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[handmade34]

This message was self-deleted by its author (handmade34) on Mon Jan 27, 2020, 08:36 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[MontanaMama]

1. Thank you.

Of course, you're correct. TBI is not a headache. I hope your son is okay.

[handmade34]

4. I don't think anyone who

suffers a TBI is ever the same... my son will never be the same but he can function and he and I are thankful for that

I am just so angry because of the callousness of trump (only to minimize his actions) and no one should let him get away with it... I suppose this impeachment process along with his comments and my personal experiences is making me hyper-sensitive

just like going into the hospital that first day and not knowing if my son would live... I feel so helpless... calls, emails, letters just seem so little

[uponit7771]

42. +1, I spent a year in speech therapy with aphasia that I could only contain by not talking.

The one place I could communicate without talking was DU.

You're so right it varies so much from person to person but the PCS migraines are a bastard and that doesn't change.

[mercuryblues]

2. I worked in a TBI unit for years

I have seen the devastation it does to those that suffer with it, and their families. I have seen the best cases and the worst cases. None are easy to overcome.

[wendyb-NC]

3. Thank you, for posting.

Trump is covering up and lying again, to avoid getting scrutiny for his own abuse of power. He just can't get outrageous and irresponsible enough. Damn, he has to go.

[FirstLight]

5. Oh dear... glad he is recovered

Brain Injuries are nothing to trifle with... this looks major. Sheesh, I was in a major car accident and had a concussion, (but I didn't look that beat up, yikes!) ...and over 6 months later I am still dealing with "post-concussion syndrome"

Headaches, my ASS

[Sucha NastyWoman]

6. Of course you are angry

You have every right to be

[Wounded Bear]

7. The thing is, it doesn't have to be that physically obvious...

which may be one reason why it took a few days for the numbers to come out. Sometimes, someone will be "normal" for hours or days after the injury happens before the headaches and blurred vision and loss of balance, etc start.

It happens like that to football players. Sometimes they don't realize they are hurt until a while after the actual blow that hurt them.

Soldiers do have helmets and other protective gear, but the concussive force of modern weaponry will still do damage.

"We" put them in harm's way, they need to be cared for, and not diminished like the President tried to do.

[SunSeeker]

37. Yup, sometimes it takes a day or two for the brain to swell and produce symptoms.

It is horrifyingly debilitating.

[Bayard]

46. Actress, Natasha Richardson

Liam Neeson's wife. Smacked her head while skiing, told everybody she was fine. Dead hours later. Blunt head trauma.

Wondering if tRump will do a photo op with any of the injured.

[Frustratedlady]

8. How frightening. How could he even think of referring to something this horrible as a headache?

Thank you for posting this, as I would have been ignorant as to the seriousness of this. I had a daughter who was hit in the head with a baseball bat and had a concussion, but it was nothing close to this.

I'm so sorry your son had to go through this tragic time, but glad he is better. I can certainly understand how a victim could have lasting effects after such a "headache". Of course, Trump would call this a headache so he could slough off any guilt or responsibility.

[handmade34]

10. as Wounded Bear said upthread...

it is not always this obvious... I posted the photo to prove a point... a TBI can cover a wide array of seriousness and trump is wrong to call the trauma our troops went through "headaches"

when someone loses a leg or arm it is tragic and we can see the harm... people that have suffered a TBI (whether the wounds can be seen on the outside or not) they go through trauma that people can't always see but it is just as damaging and serious and often, because it can't be 'seen', it is not taken seriously

[Frustratedlady]

11. Much like PTSD, I would think, as not being visible.

It is amazing how modern war has changed our military. I feel so sorry for those who choose suicide to get away from some of these invisible injuries, but can certainly understand how it can happen.

I suppose Trump felt he was showing compassion by calling the injuries out as headaches. He wouldn't know compassion if he tripped over it.

[dewsgirl]

9. I am happy he survived, I can't imagine how difficult that

had to be.

