*For those who don't feel like reading this whole post... I recovered 99% after 8 months of improvements and setbacks!! A year in and I feel great. It is tough but for me, it did go away!!!*

It has been one year since my concussion which, like so many of you, caused a spiral of symptoms that without a doubt was the scariest, most horrible experience I have ever had.

Random dizziness, painful headaches, sudden vision change "spells", light and noise sensitivity, mild auditory hallucinations, extreme panic attacks, heart palpitations, intolerance to any exertion (couldn't walk two blocks to the store without getting lightheaded and having to sit down to rest), depression, very little concentration ability, short term memory loss and "lost thoughts", confusion, mental fogginess and "slowness" (at one point I thought I had lost any understanding of the concept of humor forever), sensitivity to head movement (nodding, cars, turning quickly), fear of being in public, inability to maintain a conversation, etc etc.

This took about 4 months of one step forward, one step back, over and over, to even START to improve in a lasting way. It was crushing when I realize my healing was not going to be linear in any way.. if I was better one day, I could be ten times worse the next.

Half the time I could not do anything but lay in the dark in the motel I was staying in with the tv on quietly, to attempt to distract myself even though I could only listen, not look at the screen, and put all my little energy into fending off an ever-present anxiety attack and try to not feel like I was falling off the edge of a cliff.

Doctors were useless, a common theme to many here I believe. I don't want to dwell on these symptoms any more, but I did want to return to say.. ***I GOT BETTER!!!*** <-- (purpose of post) And there is a good chance you will too.

Originally I pushed myself- I returned too quickly (2 months in, right after I really started feeling better) to a very physical job which made everything much, much, worse, and I was then laid out for the next few months in recovery. Eventually I returned to said job, when the symptoms subsided.

I still have slight vision issues (something akin to "afterimages" when I look away from something), and I sometimes get a little light headed when I exercise but not bad. Sometimes I feel as though I am still not as quick-witted as I once was, but I can live with that.

Anyway, I am now living a full, mentally and physically active life as a field biologist and am not hindered by the concussion that I, at the time, was so scared would have permanent effects. Please don't give up hope. Nutrition and supplements, family/friend support, and adequate rest can really work wonders for many people.

Also, thanks to those who post in this forum and respond to those that need your support. Even though I didn't post a lot, in the depths of that mysterious hell known as PCS I would spend a lot of time educating myself and boosting my hope and attitude by reading your kind and informative words.

Since most of my recovery was spent alone, reading this forum's posts was much of my support system. I hope those of you that are still in recovery begin to/continue to see improvement in your healing process.

So! For me, turned out there was light at the end of all this .... and it took me about 8 months. DO NOT give up!