Question:
I know which I would choose to maintain my job--even if I was the most vocal advocate for tbi I wouldn't risk losing a position where I might be able to help a less severely injured tbi.

Where would you stand folks? Be realistic. Most of us didn't have the faintest idea about tbi before it happened to us. We maybe knew about muscular dystrophy, ALS, MR, etc. but we did NOTHING. Now we expect the world to stop because we're tbi. There are a ton of disabilities out there competing for attention. Let's support those who make ANY effort to help us.

Answer: The past three weekends I have been letting this woman from our local support group come spend the night at my house. I definately can say the caregivers go a lot of work. Tammy really needs attendent care but the family does not have a clue. Tammy really has no idea of her deficits and plans to get her ged and go to vetinary school so people could see that she worked all day. She said no desk job for her , well maybe construction. Currently Tammy is bound and determined to get a man any way she can. I have cut her meat, poured her drinks, put tooth paste on her brush, and tried to talk her out of wearing a ultra mini skirt to church. It is hard Tammy does have a much better short term memory than I have, but I have implusivity control. I have decieded to hide this weekend and next, phone off the hook. I feel so sorry for her but have to realize I am wearing myself out.

I may be mistaken but the last I knew VR, which is funded about 80% by federal dollars, was REQUIRED to provide service to the most severely disabled applicants provided they were able to benefit from services. You might want to check with a local attorney or support group (or even a private voc rehab agency) to see if that is the case in Tennessee.