Spring Break
Brain injuries take toll on quality of life
Beth Malmskog
Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: News
Her friend also lost the ability to visually recognize people she knew.
TBI also causes physical symptoms.
One widespread symptom of TBI is recurring headaches, Sample said. A less obvious but very common consequence is constant fatigue.
"(Fatigue) is probably one of the hugest things," she said. "It's so hard to be functioning with this brain that's not working well for you, and you've just got to put so much more into your daily life than anyone else does, especially if people are expecting you to be just like you were prior to your injury."
This can lead to a downward spiral in the lives of TBI survivors.
"People just start losing respect for you, thinking you are kind of just turning into a not OK person, when in reality you just can't do it anymore," Sample said. "Relationships crumble. If you're married to somebody, and suddenly that person isn't who you married, it's really difficult. So it's not very often that marriages survive a brain injury to one of the spouses, because one of the spouses becomes more of a parent, and the other spouse becomes someone needing all this help all the time."
The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that more than 5.3 million Americans will need long-term or life-long help with their daily lives as a result of TBI.
Judy Dettmer, a social worker and direct services coordinator for CCP, said TBI survivors have trouble because "often brain injury is not visible." Society doesn't ask why a person is struggling and why he or she can't just get on with their lives.
Survivors also have to adjust to reliance on other people. They may only need small things, like day planners with alarms to remind them of routine activities.
It's sometimes as simple as needing someone to come in and put "sticky notes all over the house," Sample said.
And insurance rarely covers long-term help. CCP finds services for people who could not otherwise afford them.
"Nobody ever shows up here with money, but they're the ones who really need the help," Sample said
"(TBI is) an equal opportunity condition," Dettmer said. "It can happen to any of us."
Dr. Sample said TBI is also a real danger for CSU students.
"I just go crazy looking around campus," she said. "Bikes are leaping out from everywhere. Nobody has a helmet on. Nobody. One accident and your life is going to be real different. Just one."
Staff Writer Beth Malmskog can be reached at news@collegina.com.
TBI also causes physical symptoms.
One widespread symptom of TBI is recurring headaches, Sample said. A less obvious but very common consequence is constant fatigue.
"(Fatigue) is probably one of the hugest things," she said. "It's so hard to be functioning with this brain that's not working well for you, and you've just got to put so much more into your daily life than anyone else does, especially if people are expecting you to be just like you were prior to your injury."
This can lead to a downward spiral in the lives of TBI survivors.
"People just start losing respect for you, thinking you are kind of just turning into a not OK person, when in reality you just can't do it anymore," Sample said. "Relationships crumble. If you're married to somebody, and suddenly that person isn't who you married, it's really difficult. So it's not very often that marriages survive a brain injury to one of the spouses, because one of the spouses becomes more of a parent, and the other spouse becomes someone needing all this help all the time."
The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that more than 5.3 million Americans will need long-term or life-long help with their daily lives as a result of TBI.
Judy Dettmer, a social worker and direct services coordinator for CCP, said TBI survivors have trouble because "often brain injury is not visible." Society doesn't ask why a person is struggling and why he or she can't just get on with their lives.
Survivors also have to adjust to reliance on other people. They may only need small things, like day planners with alarms to remind them of routine activities.
It's sometimes as simple as needing someone to come in and put "sticky notes all over the house," Sample said.
And insurance rarely covers long-term help. CCP finds services for people who could not otherwise afford them.
"Nobody ever shows up here with money, but they're the ones who really need the help," Sample said
"(TBI is) an equal opportunity condition," Dettmer said. "It can happen to any of us."
Dr. Sample said TBI is also a real danger for CSU students.
"I just go crazy looking around campus," she said. "Bikes are leaping out from everywhere. Nobody has a helmet on. Nobody. One accident and your life is going to be real different. Just one."
Staff Writer Beth Malmskog can be reached at news@collegina.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Leslie Farrell
posted 11/01/07 @ 7:28 AM MST
As a TBI survivor, I found a resource in the Brain Injury Association of Colorado. They have a great list of resources at http://www.biacolorado.org/links. (Continued…)
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