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.

Sleep deprivation is well understood. Your PCS is a common cause of both insomnia and improper sleep that does not cause your brain to restore. You can sleep and not get the benefit of the sleep if your brain does not go through the REM cycle.

I take gabapentin to help my brain relax so I can get good sleep. I also need to have something to eat before going to sleep. A banana, bread with peanut butter, crackers and cheese, and other snacks will energize my brain so I can sleep properly. It makes all the difference to how I sleep.

I also need to prepare to sleep by wearing pajamas that have no odd tactile sensations. No tags, no cold spots, soft warm sheets, and even some place for my hands to be warm and cozy. The injured brain struggles to ignore these very minor sensations.

Finding the right environment and soothing sensations to help you sleep will make a big difference.

When I get good REM sleep, I can wake up alert and alive. If I do not get good sleep, it will not matter how much I try to sleep. I will still be fatigued.

I hope you can find what works for you.

My best to you.

One way to describe it to others is to ask them what their energy level is like when they get the flu. Tell them that that's pretty much how you feel most of the time--energy-wise. People seem to get it when I put it in those terms.

Thanks xanadu00 that's an excellent way to describe it! Every time I try to describe it to my doctor she just thinks I am suffering from depression (I have that history) although I try to tell her this is completely different.

I really feel for you. I've spent over 10 years seeing numerous different doctors and specialists about my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, trying to convince them that there is something seriously wrong with my endocrine system (there is).

The responses have varied from scoffing, to sympathetic but clueless, to thinking I must just be making it up because I also have a history of depression and anxiety (somehow, they think that means you're also delusional and a malingerer). I've also gotten the "you're a young man and you LOOK healthy; what could possibly be wrong with you?" response. It's SO, SO, SO frustrating. Apparently, if you're less than 40 and all your basic stuff like blood pressure is ok, it's not possible to have any other health problems; at least, that seems to be the default position of a lot of doctors I've seen.

Nobody takes fatigue seriously, because it's such a general symptom and doctors will often just trot out what seems to be the most convenient explanation (e.g. depression) without bothering to actually closely examine the patient, troubleshoot, and give referrals.

You might be able to get some helpful info from this website:

http://www.endfatigue.com/

Take care.