Since originally suffering a concussion on June 21, Christopher Nowinski has yet to go more than four days without a headache. Unfortunately, he can’t even consider a WWE comeback until he’s headache free for two to four weeks straight.

"Eventually this will heal, but I no longer know what ‘eventually’ means," Nowinski said earlier this week in Hartford, Conn. "I no longer measure my progress in weeks."

But he added, "I will return to the ring. I will return to the ring."

He’s not working out anymore, after a doctor at his last appointment told him to stop because unlike injured muscles, the brain is impeded from healing when it’s exerted. He can’t even take pain medication when he gets a headache, which, he says, can be triggered by the slightest rise in blood pressure, even if he just laughs.

"I’m not supposed to be medicated because then I won’t know my progress," he said. "So I’ve just been dealing with them."

So Nowinski just waits, as patiently as possible. To keep himself from going completely stir crazy, he’s been attending WWE events. Last week, he was in his native Chicago to celebrate his 25th birthday with his family. It just happened that RAW was in town, so he went. The next day, he drove to Milwaukee to visit his great uncle and his freshman advisor at Harvard, as well as to attend SmackDown!

Likewise, he was spotted backstage this week at RAW in Uncasville, Conn., and SmackDown! in Hartford, where he volunteered to speak at a Smackdown Your Vote! rally. "A short drive and a lot of free time," Nowinski said, explaining his attendance at the two Connecticut shows. "Anything within a couple of hours drive, I’ll be at. I miss the atmosphere. I miss the people. And I can learn a thing or two just by watching and listening."

Of attending the shows, Nowinski said, "It’s the only thing that’s keeping me sane."

Nowinski has spoken with several neurosurgeons; he said he was planning to see a headache specialist this week. "That’s basically one of the last rocks I’ve yet to look under," he said. "Hopefully, the headache guy will give us a better game plan of how to deal with the headaches, or if they will be subsiding soon."

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