Tips & Resources


The following are resources I found to be most helpful as I searched for guidance on how to manage my way through recovery.

Prayer and Faith - I spent a lot of time praying and my faith in God is the first and foremost resource that got me through this.  This situation was bigger than me.  It was something I felt I had no control over.  I worried about if/when I would return to normal.  I worried about if I would lose my job. I got through the toughest of days by relying on prayer and faith that God would take care of me.

My favorite bible verse: Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a person's heart,but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Brian Injury Alliance (www.biaia.org for Iowa) - The Brain Injury Alliance seems to be present in most if not all states.  I can speak to my experience with the Iowa branch. This is a wonderful non-profit group that provides amazing support and resources. Do NOT hesitate to call them.  At first I tried to just a self-serve approach by browsing through their website.  Being on the computer was quite difficult for me, so I struggled to find the information I was looking for in a timely enough fashion before my head would start pounding.  I was hesitant to call at first, thinking a simple concussion did not warrant reaching out to brain injury resources. I thought surely they would be focused on more serious brain injuries.  Not the case.  Call them!

FightingPCS (http://www.fightingpcs.com) - I found I could really connect to the author of this blog/website.  It is a source for information and tips for those recovering from PCS.  The author shares her experiences and tips and she put into words so many things I could not.

Lumosity (www.lumosity.com) - This website provides games and exercises that can test and measure your brain's performance in the areas of memory, concentration, speed of processing information, flexibility (e.g. multi-tasking), and problem solving.  When I first tried this out about 2 weeks after my concussion, I was scoring in the 1st percentile across most of the categories.  This was a very telling measure for me that my symptoms were real.  I was dealing with a real brain injury that had impacted my cognitive abilities.  It quantified my symptom of "I just can't think".  I continued using Lumosity throughout my recovery.  I could see a direct correlation between how I was feeling and I well I scored.  As with most of my recovery, there were ups and downs in my scores, but gradually and overtime, there was an upward trend of improvement.

Tips - a few other things that helped me
  • Massage therapy - for relaxation, would temporarily help with headaches
  • Earplugs for noise sensitivity - I took them everywhere & used them daily
    • I am also seriously consider investing in BOSE noise canceling headphones
  • Absorptive filter glasses - http://www.eschenbach.com/products-absorptive-filters.htm
    • Yellow tinted glasses - for computer light sensitivity (they filter more blue light than regular sunglasses)
    • Very dark sunglasses - for general light sensitivity - filters more than standard sunglasses
  • Theraspecs - www.theraspecs.com - After trying the cheaper absortive filter glasses mentioned above, I decided to invest in these.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you must work with computers or in florescent light settings.  I wear these regularly at work and at home in front of the computer.  I still believe in avoiding technology screens as much as possible, but that becomes nearly impossible after awhile.  I'm realizing how dependent our lives have become on email and internet.
More websites for support & information:
I keep adding to this list as I discover more websites that provide good support and information.

  • www.herconcussion.com - a website that is just being relaunched by the author of www.fightingpcs.com referenced above.



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