Ben,

Glad you found us, I found out that the folks here understood my plight much better than the docs.

First off you aren't nuts, head injuries are really complex issues, while each one is different there are many shared symptoms.

I will try to make brief comparisons on your listed symptoms.

Exercise became impossible, it took 1.5 years before I could return to the gym and another year to get back to where I had been prior to my accident. The honest best I could manage was walking to the mailbox 500' away for over a year. Elevating heart and respiratory rates sent me south for a long time and still has its days but now I can push or slow down a bit, at 58 I'm not going to the olympics. I had to watch my grandkids play for 2 years.

I can still get a certain feeling of dizziness but I never have any adverse effects from such, I ski water and snow. Those activities would reflect a problem and they don't. I have learned to tell myself that that "feeling" doesn't matter. It isn't all the time.

Sleep and nightmares were part of the deal during my first 1.5 years and took another 1 year to return to mostly normal.

Anxiety yes and still but I recognize it as such now and carry on, anxiety is a great liar and a normal life can be led. I chose to go med free on my recovery.

I still get those deep chills into the bones. My skin feels just fine but way inside I get chilled and it takes awhile with my comfortor and water bottle to beat it back. I have had the flu this week and I sleep in sweats under 4 blankets and my water bottle, not exactly the norm in north Ca.

I lost 25 pounds and haven't gained it back in 3.75 years now, my appetite changed, doesn't exactly bother me.

A sleep routine is very necessary even if you don't actually fall sleep.

Light, sound and crowded buildings very much bothered me. I used earplugs when I was able to return to church after1.5 years. The same buildings with light people activity did not bother me so I learned to leave church a couple minutes ahead of everyone. That all settled down after vision therapy.

Don't worry when you see my timetable, I took a pretty good thump to the head and all cases are different.

I hope this wasn't to busy but you had many similar things I wanted to address.

Good luck to you,

Bud