If you mom coming to stay with you will reduce stress levels, that would be good. But if she hovers and fusses and tries to fix every issue, that will not be helpful. If she is a talker, not so good. Finding your new moderated life level is best. Then, slowly start returning to some normal activities.

But, she has to first accept that you are truly injured and not discount your symptoms. Many struggle to do that just as you are struggling to accept your current state.

A tough decision so try to make it wisely.

AA,

PCS forces us to deal with life as it is handed to us in some ways.

We grow accustomed to having and making things go our way and suddenly we are out of the drivers seat at times.

Learn to be flexible when the setbacks appear and learn how to be in charge of what is unexpected and doesn't go your way...I don't mean to change the unexpected. There is that which can't be changed and the way we change that is by managing ourselves.

It became imperative for me to accept the crap, not think about how rosy the way things were prior to my accident, but to face the crap head on and accept the challenge that was presented me, figure out how to be in charge of that which was not in my plans.

Do I get depressed about it, yes I do. I grab my proverbial boot straps and figure out how to smile and not allow life to beat me.

I would ditto Mark's mom advice...if she is capable of realizing you look the same but that does not mean you don't have a problem then it ought to work out. PCS is very subtle but VERY real and my wife realizing I wasn't faking things (even I thought I was making symptoms up for a time) made all the difference for me when it came time to learn how to move forward in a very altered state of life.

As far as how long this lasts, I did not plan on having PCS symptoms 2.25 years later. I thought this was like a broken bone, you just get better. Not saying you will be dealing with this for 2 years only, that it is done when it is done and there is no predicting when that will happen.

Don't sweat the small details.

Bud

Thanks for your advice guys. This forum is really informative and helpful.

So moving forward I have some questions:

I'm a month into my symptoms.

When i'm sitting at home and not doing much (listening to podcasts, cooking, etc) I don't get much symptoms. Maybe a twinge here and there. Its when I go and put a little exertion, thats when usually my headache usually kicks in. For example three days ago, i took the street car to city hall to pay some taxes. Then i walked around the mall and looked at some clothes. Took the streetcar home. And then my headache started. I also had to drive to my doctors to get a note for something. My headache continued when i got home for most of the day. So it seems regular errands and walking are too much for me right now.

At some point i'm going to have to try and make a gradual return to work. (i'm on medical disablilty from work. No rush to get back. health comes first) How do i know that i'm able to do so? Do i gradually increase the things i'm doing? I'm just really confused and concerned as to how I move forward without getting more setbacks and delaying recovery.

You likely need to learn how to break down an activity into the many parts so you understand what is triggering symptoms.

Sounds, especially voices, can be a struggle. Even if you are not listening to them, your brain hears them and tries to make sense. I did much better if I was looking at the person who was talking. My brain connected the visual with the audio.

The mall can be very visually stimulating plus sounds. The echos are the worst for me. An empty mall has echos. A busy mall has lots of voices and other sounds. Foam ear plugs can be a big help. Some work better than others. Macks brand have a good reputation and they make them in flesh tone so they are not obvious.

But, if somebody asks, you can simply say, "I suffered a concussion and my brain is very sensitive to sound. It's called hyperacusis."

Once you understand your triggers, you may be able to moderate them so you can avoid the headaches.

For some, in the early stages, headaches can be random with no identifiable triggers.

Does acetaminophen or ibuprofen help ?

How about icing the back of your head at the top of the neck ?

Yes I hear you on the voice thing. I do notice sometimes when i'm among a lot of people (crowded malls, at my office lobby with a lot of people), I hear all the sounds in a weird way. The best way i can describe it is it sounds like more hollow.

I find that when i get a headache, if i go into my room and just take it easy and listen to soothing music helps. Stressing about it obviously makes it worse and lingers.

I have not tried icing my neck yet. And i'm not a big fan of pills so i haven't tried acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Do these triggers eventually go away as the brain heals itself?

Also you and Jo*mar mentioned that it might also be from whiplash as the symptoms tend to be the same as PCS. How does one find out if its from PCS or whiplash? Do whiplash symptoms present themselves when you exert yourself like PCS?

Whiplash and PCS go hand in hand. 80% of PCS symptoms are neck related. Icing your neck can help.

With PCS, being anti-pills can make things much worse. Ibuprofen, 200 mgs up to 3 times a day can reduce inflammation and take care of most headaches. Inflammation is a problem that needs to be controlled. Either regular icing or 3 times a day of ibuprofen.

The 'hollow' voices says your brain is struggling to process such sounds. As I said, ear plugs can help. Also, limiting such events will give you a better chance at lasting a day. A response of "I'm sorry. My injured brain cannot tolerate so many voices. Can we go talk privately ?" can be a big help.

It can also help to not be in the middle of a room of people. Being near a wall will limit the number of directions the sounds come from. Corners are even better. This can help in restaurants.

These triggers can go away but it helps to reduce the exposure to triggers so your brain can heal. The brain heals best when it is symptom free. Being symptoms free does not mean you can go do something to challenge your brain. After a week of being symptom free, you can slowly start to increase your exposure to triggers.

You will likely need to learn how to explain your limitations to others so they can help you with these minor accommodations. Otherwise, you may end up with prolonged struggles.

Hi an Also, I'm 14 weeks post concussion and thankfully my vestibular therapist picked up on my symptoms and sent me to a Neuro Optometrist who diagnosed me with Post traumatic vision syndrome. You have many of the same symptoms I'm having light and noise sensitivity. I hope this helps.