Traumatic Brain Injury

[tjsmom]

I have a son who is now 16 years old. At 4 years old he was hit in the head with a sledgehammer.
He was taken immediately to the hospital. The xrays did not show anything to be alarmed about other than the excessive swelling.
For the next several years T.J. had a hard time focusing in school and was basically a very difficult child.
In the past three years or so he has changed even more. He hates school, can't sit in a class or anywhere, for that matter, for extended periods of time, seems depressed, sleeps a lot, gets angered easily.
Long story, short...the school he was at said that since he had had this injury he could be diagnosed with TBI. I had never heard of this before that day.
He has received special accomodations to help him go to school and succeed.
We recently moved out of state and he is experiencing anxiety which is new.
The school has a great Special ed program and did say he was TBI as well.
He has not gone to school for the first 2 weeks and they have said that he MUST be in school Monday or that is basically it.
The psychologist he is seeing says he has legitimate mental issues and he is not just trying not to go to school.
They are questioning whether T.J. is really TBI and asked what doctor diagnosed him.
Now....here is the question....what do I do? A psychiatrist had noted he suffered from TBI as a young child in a letter, however, is there a "Diagnosis" for someone who is hit in the head?
What do I do?
I want to help my child but don't understand how one school district classifies him and helps and this one wants actual documentation from a doctor.
When I read about the symptoms of TBI it describes my son perfectly!!
Thanks so much for ANYONE who might be able to help me!!

[jphartson]

Hi there,
If a doctor had diagnosed your son with a tbi,then I'd go with that,especially since he has all the symptoms. I'd ask the doctor that he has all the symptoms of a tbi and you wish to persue it as such. Getting hit in the head with a sledgehammer is definitaly a tbi criteria. I would also log onto
www.tbihome.org. There is alot of support for you as well as your son. I to have a tbi and I to would agree that your son has a tbi. Also go to your computer and look up the brain injury association for your state. There are alot of resources out there that you can use. I hope this helps you out. Stay strong and our thoughts and prayers go out to you. Jeff

[djama]

i would be careful about latching onto the TBI diagnosis
it may be relevant it may not
what is important is that your son's condition
whatever its cause
be properly and comprehensively assessed
so that you can do the best you can do for him

if you jump to conclusions
about tbi too early
you may be missing something else
which may even be more important
eg his anxiety may be around bullying
or he may have an issue with his father
that you know nothing about, etc, etc
look twice act once

[2ndchance]

[quote="djama"]i would be careful about latching onto the TBI diagnosis
it may be relevant it may not
what is important is that your son's condition
whatever its cause
be properly and comprehensively assessed
so that you can do the best you can do for him

if you jump to conclusions
about tbi too early
you may be missing something else
which may even be more important
eg his anxiety may be around bullying
or he may have an issue with his father
that you know nothing about, etc, etc
look twice act once[/quote]

Hello I am new to this site and I feel for you and understand you frustration...

I am a TBI survivor and you are not clear as to whether your son has seen a neuro recently? has he had a MRI? Does he have attention problems, ALSO he is a TEEN relocating is difficult period brain injury or not is he social? does he have friends? Sorry to ask but drugs? depression? Is he on psych meds?

Unfortunately there is still alot that is unclear! A hit to the head with a sledgehammer certainly could lead to a TBI and some symptoms you've mentioned sound familiar BUT you need to approach this step by step. Brain injury diagnosis is difficult and if he doesn't get that you have other things to follow up on.

Good luck to you hope to hear an update J

[adaminnj]

Ha, TBI good luck with that lady.

I'm a 45 year old TBI survivor who has been living with issues since I was 17 years old! There is no help out there for TBI survivor unless you look like Steven Hawkings.

I had my right skull explode into my brain in a car accident and the Neuro sergan picked the bits of skull out of my brain wire it all back together then clip that bigger pice back into my skull. Induced coma for 3 days out of the hospital in a week, one check back with the nuro sergon after 3 months and that is it!

If your kid is not obviously and visibly handicapped don't expect to ride TBI as a path to any help or sympathy.

any time I mention how I had "Brain surgerie" I get the same stupid Jokes "O that explains it" WTF is "it" anyway?

And reading your post I don't think TBI fits the bill. As luck would have it I married a woman who's father is a Neurologist, Pediatric and he tells me that most parents that want a diagnosis for there kids are usually just trying to mask "Bad parenting".

[jphartson]

adaminn,
I'm sorry for your bad experience. However you apper to be very insensitive to someone that is reaching out for help. You didn't offer any. Part of rehab is getting support and education. This family is asking for that. You need alot of support and help to better understand what happens in other people. Your case though sad is not conducive to what other tbi survivors go through. They can get better and lead very productive lives ,others have a longer road. Please think of that the next time you post. Also positive input is a great healing tool.

[adaminnj]

jphartson,

I thought my post was very helpful. I explained that the system for TBI survivors that have had no visible damage is limited, and how doctors treat parents of TBI survivors looking for help.

I guess you need to read between the lines of my last post, but it is the realities of TBI unless you have viable issues like paralysis and/or speech issues.

