NeuroTalk Support Groups - 2.5 years in-should I scale back?

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- Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Concussion Syndrome (https://www.neurotalk.org/traumatic-brain-injury-and-post-concussion-syndrome/)

- - 2.5 years in-should I scale back? (https://www.neurotalk.org/traumatic-brain-injury-and-post-concussion-syndrome/179190-2-5-scale.html)

Something that was a real eye opener for me too: write down everything you do in a 2 week time period. Then take an over all look. I was shocked to see how much I was doing, even though in my mind it was "cutting back" from what I used to do. No wonder healing was taking so long...I never gave my brain a chance for rest and healing.

Sorry to jump in here, I am in the same boat as concussed lawyer, well 3 years today.

Eponagirl,

Did you just sleep and watch tv all day? Did you go on walks or exercise? Read books/ computer time? Please elaborate your "rest time". Thanks for the invaluable info.

Also do you have headaches still?

Hi Postconcussion,
I watched alot of tv, took naps during the day, would go online a few times a day, read books (not sure how much of reading actually got in my brain, but I read. I bet if I re read those books now, more would be absorbed). Light walking was fine, but I was told to not even lift my horse's water buckets. I remember specifically holding myself back from doing things even when I started to feel better, just to make sure it wasn't too soon. I struggled with overdoing things for a long time, so really tried to pay attention. Finding the balance takes some time.

I have animals to check on, so would be taking my dogs out in our yard, checking on the hens and horses. I had to count my hens each night before locking them in the coop. That task used to take awhile even though there were only 16 hens. I had to recount them several times before making sure everyone was accounted for. It's not like they are all the same color either. Now counting them feels more "normal". It's still a good guide for me to know if I am stressing myself even now. When counting the hens gets slower, I need to be alerted to cut back on how much I'm doing again.

So, not sure how to tell you about how much to do or not. Basically if you keep things really minimal for a week and feel better, add one thing, and if after a couple of days it didn't make you worse, doing that activity will be ok.

One thing to point out, I noticed that the effect of overdoing wasn't always immediate. Sometimes it wasn't until the next day or later that same day that I would realize that doing something was too much. Journaling quick notes each day on your activity and how you felt are invaluable during this phase.

I really hope the importance of resting gets out. It seems really simple, but in our society it can be really hard to do, so it actually takes some work to stop doing so much.

For the brain, resting or slowing things down really makes a difference. Eventually you should try to increase activity, so I do not mean rest doing nothing forever...but everyone has a different time frame depending on their own injury, could be weeks, months, or for some of us years.

Sorry for rambling on...

I'm sorry your in pain

Quote:

Originally Posted by concussedlawyer (Post 928092)

I had my concussion 2.5 years ago. Many of my symptoms have lessened considerably but I still have many bad days. Initially, I took 6 weeks off but then returned to work on a reduced schedule. I've tried everything to get better. (I've seen 4 neurologists, 2 acupuncturists, 2 physical therapist, I got prismatic glasses, am going to a NUCA chiropractor, use a C-pap machine, see a dentist for jaw re-alignment, on a low does of cymbalta for facial neurologia, take lunesta, get a couple of massages a month, meditate daily, avoid alcohol and processed food). Now I'm thinking of taking a couple of months just to rest to see if that kick starts the process. Does anybody have experience with resting two years in? I wonder if this will be a waste. I will take a big financial hit, but if there is a chance it could work, it may be worth it. Or is it better for my brain to keep plugging along? I can still perform my work, it is just exhausting and I don't have much left over for my husband and kids. Any insights out there?

Hello first off sorry for your constant head pain and all the syptoms. I can kinda relate with you. I have psdotumer papademia, meaning there was too much spinal fluid on the brain and actually almost cost me my sight in the beginning, when we didn't know what was going on. That was in the 80s and I happy to say we have kept it at bay with no need of surgery only meds to keep under control. However a concussion is by far the sickest I have ever been. I had a provoked brain stem when they let pressure off the brain.
I am so sorry for your long time discomfort.
Personally I would live for yourself and your family, meaning be the best you can be by takeing care of your body. Rest its what your body is telling you. Maybe if you try that you'll heal faster, from your bruised brain. It slowed me down and I do have it return once in a blue moon, but rest makes my body feel its best and that makes my family happier too. Of course they worry and I don't like to cause it as much as possible.
Money isn't everything, you are more important then that, and if you heal, you'll be back in the office again. what ever you do decide, take it slowly because I'm sure that you are precious to them.
God Bless and Good Luck,
SalfuZ:hug:

Quote:

Originally Posted by eponagirl (Post 930931)

"... Doing nothing for several months sped up my recovery in the end. I was having great difficulty before doing that. A sports medicine Dr advised me to do this. There is a protocol that activity (Any and ALL activity) stops until concussion symptoms are gone. You may slowly increase activities at that time and if symptoms come back, you lay off activity again until the symptoms go away again.

This can take a lot of time, so give it a chance.
Doing this gave me the ability to become aware of activities that made me feel worse.

I took all activity away and slowly added things in to see how it was tolerated. I hope this makes sense.

I just can't stress enough what rest will do for healing a brain injury.
REST as much as you can and you will see the benefits ...

I am back doing my farm work with less help now and I owe it to taking that time off. (You may be even discover that 2 months may or may not be enough, I suggest just keeping an open end on that in the back of your mind)".

You here serve as a reminder for me of the benefit of my own self-limited recent 'confinement' of 9 months earlier this year after terrible relapse. While it's certainly not 'fun', the necessary quiet rest as I can see it now, was absolutely crucial to any potential for 'getting better again'.

While it can feel interminable and we may wonder everyday, "Is this it?? Is this as good as I get?" --- it is amazing truly the wonders that the "Golden Rule" of quiet rest/simple activity can work over time.
Mark refers to this repeatedly. And it's a tough one for us as Americans to genuinely grasp --- especially as newcomers to pcs life, or in my own case as one 'seasoned' (and hopefully wiser) now over these 4 years post-injury. :o

Thanks again for your own wise sharings here, eponagirl!

All the best,
Theta

Thanks for jumping in! PCS can be lonely business for me so I am really eating up the support/wisdom on this website. Anniversary dates are hard -thanks for sharing.