I am in serious disagreement with the comments about "two years" to recover. There is no valid data to substantiate this time line. I would suggest, like many of the others have, that a TBI is a wait and see issue. Only trained therapists should be pushing a recovery. A properly trained occupational therapist will know when to push and when to lay off. They will recognize the little signs of fatigue, etc.

My wife is better at recognizing my problems that most professionals. She sees the ebb and flow.

I would advise the 'best friend' to drop all expectations and establish a current base line. That base line will keep her in perspective. Her partner will most likely improve and then decompensate ( get worse). As she sees the patterns of progress and regress, she will begin to better understand her partners needs.

A journal will be a great help. Often the caregiver is too close to notice the changes until she has taken the time to jot them down.

When my wife finally had a report of my condition from a doctor, she was finally able to differentiate behaviors from symptoms.

I would recommend she down load and print out Dr Glen Johnson's TBI guide at www.TBIguide.com.

It will be the best reading she can get quickly.