Understanding The Brain, And How TBI Affects It | Neurosurgeon Dr. Gary Kraus | Kraus TBI Podcast

PATIENT FOCUSED. INJURY-CENTERED SOLUTIONS.
Taking Traumatic Brain Injuries Head-On:
The Premier Center in Houston.
WHAT IS TBI?
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acute disruption of normal brain function due to an external force, such as a blow to the head, acceleration-deceleration injury, explosion, or penetration injury. It is usually caused by falls, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, explosions, and sports-related injuries. TBI can range from a concussion to a severe, life-threatening injury.
TBI SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of TBI may include, but are not limited to:
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are extremely debilitating and can drastically alter the lives of not only those affected by them but also their families. A TBI occurs when there is a sudden blow or jolts to the head resulting in internal injuries.
• HEADACHE
• MEMORY DEFICITS
• IMBALANCE
• DIZZINESS
• FATIGUE
• CONFUSION
• DEPRESSION
• APATHY
• NAUSEA
• ANXIETY
• IRRITABILITY
• SLEEPING DIFFICULTIES
• MENTAL FOGGINESS
• SENSITIVITY TO NOISE
• SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT
• VISUAL CHANGES
• TINNITUS (RINGING IN THE EAR)
• INCREASED EMOTIONALITY
• PERSONALITY CHANGES
• FEELING SLOWED DOWN
• INCREASED THINKING TIME
• DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING
• SLOWED RESPONSE TIME
• DIFFICULTY WITH PROBLEM-SOLVING
• LOSS OF APPETITE
DIAGNOSIS
Determining the best treatment plan for brain injury requires a comprehensive evaluation of its severity and location.
DO YOU HAVE A TBI?
It is important to note that the severity of TBI symptoms can vary widely from person to person. For example, some may experience mild impairments while others may suffer from severe disabilities that require long-term care and assistance. Therefore, it is essential to seek medical attention immediately after any head trauma in order to obtain an accurate assessment and treatment for TBI. With appropriate medical care and rehabilitation, many can recover from the effects of a traumatic brain injury.
kraustbi.com
Kraus TBI
Dr. Gary Kraus
12121 Richmond Ave. Suite 324,
Houston, TX 77082
If you or a loved one has been injured or suspects a TBI
please call us for a consultation!
281.870.9292
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Video Created By: Elan Medical Media

[@pentiuman]

I'm 58 and a year and 4 days ago, I fell from a tall ladder while painting the back of my 2-story house, alone. I sustained a severe TBI, brain hemorrhages, multiple closed fractures in my skull, nose, shoulder blade, and broken ribs on 1 side, which punctured a lung and it collapsed. Apparently, I fell onto my concrete patio, and bled some. The neighbor dog heard and/or smelled me next door, and refused to move from his side of the privacy fence, which alerted his owner that something was up. The neighbor came over and asked me if he should call 911. (He was going to anyway, but did put forth the "question"). I reportedly said, "No, I'm just going through some things." lol. I was rushed to a neighboring hospital (not my local one), that had a good trauma center. There, they analyzed me, put me into a coma for better brain health and to control my breathing. My family was called, my son flew in from NM, while 1 sister fly in from NV, and another drove to see me daily from a few miles away. My brain bleeding wasn't too bad, so I didn't need surgery to reduce the pressure. I did catch both pneumonia and sepsis, but beat both of those somehow. After about 10 days, before waking me to see if I could breath on my own, they wrapped my hands in cotton, so I couldn't pull out the tubes. I remember just a few seconds, of waking up, seeing my cotton wrapped hands, and being unable to speak or pull out the tubes, I was quite annoyed! They took a video of this. I had racoon eyes and looked horrible. After about 3 weeks at this 1st hospital, I was recovering quite well, and must have been a difficult patient, because each time I woke up, I didn't know where I was or what had happened, and thought I was fine and should drive myself home. They then transferred me to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in NE. I was there about 4-5 weeks, and always felt fine, except for some sore ribs, and didn't remember the accident. I made a miraculous recovery, just had to regain my balancing skills, and the only lasting effect was some slight double vision, corrected w/ prism glasses. Then began outpatient therapies - occupational, vision, and physical, at my local hospital. 6 months since my accident, all my therapies were discontinued, and I took a drivers license test, passed, and could drive again! (Before that, I had to either ride a bicycle or take an Uber). Besides the mild double vision at times, the only other lasting effect is a numb area on my temple, and when I touch it, it feels like I'm touching my eye! The brain is amazing - I went from almost dying, then not identifying colors correctly, to driving in just 6 months. Just wanted to share my story. Edit: My family doesn't "allow me" on tall ladders anymore.

