If you are reading this book probably you or someone you know has had some type of brain injury. People who have suffered similar loss or hardship have immediate bonding and understanding. I hope you feel the bond we share as people who have undergone experiences few others will know. I hope my story helps you. Websites and books you read may have statistics that vary depending on when the information was gathered and printed. I have tried to find the most current for you.

In the United States alone, the statistics state that every 23 seconds someone is diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI). You might also hear it referred to as mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), closed head injury, head trauma or severe concussion. That total is over 2 million injuries per year or 100 per every 100,000, which is more than those diagnosed with breast cancer, HIV/aids, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis combined. This comes with an estimated cost of $56.3 billion per year; yet most people know little about this type injury; fewer still understand it. Of those 2 million each year, 52,000 will die, and 70,000-90,000 per year will have lifelong impairment which also includes dramatic change in the course of one's individual life, profound disruption of family, and enormous loss of income and earning potential. (National Institutes of Health at nih.gov, Brain Injury Association of America at biausa.org, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov). TBI is significantly under diagnosed by the medical community. In many cases the victim does not even realize that help is needed. The numbers of brain injuries have increased significantly in recent years and will continue to rise with the ever growing population and fast pace of our lives.

You won't find TBI, MTBI, or closed head injury in the dictionary, although they are used interchangeably. You will, however, find concussion. What is concussion? The Merriam-Webster online definition is as follows:

Stunning, damaging or shattering effect from a hard blow; especially a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral functions. In addition, a mild brain injury has been defined as being a brief change in mental status and a severe injury affects the patient for an extended period of time.

Signs and symptoms can be subtle and may not appear until days or weeks following injury. This period of delay for the onset of symptoms can be longer for children (Nih.org Consensus Development Statement October 26, 1998). Brain injury can cause epilepsy and/or increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other diseases that are prevalent with age.

Of the cases reported, 50% are the result of a car or bike accident, 20% from some kind of violence, 21% from falls, and 9% reported from sports accidents (300,000 a year per cdc.gov). Injuries from sports are not reported 90% of the time, so the sports injury is actually much higher (thebrainmatters.org 2005 and NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement October 26, 1998). In fact, in 1904, United States President Theodore Roosevelt threatened to outlaw football after 19 college players were killed or paralyzed from brain or spinal cord injuries.

Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, the leading cause of death of those under 45, and the leading cause of seizure disorders (nabis.org August 12, 2006). This injury is twice as likely to occur in males (NIH consensus Development Conference Statement October 26, 1998). I believe this is so because males are more likely to participate in risky behavior. The highest incidences for traumatic brain injury in the general population are those 15-24 years of age and those over 75.

There is no cure. Of those injured, 85% do not receive treatment or the needed counseling to help with long term difficulties (headinjury.com update of December 12, 2005). The high cost of rehabilitation has placed help out of reach of many who would otherwise seek help. Even those with insurance, over time, experience a dramatic drain on finances from copayments for so many appointments or from maxing out the limits of insurance coverage. There may also be fees from doctors or specialists that do not accept insurance or aren't on your particular plan but whose expertise is needed if you are to recover.

Having received this injury, you are in it for the long haul. I know you meant to sign up on the other list but now that you are here, you can't leave. We must help each other through this experience by passing along the little tidbits that helped us along the way. God Bless you on your journey.

I hadn't really ever known anyone diagnosed with a TBI, MTBI, closed head injury, or a concussion or severe concussion with any long term problems from an injury. (Shall I say problems that are related back to the injury.) These are all terms I have come to know that seem to be used interchangeably. Almost everyone knows someone who...