United States Representative Gabrielle Giffords has a friend in author Tom Zoellner. Tom has known Gabby for a decade and has even knocked on doors in the Arizona sun in support of her campaign. He knows a side of her all America would like to know.

Tom wrote, "I want her to be able to ride her motorcycle through the hills east of town that she loved, to pop in to the TTT Truck Stop for some pie à la mode, to talk to the person on the stool next to her about whatever they wanted to say, to take hummingbird sips of Negra Modela and pretend she was actually drinking, and to go on brightly in the E-kay of her voice about the ideas that were constantly occurring to her and the ways she would carry them out."

Education and Business Experience

After a distinguished educational track that includes a B.A. in Sociology and Latin American History from Scripps College in California, A Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University, a Fullbright Scholar in Chihuahua, Mexico and a fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, she worked as an associate for regional economic development at Price Waterhouse in New York City until her father called and said help was needed at the family business in Tucson. In 1996 she became CEO of El Campo Tire Warehouses, a local chain founded by her grandfather. (continued below)

Public Service

Gabrielle Giffords was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2000. Two years later she became the youngest woman elected to the Arizona Senate, a position she held until December 1, 2005, when she resigned to run for Congress. In late summer of that year, she was a volunteer in Houston, Texas, helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. She has been a member of the U. S. Congress since January, 2007.

Back in Houston

Gabby Giffords is now back in Houston. This time, however, it is not a trip from her beloved Arizona that she wanted to take. Having been shot in the head at point blank range on January 8 at a political event outside a Safeway grocery store in Casas Adobes, Arizona, a suburb of Tucson, she was taken to University Medical Center for treatment. Then, on January 21, she was flown to Houston’s Memorial Hermann Medical Center in Houston.

Today, January 25, she is to be transferred to The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, known as TIRR Memorial Hermann. Her condition was upgraded from serious to good last night. Now begins the long process of rehabilitation therapies. A brain injury has many, many effects, most of which are not known at this time because Gabby has been unable to speak.

Has America Been Unable to Speak?

Are Americans so influenced by the fringe elements of political thinking that we are content to wallow in the inhumane shallows of political conversation? The Constitution of the United States contains words in its preamble that state one of government’s goals is to promote the general welfare. Recently, general welfare has taken on a new meaning, according to some, — socialism.

Those who promote the general welfare are called socialists. Unless that general welfare involves government programs like highways, police departments, fire departments, local health departments, etc.

Another goal of government stated in the Preamble is to insure domestic tranquility. Insuring peace at home, however, should not involve gun control of any kind, again — according to some.

We hear political leaders and those who are called political pundits defaming one another. We see the Mitch McConnell’s and the John Boehner’s and the Eric Me Too’s pledging to sacrifice the best interests of America for a political agenda. Why else would they not sit down and discuss a possible compromise of ideas? Is it because they, for so long now, have been wallowing in the inhumane shallows of political conversation?

Just last night Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, in her response to the President’s State of the Union speech, said the president should repeal his health care bill and let the free market take care of any problems that exist in the world’s best health care system but should also impose malpractice lawsuit limitations. I guess the free market cannot fix the malpractice problem.

We also heard Congressman express that one of his greatest concerns as a parent of three children, aged six, seven and eight, was the debt facing the United States government. Really? My wife and I had a lot of concerns during the growth years of our children, and I can honestly say that I had many, many concerns greater than the national debt. They rode bicycles; they played baseball, they fished in the lake not too far from our house; they visited friends; their friends visited our house; they attended daycare; they attended church. There were many, many things that generated concern for their health and well-being. The national debt? Not so much. Did you? That, to me, is wading in the shallow waters of political conversation.

Gabby Giffords will experience many things during rehabilitation, each of those things designed to help restore a portion of her life. One of those things will be speech therapy. Perhaps it is time for America to undergo speech therapy and turn away from the inhumane shallows of political conversation.

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

Learn More About Brain Injury

Larry and Beth Jameson, authors of Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide, have a mission in life to teach everyone about brain injury. They maintain two websites that have 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.

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."

"We didn’t know how extensive the need was," said William Ditto, head of the Office of Disability Services for the state of New Jersey. Mr. Ditto tried to explain his position in an interview with Susan K. Livio, a reporter covering the Statehouse for nj.com. "Nobody wants to do this. My back is against the wall," he further explained.

