Uncle Brice's Blog » Brain Injury

Brain Injury Stories

Uncle — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:07:44 +0000

Brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder devastate many lives each and every year. PTSD and brain injury do share numerous symptoms and numerous strategies for overcoming or, at least, dealing with the changes that come.

A military wife writes, "He got hurt over there,but copes. He is now out too. He says he will finally seek help, but I dont know where to turn. He is not the same man, he drinks constantly, is always angry and withdrawn, is mean and distant…"

Another writes, "I didnt meet my husband until he was already back. However there are days that I dont feel like I know him at all! There are days that his PTSD is so bad its like he gets lost somewhere in the shuffle. … I have to remind myself that he is not who he used to be and this is who he is now." (continued below)

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Larry and Beth Jameson, authors of Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide, received the following email. "I emailed you a few weeks ago about my husband who is a year post injury. He is definitely getting better, but I get concerned about all the ups and downs. When he is particularly tired (which can last for days), he is more confused. This morning he was going to take a shower, but instead of doing so he put two pairs of pants on (one over the other). Once I convinced him of what he needed to do, he ended up taking a shower in his underwear and couldn’t figure out why that wasn’t right.

"He usually doesn’t have this much trouble. He sometimes forgets which clothes are his clean ones and which are his dirty one, but that is usually it. The only thing I can figure is that he is tired, and it gets frustrating because I think he is getting better and then he goes backwards. He seems to get real tired and then he is like a completely different person. And he is tired a lot of the time."

Another email summed it up this way. "I suffered a brain injury about 39 and half years ago. I have had horrible things come out of this. I need support badly!"

Help is Needed

No one prepares to have a brain injury. Because each brain is different prior to such an injury, the help needed varies from person to person. The medical community needs far more information, and the health insurance industry rarely provides for the needs of a brain injury patient.

Another lady wrote to Larry and Beth. "I just want to say thank you. My father fell ill with Acute Viral Encephalitis on April 24th of this year. It has been quite a battle dealing with insurance issues. He is a retired Marine and even after further years of dedication to our government via civil service, Tricare has denied his coverage for cognitive therapy. My father has always been a pillar for our family and we have all suffered an extreme loss in losing a husband, father, son, and brother. Thank you most for giving us hope, especially the hope my mom has gotten from your book. We are a family that is spread throughout the country, leaving her as my dad’s primary caretaker. To hear the hope and resolve in her voice after discovering your website and then book has given me a sense of hope for her and my dad that I have formerly struggled with. So, thank you for giving hope to my father, my mother, and my family. You are both a blessing to this world."

More Brain Injury Information

Larry and Beth Jameson have a mission in life: to teach everyone about brain injury. They have two websites with hundreds of pages of information, including visitor-submitted Brain Injury Stories. The sites are Brain Injury Online and Brain Injury Guide.

Beth’s Brain Injury Blog is a favorite in the brain injury community. She writes about the good, the bad and the ugly of brain injury and how you must maintain a sense of humor to live successfully whether you are the victim or a caregiver. A longtime friend of Beth wrote, "I have loved Beth since we met in I think fourth grade, and her blog reminds me again why. The blog is one of the things that makes your site so special, her personality coming through, and she frames the realities in ways that communicate the good, the bad, and the hard. I can only imagine what hope she gives people and what a lifeline your site must be to so many."

How Dinosaurs Became Extinct

Uncle — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 07:40:36 +0000

Memory problems seem to be multiplying as I get older, and that has brought several realizations into my life. Most of those revelations involve the need for pen and paper and a renewed spirit to write notes.

Of course, it’s then important to remember where those notes are. I use iGoogle, a free service, as my home page for when I get on the Internet. You can add gadgets to your home page – like a To Do List. My list has things like, "Change air conditioning filter on the 1st of the month."

I can also use it to tell me where my regular "to do" lists are such as "baseball schedule on refrigerator" or "grocery list on bar" or something like that.

Now, what’s all this have to do with dinosaurs becoming extinct. Well, just look at the cartoon below.

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Online Little Rock.com is where Uncle Brice got his start. There’s a ton of information on this site about Arkansas, Little Rock, dining, dancing, shopping (and shopping online). It’s also a high-trafficked Civil War information site. You can even find out stuff about all the colleges and universities of Arkansas.

