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Knocked myself out unconscious... having memory problems.

dilated_pupils

dilated_pupils

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
3,617
Location
Philly burbs, PA
The other day I jumped down the stairs, unfortunately a bit too high up, and smashed my head into the door frame (I literally just spend about a minute trying to remember the words "door frame").

My memory has been bad the past few days since it happened, and it seems to either be progressing, or I'm just realizing it more. I'll be having a conversation and have to stop because I can't find the word for the item/thing I'm talking about; I just give up sometimes and use a more general term instead.

I know something is going on, and I realize bluelight is not the ER but I really can't afford to spend the money on a visit to the emergency room, and then I'll more than likely have to get an MRI.

I did some research about the brain, memory problems, and head injuries and came up with a lot of different information. It seems to be a bit scattered though because there's a lot of things about the brain that are still unknown.

Here's a picture of the brain, and I put the white circle around the area I hit it at. If anyone can give me an idea of what I might of done, and if they think it's something I definitely should get checked out, let me know. I will more than likely end up going to the ER in a few days if this persists, hopefully it doesn't but I really am starting to notice it and don't like it at all.

brainmemory.jpg


-dp
 
From the small amount of knowledge I have in neurolinguistics, the part of the frontal lobe closest to the parietal lobe is where you process the memory stuff related to language pretty much. It's not the Broca's area or Wernicke's area which are the major two areas o the brain that control language. If you're just having issues remembering words, that could be a hint that some part of a language area in the brain got injured.

It's probably worth getting it checked out...the brain is very delicate, not something you want to take changes with.
 
purple_cloud said:
From the small amount of knowledge I have in neurolinguistics, the part of the frontal lobe closest to the parietal lobe is where you process the memory stuff related to language pretty much. It's not the Broca's area or Wernicke's area which are the major two areas o the brain that control language. If you're just having issues remembering words, that could be a hint that some part of a language area in the brain got injured.

It's probably worth getting it checked out...the brain is very delicate, not something you want to take changes with.
Click to expand...

What you just describes sounds like the area I hit basically. It's kind of hard to show you on a depiction of the human head/brain where my injury was, but regardless I think I'm going to go to the ER in the morning and get myself checked out.

-dp
 
I thought the frontal lobe was what allowed us to have a creative imagination? I do know that the frontal lobe is not found in many animals aside from humans. (possibly dolphins and monkeys) Don't quote me on this, as I am no doctor I just studied human evolution through high school and I was explained that the development of the frontal lobe was what allowed us to start using tools and basic understanding of how things worked, this is also where creativity comes from I am assuming.
 
You could possibly be bleeding in your brain, and it's getting worse.

When I had to take my sister to the hospital after a car hit her bike they told me about it a bit. If your concussion goes away, you're ok, but if you notice things getting worse as time goes on you may be dying.

hth
 
Ah! I did the EXACT same move you did, and hit my brain in the exact same location a few months ago. I did get a concussion from it, and had the same symptoms you did. My advice is that if the symptoms haven't gone away in a week or so, definitely get to a doctor. If your symptoms get worse at all, go to the emergency room!

A concussion IS bleeding on your brain, but if its mild enough it will just go away on its own. And trust me, it takes a long time. Just try not to move your head around too much or do anything too physically taxing on your body for awhile. And don't drink any booze while you're healing.

I hope you feel better soon man, I know that lack of cognition really sucks! I feel your pain!

edit: after i saw what date you posted this, i'm assuming you probably went to the ER by now... at least now you have some advice for the longer term from someone who did the exact same thing, and has fully recovered :)
 
In case you had second thoughts about seeing a doctor:

medical debt is the most easily forgiven of all types of debts in the US.
how many tens of thousands of dollars is intact cognition for several decades worth?

ebola
 
Theres nothing doctors can ever do for you when you fuck your brain up anyway. Ive had concussions and stuff and i never bother telling the doctor(when ive got other physical injuries im there for) because i know its just going to be hours of scans and other bs for them to just tell me 'rest, eat healthy, and dont do any sports or physical activity for a few weeks or months'.

People over-rate how bad concussions are. All it is, is a bruise. And just like bruises on muscles, they will not heal if that muscle is being hit and violently moved. The brain just takes way longer to heal than muscles.
 
People over-rate how bad concussions are. All it is, is a bruise. And just like bruises on muscles, they will not heal if that muscle is being hit and violently moved. The brain just takes way longer to heal than muscles.
Click to expand...

1. We don't know if this is a simple concussion.
2. This isn't remotely true. Neurogenesis, and synaptogenesis (insofar as they occur), bear little similarity to how muscles, tendons, and other extra-neural tissue heal.
3. Your experiences alone provide little from which to extrapolate.

ebola
 
ebola? said:
1. We don't know if this is a simple concussion.
2. This isn't remotely true. Neurogenesis, and synaptogenesis (insofar as they occur), bear little similarity to how muscles, tendons, and other extra-neural tissue heal.
3. Your experiences alone provide little from which to extrapolate.

ebola
Click to expand...

1: No we dont. I didnt say it is. However, what i said is true. Rest is all doctors can prescribe you. There are no operations or pills or anything else that can make your brain heal faster or repair damaged parts.

2: It is a comparison for people to understand. Your brain gets bruised, your muscles get bruised. Your brain needs rest to heal bruises. Your muslces need rest to heal from bruises.

