I am not 5 months post concussion. I have improved a great deal but am finding it increasingly difficult to continue with the ongoing symptoms of extreme fatigue, headaches, confusion, problem finding words, etc. I am on intermittent FMLA at my job (supervisor at a call center). I go to bed every night hoping I will be able to work a full day but it rarely seems to happen.

My doctor told me she would not be supportive of me staying out of work a full day anymore but sometimes I still need to. I know a lot of you have had problems with doctors not understanding. Yesterday was one orf those days after spending a day walking in the sun at "back to the fifties" car show. Today I am still trying to make it in for a least a few hours.

No one at work has really said anything negative to me but yet I feel like they don't understand.....how could they? I have always been very intelligent and a fast learner and multi tasker. My life has now changed and my self esteem is to the floor.

This support group has been a life saver and I want to thank everyone that has posted here.

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Slipped and fell on ice and hit head hard, was dazed and dizzy.....thought it would go away in a few days. This was on Jan 27, 2012. Still suffering from extreme fatigue, headaches, confusion, trouble finding words and slower processing time.

Hi rochbo, you came to right place for encouragement. People here can relate to what you are going through and share similar experiences.

I think we have all had these up and down days and wonder when we'll have more up than downs. It has been 8 months since my injury and I still struggle with a combo of chronic daily headaches/migraines, extreme fatigue, and other physical and cognitive issues. I also just started to drive again.

I am still not back to work becuase my employer doesn't offer light duty and I haven't been released to full duty yet.

It is a constant struggle to try to be positive and moove forward. Don't be down on yourself because you aren't feeling as well as you (or your doctor) expects. This has been very hard for me to learn..... but we do all recover at different rates and some recover more than others.

Keep us posted on your progress and know we are here for you.

Best wishes to you.

That work situation sounds difficult, as does your doctor. Is it feasible for you to switch doctors?

I was worse one year after my injury than one week after it, but I've been improving fairly steadily now for about 5 months. I still have a very long way to go; my improvement has been very slow and I was in extremely bad shape last January. But I'm still seeing improvement and I feel like I'm headed in the right direction. It sounds to me like your recovery is coming along and that you will continue to improve.

For general encouragement, see this thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread164040.html

Keep hanging in there, be brave, and do not lose hope.

Thank you for the beautiful words of encouragement. If I could just find a way to get some good sleep it might at least help with the overwhelming fatigue.

My doctor prescribed Trazodone to help me sleep. Have you talked with your doctor about sleeping pills? I am not a "pill" person and did not want to take any more pills in addition to all the pain medication I was on for two months after the accident. However, I take it every night. Once in awhile I see if I can sleep without it, and I can't. I even sleep in a different room than my husband now (PCS) because he snores and I HAVE to get some sleep.

I am being re-evaluated in August to see if I can handle working full-time. Even if the test says I can, I am not sure that is a good idea. I am not the same person I was and I don't think I am as good of a teacher as I used to be
Not going to be a good financial situation is that happens, but oh well. That's life.

Hang in there. Hope it helps to know you are not alone. Just keep doing what you know is right for you.

My doctor prescribed Trazadone shortly after my accident but I was having too many reactions to it and had to stop. Now I am just taking the Tylenol PM. It still takes hours to go to sleep and I wake up frequently. If I don't take it I don't sleep at all. Either way I wake up with extreme fatigue. How do you explain to people how that keeps you from going to work. I find it difficult to put into words.

Have you tried Melatonin? It is a supplement over the counter. It's the chemical in your brain that makes you sleepy when it is dark. It's great! No drowsiness in the morning and I could easily sleep 8 hrs on one 5mg pill/night.

I am currently using a supplement that includes melatonin. It definitely helps....some nights more than others but a lot better than Tylenol PM which made me groggy in the mornings. I still seem to be able to work a full day and when I have headaches that won't go away I have to stay home. My HR dept is informing me that I only have 50 hours of FMLA time left. That's putting a lot of pressure on me too.