Nearly two million people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the United States each year. The severity of the injury varies, but most of these victims will spend at least one night in the hospital. Most TBI sufferers will go on to be okay, but nearly 80,000 will suffer long term disability. Even some of those who seem fine now may develop problems related to their brain injury later on in life. This is due to the nature of the brain and the way it responds when injured. It is estimated that there are 5.3 million people in this country living with problems associated with some kind of TBI

Common Symptoms

Though the symptoms depend on which part of the brain has been injured, some of the most common symptoms include:

· Behavioral changes

· Blurred vision

· Depression

· Dizziness

· Headaches

· Seizures

· Slurred or slowed speech

· Weakness

· Vertigo

Other Symptoms

Besides the more common symptoms associated with a TBI, there are other lesser known ones that can cause serious problems for the victim.

· Alteration in smell or taste – If the cranial nerve is damaged, which is common in mild to moderate injuries, the result can be the loss or change in sense of smell and taste. Neurologists and physicians have the ability to test this now. The change in the taste of food or difficulty in cooking even the simplest meals due to problems with the sense of smell in someone who has suffered a TBI should require a test.

· Visual disturbances – Disturbances in vision are fairly common in TBI victims. It is estimated that 30 to 85 percent of cases will have some kind of vision problem. Because they are one of the last symptoms tested, they can be overlooked. Besides blurred vision, sensitivity to light, change in the field of vision and other things may occur. One problem is the inability of the eyes to focus or accurately change their focus from near to far, or vice versa. This is called accommodation. Other problems may be skipping lines while reading or re-reading the same line over and over, and the print may also look like it is “floating” on the page.

· Sudden sensorineural hearing loss – SNHL can be caused by trauma, tumor, or infectious diseases. It concerns both hearing and balance. A test called the Romberg Test can show if a victim has this. Most patients will recover full or partial hearing after a couple of years.

· Glandular or endocrine dysfunction – A moderate or severe TBI may cause problems with the hormonal glands. The pituitary gland is especially at risk of damage. A decrease in the production of the growth hormone may require hormone therapy because the pituitary function may have long term effects on the heart, psychiatric status, and other parts of the body. Sexual dysfunction in TBI sufferers is blamed on glandular or endocrine problems.

 

 

Bishop, who founded Boot Camp for New Dads in 1990 and has helped to prepare more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years, offers important advice from his second book, Crash Course for New Dads:  Tools, Checklists and Cheat Sheets on how to support a mom-to-be:

 

Communicate.  Make it a point to talk to each other about your thoughts, concerns about the new baby and plans for the future.  Even if mom seems to be handling pregnancy well, talking about what is happening now and in the future is the best way for you to prepare to be a family.

 

Get moving.   Forego sitting around watching television.  Take walks together.  Not only will this physically benefit the both of you, it will also open the lines of communication.

 

Show her you care.  Pregnancy is the time to take it up a notch and get even more creative in showing her how much you care about her and the baby.  For example, if she has a craving for ice cream, call her from the ice cream store and read her the flavors.  Paint the nursery with rainbows.  You get the idea.

 

Help her cope.  Moms-to-be will experience countless physical and emotional changes.  You can help her through this by becoming more knowledgeable about her symptoms.  Take the initiative and read some of her favorite pregnancy books.  If she doesn’t have any books yet, be a hero and make the trip to the bookstore or library and ask the staff for recommendations.

 

Let her lean on you.  The physical and emotional impacts of pregnancy may be intense and she is going to depend on you to help her get through the roughest times.  From cravings to morning sickness, intense backaches and more, she’ll benefit from you comforting her and helping her to hold it all together.

 

Accompany her to the doctor.  This is the single most important thing you can do during pregnancy, as visits with the obstetrician get you personally connected with what’s going on with mom and your baby.  Keep the focus on mom and make sure she is getting all her questions answered.

 

“Every mom-to-be will experience a unique rollercoaster of physical and emotional changes.  Dads have the important job of taking care of mom before, during and after the birth of their child,” explained Bishop. “During pregnancy, dads tend to serve as the ‘punching bag’ for all moms’ frustrations.  Be patient and understanding.  Don’t get drawn into arguments and try to show her the lighter side of things.  Laughter can relieve a lot of stress.”

 

Bishop’s first book, Hit the Ground Crawling, is focused on work balance; being a dad and caring for mom.  Both books are available online at www.DadsAdventure.com.

                                                                                                            

New Dads Learn What to Expect at Boot Camp Workshops

Dads-to-be will be better equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of fatherhood after attending a Boot Camp “hands on” educational workshop. Men attend the class when they are expecting their first baby, and are joined in the workshop by “veterans” who had previously attended and have returned with their two to four-month-old baby in tow.  They are able to give the dads-to-be a realistic idea of what to do and what to expect when their first baby comes. 

 

Boot Camp for New Dads    

Now celebrating their 18th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program.  Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years. 

           

With more than 4.1 million births last year alone (National Center for Health Statistics), and approximately 1.5 million men becoming new dads every year, it’s more important than ever for fathers to realize that being a “good provider” is only part of the very central role they have in their children’s lives. 

 

For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, visit www.bcnd.org.  To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, please contact sdubin@prworkzone.com, (781) 582-1061.

