Lucy,
Your brain injury created some brain damage. It is still not quite understood on what structural level, since there is no present tool to measure this. You are healing from your brain injury, so the extent of the damage could change and completely heal or other mechanisms could stregthen and compensate for some permanent issues. I think understanding that you have a significant challenge is helpful and makes it less frustrating for you but be hopeful that you can improve your quality of life and heal. Having goals for healing and staying positive will certainly improve things. There is so much not understood about the healing brain and I am very hopeful for you all.
Petenera,
There is so much to respect and admire in the "seemingly persistent and willful scatteredbrained stupidity" that you describe your efforts and the efforts of other healing souls like yourself. Stay strong and positive, you may have an injury but the core of your spirit and who you are as a person is still the same. You do not have to mourn your past self. You just may be a little shaken up in the brain but will always be the same soul you were at birth. No injury can take that away from you. I hope you will be able to exercise in a meaningful way again and find some people in your life who have patience while you heal. I am feeling optimistic that there will be better days.
Nancy