The State of New Jersey was a leader among states providing assistance to victims of brain injury. In 2001, the state developed the Brain Injury Fund that paid for speech therapy and other needed treatments not covered by health insurance. Since 2004, about 2,200 people have been helped. That will soon change with new regulations slated to begin in the Spring.

The proposed new regulation will limit access to the program to individuals whose brain injury is the result of a direct blow to the head. If this rule had been in effect in 2004 only 900 of the 2,200 would have received treatment.

Twenty-five years ago, Michael Jankowsky tried to help a friend who had gotten into a fight. He was stabbed in the heart, and his body began shutting down. The lack of oxygen getting to his brain caused extensive cell damage. He is confined to a wheel chair, still slurs his speech and has concentration problems – not unlike millions of other brain injury victims in the United States. In addition to limiting who can receive assistance from New Jersey’s Brain Injury Fund, available services are being cut as well.

Transportation will no longer be provided. Electronics like personal alarms will no longer be covered. Many brain injury victims use personal alarms to compensate for lost memory skills. It helps them know when to go places or perform other tasks. Personal computers play a huge role for these people who have both cognitive and memory problems. (continued below)

Brain Injury Costs

Living with brain injury is expensive. In addition to a regular medical doctor, many victims must see neurologists, psychologists, endocrinologists as well as speech, physical and occupational therapists. Migraine headaches are a common complaint as is high blood pressure and vision problems. Many brain injury victims find they cannot return to work or must, at least, seek stress-free work at a flexible workplace.

Chee Chee Parker worked at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Her desk was in a direct line of the impact when the plane commandeered by terrorists hit the building. Though she suffered many injuries, she says the worst was her brain injury. She left the military and was able to find another job…for a short time. The effects of brain injury forced her out.

Others say: "I lost everything, my home, job, car all.. I have not found fiance help anywhere I get SSI and food assistance I have been in poverty since my injury." – Lynn; "I have been in such poverty since my tbi." – Hope; "I sustained my TBI on March 3, 1994 when a student knocked me unconscious. Needless to say that was the end of my teaching career." – Melba; "We learn to live in poverty." – Terry

Increasing health care costs and limited, if any, sources of income make government assistance almost a necessity. Now, those programs are going away. Congress has pretty much frittered away health insurance reform. Short of Medicare for Everyone, a single-payor system, the people you read about here would still be unable to afford insurance premiums. Yes, some qualify for Medicaid, and some qualify for SSI, but that still doesn’t provide the therapies they need to develop their lives more fully. America, we need to do something.

Uncle Brice Supporters

Say Hey to the Good Folks that make this blog possible:

Online Little Rock.com is where Uncle Brice got his start. There’s a ton of information on this site about Arkansas, Little Rock, dining, dancing, shopping (and shopping online). It’s also a high-trafficked Civil War information site. You can even find out stuff about all the colleges and universities of Arkansas.

Home Business Opportunities is a site that has never been more in demand. You can find legitimate ways to earn money from home as well as a lot of information about Internet marketing, writing, building traffic for your website, and more.

The owners of Online Little Rock have a mission in life to teach everyone about brain injury. They have two websites that have 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.

Senator Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas) joined a Republican coalition to defeat public option amendments offered in the Senate Finance Committee. Having long been considered by the main media as a fence-sitter on offering a public option to Americans suffering under the current health care system, she finally showed her colors on the issue, and the color is green.

A few weeks ago the Huffington Post reported that Senator Lincoln was the top recipient of campaign contributions from the health care industry this year among senators. Blue Cross Blue Shield, the dominant health care insurer in Arkansas, is among her top contributors.

Responses posted on the Green Party Watch website are indicative of why Lincoln may lost her Senate race in 2010. Susan wrote, "That almost makes me want to move to Arkansas to vote against Blanche Lincoln. What a sellout to the insurance industry." Dave said, "Wow, if I lived in Arkansas I’d totally start a ‘move to Arkansas to vote against Blanche Lincoln’ campaign. And Lynn said, "I AM from Arkansas and WON’T be voting for her next election."

