Resurrecting Lives offers help with TBI

Afghan war vets, St. Louis researchers
seek answers on head injuries

80% of Traumatic Brain Injury among the military occur during training.

Although TBI has been known as the cause of long term, disabling injury since the 1970’s, it is still poorly understood and is largely an invisible disability. Below are excerpts from an excellent article by Jesse Bogan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on  efforts being made to understand, diagnose and treat TBI in the military setting. I would urge you to read the entire article – one of the best I’ve seen…

…Chrisanne Gordon, a physician in Ohio, said only 10 percent of healthcare providers in the country are familiar and actively treat mild TBI. Many who display symptoms don’t seek treatment anywhere.

“Thirteen years into the wars, we ought to know a little more,” said Gordon.

Gordon helped create the Resurrecting Lives Foundation, a group that advocates for better cooperation between the Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, and civilian health care systems so there will be better solutions for hundreds of thousands of veterans who suffer brain trauma, many without diagnosis.

Gordon is particularly adamant about the issue. A former TBI screener for the VA, she was questioned over her high diagnosis numbers. Also, she personally recovered from TBI after falling into a wall one Christmas while putting up decorations. She said it took more than a year to feel steady again. Her memory was never the same.

Yet her brain scan at the time of injury came back normal.

“That’s why I am so passionate about this,” she said, adding: “The brain totally affects ability to function in our fast-paced society.”

The men and women serving our country to protect our freedoms and those of our children deserve help in returning to normal lives when they leave the military. It’s the least we can do…

It’s a bigger problem than you think

Do you know the leading cause of death among young adults?

Brain-sloshing blows to the head are common on the field

Brave soldiers on the front face death and unimaginable challenges on a daily basis

Not gunshot wounds… Not automobile accidents… Not sports injuries… Not cancer… Not heart disease… Not war.

Perhaps surprisingly, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death among people between ages of 10 and 24. TBI is a major public health problem that affects all age groups. It occurs when a sudden trauma or head injury disrupts the function of the brain.

Researchers have discovered that even a small concussion can  have lasting consequences. And concern has been raised about the potential long-term effects of repeated concussion, particularly in those most at risk: young athletes and those engaged in professions associated with frequent head injury, including men and women in the military.

Current tests cannot reliably identify concussions, and there is no way to predict who will recover quickly, who will suffer long-term symptoms, and which few individuals will develop progressive brain degeneration, called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Studies have confirmed some alarming lasting effects, and organizations representing professional athletes are developing programs to help. The Veterans Administration (VA) has resources available for survivors of military action.

But there’s so much more to do…