gershonb,

Your story sounds a lot like mine, except I was only unconscious once when I was 10. Since then, I can get a concussion from something as simple as shaking my head NO.

Your central apnea a struggle. I have it and my father died from it after 30 years of slow decline. He had to retire at 58 because of the brain fog. He passed at 79 years old.

Avery Medical makes a diaphragm pacemaker that can help with Central Apnea. It is an on/off system as of yet. They are hoping to connect it to blood ox levels and modulate the stimulation so that each breath is not so intense. I am surprised a CPAP works for your Central Apnea.

I would appreciate it if you would post in paragraphs of no more than 4 lines. Many of us have problems finding the beginning of the next line if the paragraphs are too long.

Have you applied for Social Security Disability Insurance? You should. Your history supports your current condition which sounds like it qualifies you for SSDI.

Like Hockey said, you need to have a neuropsych assessment? SSDI will likely do a mini neuropsych when you apply.

I would be very cautious with the Ritalin. There are other safer ways to nourish your brain. There are quite a few books on nutrition for the brain, also much is available online.

Stimulants can have a negative effect on the chemicals of an injured brain. Damaged brain cells are very susceptible to over stimulation. It is called "excitotoxic." The cells can get so stimulated and 'excited' that they die. There are food additives to avoid for this same reason. Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) and Aspartame (Equal) are the most common. Caffeine can be a problem.

I am currently waiting for my labs to come back to see where my hormone levels are. The chemical cascade from bad hormone levels can be problematic.

There are plenty of good and knowledgeable people here. Don't hesitate to post your concerns.