I read this story, From Mullet to Math Genius After a Concussion, (more later) and immediately flashed on a similar story my husband tells:
Back in the early 90′s I was on hospital call and a patient came to my service in transfer from the neurosurgical unit in Sacramento. He had been shoved out of a moving vehicle and suffered a skull fracture and a life threatening brain injury. He was in a coma for several days.
By the time he was turned over to me he was no longer comatose but still delirious. Over the next week his level of consciousness cleared.
Prior to his head injury, this gentleman was quite nasty. Talking to his family his personal history emerged loud and clear. To be blunt, he was a jerk- a neo-Nazi thug of a human being to be sure. I was anxious to get him off my service when something miraculous occurred. His sensorium cleared and lo and behold he was a nice guy.
WTF? This couldn’t possibly last. Well to my amazement, it did.
I cared for him over the next 17 years and still keep in touch and a sweeter man would be hard to fine. He took up flying model airplanes, was kind, polite and very sensitive to the concerns of others. I never saw a glimpse of the ogre that existed prior to his head injury. He has also been quite functional, holding down a fulltime job as a truck driver and maintaining close ties to his family. To this day he is one of the five most remarkable cases that has ever come my way.
I began my nursing career in the ICCU/CCU of a trauma center. I too have seen this in patients who’ve suffered severe head trauma- significant personality changes, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, and changes in abilities, interests, even favorite foods.
Go read this article. The man is amazing. And as amazing as his story is, as gifted as he is, he faces an entirely new set of challenges. From Mullet to Math Genius After a Concussion.
Take a gander at his art work as well- Jason Padgett.
Fascinating. You wonder if it was there all the time, but was being blocked or ignored - and after the concussion damped the other side of his brain, it could come out. The article mentioned a high IQ as a child. I wonder if that is a basic thing in the acquired syndrome. I don’t think you can increase abilities - but we have no idea what is there, underneath, in the brain.
Yes, I feel the same, Alicia. It’s there, sometimes the pathways are blocked. Although in his case it is a mixed blessing. He sees the world with different eyes but I can imagine how disorienting the new world would be.
I gotta go find a hammer and hit myself in the head. I really need to unblock some talent I got blocked in this noggin of mine.
Oh god no, Ray. Might turn you into a serious man. I don’t want a serious man. How was your trip?
A lot of fun. Saw family, friends, Hershey,PA, Philly and Coast Guard Academy.
Humans are very complex. You never really know. That is why I hope.
I may have mentioned I have had a few minor concussions. In the worst I remember, I knocked myself out getting into my old summer car. I may also have mentioned that I used to speak and write fluent Spanish. That was lost over time and, I believe, after a lot of fun in college (wink). This concussion was diagnosed as very mild, as has each one I experienced. I am somewhere between 6 and 9/
Well, after that event, I came home and wrote a friend in Spanish using all kinds of verb tenses I would not have recalled even existing. Oh yes, I also wandered around my house in the dark for several hours and I insisted in getting my hair cut and colored before going to the doctor.
Sadly the Spanish re-fluency didn’t stick. Mind and memory are remarkable and the brain is amazing.
I have also known a person who had a stroke who became a total bee-yotch. She told someone once that she could see that it was happening but was blocked from stopping it. I guess she mean she could see she was being so nasty but the nice part of her could not censor her mouth. Can this happen?
If you talked back to her she cried. But, she made a lot of people cry.
Incredible. I researched brain injury for a book once and that’s where I learned about synesthesia and personality changes and even “speaking in tongues.” All the real cases sounded more implausible than anything I could have come up with in fiction. Heh.
I’m going to find this book. Thanks for the share, Julia.
A horse fell with my best friend’s husband, causing a traumatic brain injury and coma. He was a totally different person when he woke. Before he’d been calm and kind. After he was paranoid and angry. It was heartbreaking to watch. It’s nice to know the change is the other way too.
I know, Stephanie, I’ve seen that happen too. It’s so sad. And the person can’t help it. Pathways in the brain are altered. Sometimes in a bad way.
His story is fascinating, Jaye. Pretty amazing. Synesthesia is especially interesting to me.
Sad, Steph! Wow. I’m sure she couldn’t help it. Of course you remember other languages. You just can’t retrieve them all the time! But they are in there!
Well, hope is essential, Roberta.
Oh good, Ray. Now let’s not bop you on the head.
Hmmm, so maybe we should just drop the bad guys on their heads…..I like it.
Seriously, though that is pretty cool.
Interesting thought, Sandra! I actually have a story about near death experiences changing super bad dudes into nice guys.
Bit like Ray above, but for me I think I must have been dropped on my head at some point and my brain went the other way…….. South …… according to most who really know me
Oh Tom, I’m sure you were dropped on your head. Me too! Many times. It’s why we get along so well!
Really interesting stuff - both in the post and the comments. Thanks.
It is a very interesting subject, Greta.