True enough. Once again I must fight the urge to protect her from everything.

Jim.

Thanks mac, sorry I didn't respond earlier. Makes total sense, what you're saying. I've wondered all that stuff myself. And yes I never had a brain scan before the trauma, so who knows really what my brain looked like then.

As far as shrinkage being determined though, in my case there definitely is shrinkage on the right side of the brain, it is 18% smaller than the left, which is considered a big difference, and abnormal. In a "normal" brain, both hemispheres are nearly identical in volume. But why I have that shrinkage is debatable, you're absolutely right there.

I wish I wasn't so worried about it, but Anthony is right, better that I know as much as I can so I can deal with it as best as possible.

Hi Batgirl. I could be reading into this wrong, but if not, I think this is promising news though:
"Exciting recent research has shown that the hippocampus has the capacity to regenerate nerve cells ("neurons") as part of its normal functioning..."

That is mac... yet PTSD is not just about hippocampal change either. Knowing one would definitely be good though, because if this can be done if we give our minds enough peace, and allow them to regenerate without being under stress, then that might mean other aspects of change within the brain may achieve the same goal??? Nice info mac...

Interesting that this topic has come up since I am reading a book about using both sides of your brain. I've always thought that I was heavily in the Right side category, but after taking numerous tests in this book, I have found that I'm right in the middle. Which, according to the author, is where you want to be. It makes me wonder what I would be before I was diagnosed with PTSD. I think suffering from PTSD has made me use the left side of my brain to analyze and learn about my symptoms and ptsd to conquer the emotional effects. In doing so, as Evie mentioned, I became much less artistic. In fact, if I do go into that realm of creativity (the zone, I call it), I get melancholy and depressed. Because of this, I rarely do any art at all that might use expression as the main emphasis. I feel as if I'm wasting a gift that was given. Maybe this will be my own personal indicator when I'm "cured" of ptsd.....

Talking about being "cured". I believed that ptsd was curable for a long time until I started to think how much I have changed my life in order to live more stress free. Although it may sound depressing to have to handle ptsd for the rest of your life, please remember that the intensity of the symptoms will ease dramatically. You will be able to function in normal activities. The only part of ptsd that seems to stick with me is depression and I'm beginning to think that maybe it's not ptsd related. It just compounded my ptsd at it's worst. I believe that ptsd can not only be lived with, but will fade in the background. When stress levels get high, ptsd will shine is lovely face again to get things back to equilibrium. I guess that's what we are all striving for: Balance.

Nam, what is the book you are reading?

Very cool mac, thanks for that information. I'd be interested to know where you found it, so I can read up on it myself.

And Nam, I'd also be interested to know what book you are reading.

Batgirl, check out the first page of this thread and scroll down to the two MRI images of the brain. Directly below that is where I acquired the quote

Oh duh, I guess I should have read that part more closely. Thanks mac!

Hey Batgirl, I don't read any of those long-winded posts too closely either... initially, it was the MRI pics that caught my eye.:biggrin: