TBI – Survivors, Caregivers, Family, and Friends

Archive for July, 2015

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury “Maria King”

 SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury – Maria King

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

 Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

facesOn a beautiful day, I went on a bike ride with some friends near San Francisco. The plan was to climb Mt. Tamalpais and even ride to gems like the Alpine Dam.

I loved cycling, but it wasn’t my life. I was a recent college graduate devoted and dedicated to working as a teacher in my hometown. I planned on going home to finish lesson-planning and grading after my morning bike ride. graphics-cycling-473021

I didn’t expect to crash while descending to the Alpine Dam – lacerating my kidney, getting a brain hematoma, and breaking my wrist. The crash also resulted in severe brain trauma – something that I and many of my friends don’t have enough awareness of. I don’t remember anything at all injury-clipart-kid-head-injury-sketch18385136from the downhill section that changed my life to most things that occurred to me and around me the following month. My senses of time, identity, personality, values, education, and motivation all temporarily left. The doctors in the ICU (intensive care unit) weren’t sure if I’d survive. All I can remember from the experience is being alive, but not feeling like myself.

When I finally went home from the hospital, I had a natural high from rediscovering life and surviving, despite all the “what ifs.” As I began to feel more like myself, I started feeling angry, disappointed, and guilty in regards to myself and the accident. It isn’t easy living with all these uncertainties, since I somewhat had a “plan” for my life. But, I survived, and I’m going to continue fighting the good fight.

Disclaimer: Any views and opinions of the Contributor are purely his/her own.

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

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Faces of Brain Injury

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SPEAK OUT! NewsBit . . . . . . . . . . . Depression Reversed in Mice

Depression Reversed in Mice

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

newsboy-thNOTE: This news is especially important for young brain-injury survivors because clinical application may take 10-20 years.

In a major advance in basic research of the brain, neuroscientists were able to reverse depression in mice by activating neurons storing a positive memory. The work was done by a team of brain scientists headed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor and Nobel Laureate, Dr. Susumu Tonegawa. This work on depression extended Dr. Tonegawa’s earlier work, on which I reported previously. The current research was done at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics.

The experiments were done on mice. (I have previously written why mice are good first models for humans.) Dr. Tonegawa’s team was able to use light to activate cells of the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus – the area of the brain where memories are stored. They also showed that tagging a memory with a positive or negative feeling involved a pathway composed not only of neurons of the dentate gyrus, but also of neurons in two other areas of the brain: the nucleus accumbens and the basolateral amygdala.mouse-clipart-5

(The use of light to activate specific neurons is a powerful and relatively recent method called “optogenetics.” The mice are genetically engineered to allow the neurons that made new memories to be turned on by light. The light is supplied by implanting optical fibers near the desired neurons, in this case in the dentate gyrus of the mouse brain, and shining light from a laser through the fibers.)

When neurons storing a positive memory were light-activated in mice that showed the symptoms of depression, the mice no longer acted depressed. The depression had been reversed by turning on those neurons. Briefly activating the neurons storing a positive memory for five days and then stopping the trigger of activation (light) was also effective in reversing depression. This shows that the positive-memory neurons do not need to be continuously activated.

Current therapeutic drugs for the treatment of depression in humans act on all neurons of the brain. It is hoped that eventually drugs will be designed for specific neurons. Another approach to stimulate specific neurons is to use a kind of “pacemaker” that could be implanted in the brain. Such treatments would have fewer side effects. (Full story)

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On The Air: Brain Injury Radio “Another Fork in the Road” . . . Panel Discussion – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

On The Air: Brain Injury Radio “Another Fork in the Road”

Panel Discussion – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

Panel Members – Catherine (Cat) Brubaker, Julie Kintz, and Juliet Madsen

with Host, Donna O’Donnell Figurski

presented

by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

images-1Brain Injury survivors, Catherine (Cat) Brubaker, Julie Kintz, and Juliet Madsen discussed many issues that surround their lives as brain injury survivors who look “normal.”

Cat Brubaker Survivor Panel 070515Cat Brubaker is a two-time traumatic brain injury survivor and the founder of “Hope For Trauma.” Also, in the summer of 2014, Cat rode her recumbent trike Across America (diagonally) to raise awareness for brain injury.

Julie Kintz Survivor Panel 070515When Julie Kintz‘s car went off a cliff in California in 1991, she got a brain injury. Julie is a former Brain Injury Radio Network host.

Juliet Madsen UniformTroop, Juliet Madsen, got her brain injury while serving her country in Iraq. Juliet is a member of the Board of Directors of R4 Alliance and is a master quilter. You can see some of her work at “Stroke of Luck Quilting.”

If you missed this panel discussion about “invisible” brain injury on “Another Fork in the Road” on July 5th, you can listen to the archived show here. Click the link below to listen to Cat, Julie, Juliet, and me.

See you “On the Air!”

On The Air: Brain Injury Radio “Another Fork in the Road” Panel Discussion – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

Click here for a list of all “Another Fork in the Road” shows on the Brain Injury Radio Network.

