What is it like to have a brain injury?

By Jean Oostrom

Since my brain injury in 1997 I have always wanted people to ask me “What is it like to have a brain injury?  The answer to this question changes depending where people are on their personal recovery path.

Early in recovery the answer might have been written like this?

Having a brain injury can be confusing because I can’t understand why I can perform a task one day, and not the next, so I am always thinking that my recovery must not be progressing forward.

Having a brain injury can be painful especially when I go to that place “where the brain has had enough”, and my whole body seems to be in pain and sleep seems to be the only thing that allows recovery to continue.

Having a brain injury can be lonely because nobody seems to want to talk about my brain injury and how it is affecting my daily life.

Having a brain injury can be terrifying, because no one includes me in the recovery process. People need to know that I can make decisions about my recovery.  It would be nice if people would stop “telling me what to do” and “ask me what I might like to do” to move my recovery forward.

What is it like to have a brain injury TODAY 16 years post brain injury?

Having a brain injury is still confusing but now I know that although some days it seems that recovery might be going backwards, that during those times it may be the brain resting as it tries to relearn tasks that need relearning.

Having a brain injury is still painful so sleep has become a very important part of my life.  It is ranked right up there with food.  If I fall asleep in front of the TV…it is ok….it is the best sleep I am getting.  If I spend weekends sleeping to catch up from sleep missed during the week….it is ok.  Since I have 100% incorporated the importance of sleep in my life, living with my new brain is indeed less painful.

Having a brain injury is still lonely but now I educate other people about what is happening in my brain, and provide hope to other brain injured people.

Having a brain injury is still terrifying however, now that I have learned about brain plasticity and how I can train my brain to react differently, I have turned terror into New Brain Living.

To the Brain Injured Person:  What is it like to have a brain injury?  Share the answer to this question with the people who care for you.

To the People Who Care for the Brain Injured Person:  Please ask your brain injured person!!!  What is it like to have a brain injury? By asking this question it could make the difference in recovery.

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Email jean@newbrainliving.com