Home Business Opportunities is a site that has never been more in demand. You can find legitimate ways to earn money from home as well as a lot of information about Internet marketing, writing, building traffic for your website, and more.

The owners of Online Little Rock have a mission in life to teach everyone about brain injury. They have two websites that have hundreds of pages of information, including visitor-submitted Brain Injury Stories. The sites are Brain Injury Online and Brain Injury Guide.

Brain Injury Victims to Suffer More

Uncle — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:07:33 +0000

"We didn’t know how extensive the need was," said William Ditto, head of the Office of Disability Services for the state of New Jersey. Mr. Ditto tried to explain his position in an interview with Susan K. Livio, a reporter covering the Statehouse for nj.com. "Nobody wants to do this. My back is against the wall," he further explained.

The State of New Jersey was a leader among states providing assistance to victims of brain injury. In 2001, the state developed the Brain Injury Fund that paid for speech therapy and other needed treatments not covered by health insurance. Since 2004, about 2,200 people have been helped. That will soon change with new regulations slated to begin in the Spring.

The proposed new regulation will limit access to the program to individuals whose brain injury is the result of a direct blow to the head. If this rule had been in effect in 2004 only 900 of the 2,200 would have received treatment.

Twenty-five years ago, Michael Jankowsky tried to help a friend who had gotten into a fight. He was stabbed in the heart, and his body began shutting down. The lack of oxygen getting to his brain caused extensive cell damage. He is confined to a wheel chair, still slurs his speech and has concentration problems – not unlike millions of other brain injury victims in the United States. In addition to limiting who can receive assistance from New Jersey’s Brain Injury Fund, available services are being cut as well.

Transportation will no longer be provided. Electronics like personal alarms will no longer be covered. Many brain injury victims use personal alarms to compensate for lost memory skills. It helps them know when to go places or perform other tasks. Personal computers play a huge role for these people who have both cognitive and memory problems. (continued below)

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Brain Injury Costs

Living with brain injury is expensive. In addition to a regular medical doctor, many victims must see neurologists, psychologists, endocrinologists as well as speech, physical and occupational therapists. Migraine headaches are a common complaint as is high blood pressure and vision problems. Many brain injury victims find they cannot return to work or must, at least, seek stress-free work at a flexible workplace.

Chee Chee Parker worked at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Her desk was in a direct line of the impact when the plane commandeered by terrorists hit the building. Though she suffered many injuries, she says the worst was her brain injury. She left the military and was able to find another job…for a short time. The effects of brain injury forced her out.

Others say: "I lost everything, my home, job, car all.. I have not found fiance help anywhere I get SSI and food assistance I have been in poverty since my injury." – Lynn; "I have been in such poverty since my tbi." – Hope; "I sustained my TBI on March 3, 1994 when a student knocked me unconscious. Needless to say that was the end of my teaching career." – Melba; "We learn to live in poverty." – Terry

Increasing health care costs and limited, if any, sources of income make government assistance almost a necessity. Now, those programs are going away. Congress has pretty much frittered away health insurance reform. Short of Medicare for Everyone, a single-payor system, the people you read about here would still be unable to afford insurance premiums. Yes, some qualify for Medicaid, and some qualify for SSI, but that still doesn’t provide the therapies they need to develop their lives more fully. America, we need to do something.

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October Explosions in Iraq: A Story of Two Soldiers

Uncle — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:16:10 +0000

By Larry Jameson

July 15, 2009 is a date that is burned into the memories of the families of First Lieutenant Andrew K. Kinard, USMC (Ret.) and Lieutenant Colonel Raymond T. Rivas, USAR (Ret.). Their stories intertwined with explosions of an improvised explosive device and a mortar shell. The soldiers came face-to-face on April 29, 2009 when they both testified at a Senate hearing in Washington D.C. The Hearing To Examine The Implementation Of Wounded Warrior Policies and Programs was chaired by Senator Ben Nelson.

Lt. Kinard was injured October 29, 2006 in Al Anbar Province when he stepped on an IED and lost his entire body below the hips. Seventeen days earlier, on October 12, Lt. Col. Rivas was working as a civil affairs officer at the Tallil Forward Operating Base in Iraq when it was attacked by mortar fire. He sustained a traumatic brain injury.

