Invisible Wounds: TBI affects service members at war, home

KANEOHE BAY, HI, UNITED STATES

10.24.2013

Story by Cpl. Sarah Anderson 

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii - Within the Department of Defense, 280,734 service members have suffered Traumatic Brain Injury since 2000. TBI has been referred to as an invisible wound many service members suffer as a result of war.

A TBI is a blow or jolt to the head, which affects the function of the brain. It can come in mild, moderate or severe forms depending on the injury. Although many TBI cases results from of combat related injuries, they also occur on the homefront from assault, athletic or vehicle accidents.

Symptoms of TBI come in physical, cognitive and/or emotional forms. Headaches, nausea, fatigue and vision problems are only physical side effects. Mood swings, depression or anxiety are emotional results of TBI. People with the injury may also experience memory loss, attention problems and difficulty thinking or finding words to say.

Cpl. Joseph Delfrate, a recovering service member with the Wounded Warrior Battalion West—Detachment Hawaii, developed severe TBI as a result of combat wounds in 2010.

“Not a lot of people know how to deal with it, especially people who have it,” Delfrate said. “It makes every relationship harder. Not only do I have to cope with it, so do people around me.”

Delfrate suffered many side affect of TBI, but says the most frustrating injuries are his memory loss, speech impairment and heightened emotional mood swings.

Everyday activities are a significant effort for him, like driving, due to slower hand-eye coordination, and remembering where he puts things.

He has learned to develop routines and tricks to help him remember. For example, he places his car keys in his shoes because it’s the last thing he will need before he leaves his home.

“Everyone loses car keys every once in a while,” Delfrate said. “I take more offense to it because I’ve worked so hard to try and remember certain things like that. It’s not that I lost my keys, it’s that I worked so hard to do something and I still misplace my keys.”

He said he copes best by opening up to others about his struggles and talking about them.

“Bottling it up is definitely one of the worst things you could do,” Delfrate said. “Once you bottle something up, it just piles up until it’s too much.

“The most important thing when having any type of injury, whether its physical or mental, is seek help whenever or wherever you can,” He added. “It doesn’t have to be a trained doctor, it could be your next door neighbor or best friend, anyone who is willing to listen.”

When TBI occurs, it’s a traumatic event, according to Margaret Church, clinical care advocate with the Wounded Warrior Battalion West—Detachment Hawaii. It takes a toll on the body in various ways mentally and physically.

Recovery is different for everyone and depends on the injury, according to http://www.dvbic.org/tbibasics. Some warning signs of TBI are worsening headaches, problems with vision, balance, disorientation, unusual behavior or seizures.

“Recovery happens at different levels for different people and can be painstakingly slow,” Church said. “There can be recovery. Seek support and education, if you understand you can adapt.”

Delfrate said those suffering with TBI should seek help. He attributes his recovery to seeking treatment vice ignoring the problem.

“Having TBI has shifted my perspective on everything,” Delfrate said. “I’m not the person I was before the injury and I’m not the person I was before I decided to seek help.

“Keep trying to get better,” he added. “Keep trying to stay calm and keep trying to be in somewhat control of ourselves. (Don’t) let sickness, injuries or illnesses claim us. It’s going to be an ongoing battle until the day we die.”

For more information about TBI, visit http://www.dvbic.org/tbibasics or call the Tripler Army Medical Center at 433-6661.

• Date Taken: 10.24.2013
• Date Posted: 10.24.2013 23:19
• Story ID: 115707
• Location: KANEOHE BAY, HI, US