Tbi Question

[cowgirl]

Okay, my mind wanders and I been wonderin.

Say one incurred a concussion, knocked out and recovers enough to be released next day, recorded in medical records, is that considered a TBI? Treatment at 2 different hospitals, but later released after being 'watched' overnight.

Or is a TBI a severe impact that causes a chronic condition, needs followup care, stivitches bandaged, surgery etc?

To have the TBI recognized as such, does the vet need ongoing care? or just wait until something occurs that 'reconnects' the injury to a current condition?

The dumb question is the one not asked,

cg

[Guest Vietnam Tanker]

CG, I would agree with you on the concussion, but I am not sure how the VA looks at it. I was shot in the head in Nam and was out for hours, But the VA denied my claim for TBI as there was no followup on it for years, I am told that TBI is a new diagnosis particular to Afgan and Iraq vets with the use of IED's

[cowgirl]

Thanks Tanker, didn't know this was a new type VA diagnosis and right, this would be 'peacetime' not combat related tbi. Thinking sc while I can, cause I read somewhere symptoms may show up months or years later. (mental illness,alzheimers or parkinsons) Oh well. Again, thanks.

cg

CG, I would agree with you on the concussion, but I am not sure how the VA looks at it. I was shot in the head in Nam and was out for hours, But the VA denied my claim for TBI as there was no followup on it for years, I am told that TBI is a new diagnosis particular to Afgan and Iraq vets with the use of IED's

[sandboxsquid]

COwgirl,

I go to the VA on Tuesday to be tested for TBI. I screened when I got back from Iraq to possibly have it. I will let you know what I find out next week.

[Berta]

Any impact, IED or any form of trauma can caused bruising to the brain- usually an MRI would reveal this type of brain trauma but I read somewhere that even MRIs cannot always show exactrly what type of damage has occurred.

TBI is a physical trauma but can cause personality changes, mask depression and even PTSD and also be diagnosed along with these types of mental disorders.

A TBI vet I saw interviewed on TV had obvious personality changes due to his TBI- his speech was hesitant and even his responses were off the topic a few times-

VA has tried to say some vets with TBI have a personality disorder instead but nothing could be further from the truth.A PD saves them money-TBI is conpensable.

TBI has been around probably since cavemen started clubbing each other- the VA has realised that they have had to do much more study on TBI since IEDs have been so prevalent in the Iraq/Afganistan war.

What might be an obvious TBI to one serviceperson -such as one directly injured in a IED explosion-might also be easily overlooked in another serviceperson who was far enough away from the blast to have had possible momentary concussion from the explosion impact with no major physical symptoms or injuries.

VA has to keep on the TBI issue and find better ways to rule in or out TBI problems.

Sandboxsquid-let us klnow what the TBI testing involved.

[timetowinarace]

It's been quite a while since I visited the board. Hello to all.

For cowgirls question, I'm 100% P&T from TBI. My injury was a closed head injury, meaning no skull fracture. I was not knocked out. However I was hospitalized for a couple weeks for "post concussive syndrome" after a somewhat severe reaction several days after the injury. From there I was given a clean bill of health but within a year problems developed. 12-14 years of misdiagnoses, no diagnoses(malingering accusations) followed. Eventually one good psych Doc got it right at a C&P. In summery, no a tbi does not have to be severe(skull fracture) to be SC, and if you can prove symptoms were occuring within a year or two of injury, treatment for a tbi is not neccisary for SC. What I mean by that is, if you had sought treatment for depression and/or other symptoms that can be attributed to the tbi but were not diagnosed as such, it can be proven that those symptoms were/are a result of the tbi. That is how I did it.

For Berta, MRI rarely shows this type of injury. Neuropsychological testing is usually the determining factor. In my case, MRI's show nothing. Neuropsych testing reveals severe functional limitations. The basis for my rating.

[cowgirl]

Timetowin, good to see you! Thank you, Sandbox, best wishes and Berta you are always informative! Time, that was a long time for you, 12-14 yrs, your psych doc earned their wings. Thank you sincerely for your service.

Checking my short 'ought to be sc' list, tbi question nags at me.

Smrs show patient with possible concussion admitted to 2 different mil hosp's for 'observation' within 24 hours. No flags to tbi to any other visits forward. Neuropsych exam, is that lengthy? - putting pegs in holes, other odd tests, childhood questions and how long I could sit in a chair answering? IF so, had va exam like that with 1st claim. Clown wrote 'probable' diagnosis of nsc Pd. ha. n.s.c = non 'service' compensable, better definition.

Other sc ratings are in, but I feel tbi need sc. Oh, concussion (aka,tbi) was listed on first claim years ago. Way back then, didnt know how to va proof the claim, appealed a few issues for sc, but most were denied. Fast forward to past few years, realized I've 'hadit' with ignorance and am catching up.

Thanks again,

Cg

It's been quite a while since I visited the board. Hello to all.

For cowgirls question, I'm 100% P&T from TBI. My injury was a closed head injury, meaning no skull fracture. I was not knocked out. However I was hospitalized for a couple weeks for "post concussive syndrome" after a somewhat severe reaction several days after the injury. From there I was given a clean bill of health but within a year problems developed. 12-14 years of misdiagnoses, no diagnoses(malingering accusations) followed. Eventually one good psych Doc got it right at a C&P. In summery, no a tbi does not have to be severe(skull fracture) to be SC, and if you can prove symptoms were occuring within a year or two of injury, treatment for a tbi is not neccisary for SC. What I mean by that is, if you had sought treatment for depression and/or other symptoms that can be attributed to the tbi but were not diagnosed as such, it can be proven that those symptoms were/are a result of the tbi. That is how I did it.

For Berta, MRI rarely shows this type of injury. Neuropsychological testing is usually the determining factor. In my case, MRI's show nothing. Neuropsych testing reveals severe functional limitations. The basis for my rating.