Thanks for the kind words, the kindness and compassion shown on this board in the face of such hardship is truly astounding and such a powerful resource for everyone going through PCS and TBI.

Mark, I know you nor Dr. Gronwald's research have said I'll never recover, and I hope my post didn't suggest I was calling you out or anything like that. I'm just depressed by the notion that I may have to always think about how some activity or some situation might flare up symptoms, and thus limit my life.

I also know that worrying about this, or being depressed about it, isn't helping me get better. I think that thinking about every little thing I'm doing, and whether it's helpful or harmful to recovery is setting me back too. For instance, I've started volunteer coaching at my old HS cross country team since I'm taking a medical leave of absence and want to do something positive other than listening to audiobooks. I've done it for 2 weeks, 3 days a week, and the practices themselves go fine - I feel a bit more like myself, am happy, and don't seem to feel too bad.

But then I get home, and if I maybe feel a little tired or have a slightly worse headache I start to worry that maybe I shouldn't be coaching, and then I get sad thinking about how I can't do so many of the things I love, and worry that this will be this cloud hanging over me for the rest of my life, directing the things I can and can't do. So that's why I find the notion that even after I recover, stress could cause a relapse, so distressing. I just don't want to have to worry about this for the rest of my life.

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack the thread!