Servicemembers suffer brain injuries but try to hide symptoms

[unhappycamper]

Servicemembers suffer brain injuries but try to hide symptoms
By Allison Batdorff, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, October 13, 2007

BALAD, Iraq — Pvt. Hosea Pierce has been hit by roadside bombs six times. Another 18 explosions have hit near him.

But the resulting “headaches” weren’t enough to get him to the doctor, said the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment soldier.

“This was decided for me,” said Pierce of his visit to the Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad and follow-up trip to Kuwait. “I was stubborn.”

He doesn’t want to leave Iraq until his time’s up in December, said the 25-year-old from West Palm Beach, Fla. “I just want to do my job. I’m holding out.”

This is a familiar story, said Maj. Connie Johnmeyer. Soldiers exposed to multiple blasts are often reluctant to leave the war — even if they may be suffering from traumatic brain injury, said the 54-year-old Air Force psychologist from Fayette, Mo.

“Some of the soldiers have been sitting on symptoms quite a while,” said Johnmeyer. “They have really lost functioning, but are set on not leaving their people.”


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49463



uhc comment: It's nice to see publicity on TBI. We need to get it out in the open.