I can personally attest to the fact even the most trivial of blows to my head now can bring back all the PCS symptoms. That's why I'm on this board now. I suffered a fairly serious concussion years ago (6 or 7 ?), which left me with PCS for somewhere between 2 and 3 years. I was fortunate in that it seemed to entirely clear up. I was really back to my old self for all intents and purposes... running, and even jump roping (an activity I started with a great deal of trepidation, let me tell you). I had finally managed to move beyond that incredible sense of fragility and lack of self-confidence that is the emotional side of PCS. I certainly wasn't going to ride a roller coaster, mind you, but I'd climb a tree... even play tennis, as you mention.

Anyway, that sense of fragility came back dramatically after I experienced the most trivial of bumps to my head. I was cleaning under the sink and came up too fast, knocking my head in the process. That was 8 or 9 days ago. Unbelievably to me (this was the most trivial of hits to the head... something I wouldn't even have thought about 10 years ago), all my PCS symptoms came back. For the first day or two after the accident I was somewhat in denial, I just couldn't believe such a trivial hit could have such dramatic consequences.

I don't know if others are like this, but I become really withdrawn and don't want to see any of my friends or family. I think it's fear that they will be able to detect the difference in me, maybe. Or perhaps it's just not wanting to try and put on a good face and be positive about it. I mean... it really, really sucks, and the last thing you feel up to is trying to act like it's no big deal. It's very personal too, and you feel vulnerable and fragile. We live in a competitive world, and if you have intelligent and competitive friends, one might worry about whether they will look at you the same (absurd, I know). If only they knew how you felt.

So, I'm certain that even "recovery" may not always mean "recovery" in the traditional sense of the word, that's for sure. I think recovery in this case means just feeling good again.

The tricky part in all this is trying to balance being cautious with living your life. My concussion forever changed me as a person, I know that. I was always an energetic and "fast" person... now I try and move a little more slowly and deliberately (not slow enough, apparently!). I was always really adventurous and somewhat reckless before. Now I am much more cautious. There are certain things I'll likely never do again... like toss a baseball back and forth, e.g., though I might toss a football with you. I won't ride a roller coaster, but I'll ride the trolly or a tram.

Thankfully I was back to running again almost every day, and I really do feel like this helped. I'm sure there is a wide variety in extent of PCS, and recovery from it, so everyones experience will be different.

So, I think that is the difficult part. Balancing caution with confidence. It's particularly difficult for anyone who has had bad PCS, as it can take a cocky, athletic, confident and reckless person and turn them into a home body!

I'm happy to report that I seem to be getting dramatically better on a daily basis here (which would make sense considering how slight the hit was). If nothing else, we all have a deeper understanding of the fragility of life, that is for sure, and it's certainly easier for me to empathize with people who have been in accidents.

All in all, I think i'm a quieter person now. I've slowed down. In some ways I'm actually more peaceful. I appreciate little things more, like just "feeling good" at any given moment. Isn't that something? Just "feeling good" is something most people take for granted, but it's really quite a gift.