[@kraustbi]

Thank you very much for sharing your story. It is a tremendous inspiration to know how well you are doing, and it is only a year since your injury. Your words and story of healing will be a great inspiration for many who have suffered an injury. After an injury, it is difficult for patients or families to “connect the dots” going forward. Steve Jobs, at his commencement address to Stanford, spoke about the ease we have of connecting the dots going backward, but the difficulty we have of connecting the dots going forward. Your personal journey will help many in our community to connect the dots going forward, and to know that with perseverance, effort, hope, diligence and patients, amazing improvements can happen. Brain healing and neuroplasticity are incredible, and for as long as long as I have practiced neurosurgery, I continue to learn and be inspired each day by the progress and improvement of people who have suffered a TBI. Thank you very much for sharing your personal story. I greatly appreciate it, and I am grateful for your interest in being there to educate and encourage others who have suffered a TBI. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help with your journey. GK

[@cfarlow5830]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Happy to hear you are successful in making a positive recovery. The brain is amazing!

[@betsycole105]

What a knowledgeable, kind, and inspirational person this man is. There is hope for mankind.

[@kraustbi]

Thank you very much for your extremely kind words. They heartfelt by me. We all go through easy and difficult patches in life. Difficult times can be very scary, and we may feel alone. I know it is very helpful for patients to have an understanding of what is happening to them, and that they are not alone. Everyone of us is healthy one day, and is a patient another day. Having treated many patients over the years, I have learned immensely from the wisdom and courage of my patients. If I can help with not only the medical, but also the emotional healing process, I am thankful. I do greatly appreciate your comments, and for being a part of our community….. GK

[@tomtbi]

I had my TBI at age 26 in 1997 in a bad car wreck as well as other several physical injuries... I was in the hospital for 26 days and in Physical Therapy for 18 months... I had several career failuers post TBI-( I attempted to become a Special Education Teacher,Car Salesman and 911 Radio Dispatcher but my TBI limitations got in the way)... I then struggled with depression,anxiety and suicidal thoughts partially due to the career failures.. I cannot multitask,repeat myself and struggle with short term memory...I then had to fight the court sesason for 15 years to (FINALLY) recieve SSDI-(Social Security Disability Income) through 4 appeals and 3 attorneys... I now drive for a car dealership and build model cars as a hobby which help me keep my TBI and PTSD symptoms at bay and has been very good for my self esteem as well...

[@robinweaver9546]

I survived a severe TBI in 2003. I have Encephalomalacia on the left side of my temporal parietal area. I became a DON 11 months after my accident. Outside I was trying to be ok but I was struggling. I worked so hard on building new pathways. I never said I can’t. 20 years later I am now struggling with that injury. I have horrible Tinnitus. Migraines. Daily. Recently diagnosed with Hyperadrenergic POTS. I survived an accident that killed my husband instantly. Raises my 4 boys. Fought hard. Now I am struggling more then ever with this injury from 20 yeas ago.

