Living with Traumatic Brain Injury

My daughter was in a car accident in 2002 and sustained a severe head injury. To date my daughter is still in a wheelchair and needs 24/7 care. With saying this though my daughter has made remarkable progress and is still continuing to do so, however we are struggling with fear/anxiety whenever she is moved. It has now gotten to the point where she does not even want to leave her bed because of the fear.

My daughter since her accident has always had some anxiety/fear but was able to work through it and it never interferred with her quality of life. However, it is now and I am very concerned for her well being. We have tried a few anxiety medications but they do not work for her. I have been doing a lot of research in regards to Vestibular Disorders and Brain Injury and have come to believe that her anxiety/fear stems from her actual brain injury which has effected her Vestibular function.

My daughters head injury is a diffused head injury meaning all parts of her brain has been effected including her brain stem. I am now in the process of trying to find a neurologist that has experience in this area. With the research I have done indicates to me that when someone has sustained a head trauma Vestibular problems is common but not diagnoised very often. Due to all the other complex issues that happen to the brain when it has sustained trauma doctors are more inclined to focus on medications versus the actual cause and the actual cause can be very difficult to determine. I also believe that my daughter’s fear/ anxiety is a huge part in her not being able to stand/walk. She has feeling and movement through her whole body and she even has started to be able to push down on her feet in bed and raise her bottom, but as soon as she is up in her bed the fear/anxiety starts and holds her back.

If anyone has any input or ideas for me please e-mail me.