Brain Surgery Recovery

(Written from the view of the patient)

Feelings of Abandonment By Patients

After brain surgery many patients experience feelings of abandonment and rejection. There are a couple of medical reasons for this:

  • The brain has experienced surgical trauma and swelling.
  • Disrupted sleeping patterns.
  • Chemical impact of all the diverse medications used during and after surgery.
  • Logical thinking is temporarily or permanently impaired.
  • Temporary short term memory impairment – thus they forget that people came to visit them.
  • Hallucinations cause by swelling of the brain and the medication. These can be positive or negative hallucinations. Also these hallucinations can be experienced as both visual and audible.
  • Experience fear and anxiety.
  • Physical weakness due to surgery and medication.

The emotions are very real to the patient.

How to assist the person:

  • Remind the person to be patient with their healing process and allow them to have time to heal.
  • Allow the person to rest and sleep as much as possible in the first 3 months.
  • Assure them that over time they will heal and come right. They must not worry. They need to know they will get better.
  • Keep reminding them of the truth and the logical context of their thinking. In a constructive and kind way help them realize if something makes sense or no sense. Especially if they experience hallucinations. It does not benefit the patient to play along, otherwise they will not be able to distinguish between what is real and what is not real.
  • Make sure to tell the person what time period they are in, where they are, and why they are there.
  • Help them feel safe and protected and cared for. Use positive words and have a positive attitude.
  • Treat there emotions with respect and assure them of the truth, and that they are loved.
  • Gently reassure them that there is nothing wrong with them. As the brain heals and the swelling comes down, they will feel better.
  • Give them constructive motor skill exercise and goals to work towards, according to their ability at the time.
  • Make sure they have mental and cognitive exercises and goals.
  • Repeat the above every day if need be – so be very patient with the person.

The events after surgery can also bring about the emotions of abandonment and rejection – these events may be the following:

  • No family assistance.
  • Isolated from friends or family who live far away or abroad, and cannot, or choose not to come to assist the person.
  • Family or friends don’t know how to communicate with the person. They may not understand what is happening to the person’s changes responses. (Ignorance in this regard.)
  • Family or friends do not know how to interact with the person anymore.
  • Not having a safe place to recuperate and rest.
  • No one to assist with monitoring medication intake and physical wellbeing.
  • Financial burdens and bills.
  • The lack of basic counselling.