It gets better
 

I just wanted to create a thread to give some people struggling with PCS a little hope. Most people who heal from this dont get on this site anymore so you dont hear their side of the story...

I have been dealing with PCS for over 4 months now (I know not as long as some people out there, but long for me) and it was the hardest battle of my life. I woke up nauseous almost every morning, had excruciating headaches, had horrible brain fog, couldn't remember where I was or what I was doing at times, went through a series of panic attacks, severe anxiety (which Ive NEVER had before), depression, and constant crying about when I was going to get better at the drop of a dime. I did not feel like myself and I hated living like I wasn't in control of my body or was the same person I was previously.

I wasn't able to workout like I use to and that drove me crazy. I couldn't go on hikes or snowboard or enjoy the outdoors which is hard for me because I was extremely active before this. I lost 10 pounds from fatigue and inability to eat large portions of food at a time.

Now, lets get past the sad stuff, because today marks almost 3 weeks of little to no symptoms for me! NO NAUSEA, NO HEADACHES, NO BRAIN FOG!!!! I am back working, at school, working out, and feeling great. I still experience symptoms from time to time, but they only last a day instead of weeks now and they are much more bearable. I am happy and feel like myself again and its a wonderful feeling. I am so happy I made it through those horrible times with the help of my family, friends, and supportive boyfriend.

If you are discouraged like I was, just know it will get better! God has a plan for you, so you just have to stick it out in order to see it. You can either beat PCS and become a stronger person or let it beat you.

If you are struggling, have faith, get on a good vitamin regimen, rest, eat clean, meditate, find light hobbies to engage (but not exhaust) your brain, and most of all stay positive. It may take you a few weeks or it could take a year, but it will get better!!!

Like I said, I may not be on here as often anymore, but I hope this can give someone hope that it can and will get better, you just need to be patient and let your body heal.

My best to everyone dealing with PCS as I know it is a true roller coaster ride

GOD BLESS!

-Kacee

Good for you.

This can be posted in the Sticky at the top called Posts on Hope and Healing.

I wanted to thank you for this post. My experience, too, has been definitely one of hope and healing, though I've given up thinking about how I was before my brain injury. I just "celebrated" my 1-year anniversary. Looking back on my year of recovery, it was one of growth—I was able to remodel my apartment, and my relationship with my girlfriend was deepened.

June and July were absolutely horrible. Things now are no longer horrible, though I do have to watch myself, and if I get too tired or stressed, my PCS symptoms get worse.

My medium-term and working memory have mainly recovered, though I still have what I call "glitches" in my immediate short-term memory; yesterday, for example, I have a memory of my work supervisor talking about leaving for the day, but I don't actually remember him leaving for the day. I also seem to have a slight learning disability—it takes a little bit longer for me to understand how things relate to each other as I'm learning them. Right now, I'm trying to learn the rules of a new game with three rulebooks, and it's taking longer than it would have before. But, even in the past year, I've learned new things.

The positives outweigh the negatives: I can read fairly quickly with fairly high levels of comprehension (I only was able to read 7 books all of last year; this year, I've already read 5), my writing ability seems to be back, and, through it all, I've been able to keep a job that requires a great deal of high-level thinking and information synthesis.

So, though I might not be fully healed, I am very thankful.

I am a newbie here. I hope my PCS gets better. I was hurt in a industrial accident.
I had a machine throw a guard into me. It broke my ribs and pushed me to the wall. I was knocked out.
This happened in September 2013. I have seen a zillion doctors.
I am out of work . I am on disability.
It has been 6 months and I am hoping it will get better.
I go to therapy once and sometimes 2 times a week.
Anyway, hopefully I will get better and be able to return to work.
My first post here.

Hang in there, if you focus on the positives you will see improvements even if they are slight. Its a long process for sure, but each day you wake up is a new day with promises of recovery. Look back over the months and youll be able to remember where you were and how far you have been able to prgress. Best wishes and I will be praying for you

I too experience minor symptoms still here and there, but overall i practice mind over matter and I have been much better off since. Just listen to your body and dont get frustrated when you need to rest. This can make you better or worse so think of how far you have come and use that to show you you can only continue to heal further! Best wishes and hope all is well

Thanks to you and the original thread starter for these messages of hope. I posted my story on the New Member Thread so I won't rehash here but hope has started to come back after 2 months of not knowing what was going to happen to me.

I recently started thinking longer term - that is, making plans for a month in advance rather than a week - but I still don't make concrete long term plans. In the past I planned 2 trips to Europe and a trip to Mexico and I started planning them 9-12 months in advance. (They were great and we'll worth the planning - I actually love to plan.) Now, I know not to think that far in advance because I don't know where I will be in my recovery. But the fact that I started extending my thoughts beyond the here and now makes me happy.

Some of it is just a realization that I survived my accident and I'll just take whatever I have to work with at the time and make the best of it. The rest is hope that I will get back as close to 100% as possible eventually.

It is nice to read stories that talk about that part of the journey too.

Thanks again!