Aa
Anybody able to help me before I become a homeless guy on the streets?
On 5 Dec 2007 I had a little wreck on my dirtbike where I hit my head and broke my helmet. I had no idea what happened and I can't remember a thing from that day and all I have to go by is what people say and a short video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1DXZEeDAP0
The problem that I am having is whenever I run I get really dizzy and can't see. It doesn't happen every time and isn't the same every time, sometimes everything goes grey and gets really quiet and others I just get really dizzy and can't see strait, it isn't blurred vision it's more of seeing an outline around everything. I also have problems when I do situps and pushups but it just makes me feel weird like I'm not really there and I just feel strange. It's hard to explain, it's almost like I'm really drunk when I run or do situps.
I have been to a neurologist and they tested me for seizures even though I have never had one before and I checked out just fine.
They did a MRI and found that I had a venius Angoma in my right frontal lobe (to me it just looks like a pile of rat turds in my head) and something that they called a mastoid in my right inner ear. They claimed that they were benign.
Needless to say I then went to a cardiologist to have tests run on me. They did a stress test and told me that I was out of shape after I walked for a couple of minutes and my hr went to 200.
About a year went by after that and I kept blacking out randomly and couldn't see or hear when I ran and I kept going my doctor just to be told that I was full of ****.
I finally went back to the cardiologist and this time they did a stress test and let my hr go well above 200, I think I saw 237 on the monitor. Well, minus the heart rate I maxed out the treadmill and kept it maxed out for 15 min. After that they put me on Atenolol to lower my heart rate and for the first time in my life I couldn't feel my heartbeat in my hands and face. It's kind of a weird feeling not feeling my heart beat at night.
Well, even with the Atenolol I am unable to run without feeling really weird and now my chest, left armpit and neck hurt really bad whenever I attempt to run. Today I only made it 3 min then my chest hurt like crazy, kind of like passing a kidney stone behind my left nipple and it still hurts 3 hours later. It's hard to explain the pain that I feel.
Some other things that I have that probably mean nothing
- I pass kidney stones about every 2 or 3 months
- My back hurts constantly right between my shoulder blades
- My right elbow pops and my arm falls asleep when I try to straiten it out(the doctor called it "tennis elbow")
- My left knee feels like something is crawling inside of it(the doctor said that I sprained it)
- I wake up sometimes with my hands clenched tight and it takes about 20 min to get them to work right
- When I cough or sneeze I get really dizzy to the point where I almost fall over
- My right index finger and back side of thumb have no feeling
I have failed my PT test for the past 2 years and am about to get kicked out of the Air Force because I can't run. I can still do my job just fine but it doesn't matter when you can't physically run 1.5 miles in under 13:36
The problem that I am having is whenever I run I get really dizzy and can't see. It doesn't happen every time and isn't the same every time, sometimes everything goes grey and gets really quiet and others I just get really dizzy and can't see strait, it isn't blurred vision it's more of seeing an outline around everything. I also have problems when I do situps and pushups but it just makes me feel weird like I'm not really there and I just feel strange. It's hard to explain, it's almost like I'm really drunk when I run or do situps.
I have been to a neurologist and they tested me for seizures even though I have never had one before and I checked out just fine.
They did a MRI and found that I had a venius Angoma in my right frontal lobe (to me it just looks like a pile of rat turds in my head) and something that they called a mastoid in my right inner ear. They claimed that they were benign.
Needless to say I then went to a cardiologist to have tests run on me. They did a stress test and told me that I was out of shape after I walked for a couple of minutes and my hr went to 200.
About a year went by after that and I kept blacking out randomly and couldn't see or hear when I ran and I kept going my doctor just to be told that I was full of ****.
I finally went back to the cardiologist and this time they did a stress test and let my hr go well above 200, I think I saw 237 on the monitor. Well, minus the heart rate I maxed out the treadmill and kept it maxed out for 15 min. After that they put me on Atenolol to lower my heart rate and for the first time in my life I couldn't feel my heartbeat in my hands and face. It's kind of a weird feeling not feeling my heart beat at night.
