[medusa]

Hello,
My daughter was a passenger in a car that was T-boned. She sffered a great deal of broken bones etc. but the worst was the brain injury. Does anyone know if a brain injury patient can fly --- is it safe ? This happened in sept and she is now learning to walk again and all the other aspects of injury so we do not know about the flying. We ,of course will ask Dr.s ,but it is nice to hear from others that have gone through it.

Thanks for any info,
Medusa

[scarecrow]

Originally Posted by medusa

Hello,
My daughter was a passenger in a car that was T-boned. She sffered a great deal of broken bones etc. but the worst was the brain injury. Does anyone know if a brain injury patient can fly --- is it safe ? This happened in sept and she is now learning to walk again and all the other aspects of injury so we do not know about the flying. We ,of course will ask Dr.s ,but it is nice to hear from others that have gone through it.

Thanks for any info,
Medusa

Hi,
We did not ask my docs, but I've flown twice since my TBI without any problems...in fact, make sure you tell the airline that your daughter has difficulty and they will be very helpful in making sure she gets on first without the typical cattle drive for main cabin seating - plus they'll seat her toward the front of the plane for easy off too. My accident was in March '10, so my physical injuries are pretty much healed, but you may want to double check with your docs before booking just to be safe. -Jo

[vini]

if csf leakage is suspected yes it maybe a problem, but check with a doctor !! sorry not a message board, as all cases are different

you would be ill-advised to look for advice on this topic here

, welcome nt is a great resource for suffers and there carers hope we can help you to cope the best we can

I hope you understand we cannot give medical advice, if you could let us know what you doctor says. but again it is case critical

best wishes

[ConcussedinPA]

As Vini stated, all cases are different. I would check with your medical professionals.

For what its worth, I recently traveled during the Thanksgiving holiday. I had some issues. First, I am very light and noise sensitive -- so you can imagine my distress. I used earplugs and sunglasses. Also, TSA allowed me to use the "disability" line so it made the screening process much easier. I also had priority seating. The change in cabin pressure (both climb-out and descent) gave me serious headaches -- so you need to be prepared just in case.

I hope this helps. Remember each case is different. I am at 16 mos post concussion.

Best wishes,

[Mark in Idaho]

If she is still struggling with ambulation (walking under her own power) she will be required to sit in a disabled seat away from exits and such. Her rights under ADA and the Air Carrier Access Act require that the airline be notified at least 24 hours prior to departure. If you do not make this notification, until the last minute, she loses her ACAA rights.

Some airlines are better than others. Read up on the ACAA so you knwo how to protect her rights.

btw, Southwest tries to limit these rights because of their no-assigned seating policy. ACAA give her "bump" privileges. That means, she has access to any seat on the plane that she can meet the qualifications for. She can bump VIP's. This does not get her an upgrade unless the airline wants to offer it to help her with her needs.

At the TSA checkpoint, she will be ahead of the game by being in a wheel chair. Ask for assistance with an airport wheel chair. There are usually wheel chairs ate the entrances. Have her sit in one and start pushing her and someone usually shows up to help her. Some airports have electric carts that they will drive you to the gate in.

Take ear plugs and even head phones ( I used both early on), sun glasses, some pain/head ache meds and even some diphenhydramine (Benadryl) to keep her ears clear. Ask her doctor if the Benadryl is OK for her.

Be prepared for her to have a rough time after the flight. The extended period at 8,000 foot cabin altitude can cause her to be very tired and need time to recover.

Ask the airline if you can get a courtesy pass to the VIP lounge to wait for her flight. This will get her away form the noise and confusion.

If they will accommodate you and there is a jetway to board the plane, ask if she can board last. The commotion of the others getting seated and the risk of getting hit in the head by the carry-on luggage as it flies by will be avoided. This is an especially good way to board if she sits up front .

I'm confused. Did she need to relearn to walk due to neurological damage or from the broken bones? If it is the former, then take every precaution possible. If the latter, she should have less struggles other than negotiating the walk to the plane.

Let us know how it goes.

My best to you.

[medusa]

Hi,
Thank you all for responding to my query, [ about flying with TBI ] I know that we will talk to Dr,s but it really nice to hear from others about the flying. I never even thought about the seating --- thanks for pointing it out and all the other great ideas. She is not walking fully yet because of all the breaks. He femur was shattered and her hip was smashed and her ribs ,as well as her facial bones on impact side were crushed. She also had extreme deep muscle bruising so is still black and blue since sept. and her hearing and eyes are not functioning as well as they should be yet . My real concern is her brain injury. My world has been changed irrevocably --- I have had so many bad things happen in the last two years that this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Anyway , again ,thank you all for the help. Hope all of you are well ,
medusa