Hi Copper,

I feel so sorry for you. I was so pleased to have found this site last year as well. I had spent 6 years struggling for some understanding of my condiition prior to that. Being told that you look good does not help either!!

Your symptons are exactly the same as mine. Nothing can prepare you for the changes that you need to make to be able to cope with your day to day existence. The noise and crowd one is big as that can prevent going out for dinner, a drink etc and effects so much in the way of family activity.

I would reccomend that you include your wife in everything concerning your head injury - take herwith you to all appointments etc. I made the mistake of shutting my husband out - but I now realise that that was me not being rational due to the head injury and we ended up divorced. He still does not believe the effects of the bangs to my head.

In 2001 I hit my head on a hanging basket and about 6 weeks afterwards hit my head on the door frame of a taxi when getting into it with an arm full of files. Since then I too have been rear ended in my car, fallen down stairs, hit my head again getting into a different car and on and on. Balance does not help!

I have only worked part time since the 2001 injuries, I did get back to 6 hours at one stage but was then rear ended and went back to about 3 hours per day. It is a constant battle with tiredness and as soon as I am tired all the symptons get worse.

I firmly believe and you will find that I have said this several times on this site that how your are treated etc in the initial months has a huge outcome on your recovery. I kept trying to work full time and it was terrible. You need to avoid ALL stress, rest BEFORE you get tired and limit noise and stimulation - do not force yourself to do anything or do anything if you don't feel like it. It is like the reversal of that you are used to doing and you have to get over thinking that you are lazy - it is not easy!

Not exercising is awful, I can no longer play tennis etc and walk now. Pushing yourself also brings on headaches - which I had to find out the hard way of course. Doing anything with my head down also gives me a headache and makes me fall over.

Noise is shocking bordering on painful and feels like it sucks my energy out of me. In short it feels like everything I do takes 10x the energy that it used to. I think that is why I used to eat more - I gained weight as well more food as for a short time it feels like you have gained some energy - at the moment I am walking an hour a day and have lost all that I gained - thank goodness - gaining weight does not help the depression part of it.

The depression is very common with head injury - initially I thought that I was weak for becoming depressed but with pcs head injury it seems to go hand in hand.

Gosh I hope that I haven't made you feel worse - but it is wonderful knowing that there are others the same. I would prefer to have broken bones etc as well as at least there is something to show for it!

Lynlee

Melek - I should have said all this to you as well.