Just Judy,

It is very difficult to suggest even conventional wisdom has a clue. For those who do not achieve a spontaneous recovery in the first 6 weeks or so, the time line has a tendency to have a greater chance of a long recovery. The long the subject has continuing symptoms, the greater the likelihood of a very long and more incomplete recovery. Unfortunately, your age works against you. Age age issue starts working against us starting in the 40's.

I think you are heading in the right direction with a possible early retirement.

Have you used up all of your Calif Sate Disability?

Calif has lousy WC attorney fee restrictions that make it difficult to get good legal representation for a head injury case such as yours. Banking on a good WC settlement is a challenge in Calif. Thank Ahnold.

If you were to take retirement, you can spend your energy learning skills for living with PCS. There are many skills you will need to learn so that age related deterioration will be kept to a minimum. As someone with skills with people with disabilities, you probably understand how much can be achieved with work-around skills and accommodations.

On the positive side, learning the ins and outs of living with PCS will give you great skills at understanding the needs of those with head injuries. If your training is like what I have observed locally, the special ed and other skills that are taught miss the needs of the concussed student. The concussed student does not fit into any of the norms that get addressed by most special ed systems.

The struggles with processing and memory that do not align with intellect are pretty much unique to mTBI. There are some overlaps with autism spectrum in some cases. But, the unique ways we struggle with our environments and need to accomplish tasks is different because it has changed for us. We have prior experiences that cause us to notice the differences and sometimes a frustrating desire to get back to the old us.

So, as you struggle to move ahead, try to look at the many skills you can learn to benefit not only yourself but many others around you.

My struggles with mTBI started when I was in the 4th grade. I only had one teacher who understood my struggles of all the teachers since that grade. I have seen the same with parents of injured children here. We are the invisible wounded. You could be a life changer for others like us.

btw, Eowyn mentioned a physiatrist. They can be found in the yellow pages under Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. They are often affiliated with a rehab hospital or clinic. Have you had any diagnostic work done on your upper neck? Upper neck injuries can magnify Post Concussion Symptoms. Any head injury includes an upper neck component but most doctors neglect to check.

My best to you.