In February of 2009 Michael D. Tanner, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, testified before the Arkansas House Insurance and Commerce Committee. He said, "I understand the frustration that Arkansans feel with the problems facing our health care system. In particular, Arkansans are worried about cost and access. Simply put, health care and health insurance cost too much, and too many people, including roughly 486,000 Arkansans, 17 percent of your state’s population, lack health insurance. And the two problems are deeply entwined; cost is the number one reason why people go without health insurance."

Tanner also stated, "…the average cost of a family insurance plan in Arkansas tops $9,900…" According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2001, Arkansas had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $22,750 which ranked 50th in the United States (including the District of Columbia) and was 75% of the national average, $30,413. According to data released by the US Census Bureau, in 2000, the median household income was $30,293 compared to the national average of $42,148. In 2001, the median income for a family of four was $47,838 compared to the national average of $63,278. For the period 1999 to 2001, the average poverty rate was 16.3% which placed it 48th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia ranked lowest to highest.

With a median income of $30,293, is there any question why Arkansans cannot afford the average cost of a family health insurance plan of $9,900? That’s at the median level. What about the 49+% of Arkansans whose income is below the median.

At a time when Arkansas needs a Senator to stand up for them, Blanche Lincoln chose to support her contributors rather than her constituents.

More About Senator Blanche Lincoln

Blanche Lincoln Opposes Public Option

Blanche Lincoln Feet to the Fire

Sen. Blanche Lincoln Co-sponsors SHOP

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas Republican?!

Blanche Lincoln Rakes in Health Care Dollars – Huffington Post 09/04/2009 – The senior Arkansas senator is also the top recipient of campaign contributions from the health industry among senators this year. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Lincoln has received $325,350 in contributions from the health industry, as of June 30. The large amount in contributions underlies a constantly shifting position by the senator on health care reform.

Monopoly Money: "Our good friend Senator Blanche Lincoln thinks it’s very dangerous for the insurance companies to have to compete with a public plan option: ‘One of our biggest concerns is that it doesn’t need to be a government plan that usurps that ability to compete in the marketplace, which I’m concerned that a totally government-run option would do,’ she said."

For more information about her political contributions, you can visit the Federal Election Commission Blanche Lincoln Page.

July 15, 2009 is a date that is burned into the memories of the families of First Lieutenant Andrew K. Kinard, USMC (Ret.) and Lieutenant Colonel Raymond T. Rivas, USAR (Ret.). Their stories intertwined with explosions of an improvised explosive device and a mortar shell. The soldiers came face-to-face on April 29, 2009 when they both testified at a Senate hearing in Washington D.C. The Hearing To Examine The Implementation Of Wounded Warrior Policies and Programs was chaired by Senator Ben Nelson.

Lt. Kinard was injured October 29, 2006 in Al Anbar Province when he stepped on an IED and lost his entire body below the hips. Seventeen days earlier, on October 12, Lt. Col. Rivas was working as a civil affairs officer at the Tallil Forward Operating Base in Iraq when it was attacked by mortar fire. He sustained a traumatic brain injury.

According to Rivas, he had previously sustained at least eight concussions and, while serving in Afghanistan, had been thrown through the windshield of a vehicle. (continued below)

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

He told the Senate subcommittee, "When I was originally injured in October of 2006 in Iraq, I was Medivac’d out of Theater and sent to Launsthul Regional Medical Center in Germany for evaluation. My memory is extremely vague about this. I was told that I spent 7 days there and convinced the Neurological staff that I was fit to return to duty. I returned to Iraq, of which I do not remember any of this, and spent approximately 10 days there. I was allowed to go out on missions to Forward Operating bases, and on mission convoys. It was then reported to my Chain of Command that my behavior was extremely ‘bizarre’ and I was referred to the Air Force Expeditionary Hospital Neurologist."

The neurologist diagnosed traumatic brain injury and Rivas was put on priority Medivac back to Launsthul Regional Medical Center in route to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas. (Launsthul, you may remember, is the facility where ABC News co-anchor Bob Woodruff was sent after sustaining a brain injury from a roadside bomb.)

"What I do remember about my 1st few months at BAMC was that the system was overwhelmed with the influx of new patients. I was pretty much on my own for two to three months. I had a couple of battle‐buddies who helped me with dressing, bathing and eating, as I was not able to do any of these unassisted," Rivas said.

