I'm on month 8 of PCS and I've noted along the way things that have helped alleviate my symptoms and things that have made them worse, so I just wanted to share in case they help anyone else. I have a brain that wants to figure things out (including cures) and altho I've (slowly) had to accept the fact that there is no silver bullet, I've taken note of things that get me through.

Warm showers. I seem to have tension in my neck and the warmth and moving my head around gently under the stream relaxes my muscles and makes me feel better, especially if I can hold on to that relaxed feeling through the day.

Looking at one point in the distance, especially something pretty like a landscape or beautiful tree, for the dizziness. Focusing on things close up for a long time almost always gives me a headache and makes the dizziness worse, but sometimes when it come for no reason too this can give my eyes and mental processes a rest. I also try to relax my muscles as much as I can at the same time.

WATER! Hydrating the full recommended amount every day helped tremendously to make managing with the symptoms easier. It didn't "cure" my PCS but it did seem to lessen symptoms. Realizing that was a turning point in my journey.

Music. Gentle, soothing music, especially if it's something that you already love, seems to be able to refocus my brain away from the stress of recovery and feels like gentle exercise or stimulation to my mind. Classical perhaps. Or harp. I also like this one- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...JQ-UYqbgw&NR=1

Something smooth and egg shaped that's just the right size to hold in my fist helped and it surprised me how desperately I'd been wanting to hold on to something.

I have to walk slowly and let go of things around me. I'm a worrier. And almost without fail worrying about things around me or starting to hurry to do things or get things done will ruin what might have started as a "good" day.

Which brings me to things I don't do. Don't rush. Don't worry. It sounds impossible if you have a busy life where you feel responsible for others but I've had to learn to defend my recovery against life's distractions. That comes first. If I need to rest, I need to rest. If something later on that supposed to be happening is too much for me and I'm getting stressed, I have to let it go. People around you, especially if they're informed, should understand that altho brain injuries are invisible they are a real healing process that takes time.

Strenuous exercise. I just can't handle it. I was feeling pretty good for a while and then I decided to do some power walking with some jogging. It set me back for almost two months. Whether I didn't hydrate before hand well enough or what I don't know, but my body can't handle that yet. I try to explore light walking and my boyfriend and I are gong to explore ballroom dancing (the slower dances) to see if I can get some exercise that way.

I seem to have trouble brewing when something is happening that has expectations attached to it. Meeting my boyfriend's parents- that was a big obvious example. An extended family picnic where I was worried that everyone would enjoy the food that was chosen. Anytime I have a reason to worry about whether things will go well, I start to go downhill. Learn to let things go.

And believe it or not, laying flat for a rest makes me feel worse afterward. I get very dizzy. I'd rather rest in a semi-upright position.