It is good that there was no damage showing up on ct scan. With high probability of PCS you need to take it easy, rest a lot so your brain can heal.

Thanks for replying roadrunner63. I am taking it easy, just being away from my family and loved ones seems to take a toll on me. Sort of had an idea that the CT scan was gonna be normal. From reading alot of these forum entries, that seems to be the norm. Negative CT scans but still a lot of of hurting people. I pray to God i can get through this.

Thanks for your words roadrunner.

and2tes,

What are your most pressing struggles? It is best to work with each symptom/struggle individually.

If you have had lots of mat time learning hand to hand, I would suspect you have a history of sub-concussive impacts. This history will make any concussion much worse.

Try to keep a journal with the struggles you have during the day. Then, try to list the struggles from most pressing to least. Maybe we can help you with some, especially the worst ones.

Understanding your symptoms takes a lot of the anxiety out of PCS.

How r u douing Mark,

I never really did any hand to hand mat at work, or at least that i remember i never got wacked in the head, ever.

Well, My anxeity sort of comes and goes. Right know it hasnt really showed up. Might have to do with the news that my ct scan was normal.

I guess my pressing struggles right now would be that im scared to go home in a week and feel the anxieties i felt here. I miss my family so much!!! But since i started feeling like this, im afraid that i will be distant from them.

I also have a feeling of pressure in my head with a small headache (How long would that feeling last?) I also feel fatigued and very slow.

I really dont have much of an appetite, which sort of scares me, cause i love food.

My face, head and forehead feel a bit numb, but doc said that was normal. Is it?

In the morning when i wake up it feels like i have a hard time focusing my eyes in the normal way. It feels like one eye has been resting one way and the other another. Than when i wake up i sort of have to focus for them to look strait. Is this a normal feeling of a concussion.

Its been 13 days since the falls and i feel like im getting a bit better, but....

Any help you can give me, i will greatly appreciate it Mark

Thank You.

I'm so happy I found this thread!

I'm 2 months post-concussion. I was knocked unconscious for 4 minutes playing soccer and was nauseous afterwards. I went to the ER right away and was sent home. After 2 weeks of missed work, fogginess, anxiety and just not being me, i ended up ata rehabilitation centre with a doctor that specializes in concussion. The best things I took away were:
1) I needed to accept what happened and accept recovery was going to be 3 months minimum and longer if I push myself.
2) I couldn't "play through" it. I had to decrease every activity in my life (work, chores, sex, socializing, tv, reading, etc) by 50% and add back slowly. It was my brain. I've made a good career off of it and am quite fond of it, so it deserved for me to put ambition and self inflicted deadlines on hold until it was healthy.
3) rest means REST. sit in a quiet, dark room with no tv, no books, no people, nothing and just sit (this was the hardest!). I found my recovery sped up by leaps and bound when I did this each day.
4) diet and booze drugs were major players. All natural, lean meat, lots of fruit and veggies and LOTS of water took my anxiety away and drinking made it come back. If you want to feel sane, feed your brain good stuff while it's recovering.

All of these things have helped me a lot. And instead of focusing on what I can't do, each Friday I celebrate what I got back. One new curve ball is I went from being super groggy and sleeping 9-12 hours a night to not being able to sleep on the 2 month anniversary of my concussion. Not sure how to help that new symptom.

Finally, I know these are tall orders for 90% of People out there. I used to play on 3 sports teams, work out 4 times a week, work at my job for 60 hours a week and still find time to volunteer and be a socialite. Now I work 3/4 time, don't really work out and spend my nights in dark quiet rooms. Bottom line, it sucks. Concussions suck and the recovery is took everything I love to do away from me. But it happened, it's here and (as my lovely fiancé has told me) you just gotta buck up and be disciplined in your recovery so getting "me" back will be quicker. You can't change it, so deal with recovery and your limitations head on (pardon the irony).

Best of luck and thanks for letting me know I'm not alone out here.

and2tes,

It appears that your biggest problem is your anxiety. Your doctor gave you great advice. When you get back to your family, lay low. Don't try to be everything to everybody. Explain that you are recovering form a brain injury/concussion. Explain that you need quiet.

