Few Words After TBI: He Became a Man of Few Words

Few Words After TBI: TJ Part Eighteen

While talking with Michelle, TJ’s step-mom, we delved into the issue of TJ being a man of few words after TBI. She states he is very direct with answers and doesn’t use a lot of words.

I probed further on the literacy issue in my interview with his step-mom Michelle:

TJ was a man of few words after TBI  in my interview with him.

Yes.

Is that (few words after TBI) typical or do you think he was just uncomfortable and nervous?

He’s not, no. He doesn’t get uncomfortable, he doesn’t get nervous.  He is very direct at his answers so he doesn’t, there’s not a lot of words.  But what I did realize by listening to his interview with you, that he didn’t know the answer to a lot of your questions and he said what he thought you wanted to hear.  You know, the Giants, and knowing where the Yankees are.  It, he just, that’s something from before and he’s going to  make it like he still is – because that’s what a guy is –  he is involved in sports.

Many of the people I have interviewed have had remarkable recalls of sporting events. But he doesn’t seem to really remember sporting events.

No.

Is that typical that he really doesn’t absorb very much into his short term memory?

Right.

What therapy is he getting to improve that?

None.

Do you think that’s something he should be getting?

We just started speech therapy.  Last year we did, it was called brain fitness, and it was a computer and, you know, what he did, I have no idea if it improved anything but therapy is therapy and I felt even if he’s working where you’re saying the reading and things.  He had to read there, so I felt that was important.  He had to go on and read a paragraph and then answer some questions at the end.  So okay, it’s more than what he was doing sitting in his room where, you know, he’s really looking at the TV and nothing’s even being absorbed.

So even when he watches something that it seems like he might be interested in, he’s really not paying attention to it?

No. There’ a lot of blankness on his face.

Next in Part Nineteen – His Recovery from Severe Brain Injury Continues

By Attorney Gordon Johnson

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