Tuesday, April 9, 2013

New Awareness of TBI

A few years ago, traumatic brain injury (TBI) was a foreign term to me. I never understood the implications. My knowledge on the subject consisted of what Hollywood portrayed. I thought it was perfectly normal to get hit on the head, get knocked unconscious, wake up, and be fine. Maybe a little lingering headache but that’s about it. Just look at any action movie or series out there.

When my husband suffered a TBI though, it was a different story. He didn’t wake up and go right back to normal. He didn’t wake up for 8 days. Then when he did, it was nothing like the movies. It also caused me to start doing all kinds of research on brain injuries. I was interested in their typical progress, but more than anything, I wanted to know how other people dealt with the changes in their loved one.

Specifically, I wanted to know from another wife’s perspective. How do you stay married to someone who isn’t the person you married? How do you go from being a wife to a mother of your husband? How do you go back to being the wife as he gets better? How do you deal with the mood swings and the verbal abuse? On the other hand, I was afraid to ask these questions because I was afraid the answer might be to leave him, and I wasn’t willing to do that.

Living with someone that has a TBI is a lifelong journey. Even if he fully recovers, life will always be different than it was before. But depending on your outlook, and your support system, that can be good or bad. I choose for it to be a good thing. I have a great support system, and most importantly, I have great faith in God. He has given me more strength than I ever could have found on my own. Where does your strength and support come from?

Visit my website at www.howisurvivedmyhusbandsbraininjury.com

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