Does anyone happen to know anything about, or any doctors that could help with a situation with recurrent traumatic closed brain injury that has resulted in a GCS of 8-12?  Of note might be that it's a situation that has been ignored for some weeks/months.

Thanks in advance

Cat

Carol I honestly can't be sure how accurate the GCS # is - it was done from memory from those present at the time. 

This is the site the doc (a friend of the families) referred me to after me making the comment when I had another 'spell' that the world seemed all wrong and it felt like I was in a time slip.Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or


There have been 4 significant injuries, 2 resulting in loss of consciousness, and one that I was completely unaware of where, who, what etc.  At the time of the 2 back to back incidents, the doctors started me on seizure meds and the neuro decided it was far more important to discover why I passed out rather than if any damage was caused.  The techs explained to me it would take at least 6 weeks for the severe concussion to heal, but that was before I went and hit my head again the next day losing consciousness and losing all awareness of reality.

With the clusters and the pituitary tumor, not to mention the suspected stroke before any of this happened has made things rather complex.  It would take a book to try to explain the intricacies of all that has happened.  I've known something was wrong, just couldn't convince anyone else of it.

Unfortunately, the military health care system is putting up several road blocks to me getting in to see the proper docs.  Of the list of symptoms, my mom figures i have them all, I think she's stretching it, but that's what mom's do, they worry.

Anyway, that's the basics.  The GSC was based on eyewitness accounts of my response after the fact, so I'm not even sure if it has any bearing.

Cat

cash5542 wrote on Jan 1^st, 2009 at 10:19pm:


^^THIS!!! 

Cat - the following is information used here - perhaps that will give you some insight.  In my area of employment, we don't start to worry unless the number is below a 9.



 The Glasgow Coma Scale
 
   The Glasgow Coma Score is the most reliable of the various coma scales currently in use.  It also requires only a brief examination of the patient and can therefore be obtained early on by professional people, such as paramedics.  Because it is easy and quick to determine, it can be repeated frequently.  Scoring the patient often and regularly can help make predictions about the outcome.  Predictions made on the outcome of the patient are typically very accurate and when they err, they do so on the optimistic side.  
 
   The Glasgow Coma Scale was designed to meet a need for a standardized initial evaluation.  The scale assesses three components: eye opening, best verbal response, and best motor response.  The lower the mark is, the more severe the brain injury.  The lowest mark possible is 3.  The highest mark possible is 15.  As a patient comes out of coma, the mark rises.  The scale is as follows:  
 
Motor Response Example Score
Commands Follows simple commands 6
Localizes Pain Pulls examiner's hand away when pinched 5
Withdraws from Pain Pulls a part of body away when pinched 4
Abnormal Flexion Flexes body inappropriately to pain  3
Abnormal Extension Body becomes rigid in an extended position when examiner pinches him 2
No Response Has no motor response to pinch 1
Eye-Opening   .
Spontaneous Opens eyes on own 4
To Voice Opens eyes when asked to in a loud voice 3
To Pain Opens eyes when pinched  2
No Response Does not open eyes 1
Verbal Response (Talking)   .
Orientated  Carries on a conversation correctly and tells examiner where he is, who he is, and the month and year 5
Confused Conversation Seems confused or disoriented 4
Inappropriate Words Talks so examiner can understand him but makes no sense 3
Sounds Makes sounds that examiner cannot understand 2
No Response Makes no noise 1

 
 
A chart that may be helpful to track a patients' progress may look something like this:  
 
DAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Motor Response              
Eye Opening              
Verbal Response              
TOTAL              

 
If the patient is receiving drugs, it may impair use of the scale.  
 
If the patient rises four levels on the Coma Scale within the first 24 hours, this is considered a rapid improvement.  
 
If the patient rises four levels in the Coma Scales in three days, this is considered a moderate improvement.  
 
If the patient rises four levels on the Coma Scale in the first week, this is considered a slow improvement.  
 
Some patients remain on their original coma score, without a change for weeks. This is called a prolonged coma.  
 
Those patients who do not come out of coma may pass into a vegetative state. This state is often characterized by periods of the day during which the person's eyes are open, giving the appearance of wakefulness, but shows no signs that he or she is aware of the environment around him or her. The person is awake, but not aware.  
 

Carol and Cat, Thank you for the information onthe GSC #'s. It's always interesting to learn new things.

Cat, check your pm's

Charlotte

Cat... so, what's going on? How are you feeling... and have you received any word from the docs?

You've been in my prayers.

with warm regards,
Tony

 You know where I am when you need me....


Love you,

Mom (the other one... )

To be honest Barry, I'm not entirely sure that *I* understand what is happening to me - traumatic brain injury covers so much and it's hard to sort through the information available on the net.  Sometimes medical info from the net is more harmful than helpful.

What I do know is that things aren't 'right'.  Some info I have found to be common among all TBI situations is:
Quote:


Then there is a laundry list of symptoms that go with it, I've bolded those that I've been experiencing:
Quote:


While I received immediate emergency treatment after the 2 severe concussions that resulted in unconsciousness and convulsive seizures, the doctors dropped the ball IMO as most sites explain how standard imaging techniques don't do a good enough job detecting TBI:
Quote:


Bottom line is that at the time of the 2 most severe head injuries, the medical treatment probably wasn't adequate, but what is done is done, and I am not one to go looking for a person/place to blame.  What interests me i=nowis finding the specialists needed to ensure, if not *full* recovery, then the best possible outcome I can get.  The hardest thing for me to deal with is the memory losses - it's difficult to lose an entire month of your life and have no way to know if what you are being told is truth or not, and secondly, the episodes when 'the world just seems wrong' - I don't know how to describe it accurately, it's like a time slip, like the laws of physics and the universe suddenly stop applying to my brain.

So yes, I can use all the extra prayers, vibes, positive energy and support I can get.  I will control those things that I can, and those that I can't I will work to putting aside and not worrying about before I land myself with a full nervous breakdown hehe.

Sorry to ramble on so long and with so much info, thought it might help folks to understand some of what was going on.

Your help is much appreciated, be it from info, prayers or just by being there to listen

Luv Cat (I think I can say I'm officially dain bramaged now LOL)