Traumatic Car Accident (detoxing, medication, sleep, symptoms)
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So recently I was in a pretty bad wreck. Car totaled, pulled out of my car by EMS onto a back board, they ran lights and sirens all the way there, 5 days in the hospital, surgery, the whole 9 yards.
I fractured a vertebrae in my back(2 rods and 6 screws), fractured my sternum and possibly fractured my foot, they said it was "severely bruised" but its nearly 6 weeks later and it still hurts and still swells and still gets to the point to where it hurts to put any weight on it.
Anyways, I'm getting better, I'm recovering, I am to the point where I only wear the brace when I am away from the house or in the shower(incase I slip or bend.) I am on track to be released from my restrictions and get out of the brace in like 8 days now.
Mentally I am not getting better.
About 4 days ago I cold turkied my pain killers, now that I can feel how much it hurts I know I don't need morphine and oxycodone to make it go away, plus they were making me sick and screwing with my stomach, etc. Everyone knows what being on narcotics for a month will do to a person.
Now for the double edged sword issue, while its nice to not be a zombie anymore, I can think clearly, I can feel clearly etc, I feel different etc. It's nice. It also sucks. That near week in the ICU I had flashbacks constantly. When I got home I felt a little better but I was still getting the flashbacks.
I am CONSTANTLY stressed, to the max. I am anxious as hell, the anxiousness gets to the point I feel like I am beside myself, I feel like I am going to go crazy. I cannot sleep at night, last night was a little better but not by much, the two previous nights I ended up crying because I couldn't get tired, I couldn't get comfy, I felt off, it was such an unnerving feeling. I've started having panic attacks at night. I get into these funks where all I can think about is the accident. The flashbacks have also gotten worse. It's usually always the same memory over and over again and its pretty much the seconds, before, during and after impact. Sometimes parts of the ride in the ambulance or the ER room. Once my family showed up I started paying more attention to them than my surroundings.
I am very aware I need therapy, counseling etc.
I have a number I am supposed to call, she has to find me someone, then write a prescription etc.
Its barely monday I will have to do these things once everything opens up and I don't foresee getting in somewhere till maybe mid-week or later.
I am so seriously close to just going to the hospital near my house, giving them the low down but I really don't want to wait around in a hospital, I've spent enough in them and unless its a true emergency I don't want to go.
Any coping suggestions till I can get to a doctor?
I would say knowing you need help is a good first step. Do you have anything to help you fall asleep? Is night the worst time for the flashbacks? Can a friend stay with you?
I would say knowing you need help is a good first step. Do you have anything to help you fall asleep? Is night the worst time for the flashbacks? Can a friend stay with you?
When in an accident, the brain also has a "mini-collision" inside your head (as do your internal body organs). That can tear some of the brain and do a bit of damage.
The good news is that I knew someone who fell several stories and was almost a vegetable so far as his thinking went - for several months. But then his brain began to heal itself! Amazing! Anyway 6 months later he was functioning pretty well. And two years later you would never know he had that accident.
So anyway there may be some brain damage. Might want to see a neurologist.
And the good news is they may be able to give you medication to help with the symptoms for now. Maybe not? Anyway I should think this is all temporary and the problems very likely physical (if not, go to counseling).
And as they say... Time heals all wounds! (Certainly did in the case of my friend.)
So recently I was in a pretty bad wreck. Car totaled, pulled out of my car by EMS onto a back board, they ran lights and sirens all the way there, 5 days in the hospital, surgery, the whole 9 yards.
I fractured a vertebrae in my back(2 rods and 6 screws), fractured my sternum and possibly fractured my foot, they said it was "severely bruised" but its nearly 6 weeks later and it still hurts and still swells and still gets to the point to where it hurts to put any weight on it.
Anyways, I'm getting better, I'm recovering, I am to the point where I only wear the brace when I am away from the house or in the shower(incase I slip or bend.) I am on track to be released from my restrictions and get out of the brace in like 8 days now.
Mentally I am not getting better.
About 4 days ago I cold turkied my pain killers, now that I can feel how much it hurts I know I don't need morphine and oxycodone to make it go away, plus they were making me sick and screwing with my stomach, etc. Everyone knows what being on narcotics for a month will do to a person.
Now for the double edged sword issue, while its nice to not be a zombie anymore, I can think clearly, I can feel clearly etc, I feel different etc. It's nice. It also sucks. That near week in the ICU I had flashbacks constantly. When I got home I felt a little better but I was still getting the flashbacks.
I am CONSTANTLY stressed, to the max. I am anxious as hell, the anxiousness gets to the point I feel like I am beside myself, I feel like I am going to go crazy. I cannot sleep at night, last night was a little better but not by much, the two previous nights I ended up crying because I couldn't get tired, I couldn't get comfy, I felt off, it was such an unnerving feeling. I've started having panic attacks at night. I get into these funks where all I can think about is the accident. The flashbacks have also gotten worse. It's usually always the same memory over and over again and its pretty much the seconds, before, during and after impact. Sometimes parts of the ride in the ambulance or the ER room. Once my family showed up I started paying more attention to them than my surroundings.
I am very aware I need therapy, counseling etc.
I have a number I am supposed to call, she has to find me someone, then write a prescription etc.
Its barely monday I will have to do these things once everything opens up and I don't foresee getting in somewhere till maybe mid-week or later.
I am so seriously close to just going to the hospital near my house, giving them the low down but I really don't want to wait around in a hospital, I've spent enough in them and unless its a true emergency I don't want to go.
Any coping suggestions till I can get to a doctor?
When in an accident, the brain also has a "mini-collision" inside your head (as do your internal body organs). That can tear some of the brain and do a bit of damage.
The good news is that I knew someone who fell several stories and was almost a vegetable so far as his thinking went - for several months. But then his brain began to heal itself! Amazing! Anyway 6 months later he was functioning pretty well. And two years later you would never know he had that accident.
So anyway there may be some brain damage. Might want to see a neurologist.
And the good news is they may be able to give you medication to help with the symptoms for now. Maybe not? Anyway I should think this is all temporary and the problems very likely physical (if not, go to counseling).
And as they say... Time heals all wounds! (Certainly did in the case of my friend.)
While I appreciate the advice, they already went over that, I have a team of doctors for the next year.
I did suffer some head trauma. They weren't too concerned with it. They sent someone out to my house to see go through some tests with me to see if I was affected and I did everything perfectly.
This isn't because I suffered trauma to my head, it's the emotional and mental aspect.
It's Monday now, how you made the calls you need to make to get in somewhere?
So sorry for your accident and all you are suffering!!
Yeah, I'm going to get on that.
I haven't been to bed yet, I never fell asleep last night.
I just couldn't.
I'm trying to manage the pain right now.
I'm still detoxing hard from my morphine. That stuff is nasty. I like the muscle relaxers tho. Those are nice.
Why does everyone keep saying that?
My grandmothers mentioned it and so have several others.
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