21 years of recovery.

I too had a brain aneurysm 25 years ago went back to work. It is a slow journey but worth the work I have seen two grandchildren I a. A volunteer inmy community and work hard at keeping my mouth shut after traumatic brain injury you become unfiltered with your comments snd words. Thanks to my friends for understanding my road

My moderate TBI was 31 years ago. Most of the recovery was in the first 1.5 years, including rewiring filters (fixing overreacting, emotional walls). "Complete" recovery took 8-10 years. My recall and memory for words is still a bit dented. There is commonly a lack of initiation with head injuries; it is important to keep learning and growing because rewiring does take time and work. The brain does (slowly) heal and grows new connections through life.

I’ve been there, 12 years ago, but I’m alive. 12 years ago I had a bicycle accident, one block from my house. I was now a TBI member and lost on my brain, but every day became better if my memories, understanding, knowledge, doing. It’s hard, even today and my family, special my wife that helped for the last 12 years ago. But my ability passes of my lost inside my mind leaving me to the last 25% is back. But they other 75% gives me some long times and get part of it.

I had a TBI and I know what you mean about "unfiltered" language. I lost a few friends that way. Any political correctness I had went out the window and sometimes I used old fashioned words which you can't use now. It got better with time but I was always an honest, straight forward person. I must admit, outspoken as well. I have epilepsy now and truth be told, I think some of my friends stayed away because they were terrified that I might have a seizure in front of them. They are Abscence Seizures and are controled by meds. My lover of 6 years saw me have one and kicked me to the curb 2 months later. I had never been ditched before and I did not like it. I felt embarrassed and humiliated. So much for trying to be sexy.

Hi, @crawford - that sounds challenging to have your language go unfiltered involuntarily.

You talked about having absence seizures, and just wanted to mention that you might check out the Mayo Clinic Connect Epilepsy & Seizures support group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/epilepsy-2bb359/ and some of the discussions there.

You mentioned sometimes you used old-fashioned words after your TBI. What are some examples of words you used, and how did others respond?

I wrote a reply that was very inoffensive to anyone and this site deleted it. The Woke police came and took away my freedom of speech. What I said may have been helpful to someone and they were more interested in being politically correct. Shame on them!

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Hi, @ricj - I believe today it's been even more hours and days since your TBI Brain Day, which I assume is the time you experienced your traumatic brain injury (TBI). I noticed in another discussion you talked about falling off a ladder cleaning gutters.

It seems that you've had many kind and helpful people around you to help you with your recovery, which is great.

Thanks for your encouragement to anyone new to having a TBI that they will get through this and get better all the time, though they will experience good days and bad days.

@ricj - What things, medical or otherwise, do you feel have been critical to your TBI recovery to the point you are at now?

Hello @lisalucier, What was critical to my TBI recovery is a great question. Medically it was really wonderful hospitals, doctors, nurses and therapists for sure, but that goes without saying. Family, friends and coworkers staying with me was critical as well, but for me it was never giving up.

Aphasia, is my main side event, I talked like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets. So I listening to albums from my favorite bands and sang with them. While watching TV news I talked about the story as if the reporter and I were having a conversation. I would do much the same thing while listening to the radio in the car. And, just as importantly, I read aloud.

My second side event is short-term memory, I started a new hobby. Bought a mandolin (an instrument I knew nothing about) to learn a brand new thought of mind. Learning to read sheet music to chord, pick or strum notes. For a simple song, took me hours daily before I didn't need to use that sheet music for every measure. Took another month (or two) before that songs sheet music were stuck in a notebook instead of next to my lap.

Eight years after my injury, I discovered more therapy still to come.
1) I joined the Mn. Brain Injury Alliance Speaker Bureau to help alert the general public about brain injuries.
2) The Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center, where I had my speech & occupational therapy, had a TBI support group. I went to my first meeting 14 years ago and haven't stopped, not only as a member, but now as the facililitor.

Those two items above has become my own self preservation therapy. 21 years ago I was told that recovery is a 1 - 2 real process, I am here to tell you that recovery is a life time process. Will aphasia and short-term memory ever leave me alone, or continue to be pain in the neck? Will I ever get back to 100% of my pre-injury self? I don't know, I'm "pretty" good at where I am now, knowing that as long as I don't give up, I will gain. Remember that old phrase "If you snooze you lose". I refuse to lose what I worked so hard to achieve, so moving forward is my daily routine.

Very happy for you. May 7 2024 was 10 years for me after a craniotomy for access in my left temporal lobe. This was a positive life transformational event but not always easy