Long Time Lurker - First Post
 

Hey everyone. I've been reading the forums for the last few months and I've finally decided to post. About 5 months ago, my friend found a pair of boxing gloves and I stupidly decided to box him. I of course know this wasn't my best course of action and it goes without saying it wont happen again.

I'm lucky in that I haven't had much in the way of dizziness or headaches. The only noticeable symptom is mild cognitive dysfunction and some intermittent memory problems. Im currently a senior in college and though I am getting by my classes OK, concepts that previously came easy to me are somewhat more of a struggle to learn compared to previous semesters.

The one thing I've noticed throughout all this is that STRESS SUCKS. I know it's been said numerous times across the board but I've been doing significantly better when I'm more at ease with my situation after taking steps to reduce my stress level.

I've forced myself to slow everything down and take a few steps back to look at the bigger picture. What's helped me the most are doing things that I never had done prior to the injury. I've gone to the local boardwalk to watch the sunset, I've taken a 3 hour bath while listening to classical music, and I've called friends just for sake of saying hi.

Though I'm still dealing with the aforementioned symptoms, the biggest help has been reducing stress and anxiety. I'm still unbelievably frustrated/at wits end about what happened but at the same time, I'm thankful that I can still partake in the little pleasures of life.

Good luck to you all and thanks for to everything that you guys all do.

islesftw

Good luck with your recovery. It sounds like you are doing the right things - especially reducing stress. Stress hormones can impair our cognitive functioning, so reducing that will keep them from getting in the way. Doing new things can be very helpful, as well. Training your brain to keep involved in the world around you is a good thing.

Sounds like you might be beating yourself up over what happened. Let it go. Lesson learned. No sense in stressing over that, too.

We well and keep taking good care.

Hi and welcome.

Regarding the anxiety, some additional things that have worked for me have included mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga.

On the cognitive and memory deficits, I found speech therapy to be very helpful. Speech pathologists work with all kinds of cognitive deficits, not just ones that are speech related. If you are seeing a physiatrist or clinical neuropsychologist they would be able to provide a referral. You could also ask for accommodations at school (extra time for exams, etc.) with a note from a doctor or psychologist if that would be helpful.

Thank you guys. I've been given extra time on tests which is nice, though I don't find it to particularly helpful. Usually when my brain is fried from answering questions, extra time isn't any more helpful. I do think about the injury constantly but therapy has helped in that regard.

I love this post from another thread..this more or less sums up the attitude I am trying to adopt..though its 10000X easier said than done. I have it taped to the wall in my room:

"It sounds like you are too control oriented. You will never be able to control your PCS much less any risk of future impacts. The life of the highly disciplined high achieving person is shredded by PCS. The new discipline is to learn to manage stress, activity level and risk. Life can be wonderful at a slower pace.

As I and others have said, there is no cure-all or fix for PCS. Trying to find one will drive you ragged. It is not like a broken bone or illness. The brain is an entirely unique organ that does not heal/recover like the rest of the body.

There is life without Type A behaviors.

I could say that you can't see the forest (quiet rest) for the trees (the many and various therapies). mTBI is a 'let the forest heal' rather than heal individual trees.

As far as getting back to your previous life, that is a counter-productive effort. Accept your current condition, learn to live within your current condition, and as time goes by, many parts of your old life will sneak up on you. It will be a slow process with a almost imperceptible fade back to your old life. You may have some areas of your old life that never return. That is OK. Your life will still be full.

In the mean time, you will learn life skills that will serve you and your family very well. Life is amazing when it is not driven by six packs of Five Hour Energy or other efforts to stimulate oneself through the day.

As we chase after money and bigger and better things in life, we often miss more important parts of life. Little ones are born with this slower appreciation then we train it out of them. For some of us, our PCS is a lifeline to pull us back to a life more worth living."

Be well guys. All the best.

the gift of pcs
 

Yes, learning to reduce stress is key to managing with a broken brain and PCS.

Everyone has to figure out for themselves how to reduce stress and what they can manage going forward. Once you figure out that riddle for yourself, then life can be a wonderful, amazing thing.

Here's wishing you all the best.

poetrymom