Not many people know about TBIs, which is understandable. I too did not know much about them until someone I love suffered from one. Even then, I did not know all the secrets and mysteries that stood behind this one diagnosis.

More than 50,000 people die each year in just the United States from injuries to the brain. The range of these injuries go from “mild,” such as a concussion, to “severe,” altering the lives of all that are affected. The causes of these brain injuries have an even wider range. Falls, car accidents, assaults and being struck by an object are the most common encounters that outcome in damage to the brain. Any blow, jolt or hit to the head can result in an injury. Your brain is so fragile and your skull can only protect it to a certain extent.

We are taught that everyone is anatomically the same but that is not always true. Two different people could be put into identical stations and have completely different injuries when it comes to the brain. This is one reason why diagnosing someone long term is nearly impossible. Doctors are unable to give insight to both the patient and the patient’s family of what the future may hold. Every brain heals at a different rate and to a different extent therefore no two injury is the same. Some are barley similar.

Not knowing what is in store for someone you love is never easy. What’s even harder is accepting that there is no real treatment for it. All the methods of treating patients with TBIs are experimental such as stem cell infusion and oxygen therapy. Some medications do work for some patients but it is a constant cycle of trial and error for others. Finding the right combination can take months and even years. The journey that begins from a TBI can last a lifetime.

The occurrence of a TBI has an everlasting effect on families and communities as a whole. When someone you love suffers from a brain injury, you have no choice but to adjust your life accordingly. I would personally describe it as finding a new normal; however, there is truly nothing normal about this adaption. Learning to accept that your loved one is now a new person is extremely difficult. Brain injuries can take away a person’s ability to talk, walk, eat, make memories and carry out basic everyday tasks. As a family member or friend you must be able to dedicate your time to your injured love one to make sure they remain healthy enough to hopefully regain neurological function. It isn’t easy to watch the one you love in this state but when you love someone you will stop at nothing to ensure their well being.

It is a long ride of ups and downs for those who struggle with TBI. Some think that because time passes so does the pain and suffering but that is not the case. Years can pass by and the struggles can still be endured. Time does not heal all wounds nor the brain. There is no telling what tomorrow has in store for TBI patients therefore it never gets easier. All you can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst.