Traumatic Brain Injury Basics

I was in a horrific car accident in 1988. Broken pelvic bone & exploratory surgery resulting in removal of my gallbladder. My head was hit, slammed against the car door plus the ground when I landed from a 200 feet throw from the vehicle. I was never told I sustained brain injury. It was never addressed in any manner. For years since I suffer severe headaches. I can retain information but its difficult depending on the information. As badly as I hate to admit this there have been outburst of anger that are uncontrollable. After the outburst my brain feels like an electrical storm. It hurts severely. My question is do I have possible signs of brain injury. If so what can I do to relieve the pain & pressure I feel. I've never talked about this to anyone. Thank you. My email is gingerl_taylor@yahoo.com Please contact if you can help

I am 25 years old and and 20 years ago my father fell from his bicycle without wearing  a helmet.

He was in the hospital for 5 months and came out the shell of  person.  He lost the part of his brain for personality.  He has no emotion and remembers nothing but of his childhood.  He lived with my aunt for 20 years and then started getting into trouble for loitering and shoplifting.  Nothing serious but enough for business owners to call the cops.

My sister and I have had him for almost a week now and dealing with him and getting his affairs in orders has been the most difficult tasks of my life.  We are putting him in long term care as he also smokes and attempts to hitch hike.

Some days I don't know how to make it through.

Thanks I enjoyed reading from others. I am recovering but always reminded of deficits of TBI.

My dad was in an accident and suffered a severe TBI. I love coming to this page and being able to read about the brain it gives me hope. This page inspired me to start a blog for him about his recovery and what not. Brianplatts.blogspot.com

I was the victim of a drunk-driving car accident almost 2 years ago. I was 17 years old at the time. The ironic thing about being in this accident was the drunk driver was one of my close friends driving the car intoxicated. He turned in an intersection at the wrong time and the car collided at the exact area where I had been sitting, in the passenger's backseat. I was instantly unconscious, and rushed to the ICU. I had my hair cut due to all the glass that was in my skull. I had bruises and cuts all over my face. The surgeons had did a cat scan on my brain and had came to the assumption that I would need brain surgury. I was then transported to the hospital in the largest city in the state of alabama. (I also had surgury on my broken pelvis). When I got to the bigger, more advanced hospital, they did thier own cat-scan and concluded that brain surgury was not needed. According to the doctors, I suffered a mild TBI but never-the-less, i still have lingering symptoms going on two years later. Some of my shorter term symptoms included: excessive crying, profane behavior, belligerency, short temper, migraines, no humor, and self isolation. Before experiencing these symptoms I dont even remember. I did not come back to conciousness of reality until 12 days after the accident. Within these 12 days following my accident, I did not even know my own mother, the one I have been supported by for 17 years. I did not recognize nobody for that fact. I told my twelve year old sister I would harm her, and I called my mother such things as a stupid ass bitch, ect. I had really hurt people emotionally in this time that is all quite a blur when i think about it. During the time of the accident, I was less than two months away from graduating the 11th grade. I was unable to return to school that year, and my school determined that in order for me to pass the 11th grade, I would have to take it over in the 2013-2014 year. However, my nuero-physocolgist told me this would be unlikely to be successful. so , what am I to do? I am now sueing my ex-close friend's car isurance company, and he's going against me. I dont understand why he would do this- Its not like im sueing him or he would have to pay anything, besides maybe a little bit more on his car insurance. I am having a hard time gathering my thoughts because the depostion for this is next friday, and Im not sure how to make the words sum together and flow properly, to describe my pain and suffering. Can anybody help me? please? It would be greatly appreciated.

Yes. Crainal scaral therapy. I received this treatment twice a month. I am now able to work and take care of myself. Over the last 10 years since my TBI I have done many things. Kinesiology is a big one.

Good luck. If you live in Illinois the doctors are hard to find or give meds to make it worse. My fiance was left for dead on the railroad tracks a train came by and hit his head. We are still working on getting the right doctor. Its been 7 years already

Hello everyone! I have a question , I suffered a TBI when I was about 1 to 3yrs of age and when I became about 7 yrs old my parents moved and my parents stopped taking me to the doctor for TBI and I was never allowed to live as a disabled person. Of course I am 40 now and I need my  social security and keep being denied. I live in Texas and have even been told by the Texas DARS that there is no help for people like me. I do have a lawyer that was so hard to get , no one would touch it and they only took my case because I was refered by someone. Does anyone know why this is happening to me or what I can do about it?

My sister n law was in a bad car wreck five years ago causing her to lose thirty percent of her brain they said her brain works like a fish now,but five years later she can now blink her eyes at you she looks around the room an can move her head to answer for yes and no I'm researching to see if there's anything we can do to help her an if she'll ever come out of it,I know she will be in a wheelchair because over the yrs she lost a leg an her other foot is bent in her hands are also bent in but I'm hoping shell be able to talk again one day.

I am 30 year old male. I have experienced 2 TBI's. My first one happened back in 2005, the second in October of 2010. I also was diagnosed with Leaukemia when I was 5-12. My first Tbi changed my life forever. I was riding a 4wheeler ( no helmet). I don't remember what or how it happened, my friends came to find me face down and bleeding out of every hole from the neck up. I was in a coma for 16 days and hospitalized for about 3 months including rehab. I had multiple scull fractures, 3 strokes and a number of surgeries. I was told I was going to be a vegetable the rest of my life and probly never walk again, here I am driving, walking and living on my own. Why am I still alive I don't know a strong will to live I guess. My 2nd TBI resulted in me falling and my head bracing the fall right against the pavement. After that the dr told me to stop drinking alcohol in any amount. have lost feeling in my right side, loss of hearing in my left ear, balance issues etc. Going through this I've come to realize that this is going to be a part of my life forever. It is a daily struggle with ups and downs emotionally and physically every day. I have learned to never give up, keep trying and as hard as it is I try to stay happy.

Hi, I have a husband who at age 51 was involved in a car accident.  Dr stated the jar to his head was as if a truck was dropped off a 4 story bldg.  His is an enclosed brain injury.  We were happily married, Jim was my rock, my best friend!  We were married only 12 years when this happened.  We are going on 25 years but I still cry many nights & am so lonely.  He has no sense of humor, no needs/wants for any affections, doesn't comprehend $$,  as for family issues he refuses to deal with my kids, period.  I mourn the man he was, I am not happy with the man he has become?  I stay with him because I remember who he was when we married, I feel angry, so angry at GOD that I have pulled away from our church.  It's harder now as he ages. His grown kids think he is just fine, my kids want me to leave him find happiness again.  My happiness is with grandkids but I miss my man, I miss him every single day~~~

