Brain injury is, perhaps, one of the most misunderstood of tragedies that can happen to a person. Because everyone’s brain is different prior to the injury, everyone’s brain injury is specific to the individual.

Gabby Giffords and her family face a recovering period not knowing at the moment what was lost and needs to be once again made a part of her life — or, if it can be fully restored to its functioning capacity prior to Saturday’s shooting.

Memory loss is a common effect of brain injury. Some of those lost memories can affect cognitive functioning. Beth Jameson lost her math skills. Think about that for a moment and decide how you would make change or pay for something that costs thirty-eight cents. Like Beth, you would probably hand paper money to the cashier, not knowing if you received the correct amount of change.

Congresswoman Giffords is fortunate to have had a crack medical team who were able to begin treatment immediately. Time is of the essence when treating brain injury. (continued below)

The bullet that wounded Gabby Giffords exited her frontal lobe on the left side. The frontal lobe is a busy part of the brain, contributing to so many of the brain’s functions. An injury can cause it to slow down. Word-finding is another common problem. Remembering names and faces is another. Calming emotions is yet another. Many brain injury victims find themselves becoming angry quite quickly and spouting obcenities before their brain can react.

It is my hope that the medical team in Arizona was able to minimize some of the brain injury effects. As we cling to hope and offer prayers, it is important to remember Gabby’s family. They will become her primary caregivers. They will live with whatever it is that affects her. And, it will affect them, too.

This is a developing story. For now, we can only hold up the families of this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.

More About Brain Injury

Karen of Alberta, Canada tells how the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords reminded her of the day her 17-year old son suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a portion of his skull removed. You can read her story by clicking this link: Brain Injury in the News.

Find a wealth of information at Brain Injury Information.

Read about Beth Jameson’s recovery at Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide.

Beth’s Brain Injury Blog is a favorite in the brain injury community. She writes about the good, the bad and the ugly of brain injury and how you must maintain a sense of humor to live successfully whether you are the victim or a caregiver.

Brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder devastate many lives each and every year. PTSD and brain injury do share numerous symptoms and numerous strategies for overcoming or, at least, dealing with the changes that come.

A military wife writes, "He got hurt over there,but copes. He is now out too. He says he will finally seek help, but I dont know where to turn. He is not the same man, he drinks constantly, is always angry and withdrawn, is mean and distant…"

Another writes, "I didnt meet my husband until he was already back. However there are days that I dont feel like I know him at all! There are days that his PTSD is so bad its like he gets lost somewhere in the shuffle. … I have to remind myself that he is not who he used to be and this is who he is now." (continued below)

Larry and Beth Jameson, authors of Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide, received the following email. "I emailed you a few weeks ago about my husband who is a year post injury. He is definitely getting better, but I get concerned about all the ups and downs. When he is particularly tired (which can last for days), he is more confused. This morning he was going to take a shower, but instead of doing so he put two pairs of pants on (one over the other). Once I convinced him of what he needed to do, he ended up taking a shower in his underwear and couldn’t figure out why that wasn’t right.

"He usually doesn’t have this much trouble. He sometimes forgets which clothes are his clean ones and which are his dirty one, but that is usually it. The only thing I can figure is that he is tired, and it gets frustrating because I think he is getting better and then he goes backwards. He seems to get real tired and then he is like a completely different person. And he is tired a lot of the time."

Another email summed it up this way. "I suffered a brain injury about 39 and half years ago. I have had horrible things come out of this. I need support badly!"

Help is Needed

No one prepares to have a brain injury. Because each brain is different prior to such an injury, the help needed varies from person to person. The medical community needs far more information, and the health insurance industry rarely provides for the needs of a brain injury patient.

Another lady wrote to Larry and Beth. "I just want to say thank you. My father fell ill with Acute Viral Encephalitis on April 24th of this year. It has been quite a battle dealing with insurance issues. He is a retired Marine and even after further years of dedication to our government via civil service, Tricare has denied his coverage for cognitive therapy. My father has always been a pillar for our family and we have all suffered an extreme loss in losing a husband, father, son, and brother. Thank you most for giving us hope, especially the hope my mom has gotten from your book. We are a family that is spread throughout the country, leaving her as my dad’s primary caretaker. To hear the hope and resolve in her voice after discovering your website and then book has given me a sense of hope for her and my dad that I have formerly struggled with. So, thank you for giving hope to my father, my mother, and my family. You are both a blessing to this world."

More Brain Injury Information

Larry and Beth Jameson have a mission in life: to teach everyone about brain injury. They have two websites with hundreds of pages of information, including visitor-submitted Brain Injury Stories. The sites are Brain Injury Online and Brain Injury Guide.

Beth’s Brain Injury Blog is a favorite in the brain injury community. She writes about the good, the bad and the ugly of brain injury and how you must maintain a sense of humor to live successfully whether you are the victim or a caregiver. A longtime friend of Beth wrote, "I have loved Beth since we met in I think fourth grade, and her blog reminds me again why. The blog is one of the things that makes your site so special, her personality coming through, and she frames the realities in ways that communicate the good, the bad, and the hard. I can only imagine what hope she gives people and what a lifeline your site must be to so many."