How to respond to a minor setback
 

I've been recovering from a mild concussion for about 9 days. I've been gradually getting better (from feeling about 25% to about 65%). Yesterday I had a good day (maybe up to 70%) - I was still taking it easy, but started to do more, including:

- Shower
- A few hours of web-surfing, posting, emailing, texting
- A brief walk outside (maybe 15 mins), going slow
- About four or five phone conversations, ranging from 10 - 45 mins
- Three meals with my family (relatively brief)
- Around half a dozen trips up and down the stairs in my parents' place
- Sitting-up meditation (about 10-15 mins)
- Reading (about 20 mins)

I felt pretty good until the end of the day. In the early evening I had two consecutive phone calls lasting a total of about an hour (one with my therapist). Afterwards I went downstairs to get something to eat, and started to feel some recurrence of symptoms (sort of a feeling of being wiped, with a bit of instability/queasiness and a blood rush to the head), so I went back upstairs and crawled into bed. The symptoms faded after about 30-40 mins, but it felt like a step backwards and I had another dream-filled sleep.

Any thoughts on how I should approach the next couple of days? Should I back off completely and do next to nothing, or is it OK to reduce my activities by about 25% and see how things go? I don't want to mess up my recovery and I'm worried that these minor setbacks (I've had several, usually because I start feeling better and do one or two things too many) are re-aggravating the injury.

Just take it easy and stop over-analyzing your days. You will have up and down days. Many of us have 25% days then 75% days and consistently ride the roller coaster of PCS. The long phone calls and hours on the computer can be exhausting. You do not necessarily feel the symptoms during the task. They may show up a bit later or not until the next day.

It is not uncommon to feel "wiped out" by dinner time even without the hours of phone calls. Get off the phone. Limit your computer time to ten minute sessions. Multiple ten minute sessions spread over the day will be better tolerated.

Listen to you body/brain. It knows best.

i feel ya....only 4 weeks out and the first 2 weeks my doctor had me on bedrest and thought doing anything for myself was wiping me out....and it was. Now i have good days and do errands and pay for it either later that day or the next day. Had 2 days this weekend by 4pm then next day at 2pm i was completely incapacitated, could barely move off my bed or couch. Limbs felt like 50lb weights. Its my bodies way of telling me im doing too much. I understand your frustration with wanting your body and mind to be able to do more....but im starting to accept my body as my guide for what i can do and keeping my stimulation as minimal as possible.