TBI, a hidden injury, US Navy Photogrpah

A self portrait of myself, a 30-year-old native of Huntington Beach, Calif., assigned to Combat Camera Pacific Reserve, currently a Los Angeles police officer assigned to Southeast division. In the illustration, I took an image of myself in uniform while receiving treatment from a traumatic brain injury I suffered while serving in Afghanistan, then a second image of a Magnetic resonance imaging. A traumatic brain injury is a complex injury with a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities. The impact on a person and his or her family can be devastating. While MRI and CAT scans are often normal, the individual has cognitive problems such as headaches, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficits, mood swings and frustration. These injuries are commonly overlooked. These symptoms may not be present or noticed at the time of injury. They may be delayed days or weeks before they appear. The symptoms are often subtle, and often missed by the injured person, family and doctors. The person looks normal and often moves normal in spite of not feeling or thinking normal. This makes the diagnosis easy to miss. Family and friends often notice changes in behavior before the injured person realizes there is a problem. Frustration at work or when performing household tasks may bring the person to seek medical care. (Photo illustration)