Traumatic Brain Injury: Come introduce yourself

@margaretallen it is wonderful that you are getting good check ups, it helps establish a baseline. Even though people are online and seem far away it is important that you are heard. It is a big world and sometime you can feel very alone. We all need to know we are not alone in the sense that we all go through some very challenging times and someone saying I hear you can make a difference. Remember you are worth it and deserving of excellent treatment. Keep reaching out.

Hi! I’m Mary from Colorado. I suffered a severe concussion getting hit in the temple by heavy object in May 2026. Didn’t get any treatment for 2 weeks due to issues with landlord threatening eviction. Her property. Had dizzy spells, balance issues, vision problems, headache (major) and other issues. Fell 2 weeks after and broke 4 ribs. ER, hospital for 3 days. My PCP wanted me to take Tylenol/ibuprofen every few hours. Referring to opthamologist. She gave me prescription for glasses, but admitted she wasn’t sure if it would help. Come back in a month?? Have appointment with PCP in two days, I need help getting the right treatment. Help!!

@maryagneso thank-you!

im mack from australia and memorys got pretty bad from tbi yeah... many accidents and falls unfortunately
i seem to have developed multiple personalites due to the memory loss, waking up barely knowing who you are, does this happen to anybody else? i wear my hardhat now but it doesnt seem like i can shake the memory issues

Hi @whatwasidoingagain - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Really sorry to hear you've had multiple accidents and falls over time and are having memory loss from that.

I'm tagging fellow members @shooter987 @lylii @4nichola who may know something about personality changes and experiencing mental health issues, or awakening barely knowing who you are post-traumatic brain injury. @kb2014 @daniellmorgan also may have some thoughts for you.

What is your doctor recommending you do to manage the memory issues and the multiple personalities you mentioned?

@whatwasidoingagain this has not happened to me. I have an acquired brain injury. Craniotimy done may 2014 remove access left temporal lobe bacterial meningitis of my brain from chronic sinusitis. I was septic multi organ failure on a vent medically induced coma. I went into cardiopulmonary arrest. I had to relearn everything walking talking driving my Healthcare knowledge. I am retired nurse. I have ptsd. I have been under care of neurologist ever since. I have been seizure free all this time. Only take lamotrigine ER 100mg for seizure prevention. I am licensed to drive. Did my personality and life change after this? Yes. I learned what happened to me why causative factors etc. I also had trauma recovery donestic violence treatmrnt 5 years of care with an allergist. I had PT. I am more assertive careful about who and what I allow in my life. I do a lot of research online in health care medicine psychology neurology neuroscience etc. I am not perfect but since this happened I follow best practices or evidence based medicine. I work with my health care providers for the best outcome. The only time I had something odd occur was in 2015. I was just waking up after a nights sleep and had an image of a dog in a dirt pile outside my apt. The complex did nit allow pets. I was on the phone later that day with my neurologist made an app. Nothing was found to be wrong but what happened could be attributed to my surgery and a healing brain. With any brain injury a process of neuroplasticity occurs. The brain heals rewires new cells form.

@lisalucier my neuropsychiatrist has put me on 10mg Ritalin to help me keep focus into the early afternoon.
I know what it's like to wake from a coma and have to relearn everything from speach and coordination.
Personally I have been lucky to have finally found a team of drs that can understand and help. It does hurt to know that the tbi can only be managed.
Next week I will have my 2nd neurocognitive test in 4 years.
They say that management of the cognitive decline can slow the downward slide.
They have me on anti-psychotic drugs, mood stabilizers epilepsy drugs and the Ritalin to help me focus better.
I know when the Ritalin loses effective levels. I battle to speak coherently without severe concentration. Things get lost in translation. Memory burnout sets in and it's like mentally wading through thick waist deep mud.

theres not really been any help from doctors australia seems quite lacking lately... the personality changes are most notable defined by the differences
theres a unicycle and juggling balls around and only the og personality can do those things strange but true
yeah head is definitely foggy...

is the most helpful thing to do to write down things where you will easily see them throughout the day i guess?