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Old 12-22-2014, 02:11 PM
russiarulez russiarulez is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 173
10 yr Member
russiarulez russiarulez is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 173
10 yr Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ProAgonist View Post
but I've heard cases of people that their symptoms completely disappeared after a few months, and then they went to do some physical activity which caused their symptoms to return and stay there for a very long time (one user in this forum said that he healed after 3 months, went snowmobiling, and his PCS symptoms returned for at least 2 years even though he didn't hit his head while snowmobiling). That sounds scary, so how much do you think I should wait? As I mentioned, symptoms can return after heavy physical activity, even if you feel fine. So how do I know in 2 months from now if I can go to that field trip or not?
You have to realize that everyone's injuries are different even though many of us have very similar symptoms.
I think my main mistake with that snowmobiling trip was that I went from like 10-20% activity level (Only activity I did were the 20-30 min easy walks every day) to 90-100% within one day.
Another thing to keep in mind that some people might have actual injuries to other organs in the head, not just the brain. For example I was diagnosed with a fistula in my inner ear recently, and that would explain why every time I exerted myself I felt way worse for a while (fistula reopening and then slowly healing again).

I understand what you're going through right now, trying to find all the answers, I think all of us on here were in your shoes at the beginning.

The simple truth is that there isn't a set of rules for recovering from PCS, everyone's situation is different. I have friends that suffered head injuries that were way way worse than what I had and they recovered within 1-2 months.

One advice I can give you is start very easy exercises, like walking for 15 mins and see how you feel the next day. Do that for a week, and if you feel fine move to 20-25 mins walking.
Then try a stationary bike with a heart rate monitor. Try to keep your heart rate elevated for 5 mins at first, again see how it feels and slowly increase after one week.
I started with like 80 bpm for 5 mins for a week and went up from there very carefully.

There is research from the University of Buffalo (http://concussion.buffalo.edu/) that seems to show very positive results from careful cardio exercises (usually over a span of 3-4 months).
__________________
12/02/2012 - Light concussion at boxing practice. Ended up having PCS for about 3 months.
March 2013 - Thought that since most of my symptoms resolved I could start having fun again.
Went snowmobiling once (didn't hit my head) and concussion symptoms returned and got even worse than before.
June 2013 - accidentally bumped my head against a deck railing, and had a month-long setback.
November 2013 - drove to work after a big snowstorm and the roads were very rough, ended up having another setback.
2014 - Having setbacks after coughing/sneezing too much, or someone slapping me on the back, or any other significant jarring.
Feb 2014 - Started seeing Atlas Orthogonal chiro - most helpful doc so far.
June 2014 - Two months of physical/visual therapy - no noticeable improvement.
September 2014 - Diagnosed with Perilymph Fistula in right ear.
November 2014 - Fistula surgery (switched to left ear before the surgery after additional testing).
January 2016 - Quit work to "work" on figuring out PCS, so far it seems that eyes/vision issues are the most contributing factor, especially computer work.

Current symptoms are: inconsistent sleep patterns, headaches, vertigo/dizziness, anxiety/panic attacks, mental fog/problems with concentration, problems with computer screens.
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ProAgonist (12-23-2014)