Gary Busey ministers to brain injury community By W. Reed Moran, Spotlight Health

With medical adviser Jonathan M. Sackier, M.D. PhotoFest/E! Gary Busey. Help on the Web Brain Injury Association, Inc.

Story: Skateboard legend head over heels on safety No one knows better than Gary Busey that life's road takes unexpected turns. "I had a nearly fatal motorcycle accident on Dec. 4, 1988," says the actor and musician. "And almost no one expected me to recover." But Busey was able to come back from the brink, and today he says he's compelled to spread his message of caution. "I want people to understand that life is very important. And that if you're riding a motorcycle, skateboard, or bicycle without a helmet, you're challenging the face of death." Riding without a helmet is a gamble everyone is bound to lose, sooner or later, he says. "When the odds finally catch up with you, fate will steal your life and the hearts of everyone who loves you." Busey had just picked up his bike at a repair shop when he slid on a patch of gravel at 40 mph, flipped over the handlebars, and hit his unprotected head on a curb. "I landed at the feet of a police officer and was rushed to an emergency room with a hole in my head the size of a half dollar," he says. Doctors subsequently told Busey that had he arrived even three minutes later, he would not have survived. As it was, Busey fell into a coma for over four weeks, while family and friends stood by his side. "I remember being aware of only two things during that ordeal," says Busey. "The first was that I entered and returned from a spiritual realm, and that experience has been the foundation of my faith ever since. The second, and equally important experience was feeling the healing love and support of the people who surrounded me." Busey regained consciousness on Jan. 6, 1989, and although heavily medicated, his will to live and recover surfaced almost immediately. And to the astonishment of the medical staff, Busey left the hospital under his own power only five weeks later. After a period of recuperation and rehabilitation, Busey returned to his film career and has since worked continuously as an advocate for traumatic injury treatment and prevention. The silent epidemic An estimated 5.3 million people in the USA currently live with disabilities from traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 80,000 Americans are disabled each year, and that over 50,000 others die as a result of TBI. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause, accounting for 50% of all TBIs. Violence, falls, and sports injuries are the next most common sources of brain injury. The CDC reports that men's risk of suffering TBI is twice that of women, and that overall risk is highest in adolescents and the elderly. TBI can affect a person in many ways. Cognitively, as memory loss, trouble concentrating, communication difficulties, and impaired judgment.

Physically, with seizures, vision problems, speech impairments, spasticity, fatigue, and pain.

Emotionally, including anxiety, depression, and mood swings. Patients may also exhibit agitation, impulsive behavior, and difficulty initiating activities. Dr. George Zitnay, director of the John Jane Brain Injury Center in Charlottesville, Va., states that many people with brain injuries have difficulties with problem solving, making critical decisions, and with complex reasoning. "What people need to understand is that patients can have trouble with something as simple as dressing themselves," says Zitnay. "It can come down to what goes on first, the shoes or the socks?" Long-term rehabilitation is often required  a fact that many find hard to accept. Rehabilitation can be as basic as recovering range of motion in an injured limb or regaining bladder control, to more complex goals of occupational therapy and independent living. "TBI patients are the most untreated and most unemployed group I'm aware of," says Zitnay. "That doesn't mean we should give up or ignore them. An increased commitment to funding and extended treatment is morally necessary and within our means as a country." Zitnay says that the rehabilitation process for TBI patients should be individualized for each person's unique needs. "Just as no two people are identical, no two brain injuries are exactly alike," he says. Zitnay reports that in general, rehabilitation channels the body's natural healing abilities and the brain's relearning process so that an individual recovers as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Rehabilitation can also involve learning new ways to compensate for abilities that have been reduced or lost due to brain injury. "There is still much that is unknown about brain injury and rehabilitation," says Zitnay. "And while there is no cure for brain injury, the goal of rehabilitation is to help people regain the most independent level of functioning possible." Coping and the future The Brain Injury Association, Inc. (BIA) urges TBI patients and their families to accept the challenges of the changes thrust upon them. Rather than struggling against the impossible, the BIA suggests setting realistic goals. The person who has sustained a brain injury must often develop a new sense of self, and the family must try to accept a new vision of who that person has become. This process is often difficult but is necessary for all concerned. The BIA offers the following advice to family members of persons who have sustained injury: Reward the behaviors you would like to see.

When safety is not an issue, ignore those you find troublesome.

Families should live by example, serving as proper role models.

Structure the environment avoid situations that create difficulties.

Avoid confrontation and seek professional help when necessary. Despite the advances of modern medicine, avoiding head injury is the single best way to deal with this devastating condition. "Prevention is by far the most efficient way we can deal with this problem in the near future," says Busey, who has visited many hospitals to talk with other brain injury patients. "So many of these injuries are completely preventable. Helmets and seatbelts are easy and convenient methods of protecting yourself." Busey's commitment to help others resulted in his instrumental role in the creation of the federal Traumatic Brain Injury Act. The legislation, which provides for treatment and tracking of this underserved problem, is the first of its kind to address this issue on a national level. "The greatest gift we can all receive is by giving," says Busey. "I've learned to pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and to expect the unexpected. My advice to everyone is, don't live in the past, accept what is, take the reigns, and move into the future." "No matter what happens, no one can take away our ability to live with openness, honesty, and love." More Spotlight Health stories

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