According to Rivas, he had previously sustained at least eight concussions and, while serving in Afghanistan, had been thrown through the windshield of a vehicle. (continued below)

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He told the Senate subcommittee, "When I was originally injured in October of 2006 in Iraq, I was Medivac’d out of Theater and sent to Launsthul Regional Medical Center in Germany for evaluation. My memory is extremely vague about this. I was told that I spent 7 days there and convinced the Neurological staff that I was fit to return to duty. I returned to Iraq, of which I do not remember any of this, and spent approximately 10 days there. I was allowed to go out on missions to Forward Operating bases, and on mission convoys. It was then reported to my Chain of Command that my behavior was extremely ‘bizarre’ and I was referred to the Air Force Expeditionary Hospital Neurologist."

The neurologist diagnosed traumatic brain injury and Rivas was put on priority Medivac back to Launsthul Regional Medical Center in route to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas. (Launsthul, you may remember, is the facility where ABC News co-anchor Bob Woodruff was sent after sustaining a brain injury from a roadside bomb.)

"What I do remember about my 1st few months at BAMC was that the system was overwhelmed with the influx of new patients. I was pretty much on my own for two to three months. I had a couple of battle‐buddies who helped me with dressing, bathing and eating, as I was not able to do any of these unassisted," Rivas said.

Colleen Rivas also testified before the Senate subcommittee. She said, "One of the issues that I feel very strongly about is the comparison being made between Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In my opinion there are profound differences between these two injuries. TBI is a physical trauma that can range from mild to severe. PTSD is an emotional trauma which can have debilitating effects. I have dealt firsthand with both of these traumas where Raymond is concerned; PTSD more so after Afghanistan which was in the form of nightmares and some depression. What we could not deal with on our own he was able to obtain help with through the VA in the form of counseling.

"The Traumatic Brain Injury has been an entirely different matter. When Raymond first returned to the U.S. he was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center. He suffered from severe headaches that painkillers and brain blocks had no affect on. In addition to the headaches, he had trouble with his balance, his depth perception, his speech, his eye to hand coordination, his memory, which included both his long‐term and short‐term and any task that involved sequencing. He was unable to go anywhere by himself because he was constantly getting lost. It took a year for him to regain his balance and depth perception.

"Now, two and a half years later, he still suffers from daily headaches, however their severity has lessened. He has regained most of his long term memory; however he still has trouble with his short‐term memory which includes misplacing items on a daily basis and constant repetition of subjects previously discussed. In addition, he cannot follow a detailed set of instructions nor can he multi‐task. His condition is frustrating for both him and our family."

After being on his own for two to three months at Brooke Army Medical Center, Rivas met his case manager. More importantly, he was contacted by the U.S. Army Special Operations
BAMC Liaison, Sergeant First Class Craig Coker. Sgt. Coker got the ball rolling, so to speak, and Rivas began to get the care he needed.

Ray was transported from BAMC to HealthSouth Riosa in San Antonio for brain injury treatment. Therapists helped improve his balance, speech, memory and other skills. His vision and hearing suffered too in the blast, yet Rivas still maintained he was not injured.

On April 21, 2008, Lt. Col. Rivas was awarded the Purple Heart. In September, 2008 he enrolled full time at the Easter Seals Hospital Brain Injury program in San Antonio to participate in their Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy program. Six months later he was able to testify at the Senate hearing.

On July 15, 2009, a party was held in Washington, D.C. to celebrate Andrew Kinard’s farewell to Washington as he prepared to leave for Harvard Law School. The loss of half of his body had been repaired to the point to could take on the difficulties of law school. That same night, Ray Rivas drove to Brooke Army Medical facility and committed suicide in the parking lot.

Two soldiers – two different kinds of injury – two exceedingly different outcomes.

Ray Rivas was one of thousands of U.S. troops returning with a brain injury, the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His story exemplifies the problem faced by both military and civilian medical personnel when it comes to brain injury.

A few months after he arrived in San Antonio Colleen told My SA News, "We didn’t expect the seriousness with what he came back with this time."

This is where the lives of Andrew Kinard and Ray Rivas travelled separate roads. Kinard’s injury was there for everyone to see; Rivas, though, was facing life with an invisible injury. It was an injury that goes beyond physical therapy, speech therapy and cognitive therapy. Millions of brain injury victims know all too well the effects of brain injury.