 

National and International Locations

Boot Camp For New Dads locations include ALASKA (Anchorage); ARIZONA (Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City); ARKANSAS (Jonesboro, Paragould, Springdale); CALIFORNIA (Apple Valley, Bakersfield, , Fresno, Garden Grove, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Madera, Merced, Mission Hills, , Oakland, Orange, Pomona, Port Hueneme, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, , S. Lake Tahoe, Travis, Valley Springs); COLORADO (Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Fort Collins, Fort Carson, Greeley, Longmont, Thornton, Wheat Ridge); CONNECTICUT (Bristol, Danbury, New London); FLORIDA (Brandon, Clearwater, Hollywood, Jacksonville, North Palm Beach, Orlando, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa); GEORGIA (Atlanta, Elberton, Gainesville, Marietta, Savannah); HAWAII (Pearl Harbor, Schofield); ILLINOIS (Aurora, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, East St. Louis, Evanston, Freeport, Geneva, Great Lakes, Highland Park, Libertyville, Moline, Oak Park, Rockford, Springfield, Urbana, Winfield); INDIANA (Anderson, Bluffton, Hammond, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Kokomo); IOWA (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Jefferson, Sioux City); KANSAS (Junction City, Topeka); KENTUCKY (Paducah); LOUISIANA (Covington); MAINE (Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Waterville); MARYLAND (Annapolis) MASSACHUSETTS (Beverly, Ipswich, Lowell, Nantucket, Plymouth, Weymouth, Springfield); MICHIGAN (, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Centreville, Iron Mountain, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Niles, St Joseph, Ypsilanti); MINNESOTA (Brainerd, Duluth, Robbinsdale); MISSISSIPPI (Tupelo); MISSOURI (Jefferson City) MONTANA (Billings, Helena, Miles City); NEBRASKA (Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha); NEVADA (Las Vegas) NEW HAMPSHIRE (Manchester, Portsmouth); NEW JERSEY (Princeton) NEW YORK (Glens Falls, Little Falls, Mineola, Rome, Utica); NORTH CAROLINA (Burlington, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Ft. Bragg, Greensboro, Monroe, Raleigh, Shelby); NORTH DAKOTA (Grand Forks); OHIO (Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, East Cleveland, East Liverpool, Garfield Heights, Lima, Lorain, Mayfield Heights, Middleburg Heights, Orange Village, Portsmouth, Toledo, Warren, Westlake, Youngstown); OKLAHOMA (Claremore, Oklahoma City, Tulsa); OREGON (Corvalis, McMinnville, Salem, Silverton); SOUTH CAROLINA (Columbia, Pickens, Walhalla); TENNESSEE (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis); TEXAS (Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Hood, Longview, Lubbock, Plano, San Antonio, Texarkana, Waco, Webster); VERMONT (Barre, Brattleboro, Middlebury); VIRGINIA (Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond) WASHINGTON (Everett, Fairchild AFB, Longview, Olympia, Puyallup, Yakima); WEST VIRGINIA (Wheeling); WISCONSIN (Florence, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh, Watertown, Wausau); JAPAN (Atsugi, Yokosuka), ITALY (Sicily); UNITED KINGDOM [a.k.a. Hit the Ground Crawling] (Birmingham, Liverpool)

 

On September 12, a train accident devastated the San Fernando Valley in southern California. A Metrolink train carrying 225 people crashed into a freight train, causing the country’s deadliest commuter train accident in almost 40 years.

 

An engineer on the commuter train ran a red signal and crashed head on with the freight train. Both trains were moving at approximately 40 miles per hour at the time of the accident, and railroad officials indicated that the track signal was working properly.

 

Tragically, 25 people died in the wreck. There were another 135 people who were injured, 40 of whom were in critical condition. This crash rivals a 1972 Chicago commuter train wreck and a 1993 Amtrak crash in Alabama as one of the most catastrophic railroad accidents in recent years. The 1972 Chicago accident resulted in 45 fatalities, while the 1993 Amtrak crash killed 47.

 

It appears that the engineer responsible for this month’s Metrolink accident may have been texting with a local teenager just before the crash. Nick Williams, the local teen, said he received three text messages from the engineer that afternoon. The last one arrived just one minute before the collision.



Alarming Statistics

 

Railroad accidents frequently cause catastrophic injury and death due to the size of the trains and the speed at which they travel. Unfortunately, these accidents have been on the rise over the last few years. The Federal Highway Administration has found that a train hits a pedestrian or motor vehicle once every two hours.

 

According to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Safety Analysis, there were 13,067 train accidents in 2007 alone. Those accidents resulted in 851 deaths and 8,801 injuries.

 

The numbers for 2008 will most likely turn out to be even more alarming. From January 2008 to March 2008, 4,875 railroad accidents were reported, resulting in 309 fatalities and 3,223 injuries.

 

The most common injuries stemming from train accidents include:

· Brain trauma

· Spinal cord injuries

· Concussions

· Sprains

· Fractures

· Abrasions

· Burn injuries

· Internal and soft tissue injuries



Causes of Train Accidents

 

In 2007, the two biggest factors responsible for railroad accidents were human factors (38.2% of crashes) and track defects (34.94% of crashes). Other main causes of train wrecks include:

· Human error

· Negligence

· Derailment

· Railroad employee intoxicated at work

· Collapsing bridge

· Faulty track or rail inspection

· Defective railroad crossings

· Collision with another train

· Collision with a motor vehicle

· Operator fatigue

· Poorly maintained tracks

· Signal defects

· Excessive speed



What are your Rights?

 

The Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) protects railroad workers in cases where an accident was caused by negligence on the part of the railroad company. Unlike typical workers’ compensation laws, FELA allows a railroad employee to sue employers in these situations.

 

If you are a civilian who has been injured in a railroad accident, you have rights as well. You can generally sue the party responsible for the wreck and recover all appropriate damages – medical expenses, loss of wages due to injuries, punitive damages when appropriate, etc.

 

The railroad companies are legally responsible for train and track maintenance. Unfortunately, in recent years, many railroad companies have been deferring maintenance on tracks and equipment in order to improve profits. Currently, the number of railroad maintenance workers is half of the total 20 years ago.

 

It is important to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer if you have been involved in a train accident. Hiring a lawyer will ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive a fair settlement for your injuries.