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On the Air!

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“Another Fork in the Road” . . . Brain Injury Radio Network . . . Panel Discussion – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

YOU ARE INVITED!

Panel Discussion – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

Panel Members – Catherine (Cat) Brubaker, Julie Kintz, and Juliet Madsen

with host Donna O’Donnell Figurski

putthis_on_calendar_clip_art

Catherine (Cat) Brubaker, Julie Kintz, and Juliet Madsen join host Donna O’Donnell Figurski to discuss the many problems that surround their lives as brain injury survivors who look “normal.”

People easily understand the implications arising when someone suffers a broken limb or is diagnosed with cancer or is physically disabled. But, when someone is living with an “invisible” brain injury, folks find it difficult to comprehend. They don’t understand the seriousness of memory loss, confusion, lack of organizational skills, bursts of anger, or lack of emotions. “Get over it!” “That happens to me too,” and “Oh, I know what you mean….” are some of the phrases that are commonly heard by brain injury survivors, and they’re infuriating. Such a phrase is a big, red flag that shouts that the friend, family member, or loved one simply does not understand what his or her survivor is going through. Cat, Julie, and Juliet will address this topic. They hope to help others understand more clearly what it means to live with a brain injury while looking “normal.”

Cat Brubaker Survivor Panel 070515Cat Brubaker is a two-time traumatic brain injury survivor and the founder of “Hope For Trauma.” Also, in the summer of 2014, Cat rode her recumbent trike Across America (diagonally) to raise awareness for brain injury.

Julie Kintz Survivor Panel 070515When Julie Kintz‘s car went off a cliff in California in 1991, she got a brain injury. Julie is a former Brain Injury Radio Network host.

Juliet Madsen UniformTroop, Juliet Madsen, got her brain injury while serving her country in Iraq. Juliet is a member of the Board of Directors of R4 Alliance and is a master quilter. You can see some of her work at “Stroke of Luck Quilting.”

Come One! Come ALL! 

What:        Panel Discussion Topic – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

Why:        Cat, Julie, and Juliet will discuss how “Invisible” brain injury affects their lives.

Where:     Brain Injury Radio Network

When:       Sunday, July 5th, 2015

Time:         5:30p PT (6:30p MT, 7:30p CT, and 8:30p ET) 80 minute show

How:         Click: Brain Injury Radio Network

Call In:    424-243-9540

Call In:     855-473-3711 toll free in USA

Call In:    202-559-7907 free outside USA

or SKYPE

If you miss the show, but would like to still hear the interview, you can access the archive on On Demand listening. The archived show will be available after the show both on the Brain Injury Radio Network site and on my blog in “On the Air.”

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of panelists.)

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Events Calendar

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SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

SPEAK OUT! Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Itty-Bitty GIant Steps for BlogSPEAK OUT! Itty-Bitty Giant Steps will provide a venue for brain-injury survivors and caregivers to shout out their accomplishments of the week.

If you have an Itty-Bitty Giant Step and you would like to share it, just send an email to me at neelyf@aol.com.

If you are on Facebook, you can simply send a Private Message to me. It need only be a sentence or two. I’ll gather the accomplishments and post them with your name on my blog approximately once a week. (If you do not want your last name to be posted, please tell me in your email or Private Message.)

I hope we have millions of Itty-Bitty Giant Steps.

Here are this week’s Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

Runners+-+Cartoon+4Jeffrey Smallwood (survivor)…This month is Brain Injury Awareness Month in Canada. Last weekend, I ran my first 5K run. marathon_race_male_runner_5k_bumper_sticker-r9dbbd0f42d254ebb8b5c309ad75f5967_v9wht_8byvr_324I did it for brain injury awareness. My local organization raised over twelve thousand dollars, which will continue to fund our clubhouse. My running is not pretty, as I’m a fat guy. I still felt the burn two days later. This was big for me, as I’ve done something I’ve never done before. A shout-out to all my fellow Canadian brain injury survivors!

Dave Villarreal SurvivorDave Villarreal (survivor)…Dave Villarreal joined the competition at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. 11252643_481277165373324_6491726304375694714_nIn this week-long event (June 21–26), Dave took part in many events, including shot put, javelin, handcycling, archery, and rifle shooting.

He is the proud recipient of two medals. He won a silver medal in shooting and a gold medal in archery!

And, he came in the top five for handcycling! Dave Villarreal Survivor 2He says, “That was my best race yet. What an awesome rush!” Dave’s advice: “Get out and LIVE your life. Have fun.”

YOU did it!

Congratulations to all contributors!

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

As I say after each post:anim0014-1_e0-1

Please leave a comment by clicking the blue words “Leave a Comment” below this post.

Feel free to follow my blog. Click on “Follow” on the upper right sidebar.

If you like my blog, share it with your friends. It’s easy! Click the “Share” buttons below.

If you don’t like my blog, “Share” it with your enemies. I don’t care!

Feel free to “Like” my post.

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Itty-Bitty GIANT Step

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