I'm kind of used to the fact that there are so many things that aren't me any more. It's been 2 and a half years since the TBI.

But I'd really like to know who I am becoming so that I can get used to it, and learn how to operate my new self. Living in the fog and swamp that is my current life isn't any fun.

How long did it take for you to discover who your new self is?

Never forget that you are not your foggy brain. You are a survivor, a courageous human being who marches on despite the fact that life did not turn out the way you wanted it to. The new you is stronger, tougher, and braver than the old you.

I am 7 months in and refuse to accept what I have become... This can't be it... there has to be a solution..

Call it denial, call it naive... whatever... I just cannot accept this is what i have become..

the new me is mentally the same as the old me. I had money, was healthy and was depressed and self pitying.

Now i have no money, am not too healthy, and am depressed and self pitying lol. Only to a dangerous extent now. TOUGH for me to change at 46.

if you were a fighter before, you will be fine.

Im 8 months in. Ive just started accepting it after my neuropsych eval.

It gave me an immense amount of information, and really pieced the puzzle together in regards to stuff I questioned that I did. I would highly recommend anyone to get one.

Also, now that I have this new knowledge, im feeling much more confident that I can adopt and overcome what I have become.

Its not going to be easy, but its simply going to be about staying positive, and evolving.

you go keybo!!!

I look at it this way the human body is is constantly changing and adapting so I don't believe we reach a point at which we can say 'ok, that's as far as I'm going to be right again'. I think it becomes harder as the progress slows but if you tackle each issue individually then you can still see improvement and it doesn't take much to make a big difference to quality of life. However, the psychological impact of a head injury cannot be under estimated and ignored, I know for me this has been the hardest thing to deal with on my own.

Wow, I'm impressed that you could understand your neuropsych eval. My brain just doesn't get it. It was gibberish.

At the end of the day, what choice do we really have?

I HATE new me - but she follows me everywhere.

I'm 2.5 years post injury too and I'm just starting to get to the point of trying to wrap my head around the idea of letting go of the goal of full recovery (returning to who I was before my injury, complete with all those abilities) and trying to accept where I'm at now and figuring out how to move forward.

Mostly this is coming from being tired and impatient of being "stuck" for so long. I've had very little progress in 2.5 years, I'm mostly pretty much exactly where I was at right after my injury, a month after my injury, 6 months after my injury, etc. Perhaps if I'd seen any progress, I'd still be holding on tighter to returning to my former self.

So I've been wrestling with your same question... along with a few others... Where do I go from here? What do I want my life to look like now? What adjustments do I need to make to make those goals reasonable? and so on.

They are difficult questions for me, I have a hard time thinking about them and working them out, but for me, in trying to work them out, I'm learning things about my new self.

I do talk out major decisions with both my husband and my rehab psychologist before I move forward just to make sure my reasoning is sound and I've not gone off the rails. Sometimes a reality check is wise... I don't trust my injured brain... for good reason.

For instance, we are making plans to sell our current home and property and buy a different home and property that is better set up for my needs. (A house where everything that I need is all on one level, a barn that will have some features that will save me some precious effort and allow me to keep doing what I love.)

So I wouldn't say that I know who I am yet, but all I know is I have to try to move forward... I only have one life and while it kinda sucks right now... forward is the only way... I can't go backwards and I can't stay stuck... so I'm attempting forward!

Starr