I am dedicating this post to my friend Dyane Leshin Harwood, whose amazing blog: https://proudlybipolar.wordpress.com/ has inspired me so much! And whose support and positive comments are so valuable to me. Love you my lithium sister!
Do you ever think you over react? Me? I say to myself, over react? Never! I am the modicum of tempered emotional reactions. Ummm no, actually I’m not. Happiness for me is joy, glee, giddiness. Sadness for me is ultimate doom, and blackness. Where is the middle ground? The happy medium? I do live there sometimes and sometimes I do not. Actually for someone with bipolar disorder, I am a fairly balanced person, but when something out of the ordinary happens, such as a concussion, well, I may lose it just a little, really, just a tiny, little bit.
Actually after I hit my head, I felt so amazingly good LOL! I haven’t felt that good in forever. All the worry, the depression, anxiety, all of it was gone. In its place was a peace, an acceptance of everything, a pleasantness and an optimism, and happiness and a calm. This lasted for almost two heavenly days, after which the anxiety, depression, sadness, pessimism, all came rushing back. Sigh, I’m almost willing to hit my head again to get that feeling back. Is there any way to whack your head, just a bit, yet prevent brain damage? If anyone knows of one, by all means let me know! Please.
I believe the good feelings were due to my brain producing endorphins to relieve the pain of the concussion. Yes, concussions are pretty painful. You, or in this case, I hit the back of my head against one of the most unyielding and hard substances in the world, ice! A whack of my head, against the ice, and my neck snapped back and my brain hit the wall of my skull. Luckily I fell backwards. Apparently that is the direction of choice. If I’d fallen sideways, I could have ruptured an artery, such as the middle meningeal artery, and that would have been a whole lot worse. As in subdural hematomas, coma, and death, if the pressure was not relieved by a craniotomy (a hole in your skull.)
So I dodged a bullet there, Generally I’d say that I got away easy, as the CAT scan showed no bleeding and even my tail bone was not fractured, though it feels like it is. Even the headaches I had for two days in Buffalo weren’t as bad as the worst migraines I have ever had.
The plane ride seems to have exacerbated the symptoms a bit in that I’m having headaches again, but not really, really bad ones.
I count myself as lucky, that even though I did do something as stupid as not wearing a helmet, and very ungracefully falling on my butt and then thwacking my head against the crystalline, diamond hard ice, I came thorough it quite well.
Concussions are not good for anyone, especially I might add, for people with bipolar d/o, as emotional disturbances can occur. Even in this aspect, I feel I am doing fine. Although, I do realize now that I was a bit up, just a bit, mind you, even before the concussion, and I did have a little emotional down spike a few days after the concussion as well, but since then, calm.
And of course, my mantra is “Wear a helmet!”
After I come back from Pakistan, yes my next adventure, I will buy a helmet, hire an instructor, and learn how to ice skate, really well 🙂
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That is also a mantra of mine 🙂
Bipolar1Blog 
Thank you SOOOO much for this lovely dedication, my beautiful lithium sister/former Seroquel sister! 😉 (I still have my bottle for PRN!) Anyway, it was so nice to see this post and you made my day!!!!!! XOXOOXOXOXOXOXOOXO
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Love you Dyane! You’ve made my day with your likes and comments many a time.
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I cannot begin to tell you how relieved I am that you’re okay!!!!!! How I wish that damn anxiety stayed away after your fall…..but maybe there’s another way to get those endorphins acting similarly. If anyone can locate the research depicting a new modality to help alleviate anxiety and other nasties, it’s YOU!!!!! 🙂 XOXOXOOXOXOOXOX
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Thank you Dyane, again 🙂 , for your positive comment and your faith. Love you lots!
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My dear, you are being watched over by angels.
Less than an hour ago, our family received the news that our dear friend who suffered a stroke after he fell & had the concussion has been taken off life support.
I’m in shock. He was a wonderful,, vibrant soul. I can’t believe someone like this is gone. I wonder if the lithium dulls my sorrow, for I can’t shed tears, but I’m very sad.
He was married for 50 years to an incredible woman – they both went Greek dancing twice a week and these two were dancing a week ago!!!! My heart aches for her more than it does for him, you know what I mean? They loved each other so much and they had the best marriage I ever saw. Sorry to go on and on – anyway, I hope & pray he’s in a better place….
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Oh no! I am so sorry Dyane. How incredibly sad, especially for her. Was he the one who had the concussion the same day as me? Wow, you’re right, I am so lucky, I thought that before, but now with this staring me frankly in the face, I realize what could have happened to me. I only worry for my son, because I love and care for him so much, I know he would miss me the most.
Please accept my condolences, life is so unpredictable, we have to make the most of it. Love and hugs for you.
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Thanks for this wonderful message, sweetie – yes, he was the one who had the concussion when you did. He lived an amazing, loving life with his wife by his side when he passed on, but still, it sucks shit. :((( I can’t end on that note – I love you and I truly think your brother is looking out for you, Samina. I believe you’re going to be around to be there for your son for a good, long time. I hope I’ll be around for my girls too – they already expressed their fears about losing me over the past few years. AHHHH! Can’t end on that note either. LOVE YOU, my beautiful lithium sis, always!!!!!! Thanks for being there for me!! XOXOXOXOX
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Sometimes life sucks! I think post concussion syndrome is kicking my butt. And your wonderful friend, oh no, I am so sorry! But then we think of our beautiful children and our beloved friends and family and we go on. We go on. Love and hugs for you my lovely sister. 💕💕💕
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