[democrank]

12. Sending a Vermont-to-Vermont hug, handmade34.

I’m so, so glad your son is better. Have hope.

[handmade34]

17. thank you!

I am forever grateful to Dartmouth-Hitchcock... they are miracle workers (I have spent half my life there between father, husbands, children and friends fortunately, I am healthy and can care for them )

[CaptYossarian]

13. Thank God he survived. I would be P-O'd too if I were you.

No, a headache is what DUers get when they hear Trump vomiting his words on TV. This is much more severe.

Just think--the farmers are mad about the tariffs. The soldiers and their families will be the same over his flippant uncaring statement about TBI. His base will shrink enough that not convicting him now won't matter in November.

Not even the Electoral Pre-School can save him.

[mgardener]

14. I am glad your son is Ok

First of all can you imagine if Obama had said something like that?
Or underestimated the number, 11 when there was 34 injured?
"Half of the service members identified remained in Iraq and have returned to active duty, while the other 17 are under medical observation in Germany and the United States, chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters at the Pentagon."

So 17 soldiers have been removed from Iraq for 'headaches"???

[keithbvadu2]

15. Visit to Arlington Cemetery reminded Donald Trump Jr. of all his family's 'sacrifices,' he writes

Visit to Arlington Cemetery reminded Donald Trump Jr. of all his family's 'sacrifices,' he writes

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/visit-to-arlington-cemetery-reminded-donald-trump-jr-of-all-his-family-s-sacrifices-he-writes-1.606501

[handmade34]

20. I took my father (WWII Veteran)

late in life to DC, including Arlington... my father had an odd reaction... all the while there he railed against the harm and pain that so many suffered at our (collective) hands... as he was dying he was still struggling with what he did and observed during the war

[smirkymonkey]

32. Arghhhhhhh!

I hate that family with the fire of a thousand suns! How fucking DARE they!

[Scarsdale]

51. Me too. LOATHE

the entire entitled, grifting lot of them. Repulsive people, worst ever to inhabit the WH. Since they are insulated from the real world, they have no compassion, no feelings for others. Everything is about them.

[dawn5651]

16. i am so glad your son survived.

[slumcamper]

18. A "headache?" We've suffered a NATIONAL HEADACHE for over 3 years.

What an unempathetic asshole. HE is what happens when a nation loses its capacity for empathy and VOTES for someone just like them...a guy who ridicules and bullies at will, taunting women, people with physical disabilities or those who lost their son in combat. And more.

This is personal. I survived a TBI, although it was nothing like your son's. Mine was an aneurysm in the right-frontal lobe requiring 9-hour surgery, 24 days in recovery, half of it in neurological ICU), and I'm still recovering 17 years later. I'm here to tell you that it leaves you CHANGED in so many ways. Surviving a TBI is a journey, for as the brain "rewires" itself one goes through a series of mini self-rediscoveries and tries to fit into--literally--a new personality. Everyone around knows and notices the differences, subtle or otherwise. My kids, now grown, tell me about playful things I routinely did as a father with them...ERASED from my memory, no recollection. Such loss leaves me empty, wondering, and hoping I did okay.

We need to go to hell and back to talk to our family and friends and neighbors and boot this orange scourge from our public lives in November and turn this dark, disgusting, deplorable page of history. They're going to try their damnedest to cheat. Be vigilant and raise hell as necessary.

[handmade34]

21. ...

[Ilsa]

36. I think I'm developing PTSD from his tenure as president.

I'm trying not to get emotionally roped in on every nasty, horrible, insensitive, criminal act he does every damn day, but it seems cumulative.

[Karadeniz]

62. You are...Pres. Trump Stress Disorder.

[Caliman73]

19. TBI is a very very under served condition.

We have very little infrastructure to deal with the long term and significant consequences of TBI. As you said, the recovery varies, but I have seen way too many people suffer long term problems from TBI including total personality change, impulse and anger management problems, substance abuse problems, etc... Mental health won't touch them because it is "organic" A lot of TBI centers don't touch them if they have aggression or if they are using substances. Substance Abuse centers won't touch them because of the impulse control issues.

