Thank you Headstrong... I do tend to have that superwoman attitude... And it's really hard. Even when I wasn't working before, and just in school, I had to be the top of my class. I like to cook, like to clean, and my husband likes to workout together... We also have church, and his family lives near our church, so it tends to spill over into a family day. Not to mention that I already have two children (14 and 11), and with TTC, and fertility issues already, this concussion has really truly thrown me for a loop...

Last week I felt pretty decent, so Sunday I did more than I usually would... I've learned my lesson though, and will be watching my activity a little more closely! I really hope I get in to see the physiatrist sooner than July.

Well, your thoughts about finding work arounds instead of what I thought you meant about not changing your life sounds very reasonable.

You're already aware that you can not do as much as you could before. But this may change. Mark In Idaho always points out that the more symptom free days a person recovering from a brain injury can string together then the better and shorter the recovery.

I used to do a LOT before the injury I sustained. I can still not do half of what I could before the injury. But I can do more now than I could six months ago.

So, try to remember, that the more you rest now, the more likely you will be able to do more in the future and sooner than you would otherwise. Hence, all of our recommendations for you to rest and take it easy. I sometimes think about it like an "energy bank", the more I rest, than the more "interest" I accrue that can potentially be spent later.

I never had to "pace myself" before the injury I sustained and that's all I can do now.

So, for a while, one possible "work around" might be to not do much of anything that stimulates the brain so it can rest and heal. You're probably already familiar with how boring life is when healing from a brain injury.

Yup. I've spent the week using the computer less, and doing nothing. I even told hubby that I won't go grocery shopping with him any more, and that while I love his mom, I cannot manage going out to eat on sunday... I'm trying to find things I CAN do, and enjoy that....

I'm still way behind what I was last week... I think over doing it, and having a massive setback has truly opened my eyes...

You might actually have a few of those setbacks.... It's very good you're taking heed now - it can only help you to recover faster.

As I got better, I was able to do more then before and I would overdo it accidentally just trying to find the new boundaries. I think this is typical when someone is recovering from a brain injury.

thanks ED. I'm doing my best to tone things down. It's not easy. I feel a lot of guilt about disrupting family life, and about the fact that I cannot do things with my children, or my husbands family, the way I want to or should. Today, I find myself near tears because we will have to turn down an important banquet... I'd love to go, but there is just simply no way I could do it, as we already have something for the week after....

Sorry, just having a hard day... don't mean to complain... I realize I've been very fortunate in my injury and in my recovery so far... but it's hard not to lament the things I cannot do.

I hear ya! I still get upset that I can't do the things I want to do on a pretty regular basis, but it is easier for me to say no than it was a year ago. Especially since I realize saying no is better for me. I've said yes to enough things now and dealt with enough setbacks that are super unpleasant that it's just not worth it for me to say yes, but oddly enough, I still sometimes entertain the idea of saying yes. And I still look forward to a life where I will be able to say yes to doing more things.

I was just talking to my therapist about the guilt I feel that I can't do the things that I want to. She said I'm not able to go, so the expectation I put on myself to go is not rational. Apparently, I still have pre-injury expectations of myself to be able to do things that I can no longer do! I lived 33 years one way and that all changed quickly in an auto accident one morning on my way to work about 21 months ago. I'm still not used to the drastic change this has created in my life and I'm still hopeful that it's not permanent.

And don't ever worry about complaining to us! We all get it here. This is the place where people truly understand what you're going through.