We have to be patient with our loved ones. He needs all the support and love he can receive from you right now, as his body is trying to recover. A good friend of mine, whom also has a tbi, was at the point of death. The doctors told him the only reason he did survive was because his mon was at his bedside daily, holding his hands, rubbing his arms, giving him kisses, etc. Never underestimate the power of love. It will heal. Continue to come back here! Everyone seems to offer awesome advice and support, and you'll learn so much that will help you help your husband. And also, the power of prayer should never be underestimated as well. Ask God for His help on this journey. I hope this helps. It's not easy, but you're not alone! God bless, and take care!

Greetings Anne, Sometimes all you can cling on to is hope, helping other possibilities emerge, for with brain injury it is an unknown field. We were given no hope with our son but eventually brought him home to rehabilitate him.
Read widely, never give up, and look after yourself as in extra nutrients, smoothies full of goodies (spirulina) Network, finding out who are the experts in this field in your area. A good therapist is worth their weight in cold.
From having to relearn everything our son now lives alone, works part time and has a quality of life one could never have dreamed of.
For us it was a labour of love, determination and sheer bloody minded ness that got us there but it extracted a very heavy toll on us.
I shall see if I still have names of books that I found useful, either for giving me ideas of what to do, feel good or text book.
Meanwhile ask the physio to show you how to exercise your husbands body, might as well do something useful when visiting, stimulating activities, for recovery is all about repetition, building new pathways.
Hang in, your strength will be sorely tested, but often doing the hard yards pays off.
All the best.

Welcome , Anne. I'm so sorry to hear of your husband's accident. He is at the very start of recovery. I used to belong to a live tbi chat room, and when a caregiver came in, we all said "an angel is here". Those of you who care for us are truly angels in disguise. The caregivers here have given you great advice; I just want to add a couple of practical things that helped me and others I have talked to. ( I am the one with the tbi - I have had three of them) .

First, bring in the familiar. I don't know how aware he is of his surroundings, and he may feeling scared. Bring in his favorite music. I'd start out by playing it quietly by his bed because you don't know how sensitive his hearing is. If he loves football, tape a game , then bring it in so he can listen to "touchdown for the patriots!" - that may jog his memory , too.

Recognizing voices is important, too. You didn't mention if he knows your voice or not, but you can say "Hi honey, it's me, Anne. The doctors said you're moving your eyes more than yesterday when i was here ". Then if a family member comes in , you can say "Look, your mom is here", then let mom speak to him for a few minutes so he'll come to recognize her voice ( and how it differs from yours). If different people have "pet" names for him - you call him "honey"; his best friend calls him "buddy", etc, make sure they use those words. When he is able to move more, you may find he gives a sign when a certain person is speaking, showing he knows the difference between him mom and you.

Voice recognition may become very important if , when he's more alert, he doesn't recognize faces. He'll need to put a voice to the face. i have total "prosopagnosia" - a long word meaning I don't recognize faces at All. I have literally walked by my daughter in a store while looking for her! I have to rely on verbal cues a lot. Even the littlest thing like ( my daughters) Amy calls me mOm while Rachel calls me mUm.

There are other things I can mention, but this is enough for now. Please take good care of yourself. If you can take a short break, do. Not only are you overwhelmed with what's happening now, but you may be also grieving for the person that seems to be lost right now. Be kind to yourself. If you are a believer, pray for strength and comfort . As Samantha said, God will help with this journey. ( My first memory after my second tbi was of a warm hand covering mine and praying. When I looked up, it was my doctor praying before another surgery. I can't tell you how comforting that was ).
If we/I can help you in any other ways, please let us know. Keep coming here ; we care and want to know how you are doing. -Holly

Books which might inspire or be helpful reading. . .
I'll Carry the Fork by Kara Swanson
Over My Head by Claudia Osbourne
You're A Dick Mummy by Ann Kidd
Paper Cranes
and helpful books - The Catastrophe of Coma, a way back by EA Freeman
A Guide to,Understanding head Injury by Kathleen Griffiths
Keep focused Anne8, our loving thoughts are with you, hoping you are caring for your own wellness too. You matter.

I just joined and yours was the first post I saw. My husband was in an accident in July 2003. I met him in August of 2004. I did not know him when the accident happened. I read his medical files and a daily journal his mother wrote. No one expected him to live. He was in a coma, he broke his neck and shattered his skull. He was non-communicative and later combative, easily angered, they had to restrain him for his safety. He would pull the IVs out and try to escape... he was discharged into a rehab hospital where he had to learn to walk again and talk. But today he is wonderful... he walks and talks and we have a child who is nine. My husband still has headaches, wears glasses now, and takes meds for ADHD (we think he was predisposed to this before the accident) he also takes meds to help him sleep better. But he works and has a very good career, and we bike and hike together often... we have a great marriage now with some hard work. The only reminders we have of his accident are the scars on his scalp and forehead, and sometimes his working memory is affected, because the injury was to his prefrontal lobe. He relies on me to remind him of things and keep track of things for him. I would say his recovery went from non-verbal, like you are describing your hubby, to almost completely normal. So I think that all things are possible, and it takes time and TONS of patience and love and gentle reminders. And lots of hope. I hope this is helpful for you.

I have not read the book Chicken Soup for The Soul Traumatic Brain Injuries, which was released in June or July of this year with 101 positive stories in it. Has anyone read it?