The Whole Family has the brain injury and adult children need a place where they can voice their concerns and share their stories about how it is like to live with a brain injured parent.
Some adult children have to take over the care of their brain injured parent especially if they are living at home when the brain injury occurs.
The adult children of brain injured parents need to know that they are not alone and there are many adult children who need support during this time of recovery.
Please leave your story here on this blog
I am 19years old from the UK. In september 2009 my 39year old dad, a strong family man and passionate agriculture worker had an accident at work. He took a blow to the head which left him unconcious and in need of stitches and medical attention. He had frontal lobe damage.
ReplyDeleteOn his arrival at home following several days in hospital avoiding all light, he returned with concussion. He did what he could to avoid light and had severe headaches. I left for a month to go travelling with a friend. On my return in october my dad had forgot I had been away. He also lost some of his vision.
Over the next month he developed these tics- both vocal and physical, his headaches continued and he napped through the day. In november my dad had a severe fit, an ambulance was called as he was fitting/throwing up for a very large scale of time. He was taken to the hospital and genuinelly believed he was dying. He was kept in the hospital for a few weeks where they discovered the fit had caused his heart to have problems, he facially tic'd whilst he was there but vocally due to him being very relaxed and under medication he was calm.
Over the next few months despite many doctors and hospital visits, no questions were answered and dads health spiralled out of control. It seemed he resorted back to a child at times, he struggled to hold anything, his memory was dire, he developed someting like tourettes, his tics continued. Due to the fit his driving licence was removed.
Christmas day was the worst, he just was not himself. He didn't know that I was his daughter which was very hard.
This year I have had to be at home and become a caregiver for my dad. We havent had the support we should have. My mum battles everyday with differnt people to achieve some help.
My dad spits, swears, blows raspberrys, rolls his tongue, shouts. He does things he doesnt realise i.e pulling his pants down, getting agressive, dancing
He believes he is scottish despite never even visiting scotland and he talks in a scottish accent.
He struggles to do everyday tasks, like hold a kettle to make tea, get dressed.
Its been a very tough year and we are still waiting for help from professionals. My mum re-taught him to walk, eat, wash himself.
Obviously some of the things he does now, actions, words can be endeering and entertaining and sometimes we really just have to laugh otherwise it will just be too much.
He feels he cant who he is at the moment infront of too many people so he hides away, spurring on his depression. He is only comfortable with a few people entering his home. My best friend is the only one he can get on with and feel ok around.
I miss my dad. Every day is a struggle at home, emotions run high and at some point in everyday we all believe we cant cope. I know its an impossible question to be answered but I want to know when my dad will be more him. SO we can all carry on living.