Take what you will from the post.

I'm a father now and How dose one allow there child to get hit in the head by a sledgehammer anyway?

[laighann922]

No your post was not very helpful adaminnj.Sorry. I am aware that your experience has not been a pleasant one, but how dare you ask the question of how someone allows their child to be hit by a sledgehammer anyway. You have absolutely no idea what the circumstances of the injury were. I will be the first to say that you DO NOT have to have a physical abnormality to recieve acknowledgement that you have had a TBI. This mother has reached out for help and that is not easy. She is trying to understand her son's diagnosis. There are actually people that live with TBI everyday, and they hope that their experiences might help another individual that is dealing with the same thing. She obviously loves her son, and is pursuing every avenue to help him heal. Please don't discourage others seeking help.

[adaminnj]

[quote="laighann922"]No your post was not very helpful adaminnj.Sorry. I am aware that your experience has not been a pleasant one, but how dare you ask the question of how someone allows their child to be hit by a sledgehammer anyway. You have absolutely no idea what the circumstances of the injury were. I will be the first to say that you DO NOT have to have a physical abnormality to recieve acknowledgement that you have had a TBI. This mother has reached out for help and that is not easy. She is trying to understand her son's diagnosis. There are actually people that live with TBI everyday, and they hope that their experiences might help another individual that is dealing with the same thing. She obviously loves her son, and is pursuing every avenue to help him heal. Please don't discourage others seeking help.[/quote]

laighann922,


you crack me up!

I asked how a childs head got in the way of a sledgehammer because I don't understand how a kid gets hit with a sledgehammer. My son lived in a house where we rebuilt the foundation and remodeled the whole interior of the house and not once was he in any danger from tools laying around the house!
(And I'm the primary stay at home parent who also happens to have a TBI)

As for your "recieve acknowledgement" statement; Yes I have had acknowledgment for having a massive head injury "TBI" but as for getting help or special dispensation or handling there is nothing or limited help. I have lost jobs because lost work time due to headaches (I just get accused of having a hangover or being on drugs) and I have had classes at university that I have had to drop due to the inability to read fast enough to keep up with the reading assignments. I am 6' tall 200 lbs and active, (a normal looking for all intensive purposes) with a very slight left side control issues mostly noticeable to me.

If pedies neuro(s) are looking at parenting rather than symptoms of TBI survivors then what chance do we have?

for toughs of you who have bumped your head and have had all kinds of TBI help just be glad you had great insurance to cover the tests and treatments. Other wise you would be put out on the street and receive little to nothing in way of help. Most of the medical system in the U.S. is a game of being paid and who can pay. I have seen people who fell and just bumped there head spend 6 months being treated for TBI and receiving benefits just because they had a good Doctor who knew how to get the insurance company to pay. While I get run around test after test, MRIs that shows a good part of my right brain is scar tissue, dealing with crushing headaches and anger issues and I have GREAT Insurance!

The reality of TBI is you are on your own, and your life will revolve around finding treatment and how to pay for the treatment. As well you will find doctors that will say things like "I see no reason for your headaches or other issues" while you are puking in the office from the brain pain.

someone before me said that they "Don't think" that the issues described was definatly symptoms of TBI. I'm just saying that even if it is a TBI good luck getting any actual help!

tjsmom said:
"I have a son who is now 16 years old. At 4 years old he was hit in the head with a sledgehammer.
He was taken immediately to the hospital. The xrays did not show anything to be alarmed about other than the excessive swelling."

I was hit in the head by a baseball when I was 12 and it was purple and swelled to the size of a softball but that was not a TBI. (played first base)

As well the fact that she is seeking help 8 years after the fact to help with school issues is a big red flag to doctors.

[adaminnj]

here is more proof of the lack of help to the suvivors of TBI


"Ms. Schrimpf, now 51 years old, is one of about nine million people in the U.S. disabled from the effects of strokes, traumatic brain injury and brain hemorrhages. Of that number, according to estimates from doctors and support groups, over half suffer damage to their memory, mental processing or behavior.

Many specialists are convinced that cognitive rehabilitation can help this largely overlooked group, even allowing some patients to resume work. Unlike Ms. Schrimpf, however, most don't receive treatment. Medical studies, while compelling, aren't comprehensive enough for some, and unlike with a physical injury, it's often hard to assess a patient's progress. Many insurance companies, citing these factors, don't pay for this therapy, or limit its scope. In addition, acute-care doctors often simply consign patients to nursing homes.

'Walking Wounded'

This silent club -- doctors sometimes refer to its members as the "walking wounded" -- is only getting bigger. Thanks to improving medical procedures, more people survive accidents and strokes that would have killed them just two decades ago. Many look perfectly normal, have mild or no physical symptoms and yet are badly out of sync with the world."

full article at http://forums.positscience.com/viewtopic.php?t=237&sid=aaea92456cdbb339a1fc78414e23a0ac

it's an intresting read! I'll post this in a new topic.

Ive been living like this for 27 years DO NOT TELL ME I'm wrong!