Recovery from a brain injury can take years, or in some cases, the injured person can never recover full cognitive ability or motor control. The brain is a very difficult organ to treat, and while some patients, with time, can recover all or most of their abilities, others will live with long-term impairments. The degree of the injury as well as the location of impact are issues that affect the how well any patient will recover.
Case in point is comedian and celebrity Tracy Morgan, who almost a year after being involved in a terrible collision, is still suffering from headaches and problems with memory, as reported by NBC News. The source also revealed that almost 275,000 Americans suffer from a traumatic brain injury every year. There are many well-known celebrities who have suffered a significant change after a brain injury other than Mr. Morgan.
Some of the celebrities we know and love that have suffered a TBI include sports figures, actors and others. Some of the more recognizable celebrities who have dealt with the aftermath of a brain injury include names such as George Clooney, Gary Busey, Donald Sutherland, and Stevie Wonder. Extreme athletes who have suffered a TBI include Jeremy Lusk, Bethany Hamilton, Kevin Pearce and many others.
Car accidents and falls are the most common ways a regular person gets a traumatic brain injury, as was the case with comedian Tracy Morgan. The news source reveals that the damage has led Mr. Morgan to wonder if he will ever be able to return to comedy.
An impact on the head causes the brain to knock back and forth within the skull, ripping and tearing delicate connective tissue, often with bleeding, adding a serious risk associated with swelling and pressure, and the resultant lack of oxygen to the brain. Medical science has not advanced to the point in which the level of recovery for a victim can be accurately predicted, and only time can answer that question.
The brain has the capacity to “rewire” and to create new pathways around damage, but how each individual’s body responds to damage varies widely. Many people require memory aids to keep track of daily tasks, while others need full-time nursing care, and are unable to perform everyday tasks such as talking or remembering loved ones, much less walking, cooking meals and other simple tasks.
Those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, whether in a car or motorcycle accident, or in a fall, may have a long road to recovery. It is hoped that new technologies and advances in medical science will increase the numbers of victims who are able to fully recover from a TBI.
