We are switching things up at the
Neuropsychologist. The last few treatments I've had have all been
z-score training without LENS. He thinks that the LENS would have
done it's magic for me by now if it was going to work. The z-score
training is more like physical therapy for my brain.
It trains the brain using visual and
auditory positive reinforcement. When my brain is doing what it's
supposed to do, it receives reward. He can see my brainwaves at each
electrode site while the z-score is happening. It's good for him to
see my progress, and he's able to adjust the difficulty levels when
appropriate.
This won't give me immediate results,
but will be more like rehabilitating a limb. Over time my brain is
supposed to get stronger and learn how to communicate more
effectively within itself and to the other areas of my body.
I'm still hopeful that this can give me
some positive improvement. It's more work and a longer road, but I
believe that God can work through anything.
Hi Kate, I have been struggling with post concussion syndrome since March 2013. I am so sorry to hear that you have been struggling since 2009!!! I have found your information really helpful and am now actively looking into how I can get coverage to see a neuropsychologist. Thank you for documenting your progress and research for the rest of us. I haven't read through much of your blog yet so maybe you've already discussed this, but I recently started using the website lumosity.com which features games that are engineered to help improve brain function. I was wondering if you've tried it and/or heard of any reviews about its effectiveness. I've also found an osteopath to be helpful with my eye symptoms. Good luck with your recovery.
ReplyDeleteHi CWA,
DeleteI'm sorry you have been struggling with this. It's certainly not fun! I hope you can find coverage for the neuropsych. I'm paying out of pocket. I tend to use my SSD money for treatments that I find might help.
I have checked out lumosity, but I'm pretty cheap. Is it worth it? My neuropsych said it was pretty good. Maybe I'll try it. I have a D.O. too, I haven't had anything new from her, though.
Good luck to you - keep me posted on your progress!
Kate
Hi Kate!
DeleteThank you for your blog and courage to share your story! I have been using Lumosity with PCS symptoms for almost 5 months now.
Lumosity helps present a better cognitive version of you, but I would not say it helps with any chemical or whatever else in your brain. I would recommend it if you want help training and sharpening cognitive functions you already have (such as deduction, attention, visual memory, short-term memory function, pattern recognition and others). However, I think this only helps you get an advantage when approaching PCS symptoms. It doesn't resolve them.
Yet, I do it b/c I'd rather have a better me taking on the challenges of PCS symptoms than the "more concussed" version of me!
Cheer and God Bless,
James
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kelly and I've been lurking on your blog for awhile lol. I've had post-concussion symptoms since December 2009 when I sustained a very minor concussion playing soccer. Since then I've had vertigo and constant dizziness/disequilibrium, headaches, anxiety and depression. I don't know if the hardest part has been seeing multiple doctors and getting no answers, or trying to explain to people why I can't function the way I used too (I guess both are equally hard). I still feel like people don't get that what I have is really disabling, because I come across as pretty "normal" most of the time... When I'm not napping all the time haha. I just applied for disability and I was encouraged that you were able to get it... It seems like it would be harder than it already is to get approved for a condition that can't be shown on tests and whatnot.
Anyways, just wanted to say hi, it's good to know that I am not the only one dealing with this :)
Hi Kelly,
DeleteI'm so sorry that you got a concussion and are still dealing with your symptoms. It's been one of the biggest adjustments of my life.
I think the most encouraging part through this whole ordeal is when the neuropsychologist actually said that he could clearly see that I had TBI and I was a level 5 out of 10.
It was amazing to have someone be sure and clear that this is what I have. It helps to not be wondering if I secretly have a brain tumor or something.
Keep up the fight, don't give up! I am still fighting this and will continue to fight it as long as I have to. If people like us keep at it, doctors will find an answer to this thing.
Good luck to you!
Kate
Hey Guys
ReplyDeleteFeeling better this week. Kate, your last/new treatment sounds really promising in my ears. Dunno about he brain wave thing (isn't a doctor so I really don't understnad brainwave/reward thing) but almost all doctors/Pschatrist/shrinksd etc. I have meet always talk about diffrent methods to get the brain "back on track", doing what it is suppose to do/react "normal" to diffrent signals. What I know about it is that this take time but gives results, sometimes smaller somteimes bigger.
It is a finish professor, well known two pschatrist/shrinks here, that have done alot of reasearch about brain injuries and what he calls "filter distrubence". It basicly means that the brain filters information diffrent after incident X than before incident X. This can be a result from both be physical,like a bleeding in the brain and/or just psychological effetcs. The goal with this long time treatment is to change the filter back to it orginal function.
I don't know which kind of this treatments that actually does this (resteting the brains way to filter information) or not, jsut that the methodolgy seems logical to me, and as I said, every person i have meat in this area agrees in this theory.
Jonas,
DeleteGood! Keep up the work and the research and lets fight this thing! Hang in there.
Kate