Three Years Post TBI Update
My beautiful mother continues to live with my father and has improved incrementally. She continued physical therapy until about eight months ago. Mentally, she is incredibly sharp, very funny, and seems to have a very happy outlook on life. She is walking more naturally now, although she is still hesitant and has slight trouble with balance when she walks in shoes with higher heels or on uneven ground. She also needs to build up more strength in her legs and arms. She had been dehydrating herself and we still need to make sure she drinks enough water. She has had, over the last two years, three petit mal seizures (the doctors told us they were "fainting spells"), and one month after being put on a cholesterol lowering drug, her leg swelled and she was diagnosed with a blood clot. Around the same time, she had a grand mal seizure, so she is back on Dilantin. Thankfully, the Dilantin has not impeded her recovery at this point like it did in the beginning of the vegetative stage.
Her relationship with my father has never been better and their favorite activity is dancing together. They dance in their home, and go out dancing quite frequently.
She looks wonderful and is no longer in need of a nurse. She sometimes cooks for my dad and accompanies him shopping. My goal this year is to work with her on refinement skills in social situations. Sometimes she does not edit herself, and remarks can be made by her in public that can be a little embarrassing (although quite funny!) We are all truly grateful at how she has recovered.
Among other things, I have learned that brain injury survivors can improve after the one year limit that the doctors and therapists seem to predict. And, that it doesn't matter how old the survivor is, as long as they are strong and have a great support system. Don't ever give up!
