18 years out from my TBI and I finally found this community. Just wanted to say hi.
It was 2008. I don't remember the immediate aftermath clearly, that part is gone forever. What I do remember is everything that came after. The frustration of a brain that wouldn't cooperate. The exhaustion of trying to explain to people who loved me why I wasn't getting better on any recognizable timeline. The strange grief of mourning a version of yourself that you can't quite get back.
For a long time, I felt like the only person in the room who truly knew what this felt like. Even surrounded by people who cared, there was this particular loneliness that I couldn't put into words.
I'm not sure I ever "recovered" in the way people expected me to. I think I just slowly, painfully, built a new life around who I became. Some days feel like loss. Other days it feels like something I'm genuinely proud of.
I'd love to connect with others here who get it, the good days, the setbacks, the weird wins, all of it.
How long has everyone been on their journey? What's helped you most?