Concussion related issues down the line?
I fell face-first off of a back patio (~3 ft off of the ground) in June 2025. I don't remember anything after thinking "Oh shit, I'm falling" until I opened my eyes and was laying on my side in a mud puddle. I tried to get up but my arms couldn't move.
I was alone and started yelling for help but couldn't make my voice work very well. I kept trying to move my hands and they slowly got feeling back. It must have only been 30-60 seconds but I was so afraid and in shock that it felt like much longer.
When I was able to stand and assess the situation more, my head was sore and I had this weird, painful electrical shooting sensation that kept going from around my left ear, down my jaw and neck, into my left shoulder. I did not have any open wound or obvious lumps.
I was able to get a ride to the ER, where they decided to perform a jaw X-ray. I was more worried about a concussion and brain bleed but figured they'd perform other tests so I went along with it.
X-ray came back fine. And they let me go. Diagnosis: contusions.
The next day I had a worsening headache and later started vomiting. My sister (a registered nurse) said I should go back to the ER and ask for a CT scan.
I went back. They told me that while my injury was concerning, even one head CT scan could cause cancer, so they had to follow the "Canadian Guidelines" which apparently are that a CT scan is warranted for a TBI when:
- The fall is greater than 6 feet or 2. a fatality occurs on the scene. Which doesn't really make sense because I'm 5'6 and fell from a platform 3 feet up... so my head technically fell 8.5 feet. And I was ALONE, so of course there weren't fatalities. I would've been the fatality.
Anyway, I was concussed and didn't know how to argue with that. They did some random "touch this finger with that finger" type tests and let me go again but this time with a concussion diagnosis.
It took me 2 weeks to even start doing normal things again, and I can barely remember things from the 3-4 weeks after the fall.
Fast forward to now. I've been noticing weird issues that seemed insignificant at first but have been increasing in frequency and severity over the last few months.
First, balance. I have felt unstable when upright. I can walk without falling most of the time but I feel nervous doing lots of physical activities (e.g. climbing trees, hiking non-flat surfaces, really anything requiring more precise foot placement). I used to have really good balance in those situations so it's noticeably harder.
Also, fine motor skills in general. My hands are less reliable. I don't have precision like I used to. It's random things, like missing the keyhole when trying to lock or unlock a door I use frequently.
Vision is another one. I'm 22 and have seen an eye doctor annually for the last 15 years. My eyes really haven't changed much in the last 4 years until this past year. I'm nearsighted, but I feel like my farsighted vision has decreased significantly. And now my nearsightedness is starting to be affected too. I see my eye doctor in a few weeks, so we'll see how that goes.
And lastly, memory. I have a history of depression and anxiety and while that does cause brain fog and memory issues, I've NEVER had it this bad. I can remember factual things fine, but I don't remember my own experiences in the past year very well. I forget conversations from yesterday. I forget what I'm doing while doing it half the time. I make plans with a friend for the next day and completely forget I ever did so until they're wondering where I am.
TLDR: I had a scary fall 11 months ago that resulted in a concussion but the ER didn't do any tests other than basic motor skills and an X-ray of my jaw. Now I have strange, sudden, worsening issues with things like balance, memory, and vision when I didn't have issues like this before.
Could these issues be related to my concussion? Or is something else happening? Am I just aging? I'm only 22 and I feel like I'm somehow physically and mentally deteriorating.