I’ve never had a concussion before, and I never want to have one again.
A fellow passenger dropped his overhead luggage directly onto my head and neck on a flight a few weeks ago, and—despite my naive assumption that the pain and pressure would subside in a few days—I’ve been struggling ever since.
My doctor has continued to monitor my symptoms since I visited him the day after the incident, and he isn’t pleased with the lack of improvement he’s seen in my symptoms. He has urged me to keep away from desks and screens and other things that could slow down the recovery process.
Thankfully, the company I work with full-time has encouraged me to take all the time I need to recover, and I’m already finished with all of my writing work for the book I’m working on with Lonely Planet, so I actually am able to take some time off to rest and heal… something I haven’t done in quite some time and that I’m coming to realize I’m not particularly good at.
I think a lot of that comes back to AuDHD issues, actually, which I shared a bit about on TikTok this week. To summarize that rambling, bleary-eyed video:
I struggle with interception (i.e. sensing internal signals from my body like when something hurts, when I’m hungry, when I need to pee, etc.), so it’s hard for me to accurately evaluate the intensity of my physical symptoms from the concussion, let alone to compare how they feel from one day to the next. I have a persistent headache, constant pain and pressure in my head, but I don’t get a clear sense of if that headache is getting better or worse with time. All I know is that it’s still there, it still hurts, and I’m still uncomfortable.
My desperate-for-dopamine brain is not designed to steer clear of visual stimulation. If it was just a matter of staying away from my desk/off of my computer, I could successfully stick to that, but avoiding my phone, the TV, and my Kindle is a much bigger challenge. And books! I’m not supposed to read BOOKS! And those aren’t even screens!!!
Some of the symptoms I’ve been experiencing since the initial injury—sensitivity to light and sound, poor concentration, forgetfulness, extreme emotional responses, chronic fatigue—are pretty common issues for neurodivergent people to struggle with in general. They’re not uncommon issues for people with long COVID to struggle with either (I’ve had COVID twice, last January and this past February), or for people going through hormonal changes (my body’s still adjusting after getting my IUD removed), or for people who are immunocompromised (I have an autoimmune disorder). So with all of these overlapping conditions, it’s been complicated trying to determine which of the symptoms I’m experiencing are a result of which diagnosis. My doctor said our best course of action is to assume the symptoms are related to the concussion and treat them with care accordingly, but my brain is having a hard time with that.
Basically, it’s been a clusterfuck of confusion and discomfort, and I’d love for it to be over by now.
In the meantime, thankfully, I’ve found that the following things have made concussion recovery suck a little bit less.
Things that make concussion recovery suck less
1. Speech-to-text
Apple Dictation has been a great way to “write” without looking at a screen—I only end up needing to spend a few minutes doing some formatting and final edits when I’m done. And it’s free to use on my iPhone and on my Macbook!
2. Screen reader
On the flip side, using a screen reader has made it possible for me to hear emails, articles, etc. aloud instead of needing to stare at my computer to read them. NVDA offers a free, open-source, globally accessible screen reader for the blind and vision-impaired. If you have an Apple device, you could use Apple VoiceOver. Or if you use Chrome, you can download the free Screen Reader browser extension.
3. Audiobooks
I’d never gotten into the audiobook scene before this concussion, because my mind tends to wander when I try to listen to fiction and I lose track of plot points. But I’ve been delighted to discover that I actually enjoy listening to non-fiction audiobooks—it’s like listening to a longer-form podcast! I downloaded Libro.fm and started listening to The Feminist Killjoy Handbook when I go for walks, while I’m cooking and cleaning, etc.
4. An ice roller
As featured in the TikTok video I mentioned in the intro, I’ve been rolling this soothing little fella on my head for relief every morning and anytime the pain in my head gets particularly intense.
5. Water add-ins
My doctor made it clear that I needed to drink a lot of water to keep my body hydrated during recovery, which I’ve traditionally not been great at remembering to do. So I got some electrolyte cubes in tasty flavors (like these watermelon ones from waterdrop) in hopes of motivating myself to stay on top of my suggested water intake, which has been surprisingly successful so far.
More concussion recovery self-care
Because my brain is getting tired of me talking to my computer for this long:
Physical therapy
Talk therapy
Gentle yoga
Nutrient-rich foods that support brain health (like salmon, eggs, dark leafy greens, avocados, walnuts, and berries, to name a few)
Outdoor walks
Ear plugs (I like Loops—the Quiet 2 with Mutes for sleep, and the Engage with Mutes when I have to go out into the world)
Sunglasses with color-tinted lenses to ease light sensitivity
Breathing exercises
Anti-glare and blue light-blocking glasses (I wear Felix Gray)
Cuddles with my dog
Journaling aloud (basically venting to my phone using speech-to-text, to work through the more-extreme-than-usual emotions I’ve been struggling with since I got this dumb concussion)
Meditation
Noise-cancelling headphones (I love my Soundcore Space Ones)
Warm baths with Epsom salt
Magnesium before bed
Light-blocking curtains
A sleep mask
As much sleep as I can possibly get
Any other tips for making concussions suck less?
I’d love to hear them—if you have any, please leave them in the comments below and I’ll let you know if they help to take me even a little bit out of my misery!