[@strikerforce17]

42, tbi. Thank you for producing this. THANK YOU SIR. I’m looking forward to more information 🫡

[@kraustbi]

you are very welcome… it is important for me to know what is helpful for our community… we will continue to make videos which I hope are helpful to our community. please let me know of any additional suggestions….GK

[@leehedderwick3399]

What an incredible analogy Dr Kraus. Thank you so much 🙏

[@graemegeorgeharrison2468]

I can’t feel any other than pain burning and ringing, no memory just darkness, my life is closing in

[@drewoneill5908]

Excellent video

[@beatriceg9967]

Thank you for posting! I haven't been able to find any current/updated info on TBI on KZbin until your posting!

[@kraustbi]

Thank you very much… I am very glad this is helpful…

[@Ridaroth.]

Very interesting! Hope I can see more content like this. Best of luck and you may succeed very fast on KZbin! Thanks for sharing your knowledges with us.

[@kraustbi]

Thank you very much for your kind thoughts and wishes … please let me know of topics which would be of interest for you

[@DougKremer]

This is fantastic! It is amazing to hear your voice and insight again. You saved me from a FMM in 2002. I look forward to more episodes.

[@kraustbi]

Thank you very much for your very kind words… they are very much appreciated … please let me know of topics which you feel would interest you

[@DougKremer]

@@kraustbiI’d love to see skull base detail and issues, of course.

[@rickp.6251]

They should play this at a stand up comedy club. At the end say something like " and all the poor homeless people can come in and we'll do all this for free."

[@annel.bo.briggs]

It's kinda weird that I couldn't remember anything from the day of the accident even 2 hours before the accident. Where did that go? I had: • Left subarachnoid hemorrhage • Right inferior cerebellum intraparenchymal hemorrhage • Right occipital bone fracture • Right supraorbital fracture

[@DollysParadise]

Hi Dr. Kraus, I thank you for sharing your life work and knowledge. Your vast knowledge about the brain is refreshing and right on point. I originally asked a question, this, >>> What happens when the patient minds eye don’t see images after tbi? However, after listening to the full video I am filled with tears, finally someone understands how the brain works and what it is like for a patient with a tbi.

[@kraustbi]

Thank you very much for your very kind thoughts and words. It is always very difficult to walk in the shoes of others, and know what they feel. Each of us in life has different experiences and difficulties. My experience with patients over the years I have practiced has taught me greatly, but I am fortunate in that I continue to learn every day from my patients, as I see their perseverance, dedication and courage. I thank you for your thoughts. It is very helpful to me that in my efforts to produce knowledge, I am going in the right direction. I would greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions, as I would like to offer a good resource to our community, in which I am able to help others in the community, and also that community members are able to help each other through their comments, feedback and advise. Thank you…. GK

[@reginaldwilliams617]

Yes I could only recognize faces only up close. From a distance everyone faces was a oval object... it's better now...

[@TezcaSounds]

Has there been any thought in using psilocybe cubensis or azurescens mushrooms and Hericium erinaceus (lions mane) in conjunction as a therapy? Both are known to promote neurogenesis. I feel that I suffer from the consequences of many concussions in my childhood and the more recent blows seem to intensify these symptoms. When I eat these mushrooms it feels like some things are “reconnecting” or “healing” and I feel a little stronger mentally than I did before the experience. I would love to see some studies in the future on the potential of mushrooms and their affects on people with TBI.

[@ChrisfromGeorgia]

Hello Robert. You are onto something. My story is long, but I had a TBI when I was a teenager. I’m 46 now. A few months ago, I took only 1 gram and it seemed to lift my mood tremendously! Like you said, I also felt as though I could actually feel it helping my brain. This wasn’t a bad feeling at all. Why there aren’t more studies about this is beyond me. (Actually I know why, but it kinda goes without saying.) Take care and I wish you all the best!👍

[@kraustbi]

thank you for sharing your personal experience

[@kraustbi]

thank you for your thoughts on this topic

[@Michael-oo4yc]

I was shot in the head with a .357magnum in 1993 I'll be 48 in March. God is great!