An injured brain needs rest and tires very easily. Mental fatigue is the first step on the Cycle of Response, a term coined in Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide. Those living with an injured brain face the Cycle daily – jumping from a tired brain to confusion, frustration, guilt and depression. Daily headaches, like those experienced by Rivas, are common, and this multiplies each of those steps on the Cycle. No one can think straight during a severe headache. A brain injury more often than not slows thinking skills because of memory problems and a partial shutdown of the executive functions of the brain.

While Ray Rivas was being treated at HealthSouth, he was allowed to go home to his family in New Braunfels each weekend. Colleen said he would ask the same question ten to fifteen times and, each time, family members would provide the answer as if the question had not been asked before. Short term memory problems easily lead to confusion.

Brain injury victims are aware they cannot remember a name that goes with a face or what they were doing ten minutes prior or why they’re standing in the kitchen or why they are holding a pencil. Add mental fatigue and stress to short term memory loss and Rivas’ testimony before the Senate committee that he did not remember anything about those last days in Iraq becomes clear.

The confusion of not remembering leads to frustration which is exhibited in outbursts of anger or crying or both. It is a normal progression to guilt when a brain injury victim recognizes he or she has changed. A tired, confused, and frustrated brain says,"I’m not as good as I once was." The belief that a person is not as good of a father or mother or husband or wife or employee is an expression of guilt and can quickly lead to depression.

Numerous studies of brain injury have found that unchecked depression leads to separation: separation from spouse through divorce, separation from employment and, in far too many cases, separation from life through suicide.

Ray Rivas lived the life of a hero. He wanted to serve his country as best he could. He did not want someone else standing for him in the war zone. It is my hope that America remembers Lt. Col. Raymond T. Rivas as a hero in death. It is my hope that both military and civilian medical personnel learn more about treating brain injury. It is my hope that Congress will understand the necessity of providing more timely and more complete care to the tens of thousands of soldiers returning from war with an invisible injury.

Larry Jameson and his wife, Beth, are authors of Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide. Beth sustained an anoxic brain injury in 1990. She and Larry developed numerous strategies for overcoming memory and cognitive deficits. Chapter Six of their book is titled Cycle of Response. Additional strategies confront the different steps on the Cycle. It is a must read for anyone wanting to know more about brain injury.

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Brain injury resources, rehab facilities, associations, support groups and more can be found at Brain-Injury-Online.com

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Brain Injury and Stress: Family Caregivers

Uncle — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:50:12 +0000

By Larry Jameson, Author, Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide

Brain injury affects over one million families each year in the United States alone and is the Number One cause of death and disability in the world. Information available to family members is in even shorter supply than what is available to the brain injury victims.

Stress hits family members at the moment of a phone call. In my case it was, "Larry, you need to come to the hospital; there’s been a Code Blue." Upon hearing words like those, the body’s autonomic resopnse system goes into overdrive by pumping additional adrenaline and a few other chemicals that allow you to jump into action.

This fight or flight response is supposed to be temporary. It allows you to take necessary action and then it subsides as the situation comes under control. When I got off the hospital elevator at the Medical Intensive Care Unit I immediately saw family members sitting in the chaplain’s room. A second fight or flight response piled on top of the first. I was met by a doctor who said, "I don’t expect her to survive the trauma." A third dose of autonomic chemicals flooded my mind, body and soul. Like the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans, there was no opportunity for those chemicals to subside. The situation was not coming under control by any stretch of the imagination.

Beth remained in a coma for two weeks. The early days had a common phrase, "The next 24 hours will tell." Then, "the next 48 hours are crucial." The flood waters could not retreat, and stress began to build an almost impenetrable fortress within. Forget August…fast forward to September. Beth is released from the hospital and her parents bring her to a strange house with strange people living in it. She had forgotten me and our children. She slept on the couch. Actually, she slept a lot – on the couch or in the bed.

One way to reduce stress is to rest and relax. Beth was doing plenty of that. Since her brain injury was due to her lungs failing, I sat in the floor beside her as she slept…watching the rise and fall of her chest. If it didn’t rise when I thought it should, I shook her until her breathing appeared normal. I couldn’t sleep; I had to protect her. At least, that was my thinking at the time. And the stress continued to build. (continued below)

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What an interesting couple we were at the time: a wife with a brain injury and a husband weighed down with stress. Those who have read our book know that we were not told Beth had a brain injury and that 15 months passed before we were able to get her admitted to a neuromedical facility. Not knowing what was going on in her life, complicated by migraine headaches, memory loss and cognitive difficulties, Beth became as stressed as I was…and that caused me more stress!

