Its been a while since I added to my blog, partly due to the long hours I keep in my present job. I check in on some groups I belong to on FB and I find there are questions abound on how do I tell where the brain injury is located and what it affects and what I can do about it. Many of the answers are within these pages so I recommend you check them out.
Here are some things I would do if I had life to do over:
As much as this seems ludicrous and might jam the doctor offices,
I would get an EEG before an actual brain injury occurred. Why?
I met a doctor after my injury and surgery who chose to have me take an EEG.
What is he going to compare it too?
My brain is already damaged.
If I had an EEG on record before the actual injury then he would have a base line to run from that would show the differences.
I would get either a CT scan or MRI of my entire head and brain or better yet my entire body.
Why?
This would reveal all aneurysms before they ruptured. So many people are walking around with them totally unaware of their existence until it is too late. The aneurysm ruptures and 50% drop dead as a result.
Aneurysms can occur anywhere in the body. Friends have died from Aortic aneurysms, Abdominal Aneurysms and of course Brain Aneurysms.
Is this realistic? Will your doctor say you are nuts? Are you a doomsayer?
I say its about time Doctors started Preventative Medicine. What costs more?
An ounce of prevention or a pound of lifesaving, rehabilitative, lifelong costs to the medical services for treating the after affects of a ruptured artery?
You see, I'm not so Nutty after all!
Had I been scanned, though they did not exist until 1977(CT Scans), my ruptured arteries could have been fixed and my grades would have improved and maybe, just maybe, I could have been a Neurosurgeon instead of a Bread Delivery Man.
I'm not complaining, do not get me wrong.....What I am suggesting is that if my issue had been discovered before the mayhem, my outcome would have been so much different and so would the lives of countless thousands before and after me. Some would actually have come back from the dead so to speak.
Now, doctors are being made aware by virtue of the sporting community, that head injuries need to be addressed. Finally, kids are being told that contact sports have to be toned down until a certain age. Good!
We are getting there. Wear a helmet! So what if it looks goofy, or messes up you hair, its a far cry from being brain injured for life. How does that look on your ego? No short term memory. That is the first thing to go in about 99% of all TBI/ABI injuries.
How does "Stupid", "Incompetant", "You're faking it" "You just don't want to work." "You're lazy", "You're a Malingerer" sit atop of your head in place of that helmet you chose not to wear?
Oh, and the best excuse is......"It costs too much."
Go tell that to a brain injured individual because they need some comical relief.
Sorry I got side tracked.
1) If possible get as much ammunition in preventing the TBI or ABI as possible.
Wear helmets, Don't head a soccer ball as a child, drive carefully, don't drink and drive, don't jump into shallow water, you know the drill. Follow it! Tell Kids to do the same, who knows you might just save a life or 2.
2) If you are like me a survivor, carry some kind of medical alert bracelet, especially if you have aneurysm clips. You might one day be unconscious and the unsuspecting ER doctor orders an MRI instead of a CT Scan and the magnets pull the clips out of your brain. ooooops.
3) Take control of your health and know your body. Your body will sing loud and clear to you. Never second guess your gut instinct.
In 1974, I started to faint. Well, that's a big sign! I knew something was wrong in my head but my doctor didn't.
In 1977, I became motion sick. Never had that problem before. Now that's a big sign! The Quack said it was my spleen. My gut was saying, "ITS MY FRIGGIN HEAD". I ignored it because the doctor knew best.
In 1977 I had an MVA, was unconscious for 6 hours. Now, that's a big sign! The hospital ignored it. My gut said, PLEEEEEAAAAASSSSSE check out the head!!!!!!! I ignored it!
In 1977, I got that motion sickness followed by the worse head ache ever! MY Gut was SCREAMING,
CHECK OUT YOUR GOD DAMNED HEAD YOU NUMMITZ OR YOUR GONNA DIE!
I ignored it and so did my GP.
My MOM didn't and thank god for "mother's instinct", because finally her gut feelings kicked in and I am here as a result!
Eat healthy, avoid processed foods, use butter, stay away from Genetically Modified foods, shop the outer rim of the grocery aisles, eat whole foods, go to the butcher instead of the grocer. Know where your food comes from. We need to take control of our lives, our environment and each other if we are to improve our overall health.
It starts with you.
