Volunteer Work
 

Has anyone tried doing volunteer work to see how much work they can handle? I'm excited to say that I think I'm going to be able to finally handle a couple hours of work per day...so I'm considering picking up a volunteer job at a local hospital to see how much I can take.

Can anyone that has done this tell me what kind of job I should look for...and what I should expect? Also..should I tell whoever is running the volunteer work program that I'm recovering from a brain injury so they know that I might not be able to handle too much?

Thanks,

Nick

Hospitals are very hectic places... Have you considered volunteering at the church you attend? They might have all sorts of jobs that they need help with, everything from clerical work to physical work! (I dont' know what you do for a living... but I used to volunteer doing audio work for the church I used to attend and I found it very fulfilling.)

I completely agree about hospitals being very hectic. Although it is very noble of you and great you want to help here....its also a zoo all over the hospital and lots of things that will overstimulate you. I would get anxiety going back to my hospital just to meet with my manager and give her my condition updates.

The lights also bothered me in the hospital. There will not only be nurses and doctors, but specialists, vendors selling medical devices, patients, clerical workers, techs, visitors, and many more people....it gets very overwhelming and noisy.

I volunteered at a health clinic when i was out. I did healing touch for 4 hours on the community and was in a section where we were the end of the line for patients coming through. So we didnt see the chaos that occurred in the main section full of vendors. It was a great start to see what i could handle and to get some patient contact.

What about an animal shelter? Or your church? Or even a homeless shelter? I would save the hospital volunteering until you have had a few months of no symptoms. Because from experience, i can say, having one week without headaches and returning to the hospital was one of the biggest mistakes i made early in my recovery. It was just way too much stimulation for my brain to handle.

Be kind to yourself and focus on being home without symptoms and taking the time to rest. Because once you start taking off, you are just heading for a setback. Slow and steady wins the PCS race. Good luck!

Ever consider taking some exercise classes intended for seniors? They tend to be slow-paced and combine basic mobility with cognitive exercises. You can also go the pace that is best for you. You might get a better idea of what you are capable of before throwing yourself into taking on responsibilities with a job--volunteer or otherwise.