Adult Life after a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Hello Dawn, your sympton story is so similar to mine. I am an RN CNS MSSW. My injuries came from being stopped at a redlight and rear ended by a large suv, the driver going 45 mph. On a cell phone. I was wearing a seatbelt, but the impact was so intense that I was knocked out and dx with brain concussion shear injury, brain stem concushion and severe injuries to my entire spine. Damage to my sight and hearing. I was in perfect health, never had any type of injuries in my life except rotator cuff tear. I am petit but had a good amount of muscle mass, that probably saved my life. I was 68 at the time. In a split second, I became old. Your cognitive symptoms sound similar to mine. I have memory problems, math and writing problems, speech word problems, intolerance of large groups, noise, and anxiety with being in traffic. And more. Reading what you shared helped me so much. I am very greatful to have found this group. Thank you all for your sharing.

@treyaj l had a brain injury in 1997 viral encephalitis. I worked in a hospital and thank God the doctor knew that l was in trouble. I had the flu and went to a new doctor and he just told me to go home 104 temp. I was in and out of consciousness and my older child just graduated from high school and l had 4 other young children. Yes cognition is the bible issue. Math was no problem for me but writing and signing my name was a big problem. Also balance and slurred speech. I was very depressed at the beginning l had young children and didn't know what was happening. We had just moved in a house 2yrs ago l had started working a new job a year ago plus the hospital. And you work turns around because people don't understand because you look ok on the outside. I had to be put on antidepressants and l was a person who was always happy and love learning. In 2014 l had another bout but now it was my liver and that God l was taken off the antidepressants. Now l.have an Autoimmune disease. Hepatic encephalopathy. I was so tired of not being able to remember even if l read a paragraph. I was in church and l cried and prayed to the Lord to please give me my memory back. And he has definitely done that. I read books, listen to music it helps with memory. I learned to do research and l reading books on how you can retrain your brain. It can be done. Because while l was going through this l went to college and l had tutors and had to have test on audio and it took me along time to get my degree. After l went to the mayo clinic and they took off a lot of meds. I went to the college and took a test and l got a 90. So l know it was an answer to pray. So don't give up. I t can happen but it take alot.

I would love to hear more about how to focus oxygen on ones frontal lobes. I am familiar with CBT. I posted my story here, but I can't seem to find it tonight. I did begin singing with tapes again and listening to music more often, both recommended on this site. The singing and staying focused on the lyrics has been a shock! I kept being distracted by other thoughts. I had no idea it was that severe. But I just start over and it truly is helping. I have speech problems, wrong word, mispronounce, slight stutter, etc. The singing also comforts me and decreases my anxiety. If I am tired, hungry, or have to drive in traffic, my speech is worse. The day after my injury, my speech made no sense at all, so many wrong words. I am greatful for all of you.

Thank you for sharing this video. I think it speaks a truth that many of us are living. Yes! we are still alive but as a different person. I continue to morn the loss of myself everyday. The only way is forward but it can be so hard not to look back!

I have to say "WOW", I have found someone I can truly relate to without someone calling me crazy. My experience started 2 1/2 years ago. I was helping my husband and friend unload a trailer full of split wood, and my husband threw one and I raised up at the same time, and the wood hit my right temple.
Now I get angry over stupid things, and I have no energy to do anything. My family would say I have done or said things that I truly don't remember, so now I sit in my own corner, and only try to speak when needed because I'm scared of the outburst of anger and not knowing the cause.
I went to counseling and they put me on medicine, but all the medicine did was make my symptoms worse, so I told the doctors I was taking any more of them. I'm trying to go back to school, (online) to see if staying to one thing while others here at home take care of everything will help. My husband tells me he understands why I'm ignoring everything and everyone and he wishes he could help, but he also has issues also with a shunt in his head that is changing his personality, which doctors tell us it's all in our heads and nothing is wrong with us and we all just want to have something to complain about.
So I stopped talking to the doctors, and pray every night for my symptoms to get better, as well for my husband to get the help he deserves.

