What is a TBI?

Your head suddenly hits an object, is shaken violently or an object pierces the skull penetrating the brain tissue. This intrusion has now interfered with the normal functions of your brain. My friend, you have suffered a TBI, or you may have also heard it called a traumatic brain injury.

My TBI was caused by a sudden blow to the head resulting in several changes. Changes that happen immediately and changes I did not notice for several years after the accident. Let me introduce you to a traumatic brain injury and how they might affect their survivors.

Facts about TBI-

There are a few different types of traumatic brain injury classifications.

Mild TBI or Concussion

Most TBIs that occur each year are mild TBIs or concussions.1 A mild TBI or concussion is caused by:

A bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or
By a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth

This sudden movement can cause:

The brain to bounce around or twist in the skull
Chemical changes in the brain
Stretching and damaging brain cells

These changes in the brain lead to symptoms that may affect how a person thinks, learns, feels, acts, and sleeps.

Moderate and Severe TBI

A moderate or severe TBI is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a penetrating injury (such as from a gunshot) to the head. In the United States, severe TBIs are linked to thousands of deaths each year.

For those who survive, a moderate or severe TBI may lead to long-term or life-long health problems that may affect all aspects of a person’s life. These health problems have been described as being similar to the effects of a chronic disease.

People get TBI’s most commonly from falls, fire-arm related injuries, motor vehicle accidents and/or assault. My TBI was caused by a motorcycle accident. If you ask me, mine was a bump, blow, and jolt...lol.

People who have suffered a TBI may also experience short-or-long term health problems. There were a few issues that I had to deal with immediately but there have been a few that have stuck around not for years. I will share more in an upcoming post of the different conditions.

Symptoms-

There are a number of symptoms related to TBI. Some you may suspect such as headaches, vomiting or loss of consciousness, but there are a great many more to add to the list. For a more detailed list of symptoms click here.

Injuries-

While there are a list of symptoms, there are also several types of injuries that fall under TBI. I suffered from several but the two that come to mind at the moment are the facial fractures and the multiple subarachnoid hemorrhages. For a list and explanation of each injury click here.

TBI Data and Statistics-

The most recent TBI data available show that there were nearly 61,000 TBI-related deaths in 2019.

Five Year outcomes of Persons with TBI*

I am in that 26%, but I have had to fight like hell to get to that 26%! It would have been easy for me to have moved into the 30% or just stay in the 22%. But, I couldn't. I refused. The road ahead will not be a cakewalk but I will make it through it. Whatever IT is, I will always face it and come out on the other side stronger than before. I encourage you to do the same.