Am I on the road to a full recover or my PCS is likely permanent?
 

1 year and 3 months ago i got two concussions three weeks apart. For the first couple months it was rough. Migraines every day, extreme fatigue, fogginess, bad balance etc. I rested for about 3 or 4 months and felt better and started getting back into the swing of things. I had a relapse of symptoms and they became on and off symptoms. I eventually went to physical therapy four months ago and it helped me really well.

It's been 1 year and 3 months and my symptoms have gotten much better. Headaches only come once every two weeks, dizziness and off balance are only every once and a while and trouble concentrating has gotten better.

Two months ago i was interning as a gym teacher at a middle school and in dodgeball I got pegged right in the face, HOWEVER, it was gator ball which are extremely foam balls with a coating on them. They are what the law requires to use now for dodgeball now in schools due to the hardness of the old balls. It didn't give me a headache or anything

Will these be permanent or no?

I don't think anyone's in a position to predict whether your symptoms will be permanent, but if you are getting better, that's a very good sign. There are a number of stories of people making full or close to full recoveries even after a few years.

pfan,

I am confused. Did the dodge ball hit to the face cause renewed symptoms?

One thing you will never recover from is your brain's lack of tolerance to be traumatized. Putting your brain at risk by being in the line of fire is not acceptable. You need to stand is a safe location or remove yourself entirely from the risky environment.

The simple fact is your brain has been injured permanently. It has recovered and is recovering as much as it can. It will never recover fully. It will never be able to tolerate an impact like it could before your most recent impact.

Each time your brain gets injured, it loses more of its tolerance for future trauma. This is undisputed FACT.

Mark makes some very good points. Insofar as we are all more susceptible to future injuries, none of us will ever fully recover. That means that we will most likely have to make some permanent lifestyle changes--particularly with regard to avoiding risky situations in which we could sustain further head trauma.

I think, additionally, that exposure to light and noise, as well as physical and mental exertion generally, should also be considered "risky" situations for us--even if our symptoms have diminished. Overstimulation and overexertion can lead to terrible relapses of symptoms, even if you've been symptom free for awhile. Such relapses can happen quite suddenly, and with very little warning. This happened to me.

So I agree with Mark that in at least that sense, we should look at our injuries as permanent, even if our symptoms improve over time.

It didn't really cause a relapse of symptoms but bottom line is it didn't make me feel "worse". It's just hard accepting the fact I am 18 years old and I can never play sports again the rest of my life

There are sports you can play that do not put your brain at risk. Plus, give it some more time before getting to physical with team sports.

Fooz!
 

I know its little consolation, but you can always become a champion foozball player like me!

I'm 24 and was a skateboarder and competitive sailor until pcs robbed my life from me.

Despite all my issues today - I still play fooz like a champ - I guess those neural pathways didn't get severed!:D

I like to remind people they got beaten by brain damage - It rubs it in their face a little more

(Foozball - also known as table soccer)

Best of luck my friend!

Also, my ears have felt really clogged lately and every time I swallow or yawn they pop. I went to my pediatrician and he took a look in my ears and he could see a little bit of fluid in my ears. Is that concussion related or no?

One more detail. I got the concussions March of last year. July of that year I took a plane trip to Italy, went on a week long cruise, and flew back. This was when I was still struggling with headaches and I had them during my trip. I must say, my ears and balance haven't felt the same since then. Any thoughts?

'Any thoughts?' is a very broad question for an injured mind that can easily wander off.

Nothing you mention sounds unusual.