The Independence Thing

A primary thought on the mind of high-functioning brain injury victims is to gain more independence in their daily lives, whether they can actually do it or not. Sure, they all believe they can. And they can…with appropriate strategies that compensate for memory problems and thinking problems. Behavioral problems become more manifest through anger and cursing because they are not experiencing the independence they desire.

Family members or the family caregiver feels the stress as well. How much do I let them do? When should I step in … and get my head chewed off. Because you will get your head chewed off! Or some other part of your anatomy. For as long as we’ve been married, Beth and I have walked down the street holding hands. Oh, she did not want me holding her hand as she struggled to regain her independence. One day as she began to step off a curb in front of a car, I thrust my arm out to stop her. Her head jerked my direction, and I could see the daggers in her eyes. I had blocked her independence. She had not seen the car and, as much as she was concentrating on my interference into her life, I’m not sure she ever saw it.

Chapter Six of our book is titled Cycle of Reponse. It explains the five steps of the cycle: mental fatigue, confusion, frustration, guilt and depression as well as steps that can be taken to back away from that dreaded depression. The words are there for both the brain injury victim and the family members. Family members run up and down the cycle as well. It is essential that family caregivers guard against becoming over-stressed. Yeah, that’s easier said than done; trust me, I know.

Brain Injury Book Hits Top Ten Sales List

Uncle — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:00:24 +0000

Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide by Larry and Beth Jameson made the Top Ten Sales list for the month of April according to book publisher Outskirts Press. A press release stated, "Outskirts Press, the fastest-growing full-service self-publishing and book marketing company, today announced its top ten best selling titles for April 2009 according to combined data from Ingram Book Wholesalers and Outskirts Press Wholesale Direct."

The Top Ten Books run through a wide range of genres from smokehouse design to day trading to lottery numbers and, even, another kind of lottery: How to Become a Man Magnet. Of course, I believe it was Jeff Foxworthy that said all a woman needed to attract a man was to show up.

Lynn Galli’s fictional Uncommon Emotions explores what happens when a woman explores her passions and emotions after being kissed by another woman.

The Top Ten Books are:

Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide is more than a story about one family’s struggle with tragedy. Beth Jameson suffered an anoxic brain injury following surgery when she developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Her internal organs began shutting down and chances for her survival were slim. When Beth awakened from her coma she did not know her husband Larry or that she was married and had two children. She was told she would probably never be able to work again. Together, Beth and Larry began developing strategies for Beth to achieve a successful life, knowing that she would never fully recover. Over two dozen of those strategies are explained in detail in the book that deal with the memory, cognitive and behavioral problems that come from brain injury. And Beth became a Strategic Sourcing Analyst specializing in Cisco Networking Equipment for a Fortune 500 company.
Become A Total Man Magnet – Sylvie Nicole, international relationship expert, marriage consultant, and author has searched all four corners of the earth, interviewed top experts in the field, and synthesized many years of extensive research and counseling expertise to create the ultimate dating, attraction and relationship guide describing what every woman should know about how to find, attract, and keep her elusive Mr. Right.
Complete Guide to Day Trading - Markus Heitkoetter began trading in high school, and he’s been going strong ever since. In 2005, he launched Rockwell Trading® to fill the void of quality education that he saw in the trading industry. Markus has since taught hundreds of traders and investors all over the world how to make consistent profits in the U.S. and European markets. He offers educational webinars for the CME, Eurex, FXstreet, Strategy Runner, and many other financial companies. He’s written articles on over 500 websites, and he’s become an expert contributor on ezinearticles.com, Yahoo Answers, and FAQTs.com.
Uncommon Emotions by Lynn Galli – As a turnaround specialist, Joslyn Simonini spends her days analyzing corporate profit margins and trying to keep her likeness from being turned into a voodoo doll by company employees. If she does her job well, they often lose theirs. So, it comes as a surprise when she finds herself being kissed one day at work. She’s even more shocked to find out that the mysterious kissing bandit is a woman. But before long, she’s forced to examine the rush of emotions that accompanied the kiss, especially when she meets Raven Malvolio.
My Hearts Desire: A Journey Toward Finding Extravagant Love – is a powerful story of the author’s struggle to find everlasting love that its readers will easily identify with. With honesty and emotion, Mary Singer Wick walks you through seven years of heartbreaking trials beginning with the diagnosis that, as an otherwise healthy single woman, she may never have children. Desiring to be a wife and mother more than a career woman, she begins her desperate search for a cure. Healing eventually comes, but not in a way she expected. The author is a speaker and writer committed to using her gifts of exhortation and encouragement to draw women into a deeper relationship with Christ.
Meat Smoking and Smokehouse Design – Most books on the subject of smoking include a drawing or two, a few pages on generating smoke, and the rest of the pages are filled with recipes. While those recipes usually get the spotlight, the technical know-how behind preparing and smoking meats is far more important. When writing about cold or hot smoke the authors don’t end on just giving the temperature range for a particular method. They also explain why one way is better for making certain products than the other. The second part of the book “The Smokehouse Design” contains all that is known about smoker design and is supported with over 100 drawings and 50 photographs. Many of them are detailed technical drawings with all dimensions for building fully functional units. Some of them can almost be made without any costs involved and when ready will allow for making products of the highest quality.
LEED AP Exam Guide – LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most important trend of development and it is revolutionizing the construction industry. It has gained tremendous momentum and has a profound impact on our environment. This pocket guide is small and easy to carry around. You can read it whenever you have a few extra minutes. It is an indispensable book for ordinary people, developers, contractors, architects, landscape architects, civil, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, interns, drafters, designers and other design professionals.
The Art of Making Fermented Sausages – The majority of books written on making sausages do not tackle the subject of fermented sausages at all. The topic is limited to a statement that this is an advanced field of sausage making which is not recommended for an amateur sausage maker. Well, the main reason for writing this book was that the authors did not share this opinion. On the contrary, they believed that any hobbyist could make wonderful salami at home, if he only knew how. For thousands of years we have been making dry fermented meats without any understanding of the process involved. Only in the past 60 years, sufficient advances were made in the field of meat science which explained the fermentation and drying of meats. Until then, the manufacturing process was shrouded in secrecy, and was more a combination of art and magic than a solid science. They were highly technical papers, that were published in Food Technology journals, unfortunately these works were written in such difficult terms, that they were beyond the comprehension of the average sausage maker.
What’s Your Number – From author Deborah A. Wilson, "I am dedicated to the fight to find a cure for one of this nation’s leading diseases killing our young children: including my daughter Ebony Lee Wilson. Diabetes took her life at the young age of 31. I want to find a cure so that our young children and all of our loved ones have a chance to live their best lives. A portion of my profits from each book sold will be donated to the American Diabetes Association. So I thank you so much for purchasing this book and helping me in the fight to cure one of the leading causes of major health problems like heart disease, blindness and even death. If you would like to donate directly, contact the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES, or at their website: www.diabetes.org. God Love Ya" … Deb
What to do When You Become The Boss – A self-help book for people about to move into their first management role. The author Bob Selden, has been a manager and coach of managers for over 30 years, so the book is very practical and easy to follow. It covers the full range of skills required of the new manager (in fact any manager) – leading, managing, motivating, team building, decision making, delegating, recruiting (and firing), managing performance, meetings, influencing others and managing boss and self.

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

Additional Brain Injury Resources:

Brain Injury Guide

Brain Injury Online

Beth’s Brain Injury Blog

Brain Injury Blog: Dancing Upside Down

Uncle — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:36:13 +0000

Brain injury blogs provide a great deal of current information about the number one cause of death and disabilty in the world. Jane H. of Seattle, Washington writes one of my favorites. After having two brain injuries three years apart, Jane describe herself as being like Swiss cheese: the block is still sharp but has holes.

The story featured in the photo, Something like "AAADD", is one that millions of people can relate to, not just persons living with brain injury. Here’s a short excerpt.

"Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D – Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:

"I decided to wash my car. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash can under the table, and notice that the trash can is full.

"So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first. But then I think, since I’m going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

"I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the bottle of juice that I had been drinking. …"

You can read the rest of this story on Jane’s blog by clicking this link: Something like "AAADD"

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

Another entertaining and informative article by Jane is entitled, "This Too Shall Pass." Here’s an excerpt:.