Colleen Rivas also testified before the Senate subcommittee. She said, "One of the issues that I feel very strongly about is the comparison being made between Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In my opinion there are profound differences between these two injuries. TBI is a physical trauma that can range from mild to severe. PTSD is an emotional trauma which can have debilitating effects. I have dealt firsthand with both of these traumas where Raymond is concerned; PTSD more so after Afghanistan which was in the form of nightmares and some depression. What we could not deal with on our own he was able to obtain help with through the VA in the form of counseling.

"The Traumatic Brain Injury has been an entirely different matter. When Raymond first returned to the U.S. he was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center. He suffered from severe headaches that painkillers and brain blocks had no affect on. In addition to the headaches, he had trouble with his balance, his depth perception, his speech, his eye to hand coordination, his memory, which included both his long‐term and short‐term and any task that involved sequencing. He was unable to go anywhere by himself because he was constantly getting lost. It took a year for him to regain his balance and depth perception.

"Now, two and a half years later, he still suffers from daily headaches, however their severity has lessened. He has regained most of his long term memory; however he still has trouble with his short‐term memory which includes misplacing items on a daily basis and constant repetition of subjects previously discussed. In addition, he cannot follow a detailed set of instructions nor can he multi‐task. His condition is frustrating for both him and our family."

After being on his own for two to three months at Brooke Army Medical Center, Rivas met his case manager. More importantly, he was contacted by the U.S. Army Special Operations
BAMC Liaison, Sergeant First Class Craig Coker. Sgt. Coker got the ball rolling, so to speak, and Rivas began to get the care he needed.

Ray was transported from BAMC to HealthSouth Riosa in San Antonio for brain injury treatment. Therapists helped improve his balance, speech, memory and other skills. His vision and hearing suffered too in the blast, yet Rivas still maintained he was not injured.

On April 21, 2008, Lt. Col. Rivas was awarded the Purple Heart. In September, 2008 he enrolled full time at the Easter Seals Hospital Brain Injury program in San Antonio to participate in their Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy program. Six months later he was able to testify at the Senate hearing.

On July 15, 2009, a party was held in Washington, D.C. to celebrate Andrew Kinard’s farewell to Washington as he prepared to leave for Harvard Law School. The loss of half of his body had been repaired to the point to could take on the difficulties of law school. That same night, Ray Rivas drove to Brooke Army Medical facility and committed suicide in the parking lot.

Two soldiers – two different kinds of injury – two exceedingly different outcomes.

Ray Rivas was one of thousands of U.S. troops returning with a brain injury, the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His story exemplifies the problem faced by both military and civilian medical personnel when it comes to brain injury.

A few months after he arrived in San Antonio Colleen told My SA News, "We didn’t expect the seriousness with what he came back with this time."

This is where the lives of Andrew Kinard and Ray Rivas travelled separate roads. Kinard’s injury was there for everyone to see; Rivas, though, was facing life with an invisible injury. It was an injury that goes beyond physical therapy, speech therapy and cognitive therapy. Millions of brain injury victims know all too well the effects of brain injury.

An injured brain needs rest and tires very easily. Mental fatigue is the first step on the Cycle of Response, a term coined in Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide. Those living with an injured brain face the Cycle daily – jumping from a tired brain to confusion, frustration, guilt and depression. Daily headaches, like those experienced by Rivas, are common, and this multiplies each of those steps on the Cycle. No one can think straight during a severe headache. A brain injury more often than not slows thinking skills because of memory problems and a partial shutdown of the executive functions of the brain.

While Ray Rivas was being treated at HealthSouth, he was allowed to go home to his family in New Braunfels each weekend. Colleen said he would ask the same question ten to fifteen times and, each time, family members would provide the answer as if the question had not been asked before. Short term memory problems easily lead to confusion.

Brain injury victims are aware they cannot remember a name that goes with a face or what they were doing ten minutes prior or why they’re standing in the kitchen or why they are holding a pencil. Add mental fatigue and stress to short term memory loss and Rivas’ testimony before the Senate committee that he did not remember anything about those last days in Iraq becomes clear.

The confusion of not remembering leads to frustration which is exhibited in outbursts of anger or crying or both. It is a normal progression to guilt when a brain injury victim recognizes he or she has changed. A tired, confused, and frustrated brain says,"I’m not as good as I once was." The belief that a person is not as good of a father or mother or husband or wife or employee is an expression of guilt and can quickly lead to depression.

