[kshort49]

Hi-it's been 4 years since my accident. I fell and hit my head on a cement basement floor. My doctor says I had a mTBI and have Post-Concussion Syndrome. The symptoms I still have include fatigue, balance problems, short and long term memory problems, loss of focus and attention, and sometimes it is hard to get words out that I am trying to say. Also, I have weird vision problems. If I look any way but straight ahead, I feel off balance. This happens even if I keep my head perfectly still. For instance, if I am typing, and have to look some other place on the screen, I'll start getting dizzy and have to shut my eyes for a moment to feel right again.

Lately, my biggest problem is fatigue. For instance, I'll get up around 8:30 am. I'll feed my cat and dog and have my breakfast. While I'm eating, I read the news on CNN on my computer (I don't have a tv because on SSD, I can't afford it). So say I give myself an hour catch up on the news. After I've read that, I'm so tired that I have to take a nap. This is after being up only a couple of hours. That's crazy! After I've rested, then I'm better. It's the same in the afternoon. After doing anything, but especially reading or working on an article (I work - barely - as a freelance writer), my eyes just get so heavy they practically close on their own. Then in the evening, the same thing happens, only it's ok because it's bed time.

I know when I was first hurt, my neuro said that my fatigue was due to my brain trying to fix itself, and that any time I felt tired, I should take a nap. But it's 4 years now-shouldn't my need for these naps be gone? Or does just doing a small amount of reading or typing tire my brain out just as much as it did in the beginning?

Sometimes I feel that I just am lazy because I want to sleep so much, and I'm sure people must think the same thing.

Anyway, that's my question. Can fatigue be almost as strong after 4 years as it was when my brain was first injured?

Thanks for any help you can give me. (I'm ready to close my eyes now, just after typing all this--it's crazy, right?)

Just so you know, I am 63 years old.

Kathy