Trump is an idiot and he should not be listened to by anybody about anything. He is the embodiment of everything that is bad about the United States.

[handmade34]

23. because of great demand

my son couldn't even get into see a physical therapist once home from the hospital... he has been very motivated and with help from family and friends is working on his own to overcome the damage

[Caliman73]

27. Also because there is no political will to fund services.

I worked with developmentally disabled people for many years and while there are difficulties, there are A LOT of services available and A LOT of money. Mental Health services, which can also be thin, can typically get funding as well and services can be fairly robust in many places. TBI is a whole different story. I work with older adults and disabled people now, so I have seen a wide range of people come through and people suffering TBI have been the hardest to find services for because of lack of resources and the resources that are available are often expensive, and do not accept anything other than private pay or high end insurance. It is really rough out there for people who have suffered TBI and for their families who are struggling to care for them.

I am sorry that your son and family are having to go through this.

Having an idiot in the White House who either does not understand, or does not care, makes me very angry.

[Leghorn21]

22. Oh handmade34

THANK YOU

sending best wishes to your and your darling “boy”

[mysteryowl]

24. Thank you for posting

It is horrible. I had an idea we would hear the truth about casualties directly from the troops.

[TygrBright]

25. Thank you. My brother died of the sequelae of TBI, I still miss him so much... n/t

[handmade34]

38. ...

[AllaN01Bear]

26. since i dont know what tbi is i did a quick internet search.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is sudden damage to the brain caused by a blow or jolt to the head. ... Injuries can range from mild concussions to severe permanent brain damage. While treatment for mild TBI may include rest and medication, severe TBI may require intensive care and life-saving surgery.
to the thing in the white house ,

[uponit7771]

43. Even the mTbi could be a long recovery, the "mild" is the known or seen physical damage to the brain

... not he neurological stuff.

I had to have a special MRI to look at the back of my brain to tell the damage cause the MRIs in e-rooms only look for the big stuff like blood or breaks not the bruises which don't show up for weeks.

I had horrible aphasia and spent over a year in speech therapy

[Dem2theMax]

28. Your post brought me to tears.

I don't know how anyone could experience anything but tears after seeing a photo of your beautiful son.

I know it had to be hard to post this, but thank you for doing so, and thank you for educating us.

May love, support and healing continually surround your son, and you and your family.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

29. tRump thinks it is a little like bone spurs. . . . nt

[Evolve Dammit]

30. 45 is a compulsive liar. about everything. I am saddened and angry for you son and Drumpf's total

minimization of what occurred. VD and bonespur (allegedly) victim, meet a real serviceman that suffered from a combat attack. All the best for your son. I can't imagine the worry you must have for his recovery.

[JohnnyLib2]

31. Thank you.

That was somewhere among the top godawful distortions Trump has uttered. You and others with direct knowledge are helping by speaking out (and with pictures).

[Hekate]

33. KnR

[smirkymonkey]

34. I am so sorry for what happened to your son, handmade34.

I hope he is making a healthy recovery. It makes me so angry that a cowardly draft-dodger like Trump thinks he even has any right to give an opinion on such a situation. He has no idea what these people or their families go through, nor does he care. They mean nothing to him.

A real CIC would look at cases like this and understand the gravity of sending young men and women into harm's way and weigh his decision very carefully before sending troops into war. But to Trump, it's all a big reality show and human beings like your son and others are nothing more than toy soldiers to him. Pawns to amuse him and make him feel powerful. I hate that motherf***er more than anyone in the world for his callous attitude toward those who have sworn to protect and defend.

