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.
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.
I keep adding to this list as I discover more websites that provide good support and information.
- http://healyourconcussion.com/ - Another support story with concussion survival kit ideas and guidance on how nutrition can help your recovery.
- www.brainline.org/concussion - news, articles and research findings on brain injuries including concussions
- http://theknockoutproject.org/wp/ - an advocacy site raising awareness and providing education about concussions and post concussion syndrome.
- www.herconcussion.com - a website that is just being relaunched by the author of www.fightingpcs.com referenced above.
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