Living with Traumatic Brain Injury

I have a chronic disabling headache, extreme nausea, chronic fatigue etc… that causes me great stress even performing the smallest everyday tasks. I have been to many doctors and have not got a good diagnosis. Both CT scans and a MRI were negative. My problem is I’m unable to work because of this and I must rely on disability insurance and SSI for income. Every three years my disability insurance reviews my claim and then cuts off my income because I don’t have a good diagnosis. Then I fight for six months or longer to get it back. I’m in a gray area and I need black and white. Oct 17, 2007 my insurance is going to cut me off again.

One of the problems is the Traumatic Head Injury happened in 1994 and the chronic disabling headache, extreme nausea and chronic fatigue did not start until 1997. But my cognitive functions did not ever return to normal. Can the headache, nausea and chronic fatigue start years after the head injury?

In 1994 I was going at a high rate of speed (30 mph or higher) down hill and hit my head destroying my helmet. I was knocked unconscious for a half an hour or longer. My two sons were with me. When I became conscious I had no idea where I was or how I got there. I kept saying the same things over and over. Somehow they got me to the hospital ER. They concluded I had a concussion and preformed a CT which proved to be negative.

This happened on Friday and went I tried to return to work on Monday the people I worked with could see I was not right in the head and was sent to the company doctor. The company doctor sent me home. I was not allowed to return to work for six months because of cognitive dysfunction.

Although I was allowed to go back to work I never was the same. Before the head injury I had a very active life and preformed very well at work. After I could not keep up and was having memory problems. I would forget to go to meetings I set up even with department heads. Before the head injury math was easy for me. I got a 4.0 in collage including calculus and always kept my checking account balanced. After it is hard to even keep my checking account balanced or do simple any math.

Then June 21, 1997 I got very ill with the worst headache I have ever had and still have to this day. I had all the symptoms of meningitis so the hospital ER put me in quarantine until they preformed a spinal tap. The spinal tap was negative. The ER diagnosis was it was viral because of the white blood cell count.

I still have the same symptoms (chills, fever, night sweats, extreme nausea, chronic fatigue etc…) I had that day.

It has become evident that the most likely cause of the majority of my health problems are caused by the traumatic head injury caused by the bike crash and from being punched and kicked in the head practicing marshal arts. Also when I was a juvenile I had two concussions from two bike crashes.

Traumatic Head Injury (TBI):
It is well documented I have these Common Indicators of Traumatic Head Injury:

1. Pain in the back of the head (sometimes the pain will start at the back of the head and extend to the front of the head).
2. Episodes of very sharp pain (like being stabbed) in the head which lasts from several seconds to several minutes
3. Forgetting what people have told me 15 to 30 minutes ago.
4. I have to be asked the same question over and over.
5. I have a great deal of difficulty remembering what I have just read. This always increases my pain level.
6. I have difficulty coming up with the right word (I know the word that I want to say but can’t seem to “spit it out”.)
7. I tired way more easily (mentally and physically).
8. I’m more easily irritated or angered.
9. I become depressed way more easily.
10. I keep waking up throughout the night and early morning.
11. I always wake up early in the morning (4 or 5 a.m.) and can’t get back to sleep.
12. I find myself easily overwhelmed in noisy or crowded place.
13. I have made so very poor and impulsive decisions.
14. I have great difficulty concentrating (can’t seem to stay focused on what I’m doing).
15. I have great difficulty getting organized or completing a task.

I understand diagnosing a Traumatic Head Injury is not a simple thing. Standard medical tests to diagnose head injury are often negative. In nearly 85 percent of the patients the CT scan or MRI results are “negative.” I have had two CT scans and an MRI and the results were “negative.” There are cases with people with negative CT Scans and MRI’s who are in a deep coma. All the medical tests can be negative on a person who still has a significant head injury. But the head-injured person may have significant problems with memory, fatigue, and headaches.

A person with a moderate or severe TBI may have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated nausea, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

A significant problem for someone like me with a head injury is commutating problems to my doctors. I just do not remember. A good example is right now I have an infection on the bottom of my right foot. I think it is a sliver or something and I tried to cut it out but could not find anything. So I was going to ask my Dr. to check it out on my last visit about three weeks ago but I forgot. In fact I keep forgetting to make an appointment to see what the problem is even through it hurts every time I walk on it. Also my Dr. gave me paperwork for blood work and I keep forgetting to go to the lab. When I was married my wife was helping me with my forgetfulness but now I am on my own. Writing things down does not help because I forget I wrote things down.

What I am hoping is someone can at least point me in the right direction to get a diagnosis of TBI. Also I may need a TBI expert to help me in court if it comes to that.