[colorado_ufo]

35. My heart goes out to you, dear one.

[OverBurn]

39. So sorry. Hope your son does well in his recovery. Prayers

[58Sunliner]

40. What a POS sociopath. Absolute garbage. Brain injuries are awful to cope with.

I hope your son got good help and support.

[uponit7771]

41. I'm still recovering from TBI, make sure to watch blood glucose ... I bid his recovery God Speed

[handmade34]

45. "Love Your Brain"

https://www.loveyourbrain.com/mindfulmarch-2020

we tried to get my son into one of the "Love Your Brain" retreats but they fill up quickly


also good information...

https://www.loveyourbrain.com/resources/tbi-education

[KentuckyWoman]

44. Hugs and thank you

This is why do many of us support warriors with as much time and treasure as we possibly can even if we don't support war.

Also. Thank you for your sensitivity posting this and your willingness to share what is the worst kind of crisis parents face.

[handmade34]

47. another vermonter... another story

[peggysue2]

48. I hear you, handmaid

And I share your rage and your experience. My younger son also suffered a TBI and had the good fortune to survive and rehab back into a functioning life. But as you well know, many with traumatic brain injuries are left severely disabled, their lives forever altered.

Trump was, as usual, talking out of his ass. He's an ignoramus and frankly cruel beyond measure.

May the Imposter-in-Chief rot in hell.

[Aussie105]

49. Trump's dismissal of serious injuries as headaches

is the final straw for me.
May he rot in Hell. For all eternity.

The human brain is an amazing piece of machinery. It is also amazingly fragile.

Trump's dysfunctional brain is a good example of what happens if you don't look after one.

[quarbis]

50. The bastard

thinks he’s playing “toy” soldiers. He doesn’t care obe
Bit about the troops on the ground. He cheapens military service because is heartless. He’s never been in a combat zone where he could die. I’m a Vietnam vet.

[greymattermom]

52. I'm a (retired) basic science TBI researcher.

I reviewed grant proposals for NIH and DOD for years, so I know the scientific literature. I think that Trump has a brain injury of some sort and knows it. He can't admit that TBI is serious. It's personal to him.

[Cousin Dupree]

53. My Dad suffered a TBI in the Battle of the Bulge in WW II. Bomb went off near him.

Mom said a different person came home to her.

[lark]

54. I have been disabled for about a year due to 2 head traumas in 6 weeks.

I was almost fully disabled, but after lots of physical therapy, home exercises, & mj for the headaches & muscle & nerve pain, I am much better. It was the year from hell, however and I wasn't ever in a coma. At PT I see people who looked like your son at one time and see how they struggle to walk or even move their arms and it is heartbreaking. Only a true, died in the wool, monster would belittle this type of injury.

[handmade34]

57. one difficulty

with brain damage is that it often cannot be seen... the scars on the body heal a lot quicker than the ones in the brain...

I am glad you are doing better... I understand the hell you have gone through

[lark]

58. Exactly, when the cuts and bruises are gone, but you still can't read, it's very depressing.

That was definitely the worst of it, the constant awful headaches along with nausea. So nice to feel human again and to have my brain feel a lot more familiar and not like it belonged to someone else.

[lillypaddle]

55. My god

you have every right to be livid. Your poor baby.

We all know how hateful and misinformed trump is. And how hurtful.

Speedy recovery for your son, it won't be easy I know.

[yellowwoodII]

56. Thank you for posting this

Trump's ignorant remark needs to be addressed.

[Traildogbob]

59. 💔

Thank you for sharing. We need many more brave people willing to share imagines of the hell this asshole created for Americans. Bloomburg and Seyer should be putting up ads with images like yours, babies in cages, people butchered by bullets, and every single returning soldier mutilated for oil and cash. Gutless coward republican's willing for others to send their kids to suffer and die, and allow guns to destroy lives. Political adds against these scum need to be this graphic.

[packman]

60. Trump should have such a "headache"

Or maybe his bone-spurs will develop gout. Hey, Trump (if you're reading this) you are A POS.

