Past brain injuries can make things worse. And as you've found, additional symptoms can arise some time (months, even a year+) after the injury itself.

After my last TBI in 2004, I could not read more than a few sentences at a time. My memory was terrible, and I would forget what I'd read, just one page prior. This came after always being an avid book reader. It was a big change for me, but I was so turned around, I didn't notice how much I missed it. Now I do read, but it can be exhausting. I'm better off reading research papers, which are short and focused on a narrow set of ideas. I also read online - blogs, articles, lots of short pieces, with the occasional "long read". But my dreams of going back to school and finishing my degree are pretty much impossible, under my current conditions.

We often lose the things that used to be a big part of our identity, before our injury. Finding a way to recognize ourselves (and our reactions) afterwards is an important part of our return to a quality of life that feeds us.

For me, I found my way back (over the past 14 years) through blogging about my experiences. It keeps me honest and it keeps me sane. It's not always pretty, but it's real. My recovery has largely centered around A) getting enough rest, B) daily exercies of some kind or another, C) having someone supportive to talk to on a regular basis, and D) paying attention to what I do each day to develop new routines and rituals in my daily life.

For you, I recommend steering clear of anything that makes your headaches worse, even if it's something you once loved to do. It may come back to you, eventually, but being rigid about forcing yourself to do things can set you back. Make sure you rest enough and you get good fats in your diet. When I started supplementing with MCT oil and making sure I got good fats in my diet, my brain came back online like it hadn't been, in quite some time.

Best of luck to you. Stay steady. Stay strong. You can get there.

Thank you for the good advice. I will be grateful I can read, see, write. Creating a new life two years out is my challenge. I do not know if I am or will be employable. I was self employed most of my life. Now, I prepare to enter the job market at nearly retirement age with these syndrome limitations, fears, and chronic pain. I am scared about even being able to be on time to a job. Most days, my head is ”too heavy” and feels ”too swollen” to lift off the bed easily. The facial scars get visibly more swollen at times, too. The suture lines themselves don’t swell, the flat skin around the old sutures swell, especially on my forehead. When I over-exert, even too much housework, the skin looks puffy. Maybe the tissues get some congestion. That is likely not the post concussion syndrome, but it is part of my total experience.

Understanding the successes and coping skills of others is treasure for me. Thank you for sharing.



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