SKaylor,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I am sorry to hear of your struggles. You can read the sticky post at the top called Vitamins. At the bottom of the first post are links to "You Look Great" on YouTube and another helpful explanation of PCS "Lost and Found". The vitamin regimen would also be good for you.

You can try to explain your PCS with some of these ideas if the above links do not help. Your brain has lost some of its ability to filter out auditory and visual stimuli. For your migraine 17 yo, it is like having a migraine but still needing to do a complicated school assignment. The pain gets in the way of the attempt to focus to do the work. For you, the visual and auditory stimuli are constantly getting in the way of your need to think.

I would not worry about scaring them with details. They already are confused and maybe scared. Knowledge can be empowering. Tell them enough so you can enlist their help as you recover.

Make a list of the routines you did with the 9 year old so you can try to follow the list. Many of us have had to mechanize our days because the old memorized processes and activities just do not flow without prompts.

You say you have long term memory loss. If you are saying you don't remember the past, this is rare. More common is a difficulty converting short term memories into long term memories. This is often tied to poor sleep. The concussed brain often struggles to get good REM sleep where short term memories are converted to long term memories.

The brain's inability to filter out sensory stimulation often prevents the deep REM sleep the brain needs. I find I need to find a very comfortable sleeping position with very comfortable temperature and sleep clothes and sheets. This cozy feeling allows me to sleep much more soundly and deeply.

Your good days and roller coaster days are likely tied to how well you slept the night before or the activity level of the previous day. Often, we have a good day so we increase our activity level. Then, we crash the next day.

Please feel free to ask for help and tell us anything about your struggles. It would help if we knew a bit more about your injury. Often, head injuries are accompanied by upper neck injuries that go undiagnosed. These can be a cause of head aches.

My best to you.