Uncle Brice's Blog » TBI

Brain Injury Stories

Uncle — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:07:44 +0000

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 He is not the same man, he drinks constantly, is always angry and withdrawn, is mean and distant…"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)

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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."

Brain Injury Victims to Suffer More

Uncle — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:07:33 +0000

"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)

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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.

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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.

October Explosions in Iraq: A Story of Two Soldiers

Uncle — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:16:10 +0000

By Larry Jameson

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)

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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.

Larry Jameson and his wife, Beth, are authors of Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide. Beth sustained an anoxic brain injury in 1990. She and Larry developed numerous strategies for overcoming memory and cognitive deficits. Chapter Six of their book is titled Cycle of Response. Additional strategies confront the different steps on the Cycle. It is a must read for anyone wanting to know more about brain injury.

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More Information About Brain Injury

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

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Brain Injury and PTSD: Living in a Fog

Uncle — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:44:19 +0000

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.

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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.

Brain Injury Blogs of Interest

Uncle — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:58:46 +0000

Brain injury blogs provide a great deal of current information about the number one cause of death and disabilty in the world. Most of these bloggers are living with brain injury as a major part of their lives.

Brain injury causes memory problems, cognitive problems and behavioral problems which cause mental fatigue, confusion, frustration, guilt and depression.

Everyone needs to know more about brain injury. It’s always unexpected. It’s always unwanted. And, for the most part, it lasts a lifetime.

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

Official Blog of TrainingPeaks» Blog Archives » Traumatic brain … – In 2005, David McGuire suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of blunt force trauma to his head. His brain started to swell so much that a large section of his skull had to be removed for 28 days. Now, although he can no longer …

Mother's Day Is Always Christmas « Kara Swanson's Brain Injury Blog – Kara Swanson’s Brain Injury Blog …. Blogroll. Kara’s Cafe Press Storefront · Kara’s Online Store With Cool Mouse Pads, Tote Bags and Unique Casual Wear For The Whole Family · Blog at WordPress.com.

For Iraq veterans headaches continue following traumatic brain … – Thirty-seven percent of the soldiers stated that their headaches began within one week of the traumatic brain injury (TBI); of these 60 percent had migraine-like headaches and 40 percent had headaches which interfered with their ability …

Traumatic Brain Injury in young children associated with later … – A few weeks ago I reviewed a study on the long-term effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in children. I mentioned in that review that previous research led to the likely incorrect assumption that the effects of mild TBI …. Child- Psych.org is a research-based informational blog on child disorders, parenting, and child development. If you have any questions please contact us at info@child-psych.org. Read more About Us. Readour Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. …

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October Explosions in Iraq: A Story of Two Soldiers

More Information About Brain Injury

Brain Injury and PTSD: Living in a Fog

Brain Injury Blogs of Interest

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The Brain Injury Bookstore