Your brain just needs alot more rest.. oh wait, i already said that. :\

3: Your comment fails on all levels. If you showed this post or repeated what i said(im talking my prev post) to a doctor. They would agree with it - there is nothing doctors can do for concussions, and comparing the healing process to muscle healing process is justified.
 
May be a bit off-topic, but I'd be interested to see some long-term effects that concussions have on the brain, as I believe there most definitely are. I have had two pretty substantial concussions over the course of six years, my most recent one being over a year and a half ago. On both occasions I was unconscious for pretty decent amounts of time, though I don't know the exact numbers, I'd say at least 10 minutes and I was completely spaced out the rest of the day. The first concussion took me about 2-3 weeks to recover from, while the second one took well over a month before the massive headaches and dizziness subsided.

I had never experienced migraines until after my last concussion, which I now have on occasion even after all of this time. As well, my concentration and memory have been quite poor ever since. I also went into depression about 3-4 months after my last concussion, which is more likely triggered by other factors, but it makes me wonder if there were chemical imbalances caused after that concussion. I know it seems highly unlikely, but we don't truly know a whole lot about concussions and how they affect our brains from what I've tried to research online.
 
precision said:
May be a bit off-topic, but I'd be interested to see some long-term effects that concussions have on the brain, as I believe there most definitely are. I have had two pretty substantial concussions over the course of six years, my most recent one being over a year and a half ago. On both occasions I was unconscious for pretty decent amounts of time, though I don't know the exact numbers, I'd say at least 10 minutes and I was completely spaced out the rest of the day. The first concussion took me about 2-3 weeks to recover from, while the second one took well over a month before the massive headaches and dizziness subsided.

I had never experienced migraines until after my last concussion, which I now have on occasion even after all of this time. As well, my concentration and memory have been quite poor ever since. I also went into depression about 3-4 months after my last concussion, which is more likely triggered by other factors, but it makes me wonder if there were chemical imbalances caused after that concussion. I know it seems highly unlikely, but we don't truly know a whole lot about concussions and how they affect our brains from what I've tried to research online.
Click to expand...

Ever heard the term 'punch drunk', in reference to retired boxers? Too many concussions without enough heal time inbetween = dead brain matter. This is why boxers(especially, almost only, heavyweight) are so slow and retarded sounding by the time they retired(ie, Silvester stallone).

Concussions arent so bad, its the damage you do while your still recovering that is bad. Think back to when you have had a bruise and a dickhead mate or whoever has punched it - hurts dont it? Takes alot longer to heal dont it? You actually kill tissue(which makes you weaker) when you bruise a bruise.

Same goes for the brain. Although you kill cells from a concussion, its not nearly as many as when you get your head shaken or get another concussion.

Alot of people think they have recovered from there concussion much much sooner than they really have. Like you.. 2-3 weeks? Umm.. i dont know how you knew you were recovered, but try 2-3 months instead. If you shake your head, and it hurts, at all, you are still recovering. Dont do it every day or week though, cause it sets back your recovery time.

Also, almost every movement you make while youre recovering from a concussion sets it back. Walking, talking, getting out of a car, you name it. If your head is moving around or shaking in anyway(especially running), its going to make your concussion recovery time last even longer.

I myself got what i am fairly positive is a major concussion last year around this time by crashing in a motocross race at around 70kmh+. It didnt hurt at the time but i was really dazed. But ever since, my brain has hurt when i doing strenuous activity. I really havnt given it time to heal(most people cant) due to my life being relatively active and on my feet.

Its not as bad as it was, and it IS healing.. its probably going to take another year at this rate though..
 
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I didn't say full recovery in 2-3 weeks, I just said that's when the headaches and dizziness subsided for the most part.

But that's quite interesting and thank you for sharing :)
 
If you have any vomiting, go to the ER immediately. Look up symptoms for subdural / epidural hematoma. --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdural_hematoma

When I was 12, I was showing off my ability to make my face blood red on command, when I fainted. I fell limp from a standing position onto the tile floor. I came to looking up at a circle of concerned faces. Sat up, dusted myself off, and declared myself fine.

That night I went to bed without any symptoms. I woke up and went about my day (it was summer time, I was probably watching TV). I threw up my breakfast, however. Then I threw up again two hours later. And again. At this point my parents decided to take me in.

They rolled me into the cat scan machine. When the machine was spitting me out, I was looking out the tube into the instrument room where the neurologist and my parents were. The neurologist pointed to a monitor and spoke to my dad. My dad's hands flew up to his hair, and he did this astonished / dismayed expression. I'll never forget it.

I had 60 ccs of blood leaking between my skull and my dura (a membrane containing the brain). The neurologist said he couldn't rectify seeing me and my scans--I should have been unconscious or babbling, forgetting things... but I was resilient, I guess.

Had I not started vomiting, I would be dead. I was rushed into surgery upon discovery of the bleed. They took out a 3X3 inch chunk of my skull, put it on the table, sucked the blood out of my head, cut open my dura and peeked in on my brain to see if any more leaks were present (there weren't any).

I spent the night and was discharged the next day. Two weeks later I started a junior lifeguard training program. I still have a 6 inch semi-jagged scar down the back of my head.

Moral of the story: Costs are nothing, your brain is everything--your past, present, and future, your whole universe is in there. If you're having substantial psychological symptoms, it's time to get yourself checked out.
 
Go to the hospital immediatly!!

My uncle feel on his head and died six weeks later. He had a "micro"-injury bleeding in his brain that weren't recognized when he was at the hospital. Make sure you get a good screening of your head!!

Hope for you it is nothing bad!!
 
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