Friend was assaulted and upon arriving at the ER was found to have both parenchymal and subarrachnoid hemorrhaging. He underwent a craniectomy and has been in the trauma ICU since. He was awake 12 hours after surgery despite being under sedation and was trying to communicate with us. He has only improved since. He is able to tell us where he is, the date, who we are, etc. He does not remember much about the event though.

A CT scan was done yesterday which showed ischemic tissue in the frontal lobe. The nurse said this damage can cause problems with inhibitions and personality. He said he may be more anxious and agitated in the future. He will be having an MRI today.

I'm just reaching out to see if anyone has experienced any similar injuries and, if so, what kind of long term damage or effects there were.

Thanks in advance.

kikivee,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I am so sorry to hear of your friend's assault and injury.

What you have been told is correct. Unfortunately, it is impossible for anybody to give a prognosis beyond what you were told. The frontal lobe damage will likely be permanent. He will need counseling and therapy to learn skills to make up for the damage that has happened. It sounds like he is very lucky to be alive.

He is fortunate to have someone like you concerned for his recovery.

One thing you will learn is that every brain injury is different. They say, If you've seen one brain injury, you've seen ONE brain injury.

My best to you both.

Sorry to hear of your friend's injury.

It actually sounds like he is making good progress. Just the fact that he knows where he is, the date, etc., are good signs.

My injury also involved a subarachnoid hemorrhage as well as a epidural hematoma, and had a craniotomy. I was in ICU for a month followed by a month in inpatient neuro-rehab.

It took several months but I was able to recover. Only lasting affect now is occasional vertigo. A NPA indicated a return to normal cognitive functions.

As Mark mentions all brain injuries are different and it's too early to assess how the recovery will progress, but the early indications are encouraging.

Everyone who has posted has given great information...

No matter what, he will have a long recovery....some things might come back some things new might get added .....

Our outcomes are all different and unique.....!

You sound like a wonderful person, your friend some time in the future will need you more than you will ever know....

I tip my hat....