CHAPTER 19

2025-1-21

Question: Can brain injury patient recover fully?

Answer: It is really rare to have full recovery for a seriously brain injured patient.

It is very unlikely for me to regain some functions eight years after brain injury.

In the beginning of rehabilitation I attended an education workshop offered by the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver. The specialists pointed out that there were two expected outcomes from brain injury, as follows:

Fatigue. Brain Injury results in termination of many brain cells which are not replaced. They are gone forever. Their duties were taken over by other brain cells. Without new “staff”, the existing one has to work overtime since, and to learn the new skills to master the functions. With at least two jobs on hand, they suffer from fatigue.

Short-term memory’s compromised. The two outer sides of the brain are responsible for short-term memory. Brain Injury will very likely damage either one side or both of the brain, compromising the short-term memory. Upon hearing this, most of the responses from people are, “Weakening of memory is an expected outcome of aging, especially for short-term memory.”

Mine is more than that. Rather than being forgetful, a record is never made starting from the beginning. The metaphor is like, “How can a broken heart happen when there is never any one sided love.”

My trouble is that my brain does not keep records for instant, casual and trivial matters. For example, my attention will be diverted instantly when 1. something is laid down casually; 2. a new situation happens, or 3. a new thought appears. My son described my behavior as those with Attention Deficit Disorder. Indeed, I often have to reheat my drink inside the microwave oven.

When brief footage of unfinished business resurfaces in my mind, my mental condition resembles those of the Korean TV episodes, in which both male and female actors hardly recall the seemingly familiar scenes, without the whatnots. It is frustrating.

Since there is no way to restore the lost functions, the resolutions are as follows:

To outstand visibility, items are to be put in eye-catching spots; or returned to their original places. Slow down to create opportunities for record. Create audio records with self talk. Laugh trivial matters off.

Brain Injury people are somewhat different in dealing with matters.