Hello, Welcome, it is good to see your initial post formatted for better read-ability.

As told: Rest, Brain rest, and more rest.

Good you like water, its very important.

Screen time limitation > very important.

Vitamin / supplement link > very informative.

Brainline.org > very informative site for you, family , providers.

Difference between MRI and CT > both useful as ruling out sources of possible tissue injuries and bleeds. Also useful in finding changes if symptoms change later in your process, especially MRI, dependent on having a competent Neuroradiologist on service in the testing facility/hospital.

Some reasoning of CT vs MRI:

Brainsource.com

UCSF Imaging

NIH 2005

Your relapsing episodes are totally normal. I've relapsed more times than I can count on one hand. It's usually after something stressed me out or I pushed it too much.

Be careful about sleeping too much. My neuropsych specifically told me to NOT take naps and to go to bed and wake up and the same time everyday, including weekends. This is coming from doctors who treat concussions all day everyday. Of course that could have been specifically for me but its important to get your body on a constant sleep wake cycle.

Worrying about your symptoms does make them worse. At first I never knew If I'd feel like myself again. But then some days I do and it gives me encouragement. Indeed you need to live a boring life for a while, but this is the only thing to do if you want to recover as quickly as possible. Keep your diet clean, rest, reduce stress.

Does your work have the option to work half days? I'm currently working 4 hour days which is about all I can handle right now. I'm pretty fatigued by noon but I feel it is helping

Thankyou to everyone who has helped - I saw my doctor today to get a note off work. He said I should 'start to improve' soon and that most people recover within 2 weeks - both not very helpful pieces of information!

I have been using my laptop quite a lot in the 2 weeks I've been off so far - so I guess I'll try and not use it as it does seem to make my eyes hurt.

Is caffeine free tea and coffee ok? I do drink coffee and tea, but if I have to stop taking caffeine for a while then I guess I can do that.

I will check out the vitamins thread and see what I can do in that way!
Thanks again, I really appreciate this - it seems to me like a lot of doctors don't understand this. When I was back at A&E for the 2nd time the doctor there told me to 'just push through it'...I was feeling too awful to argue at how ridiculous that sounded!

I have a doctor's appointment next week with a doctor who I feel is more sympathetic and someone I could converse with more easily. Should I ask to be referred to anywhere more specific?

Tpont21 - Thanks for your reply. I just wonder if I could check something with you - there is the possibility of me working half days I think - but I work in IT so I'd be at a screen all day. Would this be good for me?

Also - other posts say to get plenty of rest during the day - would you suggest 'resting' rather than actually trying to sleep? I have plenty of audiobooks here.

Sadly, The "soon" statement is a panacea many docs use....its a sooth-all used to give hope..........no one really knows when you will recover, or "be better". Sorry, for that.

Caffeine is out. Stop it, until you are really really far along in actual recovery...then maybe reintroduce it very sparingly.

<- this is one of the most ridiculous statements any practitioner could make to a freshly brain injured person there is. Pushing it prior to clearance from actual practitioners experienced with Brain Injured patients and therapists who have spent time with you is not only dangerous but poor practice on his part.

Spend time with yourself, Rest, try to enjoy Quiet time.

Best Wishes..........:grouphug:

Thanks for the help again.

I already feel like I've made small progress after resting more (proper rest!). I have less headaches and pressure, and the massive fatigue I was experiencing seems to be lessened. My head also feels a bit clearer and less 'slowed down'.

I've got myself some decaf coffee, and am cutting down on tea to only 2 cups a day. I drink quite a lot of tea so to cut it out altogether straightaway would be tough!

Also - started following Mark's vitamin regimen. No alcohol for the forseeable future....I had cut down a lot over the last year anyway, so it's not that big a deal. The money I've saved and been able to spend on my car and computer is more rewarding!

The fact I've managed to improve for the first time in over a week has given me a bit of hope, and I felt great for a couple of hours...although I'm tired again now! I realise I could relapse - but it was nice to feel almost normal for a couple of hours - it's all about progress now...light at the end of the tunnel is visible.

Thankyou for the support, it really means a lot :-)

So, I do not mean to discourage you, but I just passed the 4 year mark since my first concussion in March, and the one year since my last concussion also in March. Every day I have headaches, I'm tired, I have trouble concentrating, noises and light is extremely bothersome to me.

I don't know if rest helps because I have never really rested. "Resting" makes me feel guilty like I'm too lazy and that I need to move and do things. Irritable is definitely part of my life, but I was a little that way before the accident so I don't know.

The regressing thing is normal, though 4 years in it still scares me. I get really scared that something is wrong that the docs just haven't found, but life goes on.

The basic difference for us PCSers is that the MRI takes a more detailed view of the tissue whereas the CT looks at the general picture. CT is to make sure that you are not bleeding on your brain, MRI looks to see if there is any slight visible damage. I have had 2 CT's and 2 MRI's and a doc wants me to get another MRI and according to those tests there is nothing wrong with me.

As far as getting back to normal I would just say you may never be normal again. You need to know that. You will try always to get back to "normal" but that word will eventually have a new meaning.

Second, as I get used to it I go in spurts. I will feel a lot better for a month and then there will be 3 weeks of pain and sickness. Then I will be good again for a month and a half and then a whole month of feeling a lot worse. Sometimes it has been 4 months pain and 2 months relief.

I got used to this a little and I learned how to do my work just leaning my head in my hand or shading my eyes. It helps with computers allot if I invert the colors so that it is mostly black. With the letters in a light color. Night time is the worst because I am coming down from ignoring my head all day.

I try to go hard for a month or two and then take a 3-4 day weekend to just relax and then go at it again. Usually I get really sick so my body demands the rest.

I know that the side of my head where I have been hit the most times is more sensitive to cold and pressure, so I don't think the temple being sensitive is too significant, though I would check with a neurologist.

My biggest advise is DO NOT GET A SECOND CONCUSSION!!!!!!!!!!!
Every time you get a concussion it heightens your likelihood of never recovering and it could also in extremely rare cases cause death. Just don't give in to your desire to watch that volleyball or soccer game and don't jump up and down, and don't go sledding, and don't dive into water, and don't do anything where there is the weirdest chance that you might hit your head again!!!!!!!

I hit my head first by falling off a horse, then by a volleyball getting kicked into my head, then standing up into a low hanging chandelier, then getting kicked in the head while waltzing, then sledding (this time I didn't hit my head the hard up and down of going over bumps gave me a concussion), then falling and hitting three things with my head on my way down, then getting kicked in the head with a soccer ball.

Just don't let it happen to you. I am 23 and since I was 19 I have not known a pain free day.

I wish you the best of luck! You are very likely to heal as long as you keep doing what you are doing.
Live Long and Prosper!
In Christ,
Margarite

PS: I know a lot of what docs say about concussions doesn't seem to pan out, but I have had 2 docs recommend drinking 3-4 cups of strong coffee a day. You never know :)