5 ms·

Brain injuries are nightmares. I hope he feels better in the future. Neuroplasticity is at least a reason for optimism

dsizzle 5y ago
Yeah, sounds terrible. I wonder what medical treatment he's seeking? My understanding is that there wasn't much you can do other than rest https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355600 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/di... but there must be something hopeful if he's willing to move states to seek it.
- throwaway_12122 5y ago
  I went to Mayo after a stroke. I was (am?) a fairly high iq person, national merit scholarship, 99.8%tile SAT scores, etc. Degree in mathematics, compsci. I had a stroke in my 30s, and it was thankfully mild (slight dysarthria that went away in a month) but I'm certain it impacted my intelligence and ability to concentrate. I can't focus/concentrate for long sessions anymore. I used to be able study without problem until the need to sleep kicked in, but now I get tired/distracted after only a short time even if I'm well rested. I find complicated math significantly harder to learn than I did prior to the stroke. When I complained about this to my local PCP he would only run normal post-stroke cognitive tests like word recall, naming places/things, etc. "You test normal". So I got a 2nd evaluation from a neurologist at Mayo. Feedback was basically the same thing. He diagnosed mild depression, suggesting that could be part of it, and offered an anti-depression med, also threw in a "you're getting older so can expect some slowdown" for good measure. I probably should have took it because the clear-to-me-loss of ability, with my doctors not seeming to give a shit, or even talk about it left me with no hope or plan to recover it has made me want to kill myself at times over the years. (I'm fine now, not a threat or risk). I still read and try and just do my best even though my best isn't what it used to be, and count myself lucky that the stroke didn't leave me disabled or with permanent apparent deficiencies. I just wish it were easier to find doctors interested in helping you be the best you can instead of simply not broken.
  - treeman79 5y ago
    I get tiny clots and mini strokes all the time. Factor 5 Leiden. Not at all rare. Took 3 years and dozens of doctor and hospital visits to figure out. At every stage I was dismissed. Took a big clot that nearly killed me to figure it out. I had severe cognitive decline, but since I started at borderline genius and went down to “somewhat slow” they felt I was fine. I regained much after starting blood thinners, but not all.
    - tomcam 5y ago
      > Took a big clot that nearly killed me to figure it out. Infuriating. So sorry you had to go through that unnecessary part. > I regained much after starting blood thinners, but not all. Bittersweet! Thanks for sharing, and my best to you.
  - ianlevesque 5y ago
    > I just wish it were easier to find doctors interested in helping you be the best you can instead of simply not broken. Yeah I went through some medical things some years ago and one interaction has stuck with me. I described the issue to a specialist and the doctor’s response was “what makes you think that’s abnormal?” and basically tuned me out. It’s abnormal for me!
    - lexapro 5y ago
      I had a similar interaction with a doctor once. It was a regular check-up and at the end I asked him: "Is it possible that my eyesight gets worse as I get older because of my particular condition?". He replied with "What makes you think that?". He was offended that I'd dare to ask a question, as if I was not supposed to speak at all.
  - pcarolan 5y ago