"I feel so very confused as to who I am, who I am not, and who I should be, and who I can be. I want to know where the brain holes are so I can avoid them. I want something like a map to a mine field. I want to know exactly what is not working. I want to know exactly what I need to avoid. I want to know what I can do, and do well." …

" look normal. I seem normal. Not only to my friends but to me too! I keep expecting myself to be normal just as they do. The confusing thing is that often I am “normal” and sometimes I am not." …

"Another thing that is frightening or confusing to me about all of this is that I TRULY do not know what I can do and what I can’t. Now as I am learning more about TBIs I am also seeing how many compensatory techniques I have already developed. The compensatory techniques are a good thing. I am not knocking them. They are also part of the silver lining that I have talked about in previous posts. But all the compensatory techniques I am now identifying are also pointing to the number and depth of holes that currently exist. What I need to do is develop more compensatory techniques but first, as I explained above, I have to find and define the holes." Read the complete articleby clicking this link: This Too Shall Pass

Brain Injury and PTSD: Living in a Fog

Uncle — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:44:19 +0000

Brain injury victims usually find themselves trapped inside a fog because of memory problems. Imagine walking down a sidewalk in a soupy fog. You cannot see anything in front of you or to your sides yet you know there is a cross street ahead. You also know other people are walking on the sidewalk. You move along slowly, cautiously.

Brain injury is similar to enshrouding the victim’s memory with fog; it slows down. The victim sees a familiar face and the brain trudges painstakingly slow in finding a name to go with it, and, in many cases, never produces the desired answer quickly enough.

There are other demands being made inside the foggy brain. All five senses are gathering information and sending it for processing. The name retrieval is dismissed as someone asks a question. A car passes by with music blaring. The scent of barbecue permeates the air.

Inside the fog the brain slows as more and more information lines up for processing. Stress builds. Heart rate and breathing quicken. The injured brain is being asked to do too much. Mental fatigue sets in as the Cycle of Response begins.

The Cycle is a natural one and is recognizable. Mental fatigue leads to confusion which leads to frustration which leads to guilt and, eventually depression. Inside the fog this happens several times each day. It is important to recognize the Cycle, recognize where you are on the Cycle, and begin taking steps to back away from guilt and depression.

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

Soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder experience the same Cycle. The March 2009 shooting at Camp Liberty in Baghdad is an example. President Barack Obama’s statement shed light on what probably happened. “There were a total of five service members killed yesterday. Two were 55th Medical Company staff officers at the Liberty Combat Stress Control Centre.” The other three killed were being treated for stress.

Days before the incident, the Army had taken away the shooter’s weapon and recommended he get counseling at the centre. Depression, the last step on the Cycle of Response, indicates separation. A depressed person separates himself from society by withdrawing into his own world. A depressed person separates himself from family through divorce. A depressed person separates himself from life through suicide or a suicidal act.

It is clearly evident the shooter at Liberty Combat Stress Centre performed an act of separation. The immediate arrest outside the clinic was one side of the coin. The other side would have the shooter killed by military police, another type of suicide. In custody and charged with five counts of murder, the shooter is now separated from society, family and his former life.

The military, itself, is not without blame. A stigma has been attached to “mental health” issues, according to Major Gen. Daniel Bolger, the commander of Multi-National Division-Baghdad. The shooter’s father said of his son, “His life was over as far as he was concerned. He lived for the military.”

Think about the chain of events. The shooter had been in the military since 1988. His weapon had been taken from him and he was sent for mental health counseling. His father stated that his son was confused by the tests and their significance. “He lived for the military,” are certainly telling words. Guilt permeated his every thought. “His life was over as far as he was concerned.” Depression could not be stated more clearly or forcefully.

I have not used the shooter’s name in this article because he is not the primary focus, neither are his actions. He felt stigmatized by a system that could not treat him adequately.

Brain Injury Blogs of Interest

Uncle — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:58:46 +0000

Brain injury blogs provide a great deal of current information about the number one cause of death and disabilty in the world. Most of these bloggers are living with brain injury as a major part of their lives.

Brain injury causes memory problems, cognitive problems and behavioral problems which cause mental fatigue, confusion, frustration, guilt and depression.

Everyone needs to know more about brain injury. It’s always unexpected. It’s always unwanted. And, for the most part, it lasts a lifetime.

