|
| |
CHAT WITH PAT
Answers to your personal questions from someone who
cares........ 
DEAR PAT: I am
wondering if some of the problems I have (due to a traumatic brain injury) will
ever disappear. What are the chances of improvement over time? For example, I
have heard of patients regaining speech a year or two after an injury. Is there
a "typical" course of recovery for people with traumatic brain injuries?
PAT'S RESPONSE: There is no typical course of
recovery from traumatic brain injury since TBI affects each person in a
unique way. After all, we start out as individuals, and even after the
injury, we still are individuals. In general, a person achieves the most
dramatic recovery during the first year after the brain injury. Intensive
rehabilitation services can greatly enhance one's improvement. However,
improvement can continue to occur over the next several years. The physical
healing of brain tissue eventually will taper off, but the door remains wide
open for personal growth. The key is for the individual with brain injury to
STRIVE for continuous improvement. Participation in appropriate therapeutic
activities and embracing a healthy, active lifestyle are good for your
brain, body, and soul. So, see good therapists, participate in a dance
class, take a course in Chinese cooking, and meditate, instead of, say,
munching Cheeto's in front of "McHale's Navy."
DEAR
PAT:My wife had a postpartum hemorrhage and is in a rehabilitation hospital
now. She suffers from lack of oxygen to the brain. Can we classify her as a TBI
patient? How can I get more information about her illness and the treatment
needed?
PAT'S RESPONSE: Brain injury can include any event which causes
bruising, swelling, bleeding, tearing to brain tissue/cells, nerves ....
This includes a blow to the head, gunshot, stroke, aneurysm, tumor, and
hemorrhage. Lack of oxygen to the brain is called hypoxia (diminished
oxygen) or anoxia (complete lack of oxygen). In brain injury, the tissue
which is damaged may repair itself (just as a bruised knee eventually gets
better). There is debate as to whether nerves can repair themselves. Even if
nerve regeneration occurs, the nerves are not the same as pre-injury, so
functioning is impaired. In anoxia, brain cells die and do not recover. It
sounds like you need to get very clear information on your wife's diagnosis
and then consider pursuing information through the Internet and the nearest
university library.
DEAR
PAT:
I am searching for resources for people with brain injury who live in Canada.
Any ideas?
PAT'S RESPONSE: Pat recommends you contact the Ontario Brain Injury
Association by telephone (905-641-8877) or e-mail (obia@spartan.ac.brochu.ca).
They have a lot to offer!
DEAR
PAT: I teach pre-school children with disabilities. I have a student who is
developmentally delayed and has serious emotional/behavioral issues. He has a
history of banging his head on hard surfaces. I am curious if all those years of
banging his head could have caused some sort of brain trauma which has affected
his behavior and his ability to process information.
PAT'S RESPONSE:Emphatically, YES. Children's brains are very
vulnerable. The effects of a brain injury in a child may not show up until
months or years after the actual injury. This is because pediatric brain
trauma injures a developing brain. There is a wealth of information on
pediatric brain injury and positive, effective behavior shaping techniques.
You may want to start by contacting:
May Institute Center for Education and Neurorehabilitation
Ron Savage, Ed.D. (Specialist in pediatric neurorehabilitation)
35 Pacella Park Drive, Randolph, MA 02368
617) 963-3600
Research and Training Center on Rehabilitation and Childhood Trauma
New England Medical Center
750 Washington Street, #75K-R, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 636-5031
DEAR
PAT: I was recently told that the minor head injury I sustained 24 years ago
in a bicycle accident may be the cause of several of my current problems. At the
time of the accident, I was in the hospital for about 2 weeks. I was in a coma
for 3 days. There are no physical effects, but I am slow at everything. For
example, I experience comprehension/reading problems. In the past 4 years I have
struggled with mood swings and severe depression. I just started college and I
am having a difficult time. Could my problems be related to this childhood brain
injury, and how can I get help?
PAT'S RESPONSE:
Your situation is common among people with minor brain injuries. Often
these injuries are overlooked or minimized because the period of
unconsciousness is minimal, the CT scan is negative, and/or the person
"looks fine." Twenty-four years ago, no one even heard of brain injury
anyway. (They were still using exorcists to cure epilepsy.) A person in need
of accurate diagnosis and specific recommendations should see a
neuropsychologist, which is a psychologist specially trained in evaluating
brain-behavior relationships. In Pat's educated opinion, a neuropsychologist
is the best person for you to consult at this point. Then you will have
specific suggestions for yourself and your school to help you be
academically successful.
 DEAR
PAT:
I was a teacher for many, many years when I was beaten unconscious by one of
my students. I am now learning to accept my brain injury. My husband walked out
and has a new girlfriend. My school is trying to make me retire early, but I
cannot afford that. I have lost my creativity as well as my spelling ability.
Everything seems so pointless. I do not know who I am; will I ever?
PAT'S RESPONSE:Who You Are: a human being with innate value who is
deserving of compassion and kindness. There are others who have experienced
what you have. They want to help you. Consider contacting the Florida Brain
Injury Association and attending a support group for people who have
sustained brain injuries. Telephone the Florida Brain Injury Association in
Pompano Beach at 954-786-2400 or 800-992-3442. And send your ex-husband a
box of chocolate-covered grasshopper heads from Pat.<
PAT'S
FINAL WORD: The despair expressed in the previous "Dear Pat" question is a
desolation that so many have experienced and conveyed to Pat through this
column. Please read some words of encouragement submitted to Pat from our site's
visitors.
"You must never give up hope for any type of recovery in your child. Even
the smallest steps gained during recovery should be viewed as positive
because they can lead to more steps. Kids need their families' support more
than anything else."
"I know how you are feeling. I was in a wreck 3 years ago and I have a
head injury. I tried going back to work and fell into a depression too deep
to express. The injury was work-related and I was on workman's compensation.
It took a year of court hearings and doctors to get back onto compensation
benefits because no one thought of my depression and other cognitive
problems as injury-related. I am, now, sitting in a rehab hospital 3 years
after my accident finally getting the treatment I need. Good luck and don't
let anyone tell you that you are making anything up!!"
|
