Tuning into BATTLE. (The Wave)

When you tune into the BATTLE (The Wave) portion of our interviews, you enter the long, unseen war—following the immediate shock and subsequent tidal wave of symptoms and administrative barriers that crash over the TBI survivor.

What You Will Hear:

• The Diagnostic Failures: Guests recount the agonizing experience of sustaining a TBI (single/multiple) injury in the early years of the GWOT conflict (2001-2011) versus once DoD created new policies. They detail the lack of standardized protocols for TBI screening during multiple combat deployments, often resulting in concussions being treated as minor incidents, or dismissed as "just getting your bell rung." This failure to diagnose and treat meant compounded injuries with every subsequent blast exposure.

• The Clinical Battlefield: We cover the frustration of entering a complex and overburdened healthcare system, often overwhelmed and underprepared for the volume of members seeking care for their TBI's injuries. Guests highlight their waves of battles as they bridge the daunting administrative VA and DoD claims process; detailing the seeking of specialized care, appealing low disability ratings & retroactive awards (Purple Heart) while simultaneously trying to manage ongoing cognitive decompensation.

• Adjusting to a 'New' Normal: Guests vividly illustrates how their untreated, chronic injuries compromised life back home. Often the struggle to maintain professional, social, and personal expectations—e.g. loss of employment due to cognitive deficits, the disintegration of relationships due to mood swings and memory issues, and loss of purpose in various domains of their lives.