As a San Francisco injury attorney, I have seen the difficulties that brain injury victims and their families go through when dealing with a traumatic brain injury or TBI. This ordeal can be as difficult for the family or loved one as it is for the injury victim.
When a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury or TBI, the first thing that happens is that an entire new world is thrust upon you. One that you didn’t ask for and don’t want. This world is completely unfamiliar and involves doctors with titles that you have never heard of before, procedures that you don’t understand, and a system that is as confusing as it is complex.
You may be overwhelmed with grief and emotion. And in this environment it is next to impossible to formulate important and crucial questions that you want answered. And doctors make rounds at odd times. For this reason you may not even see the neurologist for several days once the injury victim is placed in ICU.
In this situation you will need information; not knowing what is happening or what is going to happen can be just as difficult as dealing with bad news. So, here are a few questions and suggestions that will help you get the answers you want and the information that you need in such a difficult time.
First, ask the neurologist or doctor in charge of your loved one about any CT or MRI scans that have been conducted. What did the scans show? What was good on each scan? What was bad? If more than one scan has been taken, were there changes? What do the changes indicate? Ask what areas of the brain were damaged? And what do those areas control?
Second, ask the neurologist based on the information he or she has at the moment what their estimates are for recovery. In other words, what are the odds of functional independence? What changes in personality can you expect? What deficits may exist after recovery?
The doctor probably will not have complete answers to those questions. And that is okay. This is a complicated injury and the first week or so is often touch and go or wait and see. But get the doctors accustomed to explaining to you what is happening now, what it means, and what it may mean for the future. This will also help you understand the injury and prepare you for what is to come.
Third, ask each doctor you speak with what their plan of action is. In other words, what is going to happen next? If the injury victim is in ICU, ask how long the doctor thinks they will be there? If there are on-going problems, ask the doctors what they think is causing each problem and what they are doing about it. Find out what the doctor wants to see in terms of positive signs before moving on to the next step – whether that step is leaving the ICU for a normal hospital room, heading to in-house therapy, or going home from the hospital.
And finally, keep a journal. Every time you speak with a doctor write down what they tell you and your thoughts or concerns. Keep a small note book with you at all times. If you think of something that you want to ask, write it down. Then, when you actually get to speak with the doctor, get out your note book and ask questions. The point of this is that it allows you to better organize your thoughts and will help you formulate questions that you want to ask each doctor. Formulating good questions and digesting difficult information in a three minute meeting with the neurologist outside of your loved one’s ICU room is next to impossible – keep a journal or note book.
Traumatic brain injuries are difficult injuries that can have devastating consequences. Dealing with a loved one that has suffered a TBI can be frustrating to say the least. Unfortunately, dealing with the health care or medical system set up to treat brain injury victims can often be just as frustrating. These tips, however, will help you get through this difficult process and effectively deal with a TBI suffered by an injury victim.
Good luck.
