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• Nikki Stephens 29 United States Marine Corps

  wildomar, CA United States

  My name is Nikki Stephens and my husband john is an oif veteran, Serving a tour in Iraq in 2004 acquired an injury that went unrecognized for 5 years. Shortly after returning home in 2004 John was quickly diagnosed with ptsd and began suffering from depression and severe anxiety.

  Sept. 2006 my husband was honorably discharged from the Marine corps and the painful transition into civilian life began.Over the past 3 years my husband has struggled with the daily tasks of life; being a parent, a husband and an employee. His "symptoms" only grew worse as time progressed leading to a hospitalization in July 2009 at the Loma Linda VA hospital. Not until August 2009 was my husband diagnosed with TBI. We had not ever heard of this at the time of his diagnosis nor were we ever given an explanation what this was. It was all very vague and treated as if he were just diagnosed with a cold.

  He has taken part in the TBI clinic offered by the VA which consisted of 1 pda device and an EM Wave which is something he was told to use if feeling angry or stressed that would essentially take his pulse. Told that they accomplished all of their goals with him he would no longer visit this clinic that has been put in place for veterans with TBI .

  We have just recently taken part in a retreat for veterans suffering from TBI and their families. Put on by CASA COLINA Rehabilitation hospital out of Pomona Ca. Funded by Grants and donations we had the ability to surround ourselves with people just like us whose families are living with what we are living with. We also had the privelege to have a handful of doctors at our dispense, whatever questions we had...They were able to cover the medical, chemical and psychological effects of this injury..I have such an understanding of what this truly is, what this means to our family and how we can survive this. I feel such a passion toward this cause I just felt the need to write to your organization.

  Though my husband has been on state disability since his hospitalization and through this ordeal we have lost our health insurance, unable to pay for last months mortgage and struggling to pay our bills due to the lack of funds , I still do feel the hope that it is going to be okay. I understand him now..he understands himself now..That is HUGE!

  I feel so inspired to fight! To be heard! To bring awareness to TBI.

                                 Much Thanks,
  
                            Nikki Stephens
  

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