    Anecdotally I've heard hyperbaric chambers can help: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/about/pac-20394380 https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxyge... I have no idea and wouldn't claim this is true for you in your situation though. My partner has brain cancer and I wish I'd tried this earlier.
- evocomp 5y ago
  Often the treatment includes visual therapy, but it can also include special glasses, eye patches, therapy for balance, psychotherapy, exercise programs, inflammation management, sleep quality, and a lot more. It really depend on the exact issues and symptoms involved. Maybe the visual system is damaged, or the vestibular (balance) or other areas. Thankfully, the brain is incredibly fault tolerant, so it can still find workarounds and co-op other systems to make up some of the difference. But the workarounds are less efficient and this creates a tremendous load on attention and working memory. In hardware terms, imagine you're playing some graphics-heavy game and your GPU gets fried. The CPU can still run it, but it'll be really laggy and overheated. Luckily the brain can (sometimes) heal and rebuild broken systems. But it takes work. Somewhere around 90% of concussion suffers have visual problems. Poor tracking, double vision, light sensitivity, difficulty focusing. Their brain compensates so well they might not even notice, but that sort of thing interferes with memory and wears out the brain really quickly. Therapy involving eye tracking, smooth pursuits, focusing practice and the like can get your brain to repair or rebuild those skills. That frees up all that processing power and gets you feeling more normal. The Shaken Brain by Elizabeth Sandel goes into the known science of concussions. Highly recommended if you've had one. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987418 https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987418
catlikesshrimp 5y ago
So far, the following parts can fail without a person losing its humanity: Heart, gonads (testicles), lung, kidneys, liver, stomach, pancreas, limbs. But you can't transplant a brain out into a new body. Take care!
- hypertele-Xii 5y ago
  Eyes, ears, skin, nose, tongue, many bones, etc. Our bodies are very redundant and resilient!
donatj 5y ago
About ten years ago I had the right side of my face go limp. I was under the most stress of my life, in a management position I was not built for. After a CT scan, ER told me it wasn’t a stroke rather stress induced trigeminal neuralgia. I’m not convinced that’s what it was. They gave me some anti-inflammatories for my nerves and sent me on my way, and everything seem to get better. I quit that job within about a week, and I’ve never experienced that kind of stress since. It took me a long time to notice but my face still kind of droops on that side, and I don’t think I ever went back to feeling … normal. I genuinely feel like my personality changed, but maybe that was just the stress’s effect on my life, I don’t know. The point of my story is who we are is just so much more malleable than one would think in our day-to-day lives.
- adsteel_ 5y ago
  This sounds like Bells Palsy, not neuralgia. I had it and have seen one other person have it. The cause is unknown but it clears up on its own over months. That side of my face is still a touch droopy but it gives me character.
  - pcthrowaway 5y ago
    I had Bells Palsy also, brought on by Lyme disease. It's kind of a divisive topic, but may be worth looking into if you or GP have had other symptoms which are common with Lyme disease
    - sizzle 5y ago
      Lyme disease from ticks?
      - pcthrowaway 5y ago
        Presumably, yes. I don't remember actually seeing the tick but I felt it when I scratched it off thinking it was a scab, and later developed the typical bullseye rash

