Military T.B.I. and Nurse Katherine Helmick: Are There 1,000,000 PTSD & T.B.I. VICTIMS?

Penetrating Brain Injuries sound pretty drastic but surgical intervention saves many from typical seizures/epilepsy.

This is a U.S. contractor truck that was blown by by an improvised explosive device (IED) Iraq photo by Tim King

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Every once in a while I just fall into serendipity. On August 28, 2010, I chanced to turn on C-Span and here was N.P. (Nurse Practitioner) Katherine Helmick, B.S., M.S., Senior Executive Director of the Military Traumatic Brain Injury Project. I was astonished to see that an N.P. had such a high medical position.

Don’t get me wrong. My daughter is an N.P. and she is sharp! So is N.P. Helmick. I taught 16 classes of nurses and I know many N.P.’s. Believe it if you can, there is a difference between a sharp N.P. and a sharp M.D. or D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) which I am. Ms. Helmick gave an excellent presentation about T.B.I. As a retired Pharmacology Professor, I recognize talent and she has it. Some of you may now hurl brick bats.

Getting to the current statistics: The military has graded PTSD/T.B.I. as follows:

1. Mild: 130,000
2. Moderate: 32,600
3. Severe: 1,800 and
4. Penetrating Brain Injuries: 3,175 (?)

She says the military estimate for Iraq/Afghanistan PTSD Battle Victims is 20%. That is a lot more than stated above.

The statistics show that the more exposure by rotations, the higher the percent of victims (Any Dogface Soldier knows this).

She says T.B.I. is complicated by PTSD and drug abuse. She also said the “neuro protective drugs” don’t work. These are the anti-depressants. That’s why vets use “drugs of abuse” which do work, probably marijuana.

Penetrating Brain Injuries sound pretty drastic but surgical intervention saves many from typical seizures/epilepsy. Actually a victim can have all three: T.B.I., PTSD and drug abuse.

She points out that this trio in various combinations cause memory loss, attention disorders, learning deficiencies, seizures, and behavioral changes in any combination like being “Punch Drunk”.

I think she said that the Government was spending $200 billion for the treatment of these victims both civilian and military. At the same time other sources say that right now there is a 20% shortage of mental health personnel in the Army and VA, but hirings are FROZEN. I know both of these are true for I am a PTSD victim patient. The VA drug treatment at least for PTSD can be described as useless and ghastly. Even she says their drugs don’t work. I agree!!

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