Hockey,

I have been dealing with my life changing injury since 1965. Since 2001, I can no longer drive, nor work gainfully, so I have a lot of time to spend sitting at the computer. Early on, I was slowly putting together a Workers' Comp claim and later a SSDI application. It took three years to get SSDI and I never did get anything out of Work Comp because I was unable to find an attorney to take an MTBI case on a contingency fee.

In 2001, there was very little good information on-line. so I spent a small fortune on books.

I graduated from high school with honors and intended to go on to dental school to become an orthodontist. I quickly learned that my brain injured mind would not be able to compete successfully to a spot in dental school.

I kept having decompensations (relapses) that severely affected my ability to memorize school work and focus during the stress of tests. I had a similar experience in 10th grade when I had a bad decompensation. It took 18 months to recover from the effects of heading the ball at soccer practice.

Since then, I have learned how to pace myself and research without overloading my brain. I spent my life saving seeking a proper diagnosis and possible treatment.

I have learned that contrary to what the neurologists say, very few PCS/MTBI sufferers ever recover fully, less than 10%. Even they will have small deficits under stressful circumstances. Those who do best after PCS/MTBI do so because they have accepted their injuries and learned how to work around their limitations, work with their limitations, and basically adapt their lives to their present condition.

I have also learned that very few physicians have a true understanding of the long term prognosis from PCS/MTBI. Just because the patient does not show up in their office after a few weeks or months does not mean they recovered fully.

My wife can look back at our 29 years of marriage and identify all of my symptoms and setbacks, now that she fully understands PCS/MTBI. Before, she just considered me to be one who got irrational or moody or whatever. Now, she can identify my struggles by the look in my eyes.

For me, writing on the computer is just about my only way of communicating. I have such poor short term and immediate memory skills (bottom 5% to 12% of the population) that I get all mixed up trying to talk at length. When I am on the computer, I can reread what I have typed to keep track of my thoughts. My IQ is still very much intact and in the top 2% of the population. This is the only way I can utilize my intelligence and knowledge.

As one who has spend almost $30,000 of my own money ( plus a fair share of my health plans money too) trying the various diagnostic and therapy systems, I have put my own money where my mouth is. I have developed a keen sense of how the charlatans present their programs. With 40 plus years experience with head injury caused dysfunctions, I can quickly identify the symptoms and causes.

The biggest lie about head injury is "'give it time, you will get better." Those who do not spontaneously get better over the first few weeks or months will most likely be prone to long term dysfunctions and decompensations.

I learned in 1976 that I needed to limit stress in my life. I have turned down opportunities to make BIG money because I knew the stress load that came with the opportunities.

Yet, I provided for a family of five in one of the most expensive places to live in the US, San Jose/Silicon Valley, CA where houses cost two to three times as much as the rest of the country. And, I did it without my wife having to work. My wife finally started working in February 2009 to supplement my meager SSDI check.

All this to say, I have paid my dues. I know what I am talking about. I been there, done that, even wrote a report about it.