Well, even with the Atenolol I am unable to run without feeling really weird and now my chest, left armpit and neck hurt really bad whenever I attempt to run. Today I only made it 3 min then my chest hurt like crazy, kind of like passing a kidney stone behind my left nipple and it still hurts 3 hours later. It's hard to explain the pain that I feel.
Some other things that I have that probably mean nothing
- I pass kidney stones about every 2 or 3 months
- My back hurts constantly right between my shoulder blades
- My right elbow pops and my arm falls asleep when I try to straiten it out(the doctor called it "tennis elbow")
- My left knee feels like something is crawling inside of it(the doctor said that I sprained it)
- I wake up sometimes with my hands clenched tight and it takes about 20 min to get them to work right
- When I cough or sneeze I get really dizzy to the point where I almost fall over
- My right index finger and back side of thumb have no feeling
I have failed my PT test for the past 2 years and am about to get kicked out of the Air Force because I can't run. I can still do my job just fine but it doesn't matter when you can't physically run 1.5 miles in under 13:36
I would disagree about the Post Concussion Syndrome BASED on the symptoms you have posted. I would agree with the above poster about an issue with your cervical/thoracic spine BASED on the symptoms you have posted.
The other problems you will have are getting the military physicians to agree with any physician independent of the military. The military docs have the LAST word. Plus, you will have to pay for these independent physicians since you have no insurance to cover this.
Good luck.
The other problems you will have are getting the military physicians to agree with any physician independent of the military. The military docs have the LAST word. Plus, you will have to pay for these independent physicians since you have no insurance to cover this.
Good luck.
Ben,
When you originally posted back on December 5, you managed to make the identical post twice. I answered that first post, and see that you are still here and apparently did not read what I advised about your situation. While I think the post concussion idea is helpful, perhaps something of what I said in reply to your original post will help you concerning your back being the origin of your problems. So, I've copied and pasted it below, my reply to your very first post:
It sounds a lot to me like you hurt your spine rather badly in that bike accident. See, some of your list of problems has to do with where the nerves go from the spine, which the ones affecting your hands and fingers and thumb come out of the cervical spine, and then the ones affecting your blood pressure and breathing and the pain between your shoulder blades come out of the thoracic spine, normally T-5 and above, which T-4 is about where the actual nerve injury is since it's always felt one vertebra down at T-5. Don't worry about your knee right now, aspirin should keep it from bothering you too much, and you can buy a simple elastic brace to go around your knee if it's too rough one day or whatever.
I'm assuming your MRI was of your head, they may have thought all your symptoms come from a brain problem or concussion, but since that turned out okay, then I'm thinking you need some sort of scan of your cervical and thoracic spine. It could show some sort of damage to the vertebrae, discs, or nerves in there, and any in your thoracic might explain your breathing problem, which seems to be the one most affecting your status in the military.
So, I think one of your next steps is to get at least a black & white X-ray of your neck and chest, you COULD get one yourself at the local ER, or you could ask for a CT scan or MRI, depending on what doc you visit wants to do. Also, you should ask this doc to review the radiology report from your brain MRI. If you can get in to see a neurologist fairly quickly, that's who I'd go to.
In the meantime, another step is to practice deep breathing, breathe in really deeply, blow it out fairly slowly, breathe normal a few times, the deep breathe again until you've done it a half-dozen times. Do this several times a day. Also, where you feel that pain in your back, if you can get your wife or a girlfriend to massage your back between the shoulder blades by pushing on either side of your spine firmly but gently, that could relax those muscles and unkink those nerves after a few days of that. And anytime you're sitting and watching TV, put a hot water bottle in that area.
THEN measure out by your car a mile and a half or figure it out on a track, and then just WALK and jog a little that distance. If you're jogging and it begins to hurt, go into walking and deep breathe and watch your posture so you're holding yourself up really straight as you do that, shoulders back, and then when you feel like you've caught your breath and the pain diminishes, pick up and jog again for a while. If at any point you cannot stand it, go lay beside the track and then quit for the day. Next day, go out and practice again. Do this until you can arrange yet another running test so you can stay in the military.
