When do you know...
 

When you can add more into you daily activity? It seems every time I try I backslide immensely...

For example I took a yoga class on monday... after the class I had severe brain fog (had to stop the car and tell myself to focus because I was running stop signs), a headache that resembles those that I had about 2 months out (according to my journal), ringing in my ears that is louder than it has been.

I just don't know how I should be able to tell... I thought i was ok to do some activity.. turns out I wasn't...

This goes for work too... I find myself thinking I am good, I can go back...and then I will attempt to read a post or something else that does not have any spacing and I realize that if i can't read, i can't go back...

Hi,

Your post kinda relates to another so I am going to copy and paste and add more.

I can not work. Boy if I could count how many times I've over-done it just trying to live life. It's my crutch of denial...I feel decent and think hey I'm improving and it may not hit me immediately but later on...BAM!

It's a knock out punch. Too much Monday put me down Tues and Wed. Too much Thurs put me out for 17 1/2 hours.

What I've noticed is I'm not getting worse in the sense of my PCS and other issues. It just takes me time to recuperate and then I'm back where I was before over doing it.

ThursDay I knew I was over doing and I knew the consequences ahead of time but it was worth it to watch parts of my daughters game, and talk to past student and parents of mine.

I had a choice. I made it.

Now seeing as how I don't work and have not seen improvements since around the 10 month mark I'm not seeing my over doing as set backs. More like the consequences for over doing. Yes my symptoms get worse and can stay a while but I guess I call it something different.

Is it too soon for you to go to work? It might be. Maybe some others here that are working will have better insight.

Good luck to you and good health!

Jace

Good luck to you and be good to yourself.

Jace

Activities need to be returned to slowly. A 10 minute yoga session. Reading for a short period. Then wait to see how your brain responds.

There are lots of tricks to help with reading. I have copied and pasted text into MSWord so I can reformat it for readability. Changing/reducing column width can make long paragraphs easier to read.

I feel like this is the catch-22 of tbi. You don't know until you try... I like Mark's advice - but it's really difficult to gauge how long to go for and to remember to stop. I still struggle with this every day, despite the significant improvements I've gained from the HRT. I'm working about 37.5 hours a week now and I still overdo it. I am still eager to work at least 40 hours a week! And enroll in a Master's program! And do more with my life! And I feel like I am crawling along at a snail's pace sometimes.

It's frustrating.

I attended a staff assembly the other day and realized that two years ago I could hardly clap at the assembly. This time, I got up to check my phone and again later to use the restroom, in addition to LOTS of clapping, laughing and chit-chatting with colleagues afterwards. All of that would have been impossible for me two years ago. I've come a long way! It felt good to realize that.

When I compare what I can do now to what I could do before the injury it makes me especially upset.

I try not to do that if I can avoid it - it's not only futile but completely counter-productive.

I think you have to push it a little otherwise you'll just stand still. I pushed my walking and felt lousy a couple of times but next time I felt fine, now walking isn't an issue. I think people who have a sports or exercise history may have an advantage at gauging how much to push.

Hey, who wants to work more than 37.5 hours a week head injury or no head injury lol.