[Kelly50179]

I played collegiate soccer and back in October I received a minor concussion. I continued playing on it for a week of 4 practices and 2 games. What a huge mistake that was. I figured if I wasn't throwing up or passing out then I was fine. I somehow made it through the end of that semester but had to take this past semester off.

According to the impACT test, all of my cognitive symptoms are resolved. I have not received a neuropsych assessment. I'll spare you the details on all my symptoms/relapses. My main concern for returning to school is fatigue and mental exhaustion.

At rest, I am fine. It's just whenever I do anything, like talking with friends for a few hours, I get very drowsy and fatigued. I took two ridiculously easy classes this summer. Although they were very easy courses, just sitting through class was mentally exhausting. Unfortunately they were so easy that they weren't a good indicator of how I will handle the classes I am taking in the fall, which are challenging. (Biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, latin- I'll probably drop one and take 12 hours) .

The only physical activity I can handle right now is walking a few times a week when I feel up to it. I was at a point in my recovery in June when I was running. Unfortunately I have a problem with knowing my limits, and I definitely overdid it and had a mini relapse. I'm not even going to think about running until December.

I don't plan on having much of a social life or being the student I was. I've always been an above average student (4.0 GPA) and I wasn't very studious.

I'm just scared... Sometimes the fatigue is so bad, I feel like I could slip into a coma any second, I kid you not. I cannot picture myself being able to study when I get like that. When the mental exhaustion is at its worst, all I can do is stare at the wall. My doctor suggested ritalin for the fatigue. I've always been opposed to taking meds unless I absolutely need it, but I'm actually considering it to get me through this semester.

I know most of you are at a point in your recovery where all you can do is stare at the wall all day. I know it's tough, hang in there.!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[SI33]

My advice would be to get plenty of rest when you're not feeling good, drink plenty of fluids and eat really well to build your strength up.

As for getting back into exercise, try working your way up from stationary bike and see how it goes. Listen to your body and then slowly increase the load.

It's important not to just sit around resting all the time. Your body will just become more unfit and prone to a longer recovery. I buy into the work the Uni of Buffalo are engaged in, bringing athletes back to fitness by allowing the body to become accustomed to regulating itself with exercise.

When you progress from there, try to work in light running and if all goes well, light drills. Make sure to get plenty of air and water while doing this and know the limits before over exerting.

[confuused905]

wow its like you posted my experience w/ pcs. i also am returning to school in sept. i did 2 courses this summer but they were both online lectures so i didn't have to physically attend classes. in sept i'll actually have to be in class and i'm worried. my main symptoms are cognitive and physical fatigue. i'm afraid my body's gonna shut down @ some point. it sucks because this is my last year, the year that you absolutely need a good GPA ;(

[SmilinEyesMs305]

Not really sure I have any advice.

However, I know what an agonizing, scary thing this is to think about. Before, my accident 3/8/11 I worked full time 8-3, and then went to grad school full time in the evenings, and maintained a 4.0 GPA.

I have 3 weeks to decide whether I can start classes yet or not. (I'm currently not working at all.) I have an appt on the 15th, for a follow up and an IMPACT retest. (Fortunately, I know that my Dr. will interpret the test accurately, as his team created it.) So if my cognitive stuff is resolved, I'm thinking of starting back to class, to ease my way into my old life.

However, that leaves me with the same worries... I'm doing vestibular therapy right now, and there are times that by 3 o'clock I'm so exhausted I can't even talk. And all I'm doing is 5, 30 second exercises spread out throughout the day.....

Excelling and doing my very best has always been a huge part of my identity. Yes I'm that annoying overachiever. It scares me that I could go back and fall flat on my face. However, I'm starting to get really depressed that I can not particapte in any part of my "old" life.

I just have no idea what to do...... wishing you success!

[Mark in Idaho]

Kelly,

With the class load you have planned, be prepared to drop more than just one class. I was a 4.0 student and never needed to develop good study habits to achieve good grades. The cognitive struggles I had in college were magnified by the hard science class load. Physics, zoo, math ( I forget which, likely finite math or trig), challenged my ability to both study to memorize and to process multi-step formulas, etc. I had to cut my class load in half.

If you need Ritalin to combat the fatigue, you are likely not ready for such intensity. The fatigue is your body telling you to take it easier.

My best to you.

[Lucy]

Hi. I was prescribed ritalin a few years back for my tiredness. All it did was give me a headache and my tiredness remained.


I am 10 years post accident and have lived with having to sleep for an hour in the afternoons and a half hour chill out each morning. Every now and then I test myself to see if I am "over it" by skipping one of my outage times and infortunately it all comes back.

Keeping to my strict routine can keep me headache free and let me imagine all is good!

Lynlee

[Margarite]

I got my concussion 2nd semester of my freshman year of college. I couldn't take a semester off or I would have to wait a year...just the way my school works. Anyways, my GPA went way down. I was a 3.8 without trying in highschool and a little above that in my first semester of college. Then I hit my head and it went down to close to a 2.0. I stuck it out and the GPA has gone up each semester, this past semester was the first since the accident without a C. A great improvement.
As far as studying, well. I study hard, but I also take lots of breaks. I was lucky because I became best friends with a girl who suffers from migraines. We would hang out watching movies quietly together in our room or simply laying in the dark together when our pain was too bad. We looked over each others essays and would discuss our homework so that we could remember it better. It was great because we did not feel like we were imposing on the other one because we were both so ill.
Freshman year I was extremely active. I started a ballroom dance club which met every week. I was not able to participate after my concussion, but it continued without me. My friends have pretty much forgotten my accident and they just think that I am a little reclusive. That is OK with me. I still go out when they are planning things that I can do, and I try to organize a couple things like camp fires, movies, etc. that I can do and they will enjoy.
Studies are a little harder, but as long as I pace myself and take the time off that I need, it is fine. A lot of times I go to classes all day and then I sleep until dinner and then study until about 10:30 and then sleep until about 7:30am. It is the schedule that keeps me able to cope.

Good Luck and God Bless!
A Fellow College Student
Margarite

[lindberg711]

I'm in the same boat...heading into my junior year of college. I'm taking 12 credits because I fear that 15 would be too stressful.

I was feeling better this week as I saw a neurologist with 30 years of experience working with brain-injured people. He told me that everything I am doing seems to be on track, and it is just going to take more time.

I've just been having such strange symptoms...i just feel detached and dazed. I struggle with derealization/depersonalization and I worry it will interfere with school. I'm scared too. It's just so frustrating how much uncertainty there is. I find it hard to believe that this will effect us forever...The body is very resilient.

Hang in there Kelly...I wish the best for ya, and we will keep in touch throughout this challenging recovery.