Let us know what happens, keep us posted. GG
P.S. Above was what I posted before, but I want to add something now that I've heard here that you failed another test. I am so sorry you did not pass that test. So, my advice on breathing and practicing running is no longer something you need to do, unless they have indeed re-scheduled you for yet another test. You asked in your very last post who could you go to, and while I think it wouldn't hurt to go back to the base docs and ask for a plain black & white X-ray of your spine, that you think it's your thoracic spine doing this to you, then you COULD go to your town's county health department clinic, you can go as a walk-in, and be seen by a physician same day at little or no cost. Those health clinics are made for people like you, whose insurance won't cover seeing another doc. Then THAT doctor will refer you perhaps to a specialist that your insurance WILL cover, or he may even be able to order a black & whtie X-ray, which are very inexpensive, and then come up with a tentative diagnosis that relates to the thoracic spine, and you can ask him to fax over his impressions and the pictures and radiology report to your base docs, and THEN see them again. Keep us posted. GG
When you originally posted back on December 5, you managed to make the identical post twice. I answered that first post, and see that you are still here and apparently did not read what I advised about your situation. While I think the post concussion idea is helpful, perhaps something of what I said in reply to your original post will help you concerning your back being the origin of your problems. So, I've copied and pasted it below, my reply to your very first post:
It sounds a lot to me like you hurt your spine rather badly in that bike accident. See, some of your list of problems has to do with where the nerves go from the spine, which the ones affecting your hands and fingers and thumb come out of the cervical spine, and then the ones affecting your blood pressure and breathing and the pain between your shoulder blades come out of the thoracic spine, normally T-5 and above, which T-4 is about where the actual nerve injury is since it's always felt one vertebra down at T-5. Don't worry about your knee right now, aspirin should keep it from bothering you too much, and you can buy a simple elastic brace to go around your knee if it's too rough one day or whatever.
I'm assuming your MRI was of your head, they may have thought all your symptoms come from a brain problem or concussion, but since that turned out okay, then I'm thinking you need some sort of scan of your cervical and thoracic spine. It could show some sort of damage to the vertebrae, discs, or nerves in there, and any in your thoracic might explain your breathing problem, which seems to be the one most affecting your status in the military.
So, I think one of your next steps is to get at least a black & white X-ray of your neck and chest, you COULD get one yourself at the local ER, or you could ask for a CT scan or MRI, depending on what doc you visit wants to do. Also, you should ask this doc to review the radiology report from your brain MRI. If you can get in to see a neurologist fairly quickly, that's who I'd go to.
In the meantime, another step is to practice deep breathing, breathe in really deeply, blow it out fairly slowly, breathe normal a few times, the deep breathe again until you've done it a half-dozen times. Do this several times a day. Also, where you feel that pain in your back, if you can get your wife or a girlfriend to massage your back between the shoulder blades by pushing on either side of your spine firmly but gently, that could relax those muscles and unkink those nerves after a few days of that. And anytime you're sitting and watching TV, put a hot water bottle in that area.
THEN measure out by your car a mile and a half or figure it out on a track, and then just WALK and jog a little that distance. If you're jogging and it begins to hurt, go into walking and deep breathe and watch your posture so you're holding yourself up really straight as you do that, shoulders back, and then when you feel like you've caught your breath and the pain diminishes, pick up and jog again for a while. If at any point you cannot stand it, go lay beside the track and then quit for the day. Next day, go out and practice again. Do this until you can arrange yet another running test so you can stay in the military.
Let us know what happens, keep us posted. GG
P.S. Above was what I posted before, but I want to add something now that I've heard here that you failed another test. I am so sorry you did not pass that test. So, my advice on breathing and practicing running is no longer something you need to do, unless they have indeed re-scheduled you for yet another test. You asked in your very last post who could you go to, and while I think it wouldn't hurt to go back to the base docs and ask for a plain black & white X-ray of your spine, that you think it's your thoracic spine doing this to you, then you COULD go to your town's county health department clinic, you can go as a walk-in, and be seen by a physician same day at little or no cost. Those health clinics are made for people like you, whose insurance won't cover seeing another doc. Then THAT doctor will refer you perhaps to a specialist that your insurance WILL cover, or he may even be able to order a black & whtie X-ray, which are very inexpensive, and then come up with a tentative diagnosis that relates to the thoracic spine, and you can ask him to fax over his impressions and the pictures and radiology report to your base docs, and THEN see them again. Keep us posted. GG
I looked into it and it Post Concussion Syndrome sounds allot like what I have been going through. I was hoping that it would be something simple. Oh well...