Numerous studies of brain injury have found that unchecked depression leads to separation: separation from spouse through divorce, separation from employment and, in far too many cases, separation from life through suicide.

Ray Rivas lived the life of a hero. He wanted to serve his country as best he could. He did not want someone else standing for him in the war zone. It is my hope that America remembers Lt. Col. Raymond T. Rivas as a hero in death. It is my hope that both military and civilian medical personnel learn more about treating brain injury. It is my hope that Congress will understand the necessity of providing more timely and more complete care to the tens of thousands of soldiers returning from war with an invisible injury.

Download The War That Never Ends – pdf

More Information About Brain Injury

Brain injury resources, rehab facilities, associations, support groups and more can be found at Brain-Injury-Online.com

Click here for more brain injury articles on Uncle Brice’s Blog.

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Brain injury affects over one million families each year in the United States alone and is the Number One cause of death and disability in the world. Information available to family members is in even shorter supply than what is available to the brain injury victims.

Stress hits family members at the moment of a phone call. In my case it was, "Larry, you need to come to the hospital; there’s been a Code Blue." Upon hearing words like those, the body’s autonomic resopnse system goes into overdrive by pumping additional adrenaline and a few other chemicals that allow you to jump into action.

This fight or flight response is supposed to be temporary. It allows you to take necessary action and then it subsides as the situation comes under control. When I got off the hospital elevator at the Medical Intensive Care Unit I immediately saw family members sitting in the chaplain’s room. A second fight or flight response piled on top of the first. I was met by a doctor who said, "I don’t expect her to survive the trauma." A third dose of autonomic chemicals flooded my mind, body and soul. Like the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans, there was no opportunity for those chemicals to subside. The situation was not coming under control by any stretch of the imagination.

Beth remained in a coma for two weeks. The early days had a common phrase, "The next 24 hours will tell." Then, "the next 48 hours are crucial." The flood waters could not retreat, and stress began to build an almost impenetrable fortress within. Forget August…fast forward to September. Beth is released from the hospital and her parents bring her to a strange house with strange people living in it. She had forgotten me and our children. She slept on the couch. Actually, she slept a lot – on the couch or in the bed.

One way to reduce stress is to rest and relax. Beth was doing plenty of that. Since her brain injury was due to her lungs failing, I sat in the floor beside her as she slept…watching the rise and fall of her chest. If it didn’t rise when I thought it should, I shook her until her breathing appeared normal. I couldn’t sleep; I had to protect her. At least, that was my thinking at the time. And the stress continued to build. (continued below)

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

What an interesting couple we were at the time: a wife with a brain injury and a husband weighed down with stress. Those who have read our book know that we were not told Beth had a brain injury and that 15 months passed before we were able to get her admitted to a neuromedical facility. Not knowing what was going on in her life, complicated by migraine headaches, memory loss and cognitive difficulties, Beth became as stressed as I was…and that caused me more stress!

The Independence Thing

A primary thought on the mind of high-functioning brain injury victims is to gain more independence in their daily lives, whether they can actually do it or not. Sure, they all believe they can. And they can…with appropriate strategies that compensate for memory problems and thinking problems. Behavioral problems become more manifest through anger and cursing because they are not experiencing the independence they desire.

Family members or the family caregiver feels the stress as well. How much do I let them do? When should I step in … and get my head chewed off. Because you will get your head chewed off! Or some other part of your anatomy. For as long as we’ve been married, Beth and I have walked down the street holding hands. Oh, she did not want me holding her hand as she struggled to regain her independence. One day as she began to step off a curb in front of a car, I thrust my arm out to stop her. Her head jerked my direction, and I could see the daggers in her eyes. I had blocked her independence. She had not seen the car and, as much as she was concentrating on my interference into her life, I’m not sure she ever saw it.

Chapter Six of our book is titled Cycle of Reponse. It explains the five steps of the cycle: mental fatigue, confusion, frustration, guilt and depression as well as steps that can be taken to back away from that dreaded depression. The words are there for both the brain injury victim and the family members. Family members run up and down the cycle as well. It is essential that family caregivers guard against becoming over-stressed. Yeah, that’s easier said than done; trust me, I know.

