What Do You Do With a Broken Brain? Part II

Each brain is unique, but there are some things all Traumatic Brain Injuries have in common: The Neural fatigue, memory issues, processing difficulties, and the fact that with the right conditions the brain can heal itself drastically within the first few months following the accident and continues to heal itself more gradually as time passes. That's why all the restrictions the first six months.

People bring different strengths and weaknesses to the recovery process. One way of looking at differences in people is to look at their ability to solve problems. Psychologists use IQ tests to measure this. A 100 score is an average score. Supposing I had a 130 IQ score (smarter than 99 out of 100 people), then dropped so that I have a 100 IQ (smarter than 50 out of 100 people), I still get to contribute to society in noticeable ways.

(Although when I consider my older sister, whom I think once tested at a 46, she contributes more than her fair share to society in that from her I have learned tolerance, patience, kindness, compassion, that it's okay to ask for help sometimes, that hard work and determination can help a woman with an IQ of 46 to learn how to spell her name and work a job. That a smile can brighten the day of anyone around you, and often paves the way for acceptance and mutual understanding between you and a stranger. As they say, no one is ever a stranger to her, and I have seen some very mean and angry-looking people crack a smile when she announces her name and sticks out her hand for them to shake it. She's braver and stronger than I am, and I don't think the fact that she isn't even intellectually aware of that is relevant at all). 

But in general, having a higher IQ tends to help in recovery because you're more likely to at least score

normally after brain injury rather than requiring Special Education, if you know what I mean. The neuropsychologist says that the trouble for me is that I realize I'm different than I was before, so I have a hard time dealing with it emotionally sometimes. I'm used to doing certain things quickly and easily. He says someone who had a lower IQ to begin with tends not to notice the little changes as much. In general, good grades in school is a promising sign of how well you can do. A college diploma is great because it shows that I'm used to getting and doing homework, learning new things and following through to apply them. The variable is whether or not I actually choose to do what needs to be done.

Some doctors say recovery takes 6-9 months, but that's from a physical standpoint. Neuropsychologists look at complex thinking and very subtle changes in behavior.They look for changes in thinking or memory. Research on these tests  that I've found indicates that for two years following a head injury there's evidence of improving scores. After the two years, they don't see large changes in scores. People don't stop getting better after two years, but the changes tend to be very subtle. For example, fatigue tends to be a long-term problem. From the second to the third year following the injury, people report their fatigue is less noticeable. Mine already feels much more manageable than it did even three months ago.

A lot of what brain rehab does is improve skills they can, and teach coping skills for what they can't change. Examples include memory techniques and organizational strategies. Basically, no one ever really "graduates." They learn the tools to continue with their own recovery. But people who get treatment do heal faster and do better on tests. 

Change is part of life. We're always changing. If you have your appendix out, the scar never completely goes away. When I was pregnant with Stuart I had an emergency c-section, and that cut through some muscle, so I'm never going to look like Jessica Alba on the beach (luckily, I did not look like her before, so I don't miss it any!) That scar is part of me. As we get older, some of our skills are less effective over time. We know we're not as strong or quick; our stamina or memory isn't as good as when we were younger anyway. If you ask, "Am I 100% of what I was at 18?", no one is. The aging process is gradual and happens over time. We learn to accept this as part of life. The unfairness of brain injury is that the change happens so suddenly, and it does throw your perspective off.

It's like running a marathon. A marathon is 26 miles; you can't sprint 26 miles. You have to pace yourself and keep as positive an attitude as you can along the way. When I worked for The American Cancer Society, I talked to a lot of people with some pretty extreme and devastating forms of cancer, and I know from that experiences that two people do not recover from the same version of that disease in the same way, nor in the same amount of time, but 100% of those people who have a positive attitude heal better and faster than those who don't. So maintaining a positive attitude is a survival technique.