I talked to Broc Hepler and he pretty much has the same exact problems and he referred me to his doctor, Dr. Michael collins in the south side at upmc sports medicine. The only problem is, my insurance will not cover it and my on base doctor seems to be set on me being out of shape.
You wouldn't happen to know of any doctors that don't cost thousands of dollars just to talk to that are experienced in PCS, would you? Somewhere in Arkansas or within 300 miles? I can't find any...
http://lb.ec2.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hi-torque/mxa_201109_dealer/index.php?startid=86#/88
I talked to Broc Hepler and he pretty much has the same exact problems and he referred me to his doctor, Dr. Michael collins in the south side at upmc sports medicine. The only problem is, my insurance will not cover it and my on base doctor seems to be set on me being out of shape.
You wouldn't happen to know of any doctors that don't cost thousands of dollars just to talk to that are experienced in PCS, would you? Somewhere in Arkansas or within 300 miles? I can't find any...
http://lb.ec2.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/hi-torque/mxa_201109_dealer/index.php?startid=86#/88
You may be suffering from Persistent Post Concussion Syndrome. I had a Head Injury 2.5 years and still suffer from dizziness, fatigue etc., Try to find some who knows about Post Concussion Syndrome and not that many exist. I do get dizzy even now when I exert too. All I can do now is 15 min exercise. In the beginning I can do only 3 minutes. There is no point in pushing since it doesn't do any good.
Post Concussion Syndrome is a complex condition and there is no one pill, med or therapy which can cure. you have to find the right thing which helps you to relieve your symptoms.
good luck.
Post Concussion Syndrome is a complex condition and there is no one pill, med or therapy which can cure. you have to find the right thing which helps you to relieve your symptoms.
good luck.
Well... I failed another PT test.
The "Doctor" on base is pretty much telling me that I'm full of crap. They checked my neck and back a few years back and the T1 T2 and T3 were fused. They popped my back in Physical Therapy and supposedly fixed it, but that was 7 or 8 years ago.
I'm about to just give up and stop trying. I spend about every day in a fog and am constantly dizzy but I can deal with that pretty well. I just can't run. Today I only did 47 pushups and got all messed up and weird feeling. It only happens when I exercise.
The "Doctor" on base is pretty much telling me that I'm full of crap. They checked my neck and back a few years back and the T1 T2 and T3 were fused. They popped my back in Physical Therapy and supposedly fixed it, but that was 7 or 8 years ago.
I'm about to just give up and stop trying. I spend about every day in a fog and am constantly dizzy but I can deal with that pretty well. I just can't run. Today I only did 47 pushups and got all messed up and weird feeling. It only happens when I exercise.
Understand you went to a Neurologist, but I was asking if you had any imaging of your Cervical or Thoracic spine was my question.
Checking your neck "for stuff" isn't an image.
And my other question was HAVE YOU SEEN A VASCULAR SPECIALIST?
I can't really give you any recommendations/suggestions if you aren't able to provide information I need to know to help you.
BTW: Your stress test is abnormal for sure. They could discharge you based not only because you can't pass the PT test, but also because your stress test is abnormal.
Checking your neck "for stuff" isn't an image.
And my other question was HAVE YOU SEEN A VASCULAR SPECIALIST?
I can't really give you any recommendations/suggestions if you aren't able to provide information I need to know to help you.
BTW: Your stress test is abnormal for sure. They could discharge you based not only because you can't pass the PT test, but also because your stress test is abnormal.
I went to a neurologist and they said that it was nothing
They checked my neck for stuff and my doctor gave me motrin for my back.
They checked my neck for stuff and my doctor gave me motrin for my back.
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