[Fake Plastic]

I'm not even sure that I'm posting this in the correct forum here, so if this thread belongs somewhere else, mods please move it.

A little background: I was always a profoundly unhappy person. I was diagnosed with major depression in middle school and started on medication. I got a WHOLE lot worse initially, and then got better my junior year of high school. I was not symptomatic at all for the last two years of HS and all of college. About a year after graduation, I started experiencing symptoms again and was diagnosed with bipolar 2. I liked my doc but had some trouble finding a combo of meds that worked well. However, once I found lithium, it looked like the worst was over. I continued to have mild depression, but no suicidal thoughts and no mania. I could live with that. Then, in the summer of 2011, I suddenly became MUCH worse: frequent mixed states, rapid cycling, uncontrollable rage, crippling depression. Nothing worked. I just kept getting worse. In 2012 alone, I was hospitalized 5 times. ECT was on the table, but by this time I'd lost my job due to my illness and had no insurance, and it would have been an incomplete solution for me anyhow. Miraculously, I found a med combo that stabilized me and have been in my current state of relative sanity for about 6 months.

Now, onto the issue at hand: I was reviewing some of my medical records today. I was in an accident in early 2011; I fell off of a horse and broke my back. I also hit my head, but the doctors seemed much more concerned with my spinal injury. I hardly remember being in the hospital. But I remember that I was told to go home and rest for what seemed like eleventy billion years. My boyfriend, who was taking care of me, also seemed chiefly concerned with my broken back (which healed completely with no permanent damage). So you can imagine my utter shock and horror when I discovered in these records that there was an MRI which revealed the presence of a subdural hematoma in the orbitofrontal cortex (a part of the brain which regulates emotion and decision-making).

And the doctors somehow f****** failed to mention this to me at the time?!?!

"Yes, Ms. Plastic, I'm afraid three of your thoracic vertebrae have been fractured. You'll need to be on bed rest, follow up with Dr. Whoever, and OH BY THE WAY DID I MENTION YOU ALSO SUSTAINED A BRAIN INJURY?"

How did this slip through the cracks? I mean, seriously?

On one hand, I'm kinda relieved that there actually exists a rational explanation for my sudden worsening of symptoms and personality change. But holy [insert string of expletives of your choice here] I AM LIVID.

Not sure why I'm posting this since I doubt many people have similar experiences and probably nothing anyone says will make me feel better, but there it is.

[roads]

Yes, there it is.
How awful, Fake Plastic! Not surprising, given my experience of neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, etc. I can't imagine what could make you feel better about all this now. But I do feel awful for you & send hugs galore.
Roadie

[kindachaotic]

Wow!! really sorry it came down to you losing your job & ins before finding this out.
Glad you're finally stable & can get back on your feet job wise.
There is a group you can join on here TBI & Emotional Support.
If I knew how to insert links I would but go to my page & title will be in my groups.
There are more people here in your situation than you'd think.
Welcome to PC & wish you the best.

[middlepath]

I had a similar injury (head trauma resulting in sub-dermal hematoma and concussion) that preceeded my worst depressive episode. I was already "in" a depressive episode and my motor skills were not very responsive which is why i hit my head in the first place, but after I hit it I almost immediately spiraled downward. Depression became *almost* unbearable and I have been moderately unstable since...although I am finally feeling stable again just over the past couple of months, minus one hypomanic episode : ).

So, while I don't know for sure if it could have caused your foundation to be rocked, I know that circumstantially, it seems as though the events line up for me and I can hypothesize that they may have lined up for you, too. I am glad you are finding stability again and that your back injury healed fully. It IS disheartening, however, that medical professionals would only treat the injury that seems the most severe and neglect to address all parts of your injury, namely your TBI.

[cool09]

Absolutely can cause mental disorder. Gary Busey had traumatic brain injury and takes psychotropic medication to help him maintain his mental health or whatever's left of it.

Has anyone seen a neurosurgeon about this? And is it even operable? What's the
prognosis for this kind of thing?

So very sorry this has happened to you and that you were not told the truth initially.

[Fake Plastic]

Thanks for all the replies and support.