PTSD/TBI: A National, Medical, Moral, Financial Catastrophe

We are in worse trouble than anyone has imagined.

Military vehicle in Iraq that struck an improvised explosive device or 'IED'. The tremendous explosions from roadside bombs rip trucks like this to shreds. Imagine the impact on humans: this is one primary cause of traumatic brain injury or 'TBI'

(SALEM) - The Oregonian carried an article about Army Combat Veteran, Theadore Jones, “Correcting for Veterans” on Tuesday, August 21st 2012, pointing out the disgraceful treatment of out battered and bruised medically disabled veterans. He was hit with bombs and grenade 7 times in Iraq in 2004. He is 100% disabled with PTSD and other injuries.

It is certain that he was under the care of the Army and the VA and their therapy was a complete failure or even worse and he became an alcoholic. His latest problems, DUII’s (of which there were 9), put him in the hospital with plates in his head and mental function problems. Instead of being in a VA hospital under medical care, he is in prison because he got injured fighting for the rest of us and ended up mentally and physically destroyed and forgotten. BIG DEAL.

The Oregonian had 68 comments about this total miscarriage of justice. We all owe him!!! His CARE in prison is beyond Gestapo style cruelty. Are they trying to kill him??

The comments were mostly supportive but what most did not understand that he was under treated OR mistreated by military medicine or VA medicine. There are thousands just like him.

The second similar story was about Major Ben Richards in The New York Times August 10th, 2012 by Nicholas S. Kristof. He had numerous head injuries and therefore TBI’s, Traumatic Brain Injuries, in Iraq, by a car bomb which left him with severe concussion NOT shell shock! Three weeks later it happened again. He kept on going with headaches, fatigue, insomnia and fainting but he kept on going.

Another view of exploded truck in Iraq. Salem-News.com Iraq photos by Tim King

He was eventually dismissed with TBI and came home. His wife said he was ‘different’. With all that happened to him, who would think differently?

The headaches, etc., continued and he tried to escape by being alone. It didn’t work. His TBI-provoked loss of memory became an increasing problem for a person with an IQ of 148.

The Army sent him to Georgetown University to get an advanced degree but he couldn’t function. He was sent to West Point to teach but that didn’t work either. He wasn’t functioning mentally.

Brain scans finally discovered he had 8 lesions in the brain. Six years after his injuries with no obvious improvement, we have a formally very intelligent, well regarded Junior Officer at the end of his line.

These two stories should indicate to anyone with more than two functioning neurons that military medicine and VA medicine are not only colossal failures but far worse.

They have destroyed any possibility on returning not only these two combat veterans but possibly a million more with chronic non-improvable disability.

The VA says it is doing all it can for these veterans. Heaven forefend, we are in worse trouble than anyone has imagined.

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