If they question you, download the TBI Survival Guide for them to read. It is a www.tbiguide.com

Take a shower first thing in the morning. Run the water over your face. It will help your circulation and get your eyes working better. Morning dry eyes seems to be a PCS symptom. I have it every morning.

Try to accept that your brain is under stress. Give it lots of time. Brains heal very slowly. Think of rehabilitating a torn muscle. Now multiply that times 10. The brain does not regenerate new neurons. It rehabs the injured ones. It needs good REM sleep to do this rehabbing. If your body says, "Take a nap" Then follow it and take a nap.

Multiple naps throughout the day will greatly enhance your recovery. I often take a nap after finishing breakfast.

Most important of all. Make a choice to stop worrying about everything. It slows recovery.

Read the TBI Guide, try to understand your symptoms, accept them and go on with a slower life.

My best to you.

How you doing Mark,

Well im on my 24th day after my falls. I am back home and feeling a bit better physically.

I have an appetite now, not that lightheaded anymore. Had an MRI done yesterday but wont know results till wednesday.

Things that are still bothering me would be a constant weak headache, head pressure.

Mentally I dont really feel that good.

Your story has helped me today. I've been off work for almost 3 months with PCS and have been trying to maintain my sanity. If you're interested, I have posted my story below. I continue to sit in dark, quiet rooms and don't go out much thanks to my husband who does the shopping and driving now that I am in this state. I have noticed my symptoms are less strong and less frequent and when I have a day like today, it brings me way down. Thanks so much for posting.

Here's my story:
In late January I was in a skiing accident and suffered a concussion although I didn't realize it at the time. I didn't blackout so I thought I'd be okay and for 2 days after, I continued my routine of going to the gym in the morning and then off to work. On the 3rd day I could barely wake up and about 2 hours into my work day, I could barely make out words on my computer screen or concentrate when having a conversation.

I went to see my doctor that afternoon and have seen him every week since. I also see someone who practices osteopathic techniques, a massage therapist and my symptoms have been decreasing slowly. A list of my symptoms include: migraines; a feeling of fullness all around my head; disturbed sleep - there have been many sleepless nights and various days where I could sleep for a full 24 hours; increase in dreams every time I sleep; dizziness when getting up from a seated position; daily nausea; a film over my vision; problems retaining information and difficulty concentration. I also experienced ringing in my ears 3 different days and a general feeling of being in a dream state.

The symptoms are improving, meaning they are less strong and less frequent. I still experience them most days. I have to say when I have a good day and feel more like myself, I feel GREAT! Then there are the days where I feel like I did during the first few weeks and I become depressed. My doctor has recently prescribed a drug for my migraines which is a very low dose of an anti-depressant. It's only been a few days so I can write more about that in the next few weeks.

I think it's important to see a therapist or life coach that can support anyone in this situation. There are so many emotions that come along with PCS and I have found it helpful to have one on one sessions to talk it through.

If I may ask what medicines has your Dr prescribed and are taking?

I was wondering what exactly it means to rest - how can someone sit in a quiet dark room and do nothing.

I had a bike accident 3 weeks ago and collided with a cyclist - knocked off my bike and flat on my back unconscious for about a minute. they took me to the er - ct and xrays revealed no broken bones and no internal bleeding. I probably took 2 days to rest and sleep - residual dizziness, nausea and serious aches all over in first week. my mental state deteriorated though. I was already depressed and stressed from my job and had a conference to run in 3 weeks. I could not afford to take time off. I went into a serious decline emotionally and while my physical pain (no real headaches, some residual dizziness and my aches healed by week 3), I was getting waves of suicidal thoughts, extreme emotional states of sobbing and just mental and physical exhaustion.

Finally, after the conference, I saw a concussion specialist physical therapist who after the intake and questioning, immediately diagnosed me as pcs and gave me a note for work to take a week off for medical reasons so my brain could rest and heal.

Okay, so I was told no tv, no reading, no exercise, no email/internet, no working, sit in a dark quiet room. Now, how does someone do that exactly? How can I turn off my brain? I am often awake at 2 or 3 a.m. (that happend prior as well), I have major memory issues (although htat was also something I was experiencing prior as well) it's difficult to distinquish b/n pcs and already pre-existing stuff.

I'm happy to try to "rest" my brain - but I don't get what that means exactly.

any thoughts here?

thanks!