[Karadeniz]

61. I gasped out loud. We need to revisit reality and be thoroughly horrified by how Trump presents

Reality. I join you a hundred times in damning Trump. Jesus christ. You didnt tell us when this injury happened and how his recovery went. Thanks for posting reality!❤

[handmade34]

65. not all TBIs look like my son's

sometimes there is no noticeable difference on the outside.... TBIs are very, very serious and trump is so very wrong and it is dangerous that he downplayed them and it is so disrespectful to the troops suffering brain injuries...

most people with a TBI are never the same... my son will never be the same but he is ok and we are grateful... the brain controls our bodies and so much of who we are... what he suffered was a DAI (Diffuse axonal injury) pretty much a traumatic jolt to the head that shears the axons with swelling... it takes a long time to heal

the troops most likely suffered the TBIs from the pressure in their brains due to explosive blasts... all of it is very serious and should never be minimized

[Grammy23]

63. I used to work for an agency that advocated for people with epilepsy. (I'm retired now. )

We provided services for them and one of our services was educating the public about epilepsy, its causes and prevention techniques. Brain injury (traumatic or otherwise) is the source for seizures in 1/3 of the people with epilepsy or seizure disorders. Sometimes seizures develop months or years after the initial injury. I had an uncle who was injured as a 6 week old infant in an unfortunate accident. He did not have seizures until he was about 5 years old.

My point being that some of those injured in the recent attack may not have serious problems for some time so the outcome from their TBI is unknown now. tRump has no business commenting on these people and their injuries. A headache might be one symptom of their problem but by no means tells the whole story and should not be minimized! A headache might be a symptom of a brain tumor and no one minimizes the importance of paying attention to that symptom. And it should not be minimized in TBI.

It just never ceases to amaze me the things he feels qualified to comment about. But then he thinks he knows more than the experts. So there is that.......

[Curtis]

64. April 10, 2009

I suffered a TBI from a propane explosion at a stupid job while waiting to be hired on at my local Sheriff's Department.

I was working for a local NAPA Auto Parts store and was filling a propane tank on a camper for a customer when something ignited and exploded. I was on fire for a little over a minute, but, being a trained LEO, EMT and fire fighter, my first concern was the customer and getting her to safety. I remember her screaming that I was on fire while I was trying to urge her to move to a safer area. Once we were in a safe area, I moved to the ground as I patted myself and started to roll as the fire went out.

The adrenaline kept me going for a few hours through the ER visit, but that night the headaches began in earnest that sent me back to the ER. They did scans and saw the bruising on the brain and kept me for a few days. I also ended up with blistering to my airway (first and second degree burns) and lung damage. All-in-all I was in the hospital for over 30 days and even had to undergo oro-pharyngeal surgery to take out tonsils and adenoids and reshape the soft pallet. I also lost O2 absorption and am at risk for pneumonia all the time now. And, the best part is I suffer from a rare type of migraine now that presents itself as a stroke thanks to the TBI, which is (thankfully) controlled with medication mostly. However, I do have night terrors and some other really fun psychological issues that make life really fun. And, I had to step aside from law enforcement and fire fighting careers. But, the best part? What the GOP governors did to Worker's Comp here in California over the last few decades before 2009 really screwed people in my position. The settlement wasn't great. We're semi-comfortable, but no where near what it should be for what I lost.

The bottom line though is that Trump's statement of a "little headache" is beyond the pale. These kids will have life-long problems because of the danger his direct irresponsible actions put them through. Too bad Trump himself doesn't suffer one of these "little headaches" as that would be true justice when world leaders are the first to suffer for their irresponsible actions.

[handmade34]

66. no words

only

we all need to be gentle with each other



not trump... may karma visit him regularly

[Different Drummer]

67. handmade34...

♥ and to you and your son. Trump is, not surprisingly, insensitive.