Let's Talk About It

I had a diffuse TBI and that means it's difficult to know which areas of my brain are affected. That makes it almost impossible to guess, beforehand, how my brain might respond in different situations. Will I react properly? Will I properly understand what's happening around me?

Of course, I'm always accumulating experience. That means, over time, I get better at judging what I'm ok with and what I need to be aware of. But, to help me recover better, any new situation requires something else. And I have been lucky enough to have access to that something else, someone to talk about things with.

I am particularly lucky because my someone is, in fact, two people: my wonderful parents. With them, I can talk about who I saw each day, what we discussed and, most importantly, how they reacted to what I said and did. That's important because I need to make sure that I'm responding as best I can, both in many social situations and in many working situations.

I am also lucky because my brain injury has left my personality largely unchanged. That means, in most situations, I am usually just the same old Mike I always was. Many TBI recoverers might find that their reactions, before and after their TBI, are sometimes very different. I hope, however, that those recoverers also have someone to talk with about stuff and to listen whole-heartedly to what they have to say.

Cheers,
Mike