Member-only story
Dementia Is a Sneaky Bastard
It can creep up on you like a cheap pair of underwear
Mentally, I’m a strong person. Some say I have more determination than brains. I can live with that because I don’t give up easily.
Nine years of living with my husband who survived a severe frontal lobe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has taught me a lot about brain functions.
I was lucky to have seven years of watching my husband recover from his injury. It was like witnessing a miracle. Every week his cognitive skills and memory grew stronger. Even though the TBI totally changed his personality, I grew to love the stranger he became after the TBI. He was even cleared to drive after a few years and more occupational therapy!
Unfortunately, it was his driving that made me aware that something was wrong. One day I walked past his car in the driveway when I took out the trash. I couldn’t help but notice damage to the front end of his car. The grille and bumper were crunched.
It was strange that he didn’t mention the fact that he was in an accident because we have car insurance that would cover the damages. So I asked him what happened to his car.
Him: “What are you talking about?”
Me: “Your car. The front end is messed up. How did that happen?”
