Medical Treatment for Kris
Donation protected
There is still help that can be had to heal his brain.
On August 1st of 2013 my husband was wounded while serving our country while assigned to the Middle East. He was unconscious for more than 24 hours after suffering a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). His brain is damaged in multiple locations from when he was wounded. He spent time in an induced coma in the first hospital. He had 4 large skull fractures with severed nerves and tremendous hemorrhaging from 2 locations in his brain. He also had seizures. He had to be stabilized before he could be medically evacuated from the Middle East. When he was evacuated from the Middle East I was there waiting for him in the military hospital in Landstuhl Germany. I was crying terribly when the medics pulled him from the flight. He didn’t know who I was. It took him nearly 4 weeks to remember who I was and it took several months for him to become accustomed to me once again.
He has been through 6 different hospitals over 8 ½ months and has been through nearly one year of traumatic injury recovery and rehabilitation. When he started recovery he had already been hospitalized for 6 weeks. When starting recovery he was unable to walk, talk well, or understand what was said to him. He couldn't write his name or understand anything he read. He didn’t know how to dress himself or eat without help. He had lost nearly 30 pounds in the first 2 months of hospitalization. He continues to work remarkably hard during his recovery period – a recovery period that can take as long as 5 years and will never be complete.
He suffers from daily headaches that are often at the migraine level if he does not constantly take seizure/migraine headache medicine to help control the pain. Even with the medication the headaches take control. He also has a permanent injury to his brain stem that has seriously affected his central nervous system. He lost most of his hearing and now wears hearing aids. He lost his sense of smell and most of his taste. He can only taste strong hot spice and strong coffee. He also tastes salt and heavily sugared items. In fact, he has become dependent on those items in most of his meals. His brain tells him that since he can taste those items he needs to eat those items. He also has damage to his vision. He has permanent double vision and his nighttime vision is permanently debilitated. He has short and long term memory issues. He cannot remember the children growing up and he cannot remember if he has asked me something or what he was supposed to do. He also suffers from severe central vertigo and is unable to do one thing in his life that he was sincerely passionate about, cycling and mountain biking. With the significant permanent damage in his brain he cannot risk cycling again, it has seriously upset him.
He struggles with diagnosed severe PTSD, depression, agitation, fear, anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia. He has isolated himself to our home and avoids any public outings to help keep his fear from coming out. He fatigues very easily and cannot do physical chores around the house. He isn’t receiving the behavioral health therapy he needs and he suffers from the lack of the psych therapy he needs. He cannot drive, he does not go anywhere except the hospital on a daily basis. The therapy has the chance to reduce all of these issues.
Our children have suffered dramatically because of what happened. All they desire is that their father gets the medical help and behavioral therapy that he needs to recover as much as possible. After his last MRI his neurologist and neurosurgeon let us know that there is nothing else that can be done to heal the multiple damaged areas in his brain. His debilitated senses, central vertigo, lacking motor skills, balance issues, dizziness, aggression/agitation/lack of compassion (caused by the brain damage) and his headaches are likely all to be permanent if he does not receive the therapy.
There is one further option we have to assist his healing – Hyberbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). According to past studies the HBOT treatment has helped many wounded military veterans and civilians by providing them with the help their brain has been missing. The HBOT, as explained to me, can significantly increase the blood vessel development and blood flow to the damaged parts of his brain. The increased blood flow to those areas will likely help in recovering those damaged areas.
The clinic we are going to is in Wisconsin. The program is www.oxygenclinics.com in Wisconsin and is run by a doctor that was trained by the man known as the United States Godfather of this type of therapy, Dr. Paul Harch. The therapy will take about 30 days and will include 40 therapy sessions in 100% oxygen at pressures high enough to increase the blood flow to areas that may not be receiving recovery cells that are needed. The therapy has the chance of reducing the damage and headaches, possibly reducing the increased chance of long term issues like Alzheimer's and dementia, it may help settle his PTSD, help reduce his medications, help reduce his depression, and help his family recover knowing that he is recovering more than anyone expected.
Unfortunately the Army does not have to pay for the costs associated with the therapy as the Tricare military medical insurance does not cover this type of treatment. The doctor at the clinic has given us 10 free sessions because he supports wounded Soldiers and Veterans. We’re hoping to raise enough to help pay the clinic for the services that have the high probability of healing part or all of my husband’s brain damage. We need about $4350.00 to pay for half of the therapy. We’re paying for about half as well. As of the 14th of July we’re unsure if the military will pay for us to drive there as my husband cannot fly because of his PTSD. We also don't know if they will cover the full amount of our lodging and food costs. One way or another we’ll do whatever we can to have this therapy paid for. He may need multiple sessions after the 40 he receives, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Anything you can provide will help. He has served our country for 23 years and has done so much as a leader for the younger generation that is serving their country. We will all be grateful for your help and we’ll be keeping his healing close to our hearts and hoping that this last possible measure will be the thing he needs to heal.
I thank all of you for considering helping.
