I didn't have the need to constanrly move. Maybe a good thing too as I couldn't due to the bones I broke but I too had to learn how to eat after a coma. It does sound like he is improving all the time, as I did hugely in the first few months after the accident. I know it must be awful for you but just be there for him. Things will calm down. He will keep improving as he is now. It is so early now. i AM 3 years after mine and I am so much better than I was before. I don't remember the intial few months but I have been told some stories. Just be there for him. Things will keep on improving

not only is this not one of the bizillion things to potentially worry about, this is a cause to rejoice! his brain is working, big time. the electrical circuitry is firing like mad, fiercely fighting to re-organize itself. movement equals muscle tone, equals strength equals vitality and therefor, health! the one to one supervision is fantastic! sounds like you're in a good place, luckily. civility and our own expectations don't apply, right now. let him be wacky and free of it all, while he's healing. and if possible, change your point of view, and have a little fun with all this absurd strangeness that's pouring out. i was a big fan of saying, 'not all of it, is bad.' my heart near bubbled over with love and laughter many many many times.

also, i tried to document as much of the phases my son went, through as possible. i have several fantastic recordings of him just raconteuring about the most imaginative and nutty things that i've ever heard in my life. it was fascinating and fabulous. the reason i bring this up, is, that there seems to be a period of disbelief with the Brain Injured, that any of this actually happened, because they don't remember a thing. the short term memory being very suspect. of course this is much further down the road but it's very very real and part of the emotional acceptance that must occur. good luck and rejoice, your guys is a fighter!

thanx so much "Bitemarks" I really needed to think of this in this way. You are so right. And yes I have been noting all the amazing phases thru this. It is just fascinating beyond belief. I know Danny will one day find it helpful and equally fascinating just because of the inquisitive natured person he is...thanx again!!!

He's lucky to be alive! It will get better, try to be patient. It feels like it takes forever. It's been almost 5 years for me. I was in a coma for 3 weeks. I'm just walking w/ a walker now after everything else, swallowing, talking, memory, etc. I haven't heard about his injury, so all I can say is brains recover amazingly, mine has so much! GOOD LUCK!

just wanted to let you guys know that Danny is now sleeping at night and the tossing and turning crazily has stopped. He still walks and walks ALL DAY LONG, but thats a good thing...except when we have to run beside him trying to put meds and food thru his feeding tube...lol

Bluequita thank the Lord for his movement. My daughter has the same diffuse axonal injury from 5 1/2 yrs ago and although she can speak somewhat, eat, drink she is paraplegic. She can move her right arm and right leg. She understands, but has short term memory. She gets frustrated, depressed and identifies herself for minutes at a time, she hasn't been able to walk or stand. We don't know if this was a lack of therapy in the nursing homes or what. She was in a coma for 3 wks but when she was released from the hospital to the nursing home, she could communicate by blinking her eyes and at that time she was able to move her limbs. Every month and a half to two months she had a UTI. She was sent to the hospital, treated till infection was gone, released back to the nursing home. This happen for several years. About 3 yrs ago she was sent to the hospital with another UTI. This time the attending physician proceeded to run several tests on her. The results were heartwrentching. He found she had kidney stones, problems with one of her lungs and cysts on her ovaries. Needless to say, she's on dialysis now with removal of one of her kidneys and the other stopped functioning after the surgery. She's had a hysterectomy/appendectomy due to the fact that her appendix had gotten inflamed and attached to her uteris. She's had some contractures in her hands and right arm that needed to have tendon releases and fusion on both hands. Her speech has gotten slow and low. She has gone to rehab facilities, but they were so far and in between hospital illnesses, there has been little improvement. Now, her head has tilted to the right that I haven't found any doctor of doing a tendon release on her neck. She's been like this for about 2 years. I'm depressed, frustrated that I just want to scream but instead I hold it in till I can't anymore and have a meltdown where I just cry. For about 2 yrs I had faith that she'd walk and be able to feed herself, but now, I feel she'll be in a nursing home permanently as I have an illness and I could not take care of her on my own, even with my husband's help. So keep your chin up, your bf is doing great!

I kept taking all the tubes out all the time, took the bed apart, busted the machines in my room, pulled all my stitches out etc. They had to tie me in bed and have a babysitter in my room 24/7 for a while. I don't remember a bit of this. They kept telling my wife it takes time and it does. He will improve.

I was put in a bed with a tent like thing over it that zipped from the outside so that I could not get out. I have no memory of trying to get out and walk around, but apparently I was trying. And then when they would let me out and put me in the wheel chair I wheeled myself all around...or scooted all around, was not cooridinated enough for wheeling.
Finally after many many rounds of physical therapy they would let me go on the treadmill so I could walk walk walk to my hearts desire. Sure I wasnt going anywhere, but it got the need for movement out of my system.
I dont flail around like I did, but to this day I have a hard time staying still. I am always bouncing or pacing or twiddling with my hands or constantly online just for something to do.
I was the goofy one that loved Physical Therapy and occupational therapy because i was moving and it was an activity. I couldnt concentrate for sure, but I was at least moving!
TBI is a game of patience. Its an annoying frustrating game, but in the end it is worth it.
I am only 15 months post. I still struggle with some things, but I a trying to love the new me.
Much love luck and strength to you all.
Kara

The only wacky thing I did while in the hospital was keep asking for my clothes so I could leave. I told them I had to feed my cat.

Most of the time I didn't know I was in a hospital. I thought it was a really bad hotel

Thanx all for your experiences, insight and advice. Kara you sound EXACTLY like my Danny! The netted bed, crawling outta bed, flailing, wheeling and walking!! Thank God for a place like this where we can read others experiences and know we arent the only ones!

Hi! Yes,Pam has to go for walks almost constantly and no sooner does she get back from one walk she takes off for another.The positive side is it keeps her healthy and fit.

oh yes definately.i was always movin they had me in a tent bed so i wouldn't keep almost fallin off.lol

My boyfriend suffered a very severe diffuse axonal injury back in April of last year, he still does not talk or walk and it took him 5 months to "wake" up so your boyfriend is doing considerably well. As for the thrashing around, it's a phase. It's basically called the aggitated confused phase on the rancho scale. My boyfriend went through that exact same thing from the time he woke up to about the middle of november..He had to be placed in a sitter room which he is still in to this day because he literally would fall out of bed if someone was not watching him. He would fling his legs over the bed or roll around and he had bruises everywhere from hitting his legs on the side railing. He's quite a lot calmer now but still has his moments of agitation. He now gets in a wheelchair and will wheel himself around and he does eat on his own. He tries to get out of the wheelchair sometimes though so he still pretty much has to have someone watch him all the time. Seriously though, for as severe as an injury as a DAI is, your boyfriend really is doing very very well. It just takes a lot of time and patience and believe me I know first hand how hard it is. Hang in there!

They also had me strapped down bc I to kept taking out tubes, and one time I bit into the pillow and tore it apart and threw it on the floor.I strarted yelling at it and the nurses came in. They asked about the pillow and I told them that some guy ran by the winddow and threw it in the window saying that the cops were chasing him. I later found out I was on the 3rd. floor : / On another night i was watching star trek and a nurse came in to turn off the tv and I freaked1 WAIT ! Don't! captain Kirk is in there! other times ,other things other wise I was perfectly content just laying there looking at tv. In fact I pretty much stayed in bedthje majority time of 2 months in hospital and 2 months in rehab.