I got my TBI from not wearing a helmet on a quad/ATV crash on the 4th of July 2013. I got severe brain trauma. I was in a coma for a month. They told my parents "we don't know if she will be OK, will live." Fractured 6 of my ribs, also 8 of my virtabre, put a hole and or hurt my kidney's, liver, pancreas (which I really hate because I'm diabetic and that is the organ that produces insulin, which from being diagnosed with diabetes it does not produce it, I have to inject it into me, in shots), "deflated" a lung, my right one. My voice used to be higher, now I have a deeper voice, I sound like a man. I now, every day several times a day, get very bad headaches, I think there called migraines. I have a very very bad problem with short term memory. Anything around the day I hurt my brain I can't remember right now, I will some day. Which kind of really makes me mad! I don't remember losing my virginty in the 11th month 2012 or ANY sex I've ever had. I used to think I never have, but my ex boyfriend told me he did take it. I appreciate that I'm alive though. My speech was bad, people like my mom would have to say what a lot. I'm going to therapy though. Speech, physical for my balance problems and whatever she thinks I need and cognitive. I really didn't know or mean it, I didn't say the T's in stuff, like tha(T). And sometimes when I say "the", it sounds like "DA." And I have a really bad problem with cursing, way more than before my accident... And there's words NOW that are my favorites. Like AWESOME, I say that way to much, and the F word. And by the way, since my accident, no one has talked to me said "I'm glad you didn't die", I have no friends. Just 1 friend, Tom. And my whole life I was writing with my right hand, but now I'm shaky so I'm a leftie. I view the whole thing as, old heather died that day, but new BETTER heather has been born. I remembered my name, where I live, my home phone number... I guess it wasn't bad enough to make me forget that important stuff. I didn't get retardation. When I walked I'd drag my foot. But there is helping a lot!!!! I know now, that I forget to say the T's, so I repeat myself. Lately people can understand me. And with my WHOLE right side, its bad... My right hip area hurts, the right side of my brain hurts very bad, sometimes my back hurts, upper which is where I fractured my spine. When I crashed I got the worst damage to my right side. Because when I crashed, it flipped over, fell on me, on my right half of my body. I now like and dislike foods. With for example shrimp, love that still. And chocolate milk, I pretty much have to have it in every meal. But some of the foods I liked before I crashed, I don't like: won't eat. And I guess that accident changed me. I've been bisexual since I was about 12 I'm now 19, dated way more men, but now I think I'm a lesbian. And I used to be selfish, took my empathy and didn't care, only cared for myself... But now I care for everyone. Like the guy in my therapy, for some reason has a hard time walking... I feel bad! And my kitty kitter, I spend a lot of time with her. Before, I didn't really care, but now... That's been my cat since I was 5, she is 13 and I know she is gonna pass away soon... So I put her on my lap a lot, and even though she doesn't know what I'm saying, I out loud say "I love you kitter" because before she does unfortunately die, I love her I want her to live a happy life. And the music I like, metal and hard core heavy rock, stayed the same. Same favorite band: avenged sevenfold, WSOU on the radio 89.5 I still listen to A LOT. But what kind of sucks, is the medicine they put me on to help my brain, makes me poop hard, and makes my breath smelly, even after I brush my teeth "heather your breath smells." What did change that is great... Is I now want a job very bad, I dropped out of school when I was 16, so now I (have to) want to get my G.E.D. And my cat kitter, I pet a lot now, where as before I'd ignore her. I used to party to much, so I'd ignore every living thing in my home. What I did, drank and smoked, I have to wait until I'm done with therapy, so I've been sober for a year. And what I hate a lot, is that I literally can never sleep. Just lay down like right now, and go on the internet on my phone, or tell myself I hate how I have to wait... The articles at therapy (the best brain hospital in NJ the state) say TBI people get better around 2 years. Already delt with not sleeping for a year, so another 1 is fine. And something that bothers me from this, is a have not great vision. Always been "perfect seeing" but now I have a really hard time seeing far away. I can read small stuff just fine like on my phone, but say airplanes are blurry. See what I mean? I have to ask my mom a lot "what is that?!" I truly can't see very well... And to do surgery on my head, they shaved half my head, on the right side. D': my brain swelled, they took part of my skull out for a month, which is crazy. I really don't remember feeling any pain. When my brain got hurt, "it shut down, didn't allow yourself to feel any pain, or remember that day" I really don't remember that day... Going to my dad's, getting on his quad, going to Taylor's the day before. There's a lot of after effect's, maybe I'll post again. Heather Ann Smith (:

I was in a major car accident in 91 among other injuries I had a 3rd class brain injury and caused injury to ny optic nerve....it's been 23 years and this is the major issue I have progressively gets worse(that and mood stabilization) has anyone else had vision loss due their tbi wondering of if I'll just eventually go blind

on july 10th 2010 my son was a victim of a brutal attack he was attacked with a claw hammer to his head, which he was left paralysed down his left side, hes now done marvelous and can walk with aid but his left arm has limited movement and left hand has no movement, my son was a mechanic before this happened now hes unemployed he suffers epilepsy an has just come out of hospital with having meningitis due to having a plate fitted on his skull. he's so bright in so many ways but his health now lets him down for any kind of work as he sleeps 16hours a day and has 10-50 mini seizures a day, his mood swing are dreadful i dont know if he wakes up with ocd, adhd or torrets, i cry most days as people tell me about his behavior when he goes out.. i put it down to peoples ignorance of the injury hes sustained because not all of it is visual 

To the person that was in a car accident, please don't be upset that you say everything on your mind it's not your fault, you can't help it , you have many people that care for you and will accept you for who you are. ♥️♥️ Much love ❤️

my son was 17 when he was stabbed he suffered anoxic brain injury was in a coma for 3 weeks then got his ĺast rites but somehow he pulled through my heart was broken having to get used to a different person that was so hard one i didnt recognise memories of my son before brain injury were fading.my son suffered another attack which left him with tbi e has been through so much but still standing strong he suffers all the things that comes with brain injury.i havnt come to terms or accepted yet what has happened to my son dont no if i ever will. we hav good facilities here in scotland. its stilĺ earĺy days but i believe my son was brought back for a reason it helps me to carry on fighting and i will never give up hope without hope there is nothing

My brother got thrown out of the back of a pick up truck when the driver slammed on the breaks. He was one of the first to survive the brain surgery  and the doctor told us to be careful of what you wish for . I thought the doc was a jerk but he was right . This accident ruined all our lives. My brother is still super smart could write a book if he had the memory . He is off and annoying has OCD but  the real problem is he has no where to go that he is accepted.  His doctors seem to want to get him out of the office just as fast as the rest of us don't want to deal with him. Now 22 years after his accident and Mom and all of the siblings are getting to old too take care of the crazy one. Where do you go?  Head injury is not a mental illness . 