Read more about Stress:

Stress and Stress Management Solutions

Stress Causes Physiological Changes

Types of Stress

Effects of Stress

Dealing with Stress

Stress Management with Guided Imagery

Long Term Stress Management Solutions

Additional References:

Brain Injury Guide

Brain Injury Online

Beth’s Brain Injury Blog

Brain injury blogs provide a great deal of current information about the number one cause of death and disabilty in the world. Jane H. of Seattle, Washington writes one of my favorites. After having two brain injuries three years apart, Jane describe herself as being like Swiss cheese: the block is still sharp but has holes.

The story featured in the photo, Something like "AAADD", is one that millions of people can relate to, not just persons living with brain injury. Here’s a short excerpt.

"Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D – Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:

"I decided to wash my car. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash can under the table, and notice that the trash can is full.

"So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first. But then I think, since I’m going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

"I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the bottle of juice that I had been drinking. …"

You can read the rest of this story on Jane’s blog by clicking this link: Something like "AAADD"

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

Another entertaining and informative article by Jane is entitled, "This Too Shall Pass." Here’s an excerpt:.

"I feel so very confused as to who I am, who I am not, and who I should be, and who I can be. I want to know where the brain holes are so I can avoid them. I want something like a map to a mine field. I want to know exactly what is not working. I want to know exactly what I need to avoid. I want to know what I can do, and do well." …

" look normal. I seem normal. Not only to my friends but to me too! I keep expecting myself to be normal just as they do. The confusing thing is that often I am “normal” and sometimes I am not." …

"Another thing that is frightening or confusing to me about all of this is that I TRULY do not know what I can do and what I can’t. Now as I am learning more about TBIs I am also seeing how many compensatory techniques I have already developed. The compensatory techniques are a good thing. I am not knocking them. They are also part of the silver lining that I have talked about in previous posts. But all the compensatory techniques I am now identifying are also pointing to the number and depth of holes that currently exist. What I need to do is develop more compensatory techniques but first, as I explained above, I have to find and define the holes." Read the complete articleby clicking this link: This Too Shall Pass

Maj. Steven Hutchison, 60, of Scottsdale, Arizona, died May 10, in Basrah of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Al Farr, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

We salute Major Hutchinson as a true American hero, not because he was killed in combat nor because he wore a military uniform. Steven Hutchinson is a patriot. After 9/11 he wanted to re-enlist in the military to further serve his country. He had previously served in Vietnam. But Hutchinson’s wife protested, and he did not re-enlist. According to his brother, Richard, Hutchinson’s wife died and a little part of Steven died, too.

At age 59 he re-enlisted in 2007. He had to pull some strings to do that.

By federal law (10 U.S.C., 505), the minimum age for enlistment in the United States Military is 17 (with parental consent) and the maximum age is 35 (Note: Congress changed this to age 42 in 2006). However, DOD policy allows the individual services to specify the maximum age of enlistment based upon their own unique requirements. However, someone with prior service like Major Hutchinson, can get an age waiver.

About older recuits, Col. Donald Bartholomew, U.S. Army Recruiting Command Assistant Chief of Staff, G5, said, "Experience has shown that older recruits who can meet the physical demands of Army service generally make excellent soldiers. They are mature, motivated, loyal and patriotic, and bring with them a wealth of skills and experience to our Army." (continued below)

Major Steven Hutchinson is a hero for all Americans. Though most citizens now oppose the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and want them brought to an end, Steven Hutchinson is a man we can admire. Patriotism burned within him after the World Trade Center was destroyed but he followed the wishes of his wife. He was, and is, a man’s man.

It is sad, however, that America reached the point where a 59-year old could re-enlist in the military. When I first learned of Major Hutchinson, the 1967 Buffalo Springfield song For What It’s Worth immediately leapt into my mind.

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear

They can sing it far better than I can write it.

We salute, again, Major Hutchinson for what he has done for his country. We plead, again, with our nation’s leaders to bring these wars to an end. As of Thursday, May 14, 2009, at least 4,295 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Others pay tribute to Major Hutchinson as well.

