I would like to offer a some advice on not trying to tough out headaches after you believe you're better.

I got my concussion 9 months ago now and was off work for 6 months following, resting, avoiding doing or thinking things that made the headaches worse.

It eventually improved a great deal, and my cognitive test results improved to a point where I was showing on the bottom side of normal. Still not quite back to what I was , but much better. I was going 3 to 5 days without headaches. It was Wonderful.

Then I returned to work. I started getting headaches right away but knew I didn't have the opportunity to just take more time off...so I did what I know now, was the worst thing I could do. I medicated myself and toughed it out...for two months the headaches, memory loss, speech issues got worse and worse until finally my boss called me in to tell me they needed me to look into possibly going on disability.

I went to a neurological psychologist who has taken me right back to the beginning...no work, no thinking, no doing, nothing. It's discouraging to say the least.

My point is that it is never worth continuing with a project if it is causing headaches. This is not something we want to do twice.


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I agree. I insisted ongoing back to work after being out 11 months. Four weeks later, another student hit me on the back of my head. All the progress I had previously made... Need I say more?

I was forced to retire as I ran out of workers comp, sick and personal days, but now I can focus on me and feeling better.

I'm trying to take one day at a time- work on my exercises(vestibular, vision and luminosity) and find some time in between to just have fun!


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I'm sorry to hear about this happening to you.

It is good to be able to focus on healing, and we can be grateful for the things that we Can do and the strengths that we do have.


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Long story short— I'm a person who has gone back to square one about 3 or 4 times. Each time, though, I continued to get better. I finally got it figured out now and am on the way up. It takes slow integration of new activity, and always listening to the brain's responses.

The past can't be changed. But we can learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others (include me).

Hope this helps a bit!

Jake

It really does help, and you're advice is the same as my neuropsychologist's that I'm seeing now, so it's good to see that it works


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Joanne,

I missed 10 months of work and when I returned I was a mess for the next 6 months.

It took a good deal of paying attention and humility figuring out what were triggers and asking for help.

I am not my pre injury self but I am not the train wreck that was the first half of 2015.

For me it got better by paying a lot of attention to the signals my body and brain were sending me and resting when needed.

I am self employed and work with several family members as well as employees so I think that was a big plus. They knew my situation and my concern for not screwing up my two sons careers over rode the humiliation of asking for help on things I had done for years, I either couldn't make a decision or think clearly enough to some things myself.

It's nice that you're in the work situation that you are. I worked full-time as an employee for the city, but was also self-employed on the side. I am hoping that I can get back into the self employment eventually as well.

I appreciate your sharing of what works for you. I am slowly learning these triggers as well.

t


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