I Have a What? A Guide for Coping with Moderate-to-Severe TBI

RRTC ON COMMUNITY INTEGRATION OF PERSONS WITH TBIYou may have gotten a little better over the first few months after your injury. In fact, yousee the quickest recovery in the first six months after a TBI. You may notice manyimprovements during this time. However, some symptoms may last longer than six months.This may be especially true if your CT scan or MRI showed some type of injury to yourbrain. If you still have problems after six months, they will most likely continue to getbetter within the year after your injury. You may see slower improvement with smallchanges up to one year after injury. The period between 1 and 2 years after injury is notthe same for everyone. Some people have more improvements, while others improve slowly.After 2 years, you may still notice some problems. However, they may not be as bad as theywere right after injury. You can continue to make changes in how well you are able to dothings long after the injury by using strategies to help get around problem areas.It is important to remember that not everyone gets better at the same rate. Every injury isdifferent. Recovery from the injury can be different, too. Recovery can be slower in peoplewho are older. Recovery can also be slower if you have had one or more brain injuries in thepast.Symptoms are usually worse in the beginning. Sometimes you may not notice symptomsuntil you try to go back to your normal activities (like returning to work or school). Yoursymptoms will tend to get better over time. Recovery will be faster if you get enough rest.Gradually going back to your normal activities will also help. People who gradually go backto their normal routine often take less time to recover than do those who try to returnimmediately. Always remember to keep hope alive and work toward your goals.Page 43