New to here after tbi last Feb

[Frenchmamma]

My daughter has just helped me to join, i fell and was in a coma for several weeks, but have been out of the coma for 8 months. Often I feel much better and just very tired, but every so sften I feel very worried and wonder how long it will be until I am normal. I try to accept that I might remain tired and unsure of myself for ever, but don t want to give up hope.

[Frenchmamma]

Been out of coma for 12 months, not 8 sorry

[Kirk5w7]

Hi Frenchmamma ,

Just what caused the coma was it a head injury, your recovery will depend on any brain damage that has occurred and only the medical profession can make a judgement on that.

Normal is something most of us are still striving for, I have brain lesions caused by encephalitis I was in a coma for 3 weeks and that was 5 years ago. I will never be the normal I was before but I am very close

The fatigue and other issues I have go hand in hand with a brain injury but I'm a lot better now. It takes time and not a set amount of time, brains don't heal like broken bones and diseases, everyone is different, it also depends on how you were before.

So, welcome we will help where possible this a fantastic support forum.

Take care Janet x

[Frenchmamma in reply to Kirk5w7]

Hello and thank you for your reply. I fell on tiles and fractured my skull and had a brain haemorrhage. My prognosis was not good, but everyone tells me I have made an amazing recovery so far. It's hard for me to see that because I don't remember anything about how bad I was. I just know I'm not like I used to be.

[steve55]

frenchmamma ive g

hospital about this, the reply was................how long is a piece of rope.

so my advice is dont push it too hard and dont expect too much too soon oh and dont forget the family who understand your problems...................us!!!!

steve

[jayne_h]

Try this book. Tina M Sullivan, Nourish Your Noggin. It is more for post concussion syndrome but it is about brain healing thorough use of herbs, spices and types of food which will feed the brain. It tells you about foods which harm the brain too.

Hope you feel better soon

[cat3]

Hello Mamma and welcome. Your last sentence in your reply to Janet, 'I just know I'm not like I used to be' means you are truly among people who understand. We've had expressions here on the forum for many years which are 'The New Me' and 'The Old Me', and that sums us up perfectly.

Recovery is mostly a psychological process. Though your poor brain will continue to search for ways around the damage to restore itself to its optimum functioning, you have two jobs to be getting on with.

Your first job is to help your brain to reach its highest potential by exercising it with word-games, memory exercises and puzzles ; anything which helps keep it active and searching for new pathways to 'sidestep' the damaged areas.

Your second task is to work hard on the business of 'acceptance' (of the new you). It's like the development of any new relationship, where the old one keeps beckoning, because it was so much easier to live with. Most of us here have struggled with this, and it's a big 'ask' of ourselves, but the only realistic way forward .

I hope you'll come to manage your difficulties by finding ways around/through your new obstacles and, for anything you find overwhelming, get any help you can access, whether that's counselling, medication or other. And never berate yourself for extreme fatigue ; it's inevitable and won't be ignored, so rest whenever you need to, with no apologies to anyone !

Keep coming back Mamma. Headway is where I come to feel accepted and 'normal' ; it's the safest place I know. Love Cat x