Hello Mark,

Thanks a million for your reply and advice. Regarding your questions,

• I do have a tender spot behind the ear, only on one side. I just noticed it thanks to your question - it never bothered me. I tried icing without much relief.
• I think that the quality of my sleep is bad (not the quantity), which I would attribute to the lack of exercise (I was running or biking 1h per day before my accident).
• I tried acetaminophen in the first weeks without any effect. I am allergic to aspirin and NSAIDs upset my stomach, so I did not try those.
• I do not have a way to take my blood pressure but I can certainly do it if you think this information would be useful.
• I can certainly relate to the "pounding" effect that you mentioned. To me this is the most dangerous trigger: whenever I inadvertently walk too "strongly" (sorry for the poor English, I hope you understand what I mean) I can feel the headaches immediately becoming more intense.

Regarding my occupation, I am a mathematician in academia. So a normal day of work would consist of a couple of hours doing research on my own (on computer or with pen and paper), a couple of hours talking to colleagues or students, and a couple of hours teaching. Perhaps surprisingly, I find that teaching is the most problematic activity even though it entails almost no physical effort (I am using slides, so I am basically just standing or sitting next to the whiteboard and talking) and the cognitive effort is much less intense than when I do research. I have none of the symptoms of brain over-stimulation you mentioned.

What makes me hesitant is the following: I really love teaching, to the point that I was almost crying of joy when I went to the university to give my first lecture after my accident. So if the only price that I have to pay to continue teaching is the temporary headache that I am experiencing afterwards, I am willing to pay it. But of course, if teaching compromises my recovery and puts me at risk of never seeing the headaches disappearing I would prefer going on sick leave again.

Finally, thank you very much for suggesting some activities. I think these are very good ideas and I will definitely try to develop one of these habits.

Best wishes,

Vania