It's been very rough for me the last month. I have to work to pay the bills (rent, electric, car insurance). Working enough to pay just the very basics is having a bad impact on my head. I don't have a choice. I have whole days I'm non-functional again.

I know about non functioning days!! Had 2 or 3 months of that..now functioning but everything gets me dizzy... Too much and I'm non functioning again.

Can you go to the dr and see if they will write you out on sick leave for a few weeks?

Would be nice but I have my own business so that's not an option. I am 9 most with pcs and still limited to 10 hours per week work by doctors. Just that amount of time on a steady basis is proving very difficult. But I don't have a choice - no other means of paying for necessities.

I know what you mean!
When I first hit my head I was half way through the second semester of my freshman year of college. I had a hard choice, go home and get better quickly or stay and deal with PCS for a lot longer. Well, I chose to stay. I stayed because I did not want to give myself a future excuse for giving up. Well, 2 years later I am still dealing with PCS, but I think it is worth it.

My advise is if you can't help but work, then my idea is to just resign yourself to a longer recovery. This is hard, but realize what you are doing it for... For me, I am doing it because I love the education I am getting, I don't want to worry my family and friends, I want to give myself no excuse to give into future illnesses or troubles or whatever else comes my way.

I don't know what motivates you, but whatever it is, is it worth it? You need something beyond yourself to motivate you...this is how you make it.

Good Luck!!!!
Margarite

Everybodies' PCS is different with only some similarities in recovery.

The ability to handle college course work would likely mean you have a simpler cluster of PCS symptoms. I have to quit university and enroll in a community college to lessen the stress. The CC instructors were much more interested in the students' success than the university instructors.

I also had to change from pre-med/pre-dentistry course work to business. The intensity of memorization in pre-med courses was too much for my PCS brain.

I understand what you are going through. I chose to stop work and get better quickly. Quickly is a very relative term. It has been 6 months and I am improving, I am getting some of my short term memory back and remembering things that people tell me. Huge breakthroughs for me.

The downside is I have gone through all my savings and am now 100% broke. I am trying to get some assistance but with the current economic situation help is few and far between. I'm not sure what I will do for next month to pay the bills.

My advice...look very constructively at your situation, how much savings do you have. Can you get some temps to help while you take a little break. I am glad I chose to go the path I did my recovery is happening faster than when I was trying to work.

Good luck! I wish you the best!

I have had PCS for 3 years now from multiple head injuries playing sports. I have been good for most the 3 years but all of a sudden it came back the last few months and not sure why. I got though college and my Masters, but now I am having trouble working. The headaches are just rough and hard to deal with and let alone Fatigue. The last few months have been rough bc work is just a pain. ALso, i dont do anything I used to do...All i do now is sleep, rest, relax because thats all I can do and feel like doing....its rough and im having a tough time as well...its hard to talk to people and have them understand when they havnt gone though it.

You are right, you do have to work and pay the bills.

If it counts for anything, there are a lot of people that just feel awful, but you got to live day by day. I am so depressed at times because of my memory that my main doctor thinks I am suicidial (and he is probably right to a point), but I made it to January 10th.

People say it does get better.

yeah i just quit my job and most likely will turn down another one...i just couldnt handle work and the pain...but im hoping physical therapy and these new meds will kick in and start feeling better and will have to figure out work another day