Adding Activity & Setbacks

As I was entering into my second month of recovery, I was optimistic as things were looking up.  I had experienced a couple of days with nearly no headaches.  I was able to start resuming some activities like reading and ever so gradually ramping up time on the computer (up to 1-2 hrs a day).  Being an IT professional, my ability to work on a computer was top of mind for me.

I got in to see a neurologist and she said my symptoms were completely normal for those suffering from post concussion syndrome.  She reassured me this was very real and serious.  Confirming what I had heard in the past, she reiterated that the timing of recovery was unpredictable but that she had good hope that I would have a full recovery.  I was uncertain at this point if I should attempt a return to work.  She strongly recommended no return to work until I could go multiple days without headaches and tolerate 3-4 hrs of time on the computer without major rest time.  I had mixed feelings about this.  In some ways, I wanted to resume a routine work schedule again. In other ways, I knew I was a long ways off from being able to handle the demands of work and sustaining a reliable schedule.  She did give me the approval to start going for brisk walks, which I was ecstatic about!

Interestingly enough, it was also during this month, that I encountered an incredibly difficult setback.  I don't know why.  I don't know if I was overdoing it (quite possible).  But what I can say is that after going a week or so with my chin up, excited about resuming activities, I was very discouraged when I encountered a 5-day stretch where I felt knocked down again.  5 days of tough headaches, fatigue, and much time spent in bed.  Then, followed by another week of trial and error of resuming very limited activity again.  This was such a difficult and discouraging stretch of days.  I wondered why.  I wondered if it meant my recovery would extend even longer.  I wondered if/when I would ever return to normal.

Fortunately, during the latter part of the second month, I started to bounce back again.   I started resuming more activity time.  There were still ups and downs.  Good days and bad days (or parts of days).  But finally, I was starting to see the good days tally up more often than the bad.

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