Thank you again for this post, I know it wasn't easy for you to post this. It helped me and left me to know I'm not alone.

@treyaj @david33 Because of my profession and past life experiments, I can reassure you that we are not alone and so many people need help.

I have had 14 loss-of-conscious concussions throughout my active life, 6 of which occurred during my senior year in college over a five month period. I have experienced most every symptom associated with TBIs except balance issues (uncontrollable rage, lack of focus, headaches, memory loss, light sensitivity, anxiety, ringing in ears, depression, etc).

It took about four years of experiencing issues before I reached out for any help. My first experience with the medical profession was not what I had hoped but in all fairness I did not follow up on their advice. I was just asked recently why I have not sought follow up care and I could not explain it to someone who has not experienced the inability to get out of bed, flash-rage towards everything and everyone.,,simply “white-knuckling” every second of the day. The associated shame, guilt and fear are overwhelming and effect every aspect of my life.

I am still here today because of:
Faith-Medication-Faith.

My faith kept me alive until I was able to get on the right medication. The medication put me in a place where I could begin to heal. My faith is changing my rage into love and my other sysmptoms seem to be fading.

I believe you can only heal to the level of what you believe in. If you believe in yourself, you will only heal to the level you believe you can. This is where I think the medical profession fails.

Whatever you believe in, grasp onto it and live it...eliminate the battles in your brain. I believe the fancy medical name of it is congestive dissonance.

BTW- if a doctor tells you “it is only in your mind”, run. He/she can’t help you. Just my POV.

Thank you to everyone for sharing. There is strength and great healing that comes from not feeling alone and experiencing a sense of belongingness again. I also continue to grieve the loss of the past me, but with time and acceptance of the now me, I find my awareness focusing more on the future now and much less on how I used to be. Thanks to a group member who suggested singing or playing a musical instrument. Singing has helped my speech problems immensely. Remembering all or most of the lyrics has increased self confidence, improved my word finding problem, and increased my joy and sense of humor when I make mistakes or simply sound weird. My social anxiety has decreased as has isolating myself so much. Strangely, I no longer feel less whole. I feel more whole. I now know a different experience of change, loss, rebuilding, and regaining. I know more about life, loss, suffering, possibility and the deeply spiritual importance of valuing and supporting my own will to live. Life matters, things unplanned happen, but I can love and choose the quality of my life.

Yes we are still alive and as a different person. A favorite song I sing for self support is Getting to Know You, and So Lucky to Be Loving You! Maybe singing will help you too.

I have been following your posts with interest and often find myself saying exactly right ! My original Tbi was about 11 years ago and have had two freak accidents since which have brought the pain and symptoms of the first tbi back and more. My latest tbi was in August of this year. I find it challenging to access my level of functioning. I think I am so much better and feel great about it then a task will emerge that I simply cannot do and I am brought back to a new limitation or reemergence of an old one. I have a bucket list, got tickets to a concert that was on my bucket list and then forced with the difficulty of being around noise realized two weeks before i simply could not go. Limitations have caused embarrassment and frustration when people like a transit clerk cannot understand why I cannot buy a ticket and yells at me for it. I am in my sixties and of course if I could do it I would. Stress really causes my cognitive function to go down. I have bad migraines, fibromyalgia, neuropathy and balance issues which I have been told are connected to the neurological impact of the tbi. Together they make daily living a challenge. It would be easy to spend all my days resting which I did for several years. The pain can be brutal. I find a hour of brain challenging games or puzzles each day really helps my level of functioning. It really has made a positive impact over the past two years that I have been doing them. Faith as someone mentioned earlier is such help in reaching some level of acceptance and peace with my condition. This site is such an inspiration and helps me feel like I am not going crazy and there are people who get it in a way that nobody else can. Look forward to hear more from fellow travelers.