How one Veteran’s TBI recovery led her from coma to creative healing

TeleTBI aids in Veteran’s recovery

After high school, Pamela Nee joined the Air National Guard. She served for 25 years with the 193rd Special Operations Wing, deploying for Operation Desert Storm and then working as a federal technician. During her service, she survived a serious car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

“I was in a coma for four days,” she shared. “I had to learn how to walk again.”

Recovery was long, and she had to relearn how to process information and manage daily tasks. She experienced migraines and ongoing symptoms. She credits her VA care team and TeleTBI for helping her heal.

Crediting a care team that cares

Through VA’s TeleTBI program, Nee was able to meet with her providers through VA Video Connect, VA’s secure videoconferencing app, from the comfort of home.

“I was fortunate to do telehealth visits with Dr. Mi-Hyon Cho,” she said. “She was highly supportive and concerned about my physical, emotional and social well-being.”

Telehealth made it easier to stay connected to care. Regular virtual visits meant Nee could maintain consistent care without the burden of travel. Her provider asked about her health, work and family life—not just her symptoms.

That steady support made a difference.

“My wonderful VA neurology team and recreational therapy team were knowledgeable, compassionate, encouraging and great listeners,” she said.

Finding strength in new ways

Nee’s recovery was not just medical. It was personal.

“My resiliency through faith, family, friends and healthcare was key to my recovery,” she said. After retiring from the Air National Guard, she felt something was missing in her life.

“Retired Veterans are exposed to a big void after leaving the service,” she said.

She decided to get active. Through VA recreational therapy, she tried Guitars 4 Vets, equine therapy and The Seeing Lens photography program. She also participated in WriteFace, a nonprofit program that provides free, guided writing workshops for Veterans. Writing poems soon became her favorite outlet.

“I ended up finding my voice,” she said. “I participated in VA activities to grow and find something I was missing.”

A full picture of healing

Telehealth, neurology care and recreational therapy all played a role in Nee’s journey. Together, they helped her move from survival to strength.

“VA offers amazing resources to help you succeed,” she added.

For Veterans living with TBI or other challenges, VA telehealth can be a simple way to stay connected and a powerful step toward healing.

Talk to your VA care team today to learn what virtual TBI care is available and right for you. To learn more about telehealth at VA, visit the VA Telehealth Services.

“Finding Light in the Darkness” by Pamela Nee

Waves knock me down Pummel me like galloping white horses Ocean begins to pull me under Blindness covers my eyes It finds every empty corner and hole that was once filled Now left open and empty Water runs ice cold through my veins Air breathes stale My heartbeat begins to slow Precious moments run through my mind Forgetting all the lessons learned over time Days filled with strife I nearly bleed out cut by a knife Sharks begin to circle I want to thrash around Remain frozen from fear I won’t be found Not knowing how this will end I don’t want to die But sometimes I don’t know how to live My soul feels flightless and hollow Before I sink beneath the surface\\ I send up a flare Praying that YOU will be there Even a spark in darkness matters A heartbeat of hope Everyone needs something to believe in Light finds a way to peak through the tiniest cracks We walk by sight rather than by faith Keep your parachute open The sculptor’s chisel Chip, Chip, Chip, Crack… A small bud that blossoms The world is an open wound Active faith, not passive waiting Walk through fire to reach precious feathers Lessons learned from stormy weathers Discovering sunshine in my pocket Holding pictures of love in my locket Travel the world to find home Thrown a lifeline from above Receive it like a message of love Reach and hold on tight Remembering the lesson to fight A shattered mirror rearranged Cuts heal over time Scars like wind chimes keep the past present When darkness surrounds Stay afloat when you fall out of the boat Choose joy even in the cracks of life