Adult Life after a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

In the hip replacement surgery recovery room (August 27, 2015), when I woke up,(groggy from the anesthesia) I was covered in sweat. My first night out of the hospital (in the "re-hab center), I woke up in TERROR at 3am, with severe PRESSURE in my head, dizziness, slight frontal headache, ringing in right ear [my nervous system was reacting to vibrations of the wall in my room from an oxygen concentrator up against the wall in the adjacent room=first symptoms of CENTRAL SENSITIZATION SYNDROME--hypersensitivity to most all sensory stimuli: sound, light, smell, temperature, motion/ vibration, touch/pain etc. As days progressed, I had neck pain/upper left jaw pain, difficulty concentrating. unable to focus on a task, (BRAINFOG) excessive sweating episodes, waking up in the middle of the night with "linked" severe pain in HEAD and "new hip", (not knowing what was triggering what). I had vision problems/blurred vision, had several falls, difficulty swallowing/choking, difficulty with abstract thinking (unable to continue with my garment design & implementation endeavors), unable to get restorative sleep, PTSD episodes---- most all this continues 9 years post-op!! With the post-op rehab process, I was so hypersensitive, physical therapy was NOT effective/too much hip pain. [Surgery team discounted my symptoms/refused MRI/refused to schedule my 12 month appt at 12 months post-op, & abruptly departed in February 2017/denying my symptoms] 2nd opinion orthopedic MD diagnosed "severely eroded gluteal tendon at the attachment point in March 2017 (but too much pain to proceed with PRP). 2nd opinion hip surgeon commented " trauma to the SPINE". TBI neurotherapist Phd [author of book: Understanding Mild traumatic brain injury] diagnosed MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY April 2018, but retired shortly thereafter & not replaced. Neurologist diagnosed post-traumatic cervicogenic headache, basilar migraine in Feb 2018. Chronic centralized pain diagnosed Nov 2019. Behavioral optometrist diagnosed "Post-trauma vision syndrome" in Nov 2021. ENT MD diagnosed hyperacusis in April 2022 . [new PCP in Nov 2018, verified (in April 2023 "most all symptoms lead to "AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION/DYSAUTONOMIA"); 2d opinion neurologist diagnosed "Functional Disease of Central Nervous system", & PPPD (motion hypersensitivity) May 2023.

I've had 4 concussions since 2014. The mood "changes bothered me the most bc my spouse was the affected one. Over the years they have lessened in frequency and intensity. What we did during the hardest time was to agree that I would go to a quiet place where I could just be. That would reorient me and I could join my family again. That might be harder with children, I know. But explain it to them and it might calm things down.
Blessings to you and your family.

Hi, @lanieg - I'm guessing that others who've experienced a traumatic brain injury to various severities can relate to you with going through mood changes. What types of mood changes did you experience after your 4 concussions? How did you feel these mood changes affected your spouse?