March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month
Within a few hours of the accident, we knew that her brain had been badly injured. But I also quickly discovered that I knew almost nothing about brain injuries. So where does a person turn to get information today? I immediately starting checking websites for everything I could find about traumatic brain injuries. I still have much to learn. A few things I have learned include:
1. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 1.7 million children and adults in the U.S. sustain a traumatic brain injury EVERY YEAR. Our family is not the only one going through this.
2. Our knowledge of what works in treating brain injuries is not all that great. Some of that seems to be because there is much to be learned about how our brains work in the first place. This is definitely an area where there needs to be research.
3. Many brain injuries are preventable. Bike helmets, car seatbelts, and sports safety equipment used consistently can prevent many injuries. (Emily was wearing her seatbelt. Unfortunately the impact was from the side.)
4. Brain injuries affect the entire family. It is taking an all out effort from a lot of family members to care for Emily. The first few weeks put us all in crisis mode, but things are still far from normal. As one of the doctors said on the first day, this is a marathon, not a sprint. The problem is, we want her well NOW and that is not how brain injuries work.
5. We live in a great community and Emily has some very good friends. So many people have gone out of their way to help. Neighbors, co-workers, church members, and even strangers have put food in the refrigerator, helped with car repairs, paid for hotel bills, sent cards, brought gifts, prayed, and visited. We feel amazed and humbled by the outpouring of support she has received.
March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month. If you would like to learn more about brain injuries, The Brain Injury Association of America has one of the best websites I have found so far. We continue to look for more resources and ideas for treatment and rehabilitation. Please leave me a comment or e-mail if you have come across any information about brain injuries.
At this point Emily is still in a coma. She has improved in many ways and has her eyes open much of the time. There are still no guarantees, but we remain hopeful about her recovery. If you would like to read updates about her progress, you can find them on this Facebook page.
my family understand exactly what you are going through. It will be 2years june7th, when my brother 50yrs old was on his way to work on his motorcycle,with a helmet on, when a deer crossed over the high way and hit him. It was around 5 in the morning, so it was alittle dark out yet, they don’t ever think he saw the deer. It through him off, and he suffered TBI. He was in a coma, Then to a rehab center to learn to walk ,talk and do everything else all over again. They told us he’s a miracle, and lucky to be alive. He is not exactly the same as he was before, but he is alive, its a tough process for everyone. We learn to accept the things we can not change. He continues to do theraphy everyday, and is still makinf progress with getting better at everything. They tell us his brain is still healing,which is great. It is a long hard process, but we have had so much support, thank god!!!He wored at Hershey Foods for 30 years, so he has many people who love and support him, without that we would not be where we are today. I will pray for your family and may god bless you all. sincerely Kathy Raupers
Thank you Kathy. I will pray for him and your family as well. It is encouraging to know that healing can continue to take place even more than a year after the injury. Some days we see progress, but it is slow. I wish I were a more patient person!