Brain Injury Books at Amazon

Official Blog of TrainingPeaks» Blog Archives » Traumatic brain … – In 2005, David McGuire suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of blunt force trauma to his head. His brain started to swell so much that a large section of his skull had to be removed for 28 days. Now, although he can no longer …

Mother's Day Is Always Christmas « Kara Swanson's Brain Injury Blog – Kara Swanson’s Brain Injury Blog …. Blogroll. Kara’s Cafe Press Storefront · Kara’s Online Store With Cool Mouse Pads, Tote Bags and Unique Casual Wear For The Whole Family · Blog at WordPress.com.

For Iraq veterans headaches continue following traumatic brain … – Thirty-seven percent of the soldiers stated that their headaches began within one week of the traumatic brain injury (TBI); of these 60 percent had migraine-like headaches and 40 percent had headaches which interfered with their ability …

Traumatic Brain Injury in young children associated with later … – A few weeks ago I reviewed a study on the long-term effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in children. I mentioned in that review that previous research led to the likely incorrect assumption that the effects of mild TBI …. Child- Psych.org is a research-based informational blog on child disorders, parenting, and child development. If you have any questions please contact us at info@child-psych.org. Read more About Us. Readour Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. …

Brain Injury Blogs and Social Networks

Uncle — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:43:54 +0000

Brain injury is the number one cause of death and disability in the world. It is also one of the most difficult medical problems to deal with since everyone’s brain is different prior to such an injury. Brain injury affects different people in different ways.

The three most common issues are memory problems, cognitive problems and behavioral problems. These lead, as you might expect, to other problems such as mental fatigue, confusion, frustration, guilt and depression.

Think about this. Who would know how much of a memory problem you have? Who would know how a memory problem has affected you? Imagine yourself sitting in a doctors office and saying, "I am having problems with my memory." The doctor asks, "What sort of problems?" Your immediate response would probably be, "I don’t know; I can’t remember." People who have sustained a brain injury face this type of situation every moment of every day.

Family members and others who are living successfully with brain injury are, perhaps, the best ones to help. Professional brain injury rehabilitation normally lasts only a few months even though the brain injury lasts a lifetime. It is very probable that a person who was intelligent before sustaining a brain injury is equally intelligent after such an injury. Cognitive problems, though, cause the person to think more slowly because the brain in processing information more slowly. Thus, when taking a timed IQ test, such a person will inevitably score lower.

Many brain injury survivors see themselves on a new mission in life: to help others who are living with brain injury. There are many, many blogs and social sites dedicated to brain injury victims and their families. Below you will find the beginning of an ever-growing list of these sites.

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Beth’s Brain Injury Blog is maintained weekly by Beth Jameson who sustained an anoxic brain injury in August 1990. After she woke up from her medically-induced coma, Beth did not remember being married or that she had two children. She did not remember how to apply makeup nor did she know how to cook.

Beth and her husband spent months learning about brain injury, memory strategies, cognitive strategies and how to deal with her behavioral changes. She began a life of debilitating migraine headaches that hit every six days just like clockwork and forced her into bed for 48 hours each time. Returning to her job seemed like an impossible dream, and brain injury specialists told her that she might never be able to return. Strategy after strategy was developed about how to perform her job duties. She did return and, eventually, earned a promotion to Strategic Sourcing Analyst at a Fortune 500 company. Her blog receives many visitors every day.

We Are TBI is a social media site for brain injury victims and their family members. The site is similar to Facebook with different communities (groups) and the ability to add friends with whom you can interact. There are Walls to write on and many discussions where people ask questions or simply share information about brain injury legislation, research or daily living strategies.

One person said, "I have met a good bit of folks since I’ve discovered the T.B.I. sites. Everyone I’ve met has different stories; but, one thing definitely in common and that is their amazing strength to overcome adversity and come up on the other side fighting with vengence to get control again. And no matter what obstacle is thrown in their paths they just hike up their skirts or trousers and keep on truckin’!! That is darn inspiring to me."

The Brain Tree is a fairly new social media site for brain injury victims and those who support them. Pam created this site in honor of Dorothy Kay, a brain injury survivor from Kansas who now lives in New York City.

Dorothy was in her first semester of college she was walking home one evening when a drunk driver hit her with his pick-up truck. With a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) she was given a 7% chance of moderate recovery, but that did not stop her.
Since then she has graduated, worked abroad, organized international festivals, and much more. She beat the odds, but she doesn’t just want to beat them; she wants to change them.

Many more brain injury blogs, social networks and websites will be added.

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