I got a concussion December 14, 2010 when my head was accidentally hit in the front by a (very strong) 8th grade child playing dodgeball and it was slammed into the brick wall behind me. I also had a tiny hairline fracture in the left base of my skull.

I re-injured myself last summer when falling out of a chair. However even before the second injury, I still had (and still have) a constant mild-moderate headache (on a rating of 1-10, 6 without lexapro, 4 with it). I tend to list/tilt to the left, have no memory for numbers, unreliable "short term memory," sensitive t light (pretty much always need sun glasses), sensitive to sound, and am far more easily irritated and much less patient than I used to be. I also lost 12 IQ points. I am very sensitive to sensory stimulus in general, and have a strong reaction to being touched when I am not expecting it.

So I have ALWAYS been on the quiet side and tended to keep my thoughts to myself. Because of this, I just recently noticed that I actually now have a very difficult time translating my thought into speech. I can know what I am thinking, which is totally lucid, but then have the hardest time getting it into words. It is especially pronounced when I am upset, stressed, or very tired.

Sometimes I cannot even say "Hi" to someone I know, and give them a little wave instead. I regularly have an impossible time answering questions like "How are you?" and if someone notices that I am upset, "what's wrong?"

I also often stutter, and mix words up in order, or mix different parts of word up, e.g. I often struggle to say water bottle or bottled water and struggle my way through iterations like "botter wattle" "wobber bobble" etc.

My ability to write is unaffected, and my ability to read aloud words that are in front of me is unaffected.

Does anyone else have this trouble? How are ways you cope with it?

I too have some of these speaking issues although mine do not seem as severe as yours but my most recent concussion is similar to yours(2years going on 3). I am curious as to what others say. I posted earlier today about my issues.

Hello Mimsies,
I initially had worse problems with my speech, with the stuttering and stammering, but I had some speech therapy which helped me slow down my sentences and become less anxious when speaking aloud. I do still have halting speech patterns and word finding difficulties, and I am 10 months post injury.I also get the wrong word and transpostions like you do, especially when I'm stressed or fatigued. I laugh about it now, but it used to make me feel anxious and "dumb."
Unlike you, I cannot write because of graphomoter ataxia, and I start off reading at an acceptable pace when reading aloud, however this slows down, too. If my speech or word finding bogs down too much, I totally forget what I was saying.
You may want to get a Speech therapy referral. It helped me at least be less stressed and somewhat more successful with conversations.
Hope you are feeling better soon.

I have a lot of the same issues you talk about. I had my 9th (probably more) TBI in 2004, and things got a lot more difficult for me in the years after that -- before I knew that falling down the stairs and smashing my head could affect me as much as it did.

One of the big things that made things tough was anxiety. Mine was off the charts, and I didn't understand what was going on -- or even that I was anxious. After I started meeting with a neuropsychologist weekly, things gradually got better -- mostly because there was somebody I could talk to who wouldn't pressure me or laugh at me or yell at me because of how I was.

That, more than anything, has helped me. It may help if you can find someone to just talk to on a regular basis. Doesn't necessarily have to be a neuropsych. A speech therapist might be a good choice. The main thing is that they are accepting and patient with you. A friend might even be good.

A lot of the recovery just comes from practice. Although it may be easier to keep quiet and not respond, rather than messing up (I did that for years), it can really help to put effort into re-training yourself to do things properly.

I could not read or write by hand for several years after my TBI in 2004. That is resolved. I am not reading and writing again, although I have magically acquired a tendency to turn letters around when I am writing -- that was Never a problem before, but since my TBI, it happens regularly.

I just take note, fix the mistake, and keep going, keeping an eye out for the issue next time, so I can get it right.

That's the story of my life post-TBI(s) -- take note, adjust, try again. And the re-training works.

Good luck with your issues.

Oh, also, for the sensitivity to touch, I go through the roof if someone touches me without my expecting it. Sometimes I snap at them, like a hurt junkyard dog. This happens more often when I am tired and stressed. It happens less (as with the light sensitivity) when I am rested and not anxious... which is becoming more frequent.

Again, best of luck. Things do get better.

Mimsies,
Yes yes yes! Very similar. Some people don't notice but I do. getting better...but it takes a lot of work.
Speech language pathologist can help. Vestibular? Neuro-opthamology? Exercise when you can.
Can't write much now as I am tired...but lots of good ideas in this group. Keep asking questions.
Take care.

Thanks for all the replies and encouragement.

Mimsies-Was like reading my own problems!!! Good luck-I still have the probs.

Hi Mimsies!

I relate to everything! I lost the ability to speak my thoughts 5 days after my car accident in 2007. It felt like a disconnect between my thoughts and mouth. What came out didn't make sense. My speech improved, but word finding and stuttering were a huge problem the first 2 years. I suffered heat stroke in 2011 which caused me to regress and again have issues when meeting new people, my headaches increase, I get emotional or frustrated - which becomes cyclical and I get tired.

It sounds silly, but I've always had a thing for speaking with an accent - my kids loved stories with different voices. Anyway I found out on accident that when I used an accent I could talk with near normal fluency. The doctor explained that the accent uses a different part of the brain. I used that as a solution for several months.

My IQ went from a Mensa qualifying 134 pre-tbi down to 98 on my last neuropsych. My son (25) and I recently had dinner with his grandfather, whom I haven't seen in 10 years & love dearly, when he asked me "So, what do you do with your day now?" I looked at my son and burst into tears because I was unable to get the words out to answer the question.

I noticed from the beginning that when I was interrupted while talking or someone being "helpful" tried to fill in the words - it made matters worse. I'd forget what I was saying and be unable to finish the conversation. While I know slip ups happen when talking, this is different. Anyone else have people dismiss it as a normal aging process and find it frustrating? My son thought this until I moved in with him. Living with me he sees it's a constant issue and not the normal slips everyone experiences.

This is still a problem and has taught me patience with others. I start therapy next month so if I learn any new tricks I'll be sure to update.

~Kristy

Hi there. I had a TBI in January this year. I am slowly recovering. My speech is not quite me and I get worse if I am tired. I cannot talk fast and have been trying to write but as it was my right side that suffered paralysis temporarily I have had to retrain my hand to function. It's also very slow and untidy