Love, Kellie Lindsey and family
On August 1st of 2013 my husband was wounded while serving our country while assigned to the Middle East. He was unconscious for more than 24 hours after suffering a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). His brain is damaged in multiple locations from when he was wounded. He spent time in an induced coma in the first hospital. He had 4 large skull fractures with severed nerves and tremendous hemorrhaging from 2 locations in his brain. He also had seizures. He had to be stabilized before he could be medically evacuated from the Middle East. When he was evacuated from the Middle East I was there waiting for him in the military hospital in Landstuhl Germany. I was crying terribly when the medics pulled him from the flight. He didn’t know who I was. It took him nearly 4 weeks to remember who I was and it took several months for him to become accustomed to me once again.
He has been through 6 different hospitals over 8 ½ months and has been through nearly one year of traumatic injury recovery and rehabilitation. When he started recovery he had already been hospitalized for 6 weeks. When starting recovery he was unable to walk, talk well, or understand what was said to him. He couldn't write his name or understand anything he read. He didn’t know how to dress himself or eat without help. He had lost nearly 30 pounds in the first 2 months of hospitalization. He continues to work remarkably hard during his recovery period – a recovery period that can take as long as 5 years and will never be complete.
He suffers from daily headaches that are often at the migraine level if he does not constantly take seizure/migraine headache medicine to help control the pain. Even with the medication the headaches take control. He also has a permanent injury to his brain stem that has seriously affected his central nervous system. He lost most of his hearing and now wears hearing aids. He lost his sense of smell and most of his taste. He can only taste strong hot spice and strong coffee. He also tastes salt and heavily sugared items. In fact, he has become dependent on those items in most of his meals. His brain tells him that since he can taste those items he needs to eat those items. He also has damage to his vision. He has permanent double vision and his nighttime vision is permanently debilitated. He has short and long term memory issues. He cannot remember the children growing up and he cannot remember if he has asked me something or what he was supposed to do. He also suffers from severe central vertigo and is unable to do one thing in his life that he was sincerely passionate about, cycling and mountain biking. With the significant permanent damage in his brain he cannot risk cycling again, it has seriously upset him.
He struggles with diagnosed severe PTSD, depression, agitation, fear, anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia. He has isolated himself to our home and avoids any public outings to help keep his fear from coming out. He fatigues very easily and cannot do physical chores around the house. He isn’t receiving the behavioral health therapy he needs and he suffers from the lack of the psych therapy he needs. He cannot drive, he does not go anywhere except the hospital on a daily basis. The therapy has the chance to reduce all of these issues.
Our children have suffered dramatically because of what happened. All they desire is that their father gets the medical help and behavioral therapy that he needs to recover as much as possible. After his last MRI his neurologist and neurosurgeon let us know that there is nothing else that can be done to heal the multiple damaged areas in his brain. His debilitated senses, central vertigo, lacking motor skills, balance issues, dizziness, aggression/agitation/lack of compassion (caused by the brain damage) and his headaches are likely all to be permanent if he does not receive the therapy.
There is one further option we have to assist his healing – Hyberbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). According to past studies the HBOT treatment has helped many wounded military veterans and civilians by providing them with the help their brain has been missing. The HBOT, as explained to me, can significantly increase the blood vessel development and blood flow to the damaged parts of his brain. The increased blood flow to those areas will likely help in recovering those damaged areas.
The clinic we are going to is in Wisconsin. The program is www.oxygenclinics.com in Wisconsin and is run by a doctor that was trained by the man known as the United States Godfather of this type of therapy, Dr. Paul Harch. The therapy will take about 30 days and will include 40 therapy sessions in 100% oxygen at pressures high enough to increase the blood flow to areas that may not be receiving recovery cells that are needed. The therapy has the chance of reducing the damage and headaches, possibly reducing the increased chance of long term issues like Alzheimer's and dementia, it may help settle his PTSD, help reduce his medications, help reduce his depression, and help his family recover knowing that he is recovering more than anyone expected.
Unfortunately the Army does not have to pay for the costs associated with the therapy as the Tricare military medical insurance does not cover this type of treatment. The doctor at the clinic has given us 10 free sessions because he supports wounded Soldiers and Veterans. We’re hoping to raise enough to help pay the clinic for the services that have the high probability of healing part or all of my husband’s brain damage. We need about $4350.00 to pay for half of the therapy. We’re paying for about half as well. As of the 14th of July we’re unsure if the military will pay for us to drive there as my husband cannot fly because of his PTSD. We also don't know if they will cover the full amount of our lodging and food costs. One way or another we’ll do whatever we can to have this therapy paid for. He may need multiple sessions after the 40 he receives, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Anything you can provide will help. He has served our country for 23 years and has done so much as a leader for the younger generation that is serving their country. We will all be grateful for your help and we’ll be keeping his healing close to our hearts and hoping that this last possible measure will be the thing he needs to heal.
I thank all of you for considering helping.
Love, Kellie Lindsey and family
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Organizer
Kellie Lindsey
Organizer
Lacey, WA
