Mainelife,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. You have found a good place to meet good people who understand what you are going through.

There is no evidence to say that failure to treat a concussion or series of concussion makes the damage worse. There is plenty of information that supports the concept that failing to get quiet rest will seriously prolong your symptoms.

I am currently reading a book written by possibly the finest concussion specialist in the country. Dr Robert Cantu in Concord, Massachusetts has 30 years of experience treating and researching concussions. He has patients who did like you have done and then started working to heal their brains much later.

He might be worth the trip to Massachusetts.

If you have never given your brain the quiet rest it needs, hopefully, you will regain many of your lost functions. I am very familiar with the academic struggles from concussions, especially multiple concussions. You may need to change your lifestyle to get the maximum from your intellectual skills.

I have very poor cognitive and memory functions but can moderate my environment so I can be very high functioning. It takes a lot of discipline to learn the work-arounds and accommodations to work past these dysfunctions.

The one skill I have never been able to regain has been my verbal processing. I struggle to speak or write at a level that matches my intelligence. I can not put together the complex sentences common to high intelligence. I can read them but struggle to make the many pieces fit together.

You need to apply yourself to a new quiet lifestyle for a continuous period of time to see if you can regain some lost skills. You may have hit the point of critical mass of injuries that leave you with some permanent limitations. Once you identify them, there are plenty of skills you can learn to function and live like at a full level.

I am convinced that a proper nutritional supplement regimen makes a big difference. My wife can observe the difference when I am off my regimen.

So, consider a trip to Dr Cantu. He will understand your situation and concern. He will likely just tell you to get quiet rest to let your brain heal. But, getting the confirmation of your symptoms will be worth the effort.

btw, His new book is not released yet. I am reviewing a pre-release copy for my comments. It is called "Concussions and Our Kids" It should be available from Amazon when it is released.

So, relax. Anxiety is counter to brain healing.

My best to you.