Memory issues 7 months post 2nd TBI
 

Hey fellas I'm pretty stressed /depressed right now because of my memory issues. First off let me say I am a 20 year old male and I am going through my second TBI. Rough life for being 20 I know.

I had my first TBI (car wreck) in 5th grade it was only a minor one with headaches afterwards and slight cognitive problems maybe It's hard to tell being so young. I had many concussions in high school football as well. Now my second TBI was far worse (motocross wreck) I was in a coma for four days and don't remember about 16-17 days after and a few days before are fuzzy.

Here's my deal I am currently attending college and only missed the first semester because of my second TBI. But I am now having trouble on tests with my memory i'm pretty sure. And remembering other things.

Will my memory return or am I pretty well ******? I think I am currently close to flunking out and have plans to drop out. I have help from someone to help me study and stuff but there are things that i should just know and I can't remember/comprehend them.

jsa,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. It sounds like you have some work ahead to be ready for college study.

How long has it been since you motocross wreck ? What rehab have you undergone ? Are you living a normal college weekend life with beer and such ?

There are a lot of things you can and need to do to tolerate the stresses of college. You need to get your brain nourished properly with vitamins and supplements. See the thread "Vitamins." Your daily schedule may need to be modified to lower the stresses it causes.

It may be best to take a semester off to get a better grip on living with TBI/PCS. btw, a concussion is a TBI, just usually a mild TBI. Your history of concussions from football should be considered a part of your overall brain health history. Further, you suffered hundreds of sub-concussive impacts that are just as damaging as the TBI.

It will help if you can get a NeuroPsychological Assessment to help you understand how well your brain is functioning. Then, you can focus on learning the many work-arounds and accommodations that many of us use to live a full life. At your age, you have plenty took forward to as long as you protect your brain from further impacts.

What courses are you struggling with the most ? How did you do with your course work prior to your motocross injury ?

Have you gotten rid of your motocross cycle ? It sounds like you need to put that hobby in the past.

Yes it is up for sale right now. It happened 7 months ago on september 5th. I did fine in my coursework before with A's and B's mostly.

Rehab wise I have had 2 weeks at madonna in lincoln NE right after my injury. And a few months of weekly therapy back home but my cognitive thinking and my short term memory were doing great so I was released It is my long term memory that is terrible.
Normal college life but I usually just have one or two beers when I go out.

I was really struggling with math but my helper told me to drop that. My helper helps kids at the college that need it and has helped kids with tbi before and her son has cerebral ataxia so she knows my struggles.

I am tired all the time as well will this pass?

How well are you sleeping ?

TBI can mess up sleeping plus it can cause problems with sleep apnea. I have had problems with Central Sleep Apnea where my diaphragm does not pull air into my lungs. It is due to inflammation in my neck. After a night of sleep apnea, I feel tired all day until I get some good sleep.

Just read an article that mentions how dark chocolate has components that are good for long term memory functions. Maybe that is how I keep my long term memory working. I eat 200 calories worth of dark chocolate each day.

Have you learned how to ' stop to think' ? Accessing long term memory for the TBI injured can take discipline. I need to block out other stimulation so I can dig into my long term memory. I have a variety of tricks to stimulate recall.

Tell us more about your days. Are you living in a dorm or apt with other students ?

Mark is right - sleep and nutrition. I have been suffering from horrible sleep patterns since my hit, and I believe they are a BIG factor in amplifying or even creating symptoms.

As for nutrition, I would look into the vitamin thread for good suggestions. My big ones are fish oil, B-complex, ginkgo, and turmeric.

Finally, don't stress. You are young, and your body's healing capabilites are tremendous. Recovering is a marathon, not a sprint. Treat your body well and it will get better.

Fish oil makes me sick not sure why i love fish. I am sleeping fine now i used to have insomnia but not anymore. Should i expect my memory to get better if i get good sleep and take the right vitamins? Being only 7 months out I hope I am still recovering.

Will my memory get better?

Nobody can say how you will recover. You can do a lot to make things better. The nutrition and good sleep are the most important. You should try to just accept where you are right now and work to move forward. Healing may come slowly. Nobody can say.

Anxiety is the worst thing you can do for healing. Recovery is a marathon so try to settle in for the long haul. Learn the work-arounds and accommodations so your stress and frustration will be less.

I have a room to myself next year if I go back to school. So good sleeping next year.
Anxiety is a problem for me I developed anxiety and a "nervous stomach" in high school I don't have these problems anymore. But i still have some anxiety. I am slowly getting through the awkward/anxious teen years.