[workingsinglemom]

I fell down a flight of stairs on 2/14/12, I didnt remember doing so for 5 days, long story short I was diagnosed with having PCS, it sucks. I was off work 2 1/2 weeks, then specialist said I need to be off atleast a month more. How long will this last? I dont see much improvement and now I am having painful headaches in front of head/temples. I have been seeing a plethera of Specialists in brain trauma, have had alot of testing done. I also have a severly herniated disc in neck. I am on Gabapentin 300mg 3X a day (almost done with that script, was for herniated disc). I also have been given Wellbutrin 300mg 1X a day (time released) I was taking a smaller dose of Wellbutrin daily prior to accident. I was taking flexeril for neck, that script ran out. i was recently prescribed 25mg of amitriptyline, 1/2 pill for 1 week at night, then 1 whole pill at night after a week. My short term memory is shot. going to the grocery store is like being in a circus fun house, my head goes crazy. I am emotional. i cant concentrate etc... etc... I know you know all the symtoms. I guess I'm wondering is this something that I just need to adjust too, is this the way I'm going to be? or will it eventually go away? and if so, how long? will i ever be back to 100%? I also have a very high iq, 130, it is very hard for me to be like this. I also had a super funny sense of humor, I was a constant clown, now my kids say I'm blah. I work (worked) at a desk job, using phone and computer, but very stressful. Will I be able to do that again? I can only use this pc now bcuz I have my laptop screen tilted so its not too bright and I can already feel the pain in my head coming on but I am trying to finish. Any advice would be great. Please spare me the yippie skippy life is full of roses and rainbows and everything will be perfect... I want just the facts ma'am, just the facts that was the extent of my humor for today. thanks.

[baultista]

It's hard to say. It's been less than a month for what sounds like a somewhat serious concussion.

Stay persistent, but patient. Get as much rest as you can and try to follow your doctor's advice. If you're not feeling like yourself just let your friends and family know... I'm sure they'll understand.

Get in the habit of using lists to compensate for your memory. Write things down that you need to do (IE your grocery list), and go through them one by one, scratching them out as you do.

The brain takes time to heal, and your neck injury will only complicate things. I'm sure you'll see improvements over time as long as you stay patient. In the mean time, try taking measures to avoid getting yourself too confused and get all of the rest you can.

Don't worry about it too much either. Take it day by day and track your progress.

[EsthersDoll]

No one can tell you how long it will last.

I was a very bright, independent and over-achieving individual before the accident in which I sustained a mTBI too. I worked in a very stressful, male-dominated field: audio for live stage events and tv&film. I had four jobs - one full-time and three regular part-time jobs and additional occasional side gigs. I worked an average of at least 60 hours a week.

After the auto accident I was told I was going to get better within a few hours to a few days. After two weeks I was diagnosed with PCS. Then I was told I'd most likely get better within six weeks. I read that sometimes people just "snap" right back into their normal selves and I was hopeful that would happen to me. Then I was told that most people get "all better" within 3 months.

Six months later I was doing MUCH worse. They discovered a rare physical complication that had occurred as a result of the injury I sustained. They relieved the physical complication and I finally started to get better, but the recovery process has been VERY slow since then.

I wasn't able to work or drive for about a year after the accident I was in. And even then, I could only work 12 hours a week. I increased the hours I work to 20 hours a week in Dec and that schedule still exhausts me.

I want to be all back to normal too. I want to have the same energy I had before the accident. I'm still hopeful that I will. But I don't know when it might happen.

I literally feel mentally disabled compared to the level of cognitive functioning I had before the accident. But I'm still improving so I have hope that I can function better than this again someday.

The accident I was in happened about 19 months ago.

I think experts do believe that most people get better within 3 months. I've read people's posts on this board about people who get better within 8-10 months. And I've read people's posts and PM's on this board about how they've been affected by their injuries for well over ten years.

Those are the facts.

So, try not to worry - experts think worrying and stress make people recovering from PCS worse. (I think if the same experts lost their cognitive functioning and wherewithal they'd be worried SICK.) But, try to stay positive at the same time. I've also read that experts believe that the people who are the most determined and motivated to get better are the ones who ultimately enjoy the best recoveries.