Head Injuries 25 Years Ago, Problems Today; Tbi?

[Vync]

Hello everyone,

I have practically no experience with TBI. I read through a number of topics here and on the VA site, but this situation deals with head injuries 25 years ago and possible problems developing recently.

A friend of mine retired from the Army in the late 1980's. He is about 65 years old and served for one year in Vietnam. During the last few years, he had a couple of head injuries occur, but only recently started developing some cognitive problems. He has no family history of mental problems, dementia, or Alzheimer's.

Active Duty Injury 1

He was attending the 5pm cannon/bugle detail, but stood too close to the cannon. When it fired, he passed out cold and fell to the ground.

Active Duty Injury 2

He was walking under the barrel of an artillery cannon and it struck him in the center of his forehead, knocking him to the ground. We discovered this when watching some old videos where he was laying on the couch with an ice pack on his forehead. He lifted the ice pack to reveal a bloody wound and he verbally described what happened.

Over the past year, his family and I have observed the following problems, which have increased in severity:

Memory

- Forgets key events (recent or from years ago)

- May tell you the same story several times, forgetting he told it already

- Gets lost while driving

- Leaves stove on

Poor judgement

- Leaves house unlocked and front door wide open

- Impulse buying (hundreds of dollars) with no regard to his budget

Other

- Easily irritable and frustrated

- Periodically enters a trance-like state and gazes into nothingness

- Less interest in things he previously enjoyed

- Reduced motivation

I helped him start the process of gathering his service and medical records and he has a neurologist follow up appointment later in the week.

Is it possible to have a couple of head injuries 25 years ago, but now just start developing increased TBI-like symptoms?

Are there any factors to look for?

What questions should they ask his doctor?

Thanks

[jbasser]

I am in the same Boat Buddy.

J

[Berta]

I sure think, if an MRI or a statement from the Neuro doc ,with a full medical rationale, says he has residuals of a "likely as not" TBI from those episodes in service, he sure should file a TBI claim.

However, those symptoms could be symtomatic of PTSD too. And with "served for one year in Vietnam", it might not be hard to find a stressor in his mil service that so far he might never have revealed to anyone at all.

How is his cholesterol and his glucose levels? His GFR , and his creatine and BUN?...................The MRI would reveal if he has had any transcient ischemic attacks.........and from there the Neuro could possibly determine the source, along with his full medical profile , if not TBI residuals.

I am not a doctor and there could be many causes for his symptoms. They will do a full blood work up, I am sure, as well as the MRI.I assume he has had recent EKGs as I get one every year......

it is hard to know what questions to ask because I think the Neuro will be the one asking the questions and this vet will need someone with him to help answer some of them.

[Vync]

Delayed-onset PTSD is plausible, as he rarely ever talked about his service during Vietnam. He admitted doing postal work, but I remember from movies and TV shows, like MASH, where the mail was transported via helicopter along with the wounded.

TIA is something to ask about.

I'll have to wait and see what his lab and test results are from his doctor visit later in the week.

I appreciate the information and will pass it along.

[kid_payne]

I too have had simular issues. Some I somewhat recall to a degree and some I became aware of after getting my SMR/C-file. It appears my first TBI was in 1986 where I was kicked in the head during a unit field meet. The second TBI was a residual of the the first passed out in the motorpool and hit my head on a metal table 1987/1988. The third was from running behind a 5 ton and tripping hitting my head around 1988. The fourth was during Desert Shield/Storm 1990/1991 when I was hit in the head by a boom. I got out of service after the war, but continued having episodes. VA gave me an inital rating of 10% for TBI/ Concussion with headaches. I passed out while riding a forklift and had three fingers amputated. I loss several professional jobs working as a criminal justice official for lack of judgement and memory issues. My vocational rehab needed to be stopped and restarted due to cognitve/memory issues. VA denied several increase request. Only after the CUEs were discovered in 2008 (after reviewing the C-file page-by-page) was it discovered that the DRO in my claim misrepresented several medical physician findings and only interpreted the MRI findings. The physician stated that my medical history had chronological findings that demonstrated residuals of mild-severe TBI which one that resulted in the amputation of fingers others indicated interuption in social, educational, and occupational areas. The MRI was not conclusive however the affects of TBI were apparent in my everyday life to include issues of ED and loss of smell. Only after getting a endochronologist, neurologist and two other internal medicine physicians opinion did the VA reverse their decision and rate me at a 40% rating for the amputaion of my fingers as SSC and are now considering me for an increased rating for TBI. I am currently waiting for the results of the BVA. Therefore, the answer to the 25 year question is that the resduals of TBI can be effecting someone without them being aware and until they get a thorough examination "TBI C & P Exam" the affects can go undetected by those who suffer from documented TBI events. My family suffered by labeling me the mean-old-man when earlier in life I was only known as being caring and nuturing. This is my second post ever, I just wanted to give back to this site because it was this site where I got the encouragement and ideas to implement in my case. I am at "Pending Dispatch" of my BVA case. I will let you know the outcome.

[63SIERRA]

I too believe I have TBI, but I didnt go on sick call and im sure the va wont believe me. During desert storm while in kuwait, I forget what we were doing but my squad was waiting to either be picked up, or dropped off somewere and it was cooking hot outside. So a bunch of us were sitting under the trailer of an 18 wheel truck that was parked, it was just the trailer.; We waited there for hours. W

Edited October 21, 2013 by 63SIERRA

[free_spirit_etc]

63Sierra,

Are you saying you got TBI from the heat?