Please help - anyone have experience with TBI recovery?

[marucya]

My husband had TBI in 9/2011, now he is in Rehab.Center. Because he has not improved functionally, they stopped doing phys.therapy, OT. He has some improvements - able to seat on recline chair, feeding through the tube, can eat applesauce, pure. Eye contact is very short, can talk, but mostly it is incoherent. Has anybody had the same experience?

[reduxinmaine]

Also, try to be nice to the staff, cna's & aides, and to share your love with them too... They have a hard job, but will open their hearts to your husband if you open yours to them, for the both of you.

They are the ones actually interacting with your husband on an hour to hour, day to day basis, and no one can care endlessly, even tho there are many great people in the healthcare profession (not all, and some burn out). It's important that your husband receive as much basic human care & emotional support as possible in this vulnerable state.

[reduxinmaine]

Hi, I think you should really use your judgement as to whether YOU think he can improve and get better... If you feel that he can "come back" from this injury to whatever degree so that he can be more "him" then try to help him as much as you can. Rehab can start back up again after a "plateau" phase and rehab should not stop as prematurely as it often does, so you are his advocate to try to help him as much as possible.

I am not religious, but I think prayer is really important in times like these, however you determine that to be, whether it is to god, or to the loving force in us all. Sometimes we have to accept the worst. But we must make sure that our hearts are full, even when they are breaking. You love your husband, so try to show him that love thru eye contact and touch to bring him back, to help his brain to reorder itself so that he can find himself again. It may not be possible. It might be. Do everything you can, and try to get as much help as you can from the staff at the rehab. They may start pushing you to Long Term Care. This is a very scary and difficult time, and they just make it harder a lot of the time.

You may need to look for long term care on the one hand if the facility does not do both rehab and LTC  (ask everyone for suggestions, visit, research on the web) while fighting for more rehab on the other hand. You can provide some low-level rehab on your own if you can devote the time.

Research, research research

Advocate, advocate, advocate

Look for agencies in your state that can help with TBI issues

Try to take some time for yourself, so that you can be strong while you're going thru this. You need to care for yourself to, and find the strength within you to heal your own heart, use every little bit of love you have ever received as a guide, and let that love into your heart. These are difficult waters, and you will need to remember that you are loved and that you have love for others.