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Urgent action is needed to better deal with the brain injuries of our troops. That's one of the findings of a government report released on the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Josh Hansen served two tours of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Army Reserves. He hunted roadside bombs and disabled them, and the Woods Cross native paid a price. He said, "When we were first being hit and blown up, you'd take aspirin for the headache and go out the next day and find bombs again." After the fifth concussion, it affected his mental focus. Hansen said, "I've been hit directly by eight IEDs." The last blast knocked him out, and he was evacuated to Germany.
Hansen gets lost, forgets things and struggles with simple tasks. "It drastically affects your life," Hansen said.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It ranges from mild concussion to severe injury. In today's wars there are more blasts, trauma care is better and so is body armor. Dr. Jennifer Romesser, V.A. staff psychologist said, "These are resulting in more soldiers living through some of the blasts that may have previously not lived through. So we're seeing more soldiers living through the long-term consequences."
More than 5,500 troops have suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a 375 page report, researchers with the Institute of Medicine conclude those troops risk long-term health problems including Alzheimer's-like symptoms, aggression, memory loss and depression.
The report also shows about one-fifth of wounded troops have a brain injury. It's a top issue at the V.A. Romesser said, "A lot of money is being dedicated to the effects of blast exposure and possible short-term and long-term consequences, especially with regard to neurological injury and brain injury."
Hansen said asking for help was the most important first step. He hoped that young soldiers will do that. Hansen said, "I will talk with soldiers and say, ‘Hey, if you're having these issues, you need to go the V.A. and get help.'"
Hansen said he doesn't really remember last Christmas, so he was looking forward to sharing it with his young children this year.
The V.A. started its outreach shortly after troops started to come home with TBI. Symptoms may not be obvious, so troops may not seek care.
For more information on Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom programs, contact Maria T. Fruin at 801-582-1565 ext. 5246 or toll free at 1-800-613-4012 ext. 5246.
To read the report, click on the related link on the right of the story.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
