Hi! I understand your fear. I am so sorry that you and your fiance are going through this right now.

Here's a link to a great tbi guide that has helped me, and many of us here, get some information about what is happening through this: http://www.tbiguide.com/

I sustained a mild traumatic brain injury in July 2010 and I am still recovering. I believe I would not be doing half as well as I am now if it weren't for the support of my amazing boyfriend. He has really done a lot for me during this whole process. I think that only relationships that are meant to last a lifetime can withstand the stress created from recovering from a brain injury. Just be as supportive as you can.

It takes some time for the brain to adjust after a brain injury. One of the biggest theories is that brain doesn't like pathways that aren't working perfectly. So, for the first couple of months, the brain might "delete" neurons in pathways that have "been corrupted". (I'm using computer terms here, but I'm hoping you understand what I'm trying to say.) So, it might seem like he degrades, or gets worse, during that time - but that is because the brain is re-adjusting to the damage that's been done. After it's done with that process it will start re-routing and re-connecting the pathways so they can work as perfectly as possible.

It's really hard to tell what's going on inside the skull because there is no way to see the brain microscopically. And neurons are itty-bitty, too small to be seen on an MRI or CT scan.

Your fiance might exhibit noticeable changes now when compared to the way he was before the fall as he progresses and he might also overcome those changes and return to a man very close to who he was before the fall; so close in fact that you won't notice a difference but he might. There is really no way to predict that and only time will tell.

My boyfriend and I have called many snafus that we have encountered "adventures in brain injuries". It's been really good for me during my recovery process to be as light-hearted as possible.

Your fiance's "adventure" is just beginning. Try to be patient and calm and just wait and see what happens.

I'm sure many of us here will be more than happy to give advice about nutrition, which is very important on the road to wellness, and exercise and making sure he doesn't overdo it, etc., during his healing process.

You might also want to look into a brain injury support group in your area. Find the BIAA in your state and they should have a list available for you: http://www.biausa.org/state-affiliates.htm

It's still very early for you both, but you may want to consider postponing the wedding until he has shown significant improvement. Stress tends to makes people recovering from brain injuries worse. Think about it like this: there was once an 8 lane highway in his head and now there's a 3 land highway with just as much traffic and throwing stress into the mix is like adding more traffic.

I see a therapist once a week to talk about how frustrating this process is and has been and that's been very helpful for me emotionally. You both might want to consider doing something like that too when the time comes.

Also, make sure he gets on FMLA at his work ASAP. FMLA is a federal law that protects a person's job for up to 12 weeks. Call his boss, or his HR department, and make sure he has that protection because they will have to contact his Dr. who will have to fill out some paperwork in order to make it official.

Just take it easy, and watch and see what happens. You never know - he might be absolutely fine in three months and he might not be well enough to work again for two years. But it sounds like he has good doctors and an amazingly supportive fiance, so I'm sure he'll do great.