Recovery
 

People do make a 100% recovery from PCS, right?

People often recover to a perceived 100% level but they always have a brain with an injury history. Future injuries will likely be more problematic. Stress of all kinds can cause a return of symptoms. In a no stress situation, they may feel like 100%.

Hey Mark,

Do you know or do you think it's possible to "strengthen" your brain to be more resilient to stress, relapses, and subsequent concussions in any way at all?

I was at the 100% symptom free stage for ~1.5 years. A very minor hit (bumped heads with my son when he was hugging me) caused a complete return of all symptoms. It's been almost a year (September is my sad anniversary) - I feel no improvement at all.

So, I would say - yes, it's possible to get to the symptom-free stage, but no you can't call it a complete recovery. You have to be more careful from now on - anything can cause a setback. Good luck!

Studies show that you can not strengthen your brain to tolerate more stress or subsequent traumas. If your brain does improve in these areas, it is just your fortunate condition. You can rehab lost functions in some cases.

Thanks for the input, Mark. I like to think that my concussion is a blessing in disguise - forcing me to learn how to manage my stress and relax...a great skill to have in life :cool:

I think you should keep this in mind as well, OP...it is what it is! :grouphug: