“Nearly 30,000 veterans have suffered some kind of traumatic brain injury in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – an estimated 2,000 of them severe enough to put warriors into comas or leave them with severe disabilities. Yet eight years into the wars, testimony before Congress shows veterans still suffer yawning gaps in coverage for what has become the conflicts’ signature wound.”   (News & Observer, 5/23/2010)

“…part of Pittman’s brain has gone dormant, and on most days, he can’t think straight. He leaves the room and forgets what he was searching for. He gets migraines so piercing that his right eye wanders. Anger comes easily, inspiring rages that sometimes have his wife terrified for herself and the couple’s 3-year-old daughter.”

I just read another story that reminds me of how many returning war veterans are suffering with head injuries and their consequences.  Many vets cannot find the support they need to reintegrate into their environment, unemployment rates are skyrocketing, and many are homeless.  Traumatic Brain Injuries are devastating, and nowhere is this more apparent than in our military who have suffered memory loss, cognitive deficits, and personality changes all due to a head injury.  If you know a veteran who has suffered a brain injury, please help them get the assistance they need.  Many times it starts imply with getting them to the right health care provider.  For the full story, please follow this link: 

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12836622?nclick_check=1

A research company has received a grant of almost $ 9 million to study the effects of brain injuries of deployed servicemen.  One reason is because the symptoms of a concussion may not be obvious, while things such as slower reaction time and memory impairments may persist.  Similar to the high school proposal for testing of athletes who have suffered a head injury, this commitment by the military exhibits an understanding that the effects of head injury can be very subtle, and return to any kind of active duty/sport should be approached with extreme caution in any circumstance.  For the full article regarding the military study, please click on the following link:

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/89M-to-Eyak-for-Brain-Injury-Testing-for-Deploying-US-Troops-05592/