
Brain Injury Support Group
Traumatic brain injury occurs when a sudden trauma causes brain damage. TBI can result from a closed head injury or a penetrating head injury. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. Outcome can be anything from complete recovery to permanent disability or death. A coma can also affect a child's brain.
i also have pseudo permanent memory loss from much worse head injuries from when i was a kid. only snatches of it have come back, and in no particular order. if i see photos from back then i can recall. its like medicine, but mostly its blackness for everything before those accidents. when i do recall its like light in a tunnel and it illuminates even more memories. or like that lead thing a person wears for x-rays being lifted off. except with this its lifted off my brain. i feel happier and can think a zillion times clearer. i think that is the neuron connections coming together, and that is why its so many snatches happening in bunches.
Recently some one asked me me what year i graduated and I just stared blank; I could not remember. I talked with my husband about the dates; I am struggling to relearn the dates I graduated.
Also anything dealing numbers is hard. Math issues are lost. Recently I have had some success using the calculator and the phone. But oh it is so hard to find the numbers on the key pad.
I pray You are blessed with remembering or at least being able to be comforted in some way if the memories do not come back. What do you want to remember?
It might help to talk to your husband about how the kids are effected and ways to help the kids cope. Kids love attention and time with their parents.
For a child not remembering him may make him feel unloved or cared for. He needs assurance he is loved by his father.
It can be hard for a tbi person to reach out of himself. We are struggling so hard to survive and heal.
I think one of the things i have observed about family's and couples that survive trauma is that the injured person verbalizes to their family that they need time to heal but they also interact with their family in positive ways.
My husband and I make a point to spend time together. He helps me catch up on my reading by reading to me. I go to events with him. I am usually just a body in a chair; but he likes me with him.
I also try to find others to help me; so my husband has some brakes from taking care of me.
Maybe as a family you can make new memories together. Make it a big deal to help the family make new memories. I bet the kids would love to do this.
Best wishes from the heart.
Hang in there.
I guess our situation is going to be very difficult. My son and I live in another state than his father. We are no longer married but are extremely close friends.
His 2 younger children live in the same state and see him once a week. So they are working on building new memories.
Since we live 8 hours away we do not see him as often and it is very hard. Our 16 year old son is realizing that it may be very difficult to build any new memories or even a new relationship with us being so far away. I try to keep him encouraged but he is old enough to understand what is going on and what has REALLY happened. The other children are smaller and really do not understand.
Thank you so much for the encouraging words.
We are hanging in there, the best that we can.
I have a very long history of head injury.My first at age 12 last age 37 ,these both tbi.I am now 44.
And yes I have memory lose . Short term memory is good for about 3 days and long is patchy at best.Yes triggers do help sometimes it's words, pictures, storys which act as triggers .These triggers can lead to a trail of memorys which can be connected or non related. These I write down and keep track as they do not always form a complete circle or time frame.Triggers can also be smells, sensations nurmerous other things.I was foggy this last tbi for about 6 years.Fog has lifted memorys are coming back even more. Lost no they were hidden til triggers can release them for me. I do hope you have the same fortune and they come back for you.
ON THE OTHER SIDE I HAVE TO GO BACK AND FEEL MY TOOTHBRUSH TO SEE IF IT IS WET BECAUSE I WON'T REMEMBER ONE MINUTE LATER IF I BRUSHED MY TEETH OR NOT!! WHERE DID THIS LITTLE "I PROMISE TO BE NICE COME FROM? PERSONALLY, "I QUTEE" WANT TO "VENT" AND THAT SOMETIMES IS NOT SO NICE!!!!!!! WHO WROTE THAT? DOES IT COME UP UNDER EVERYONES COMMENt BOX? I HAVE NEVER NOTICED IT BEFORE!! I HAVE A HEADACHE
AS I WRITE, THAT "3" PAIN KILLERS HAVE NOT AFFECTED AT ALL!!! BUT THE MAN WHO CAUSED MY INJURY IS SITTING IN PANAMA FLORIDA AS WE SPEAK WATCHING MY PRECIOUS GRANDAUGHTER PITCH IN THE "JUNIOR NATIONAL GIRLS SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT! grrrrrrrr!!!!I DON'T FEEL VERY NICE RIGHT NOW? WHOEVER IS ASKING ME TO BE NICE, SHOW YOURSELF PLEASE!!!! I DON'T FEEL NICE, SWEET OR LADYLIKE TODAY SO i GUESS I BETTER GET OFFLINE!!
"IMAGINE THAT!!!!
Hypnotheropy and rapid eye movment are 2 ways that old memories can be recoverd.
I myself have a long term memory that makes people angry because i can remember the littlest of crappy details from 15 years ago.
My short term is very bad still 2 n 1/2 years after my injury I forget so much.It is very frustrating .
I Understand all memeory issues are hard to live with .
But i do feel in your hubby's case it would be so much harder !
forgetting your kids or a chunl of life altogehther would have to be about the worsed.
Try rapid eye with him it might just work.
All the best ,
daz
It's been 21 months since my TBI. I was married for almost two years when it happened. I have no memory of falling in love (my first husband died, that I remember), my honeymoon or moving from NY to MD. I remember almost everything else (except for my times tables - that was a b'tch relearning)
I still have no "in love" feeling for my husband. I've tried, he won't give up, but I had to come to a decision. I can't live my life waiting to feel or remember. I decided to move on; with much guilt and remorse. kim