When Air Force veteran Tech. Sgt. Krys Bowman returned home from another deployment, his wife, Lacey, noticed changes. Bowman had experienced symptoms for years — eye twitches, headaches, photo sensitivity and sleep problems — but this time he finally decided to see a doctor. A neurologist diagnosed him with multiple counts of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that were sustained through combat and military training. During his recovery, Bowman joined an adaptive sports program. By 2015, he was participating in the Warrior Games as an athlete and mentor. When a fellow veteran passed away shortly before the competition, he took on the competitor’s events too, doubling the number in his own docket. After Bowman finished the last leg of a grueling swim race on behalf of the fallen soldier, onlookers in the crowd rose to their feet.
Bowman shares his story as a “TBI champion” for A Head for the Future, the TBI awareness and prevention initiative from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center: http://dvbic.dcoe.mil
Visit http://dvbic.dcoe.mil/aheadforthefuture to learn about inspiring stories from those in the military community who experienced brain injuries and sought help. The website also features additional resources to prevent, recognize and recover from brain injury.
Follow the initiative on Twitter @AHFTF_Page, and the A Head for the Future page on Facebook.
It’s important to know that each TBI is different; not everyone who sustains a TBI experiences these signs and symptoms, needs and MRI for diagnosis, or requires identical treatment.