Yeah, sounds terrible. I wonder what medical treatment he's seeking? My understanding is that there wasn't much you can do other than rest https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355600 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/di... but there must be something hopeful if he's willing to move states to seek it.

throwaway_12122 5y ago
I went to Mayo after a stroke. I was (am?) a fairly high iq person, national merit scholarship, 99.8%tile SAT scores, etc. Degree in mathematics, compsci. I had a stroke in my 30s, and it was thankfully mild (slight dysarthria that went away in a month) but I'm certain it impacted my intelligence and ability to concentrate. I can't focus/concentrate for long sessions anymore. I used to be able study without problem until the need to sleep kicked in, but now I get tired/distracted after only a short time even if I'm well rested. I find complicated math significantly harder to learn than I did prior to the stroke. When I complained about this to my local PCP he would only run normal post-stroke cognitive tests like word recall, naming places/things, etc. "You test normal". So I got a 2nd evaluation from a neurologist at Mayo. Feedback was basically the same thing. He diagnosed mild depression, suggesting that could be part of it, and offered an anti-depression med, also threw in a "you're getting older so can expect some slowdown" for good measure. I probably should have took it because the clear-to-me-loss of ability, with my doctors not seeming to give a shit, or even talk about it left me with no hope or plan to recover it has made me want to kill myself at times over the years. (I'm fine now, not a threat or risk). I still read and try and just do my best even though my best isn't what it used to be, and count myself lucky that the stroke didn't leave me disabled or with permanent apparent deficiencies. I just wish it were easier to find doctors interested in helping you be the best you can instead of simply not broken.
- treeman79 5y ago
  I get tiny clots and mini strokes all the time. Factor 5 Leiden. Not at all rare. Took 3 years and dozens of doctor and hospital visits to figure out. At every stage I was dismissed. Took a big clot that nearly killed me to figure it out. I had severe cognitive decline, but since I started at borderline genius and went down to “somewhat slow” they felt I was fine. I regained much after starting blood thinners, but not all.
  - tomcam 5y ago
    > Took a big clot that nearly killed me to figure it out. Infuriating. So sorry you had to go through that unnecessary part. > I regained much after starting blood thinners, but not all. Bittersweet! Thanks for sharing, and my best to you.
- ianlevesque 5y ago
  > I just wish it were easier to find doctors interested in helping you be the best you can instead of simply not broken. Yeah I went through some medical things some years ago and one interaction has stuck with me. I described the issue to a specialist and the doctor’s response was “what makes you think that’s abnormal?” and basically tuned me out. It’s abnormal for me!
  - lexapro 5y ago
    I had a similar interaction with a doctor once. It was a regular check-up and at the end I asked him: "Is it possible that my eyesight gets worse as I get older because of my particular condition?". He replied with "What makes you think that?". He was offended that I'd dare to ask a question, as if I was not supposed to speak at all.
- pcarolan 5y ago
  Anecdotally I've heard hyperbaric chambers can help: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/about/pac-20394380 https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxyge... I have no idea and wouldn't claim this is true for you in your situation though. My partner has brain cancer and I wish I'd tried this earlier.
evocomp 5y ago
Often the treatment includes visual therapy, but it can also include special glasses, eye patches, therapy for balance, psychotherapy, exercise programs, inflammation management, sleep quality, and a lot more. It really depend on the exact issues and symptoms involved. Maybe the visual system is damaged, or the vestibular (balance) or other areas. Thankfully, the brain is incredibly fault tolerant, so it can still find workarounds and co-op other systems to make up some of the difference. But the workarounds are less efficient and this creates a tremendous load on attention and working memory. In hardware terms, imagine you're playing some graphics-heavy game and your GPU gets fried. The CPU can still run it, but it'll be really laggy and overheated. Luckily the brain can (sometimes) heal and rebuild broken systems. But it takes work. Somewhere around 90% of concussion suffers have visual problems. Poor tracking, double vision, light sensitivity, difficulty focusing. Their brain compensates so well they might not even notice, but that sort of thing interferes with memory and wears out the brain really quickly. Therapy involving eye tracking, smooth pursuits, focusing practice and the like can get your brain to repair or rebuild those skills. That frees up all that processing power and gets you feeling more normal. The Shaken Brain by Elizabeth Sandel goes into the known science of concussions. Highly recommended if you've had one. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987418 https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674987418

catlikesshrimp 5y ago

So far, the following parts can fail without a person losing its humanity: Heart, gonads (testicles), lung, kidneys, liver, stomach, pancreas, limbs. But you can't transplant a brain out into a new body. Take care!

hypertele-Xii 5y ago
Eyes, ears, skin, nose, tongue, many bones, etc. Our bodies are very redundant and resilient!

donatj 5y ago

About ten years ago I had the right side of my face go limp. I was under the most stress of my life, in a management position I was not built for. After a CT scan, ER told me it wasn’t a stroke rather stress induced trigeminal neuralgia. I’m not convinced that’s what it was. They gave me some anti-inflammatories for my nerves and sent me on my way, and everything seem to get better. I quit that job within about a week, and I’ve never experienced that kind of stress since. It took me a long time to notice but my face still kind of droops on that side, and I don’t think I ever went back to feeling … normal. I genuinely feel like my personality changed, but maybe that was just the stress’s effect on my life, I don’t know. The point of my story is who we are is just so much more malleable than one would think in our day-to-day lives.

adsteel_ 5y ago
This sounds like Bells Palsy, not neuralgia. I had it and have seen one other person have it. The cause is unknown but it clears up on its own over months. That side of my face is still a touch droopy but it gives me character.
- pcthrowaway 5y ago
  I had Bells Palsy also, brought on by Lyme disease. It's kind of a divisive topic, but may be worth looking into if you or GP have had other symptoms which are common with Lyme disease
  - sizzle 5y ago
    Lyme disease from ticks?
    - pcthrowaway 5y ago
      Presumably, yes. I don't remember actually seeing the tick but I felt it when I scratched it off thinking it was a scab, and later developed the typical bullseye rash