War On Terror News: RIP Major Hutchison – Maj. Steven Hutchison, 60, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died May 10, in Basrah of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Al Farr, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, …

HolyCoast.com: 60-Year Old Hero – An Associated Press database of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan shows that Maj. Steven Hutchison, of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the oldest member of any service branch killed since the wars broke out. His brother said Hutchison …

Thank You Major Hutchison « Infidels Paradise – This man, Major Steven Hutchison had already sacrificed for his country in the Vietnam war yet was compelled to join the Army again after 9/11. At the age of 59 years old he still felt he had not sacrificed or given enough for this …

Brain injury victims usually find themselves trapped inside a fog because of memory problems. Imagine walking down a sidewalk in a soupy fog. You cannot see anything in front of you or to your sides yet you know there is a cross street ahead. You also know other people are walking on the sidewalk. You move along slowly, cautiously.

Brain injury is similar to enshrouding the victim’s memory with fog; it slows down. The victim sees a familiar face and the brain trudges painstakingly slow in finding a name to go with it, and, in many cases, never produces the desired answer quickly enough.

There are other demands being made inside the foggy brain. All five senses are gathering information and sending it for processing. The name retrieval is dismissed as someone asks a question. A car passes by with music blaring. The scent of barbecue permeates the air.

Inside the fog the brain slows as more and more information lines up for processing. Stress builds. Heart rate and breathing quicken. The injured brain is being asked to do too much. Mental fatigue sets in as the Cycle of Response begins.

The Cycle is a natural one and is recognizable. Mental fatigue leads to confusion which leads to frustration which leads to guilt and, eventually depression. Inside the fog this happens several times each day. It is important to recognize the Cycle, recognize where you are on the Cycle, and begin taking steps to back away from guilt and depression.

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

Soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder experience the same Cycle. The March 2009 shooting at Camp Liberty in Baghdad is an example. President Barack Obama’s statement shed light on what probably happened. “There were a total of five service members killed yesterday. Two were 55th Medical Company staff officers at the Liberty Combat Stress Control Centre.” The other three killed were being treated for stress.

Days before the incident, the Army had taken away the shooter’s weapon and recommended he get counseling at the centre. Depression, the last step on the Cycle of Response, indicates separation. A depressed person separates himself from society by withdrawing into his own world. A depressed person separates himself from family through divorce. A depressed person separates himself from life through suicide or a suicidal act.

It is clearly evident the shooter at Liberty Combat Stress Centre performed an act of separation. The immediate arrest outside the clinic was one side of the coin. The other side would have the shooter killed by military police, another type of suicide. In custody and charged with five counts of murder, the shooter is now separated from society, family and his former life.

The military, itself, is not without blame. A stigma has been attached to “mental health” issues, according to Major Gen. Daniel Bolger, the commander of Multi-National Division-Baghdad. The shooter’s father said of his son, “His life was over as far as he was concerned. He lived for the military.”

Think about the chain of events. The shooter had been in the military since 1988. His weapon had been taken from him and he was sent for mental health counseling. His father stated that his son was confused by the tests and their significance. “He lived for the military,” are certainly telling words. Guilt permeated his every thought. “His life was over as far as he was concerned.” Depression could not be stated more clearly or forcefully.

I have not used the shooter’s name in this article because he is not the primary focus, neither are his actions. He felt stigmatized by a system that could not treat him adequately.

Read more about PTSD:

War Veterans and Traumatic Brain Injury

VetVoice:: VoteVets.org and CREW Urge PTSD Investigation – Not only myself, but all clinicians up here are being pressured not to diagnose PTSD and diagnose anxiety disorder NOS instead.” Dr. McNinch continued, “yours has not been the only case . . . I and other [doctors] are under a lot of …

Balancing the Image of PTSD: The Synonmous Relationship of Combat … – The perception of PTSD as nothing more than “battle fatigue” is a thing of the past in American society. Or is it?

Witness: Ex-soldier had PTSD, was unfit for combat – KHQ Right Now … – Witness: Ex-soldier had PTSD, was unfit for combat. Associated Press – May 12, 2009 10:23 PM ET. PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) – A psychiatrist has testified that a former soldier convicted of rape and murder in Iraq did not receive a proper level …

Veterans Blog: Help for PTSD Sufferers! – There are many stories circulating about the shortfalls in adequately diagnosing and treating post traumatic stress disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD. Just recently, I spoke with a women working at a business here in Nashville …

Additional References:

Brain Injury Guide

Brain Injury Online

Beth’s Brain Injury Blog