saw this now when I was doing a search for concussion on here as I’m still having a few issues! hah

I am getting symptoms, albeit sometimes quite mild ( but annoying), most days still. It’s mainly headaches, a funny feeling in the head (kinda like pressure?), and occasionally nausea and major fatigue. I am exercising a little bit, but it is very very easy on the whole. I had started cycling and had increased that to 2.5 hours with a few hills, but have decided that that is too long and that the hills provoke me into pushing myself too hard, which in turn, impacts upon my recovery. Altho I may feel great after, a day or so later I can feel like crap if I’ve been for a long bike ride. I swim a little bit, but it is a very very easy pace (slower than my usual warm up pace). I also run a little, up to 30 minutes at a time.

Usually I’m biking both days of the weekend, and swim or run on 2-3 days during the week, but nothing more than that. I was going to go for a ride today but don’t think I’ll bother now.

In terms of exercise after concussion, I began by going for 30 min walks (after I was told to cut back everything I was doing, I hsd tried a gradual return to training a week after my accident, but one afternoon i felt super dizzy so went back to the doctors and got referred to a specialist concussion clinic), and was able to incorporate a bit of running into that until I was running for an hour - but have cut that back now as I want to get better asap

I understand that easy exercise is meant to help with the recovery process. I know my head always feels ‘clearer’ after a little bit of exercise, whereas the concussion thing can make it seem a bit ‘foggy’.

In terms of doing nothing, well I found that reading novels didn’t cause me too many problems so I read quite a bit, and also brushed up on my cooking. I had my hours at work reduced by half with a gradual increase over 8 or so months - I’m pretty much fulltime most of the time now but will leave early if my head is giving me issues. That sucks about your work. If he was a good boss, he’d realise that if he wants you to be at your most productive it would be better for you to be able to make a decent recovery sooner!

For me, I’ve found I need a 15 min morning and afternoon break. I’ll try and nap/rest during those times, and also at my lunch break. Usually just about to go to sleep when my alarm goes off to get back to work!

I could do other things to help my recovery…like watching less tv, and not using the internet so much, but still find myself drawn to these things! It’s annoying! hah

How are you doing now? The most frustrating thing I’ve found is not knowing when I’ll make a full recovery, and not being able to do too many things without them affecting my head.