[@lindasapiecha2515]

😊👍👍

[@kraustbi]

thank you

[@MrStrutus]

How about TBI that last for 10 minutes ? Any chance of full recovery

[@kraustbi]

Thank you for your question. When we recognize that a brain injury involves damage to nerves in the brain and their connections to other nerves, we recognize that this does not heal in the was a bone fracture may heal. However, the brain has capabilities of neuroplasticity, in which symptoms and function can improve. Each individual experiences different symptoms and improvement rates, and there are truly no two TBI’s which are the same. I hope this response helps.

[@MzPooh4494]

Hello my son now 21 was hit by someone that ran a stop sign while he was coming from the park on his dirt bike 3 weeks before he turned 20. Doctors claim he's still in a VS I believe he's in MC state. I just wish there was something to tell me if I'm doing right by him will he get better or this is it.. I don't want him to suffer by my own selfishness

[@kraustbi]

these are very difficult questions, and I am very sorry that you and your son are experiencing this. does he tract objects in the room? does he ever follow commands? have you seen his neurologic function improving at all, since the injury? GK

[@MikeJordanGroupie]

Y’all are in Houston?!??

[@kraustbi]

Yes, we are in Houston, TX

[@kraustbi]

Yes we are

[@butterflyfields314]

When being assessed with a head injury/mTBI, why do doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and neurologists testing cannot seem to differentiate between frontal lobe damage, PCS and ADHD? I can see the frontal lobe damage on my MRI with my skull fracture, doctors said my symptoms are ADHD, I don’t understand why they are misdiagnosing my mTBI🤕

[@kraustbi]

Thank you for your question. There is much overlap. Injury to the frontal lobes can create many different types of symptoms, such as changes in concentration, motivation, inhibition, social judgment, executive function, etc. Also, we must remember that Imaging studies have resolution down to the millimeter level, but within one cubic millimeter, there may be 100,000 nerve cell fibers. There is certainly much overlap in symptomatology, and these symptoms may arise due to a mild TBI. I wish you the very best with your recovery and healing journey. Please stay strong, patient, optimistic and dedicated to the healing process…. If you have additional questions, please let me know….GK

[@butterflyfields314]

@@kraustbi Thank you for your response. In my case, it’s difficult to obtain better types of imaging, due to my linear depressed skull fracture was grossly understated as only a laceration on my medical records/charts by my workers comp doctors, I only have my MRI images, it does show my skull fracture. I still have a physical 3 to 5 inch dent from the frontal to the parietal skull bone. When I bring this topic up to doctors, why is my skull still damaged, if it was only a laceration, crickets or I’m gaslit about the severity of my TBI injury. If it was only a laceration, why is the bone of my skull still decompressed from my slip and fall, due to the left side of my head hitting a brick stair? Before my injury I did complete college physics with an A. Why are my treating doctors not acknowledging the physics of my injury to my skull and neck? I’m trying to complete my college degree in Environmental Science:Biology, the problems I am having are not related to my previous ADHD symptoms. If anything my skull fracture TBI made my ADHD worse and now I have acquired dyslexia, I figured this out from the mistakes I make on tests or writing assignments, and some online testing. Why do insurance companies not want to approve the additional imaging or acquired dyslexia testing for TBI patients?

[@TheMelarose]

…Toothpaste. …Will never be the same. -This was one heck of a scarcely yet, *FASCINATING (freakin’) video. TOOTHPASTE-LIVES-(Both *White & *Grays)-*MATTER!!! The-End.

[@TheMelarose]

my toothpaste lives, both white & grays-Matter!!! cut/crossed off. 🫤yaozza yaozza yazzah, they shoot horses don’t they. k great

[@lisamoag6548]

Not all the brain . But flows from the brain through hormones, and must have the breath and heart to be able to function well. No brain ,no life. No Heart, no life. No breath , no life. No other to love , no life. Brain alone- not a life! just one part of the Whole Body but mind ahh... be good and The Heart go with you always be loved love the reason for be ing here now but then we will live forever! Grana Rose knows

[@kraustbi]

Thank you very much for your thoughts and insight. I read the poem which you contributed, and the thoughts are meaningful and profound. Thank you.