Hope For the Warriors Offers Hope to Caregivers

By Brandy Compton

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, but those of us who have a loved one with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) don’t need a month. We live it every single minute of every single day.

My husband served in the Army for 17 years. We have been married for 14 years. Most of those 14 years were while he was still serving his country.

Our world was turned upside down when he suffered a TBI.

As most of us know, there are challenges with any veteran who has been injured in combat, but the daily challenges for my warrior who has a TBI certainly add up—for both of us.

He gets constant migraines that put him down for days.

He can’t remember his medications even when a nurse or doctor asks. I make sure I know all of them and the doses.

We are fortunate that we have utilized Hope For The Warriors Military and Veteran Caregiver Support Services. Their network offers lots of opportunities for the military caregiver to engage in programs and services with other caregivers. The majority of them are virtual and easy to access.

The definition of a caregiver is someone who provides physical care and/or emotional support to an injured warrior. Caregivers can include spouses, parents, children, partners, siblings, and friends.

Now, if you asked me about many other challenges in our day-to-day aside from the TBI, it is way more than some may realize especially to those with little to no understanding of military culture and/or brain injuries. My husband’s injuries aren’t easy for a stranger passing by us in the grocery store to spot.

His injuries are invisible to most but so very visible to those that know and love him. 

Being a caregiver is no easy task. I had to learn to fall in love all over again with this new man that came home. There are times on the bad days that I wonder how I got myself into this. Well, the fact of the matter is love and commitment. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed in the mornings or remember to take his medications. He couldn’t tell you if you asked him what medications he is on, because the TBI has caused a lot of memory loss.

So, I take that on for him. He is a fully functional person, but war caused so much trauma that it is something that follows him into everyday living. After all we have been through, I couldn’t see anyone else caring for my husband as well as I do.

I think a lot of people think TBIs do not affect them long term, but in my opinion and experience, it is a forever injury that doesn’t always get better with time.

But, we honestly celebrate all the time that he is here with us. When his injury happened, I believe God was right there because we should have lost him. 

If you or someone you know is looking for support as a military caregiver to a loved one with any injury, visit hopeforthewarriors.org and apply for services.