am 33 years old when i was 8 i was ran over takin to alder hey them to walton hosp put on life support i pulled thow but my mum n dad was told the worst but i was allright i could still talk walk but have fits n my head bangs mum n dad say i am two people 1 min i am lovely the next i am a cow i do find every day life hard but i have been with my boyfrind for 17 years dont no how  he puts up with me  i also have a son in a wheelchir who is 14 years old cant walk has celebpasly but i have looked after him never had help of any 1 n dont need help with him he helped me i lot made me who i am

I was in a car accident 3+ yrs ago and sustained a mild TBI. Since then, I lost my job and am now disabled and still hoping symptoms (mostly headaches and anxiety) will go away. "They" say 3-5 yrs, like it's nothing but my life will never be the same. I'm one of the lucky ones they tell me. I agree with you-there needs to be more support out there. No one is even talking about it and there's no cure. Just wait and hope. Bless you for hanging in there. My moods and crazy behaviour did improve after about a yr and a half. I had a good support system of family and I made sure I made all the appointments: physical, occupational and speech therapy. I'm not sure how much it did for me but getting myself out of the house and continuing to move was helpful. Hang in there. Praying for you all. Laura Hanlin.laura@yahoo.com

My husband had a TBI earlier this year. He has improved tremendously physically. After seeing him trying to feed himself and walk by himself i thought we were home free. Thanking God everyday things could have been worse. But, he is having anger problems, paranoia and obsessiveness. For some reason, he is so scared of losing me that he thinks i am going to leave him. He accuses me of other men. I love this man with all my heart and have no plans to leave him but it has gotten so bad that i have had to get medication to help me not have a mental breakdown. i can not convince him that he needs help. he is already on an antidepressant and does not want to take any more meds. we get in arguments from the accusations and it is very hard for me to work due to the phone calls and emails accusing me of such things. Like so many of the other caregivers on this site and  others that i have been searching, there is no warning for the caregivers and no help in my small town. All i do is pray each day for healing for him and patience for me. i feel we will survive.   It would be wonderful if the hospitals and doctors would give handouts  or some kind of warning to patients and their care givers that have had head injuries that our lives have changed forever as we knew it.  I would also love to know if anyone else is going through this particular problem. God bless everyone.

My boyfriend was involved in a fight and suffered a TBI in May 2013. Since then it has been an uphill battle. He has recovered quite well, but suffers from depression, anger and is very emotional (crying, yelling, physical at times). He went back to work so he has really tried to acclimate back to regular life, and we live together, which is VERY stressful sometimes. He has a major meltdown about once or twice a month, so bad to where I wonder if I can do it any longer? But then I think back to when he was in the hospital and I just knew I couldn't love anyone more than I love him. I know its selfish, but sometimes I just want out because it gets so crazy and hard, I know that probably makes me an awful person. Its nice to read other stories of the significant others going through the same things.

My boyfriend of 4 years recently ( in the last 4 months) had an scooter Accident and received skull fractures and tbi . He is very angry and does like to be touched and can't sleep is this normal , especialy the touching part? Thank everyone for sharing .

I have been married 12 years, and my husband has had a severe brain injury for six of those years. The last few years of our marriage has been really hard. He is aged 58 years and is starting to experience noticeable cognitive decline.  He has a good heart, but I don't know if I can stay married to him. 

Thank you for this post. I have been seeking answers for my 17 yr old son, who had a malformation removed last year. He had started having partial complex seizures, headaches and memory loss. Thank God he had the best neurosurgeons and neurologists around. It was terrifying for him and the whole family. He was only 15 when the seizures started to become obvious. They had been subtle before, apparently, and I always suspected something but didn't know that seizures weren't just the grand mal ones. He was already acting more angry and I thought it was just hormones. After a successful craniotomy and resection he was seizure free. But, now he still has short term memory loss, depression, and has a hard time controlling his temper. He tells me he wants to, but doesn't know how. I've put him in counseling and would love if there was a support group of some kind in our area. I want to help him, but I feel helpless. I feel like he's given up on himself. From an A and B student, to failing grades . He's a good kid, doesn't hang out with the wrong crowds, and won't even say a cuss word. He believes in God with all his heart, and fills that he doesn't "fit" in with the rest of his peers. Reading some of this feedback has certainly let me know that we are not alone. I believe that God will continue in my son the good work He has started. :-)