Hi there, I'm new here too. I joined a few weeks ago intending to introduce myself then had a round of testing that caused me to have a few very bad weeks and not wanting to be near a computer or reading. I'm sure everyone can relate.

I am/was a software developer before my accident and brain injury so I know exactly what you are going through. My accident was late last year so I'm about 9 or 10 months into recovery. I have been through all kinds of therapies and am trying to get some vision therapy right now.

I know that I still have a long road of recovery ahead of me and you probably do too, but the honest truth is I don't know if I will ever be able to return to development. I can't bounce around files like I used to. Simple logic confuses me. Algorithms? Forget it. Picking up a new language in a week or working through architecture and design...I would be incredibly slow. As you said, fix a bug here, create a bigger bug somewhere else but not realize it. I wish it were as simple as teaching yourself a new way to work, like the file thing someone mentioned, but I just don't see that really helping a great deal.

I'm not trying to be negative I just know what it takes to be a programmer from many years experience and post-injury me just can't do it. I'm hopeful maybe one day, but that will be a long time from now. My advice is to make it a long term goal but rest a lot. If you're still working, stop and go on disability. If/when you feel up to it, try a very simple side project that you can work on in 20 minute chunks once or twice a day and if it brings symtomps, put it away for at least 2 days then give it a try again.

Writing software IS difficult but I know what you mean when you say that. I can't say if you're "done" b/c only you can decide that yourself. But I am much younger than you and most days I fear that I'm "done".