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TBI – Survivors, Caregivers, Family, and Friends

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SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guest Blogger: Sue Hannah “Different Path”

A Different Path

Sue Hannah

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

My traumatic-brain-injury story is different from some. I didn’t have a wonderful life that suddenly was transformed by tragedy. I had violence in my early life that forever changed me. Because no one spoke of my damage or the violence that caused it, decades passed until I was finally able to understand what had happened. In the meantime, I spent years painfully searching for an answer. I wanted to know why my handwriting was not only not neat, but how it seemed regressed to an age much earlier than my actual age. I sought to understand why spatial concepts were so difficult for me to comprehend. I yearned to know why colors and patterns made me sick to my stomach and why motion sickness affected me in vehicles, rides, and even something as gentle as a swing. After years of doctor visits, neuropsychological testing, therapists, alternative practitioners, and even nutritionists, I finally found an answer.

My first experience with vision therapy was helpful and did improve my handwriting, but it did not eliminate my issues. Syntonics (phototherapy) and prism glasses made huge differences in my life! My spatial orientation changed dramatically, my coordination improved, and even my tolerance for colors and patterns improved. I had no idea how powerful the visual system was or how much of the brain was involved in causing my visual system to fully function. My traumatic brain injury (TBI) had done damage to areas of my visual system, which cascaded into my motor functioning as well as into my proprioception and tactile senses. Syntonics, or light therapy, gently and consistently shifted, and continues to shift, major obstacles for me. There are many optometrists in the US who do vision therapy, but I’d like to think mine is someone quite special. Her down-to-earth manner and genuine kindness radiate to her patients, as well as to her team of professionals in her office. Dr. Amy Thomas, located in Tucson, Arizona, has shown me amazing paths to my healing. She would never choose to take credit for healing anyone. She would, I believe, be willing to accept responsibility for helping patients heal themselves.

For the neuro-typical people of the world, let me say that few things are more annoying to lots of us with TBI than the following: “You don’t look like you’re brain damaged. You seem so normal. I know exactly how you feel.” Um, no you don’t! Everyone’s walk with TBI is a unique one, in my opinion. I had doctor after doctor tell me that my sensitivity was something I just needed to get over and deal with if I were to get along in life. My teeth still grate over that one! The reluctance of so much of our society to acknowledge sensitivity, neurological challenges, intensity, and deep emotions pains me. There are times for me when even sunlight can cause a round of irritability or other intense emotions. Medical professionals who discount the feelings and experiences of their patients are missing a huge amount of information that, if they allowed, could change their practices.

My life-path has not been easy, but it has caused me to not take little things for granted. I lost the ability to drive for a brief time, and, because of my new therapies, I am slowly getting my independence back. It’s interesting to note that as we get more reflective, we often begin to see what is most important to us. One of my strongest passions is to never give up. I was determined to find an answer to what happened to me and, even more so, to improve the quality of my day-to-day life. The second is one I continue to pursue. On days that seem filled with grief and loneliness, I remember that there are still wonderful people in the world. For me, these people have helped me to get up when I fall and to remember that tomorrow is another day.

To learn more about Sue, please visit her website/blog at Platypus Expressions.

Thank you, Sue Hannah.

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of Sue Hannah)

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Guest Bloggers

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SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faces of Brain Injury – Linda Wells

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury – Linda Wells

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

It can happen to anyone, anytime, . . . and anywhere.

The Brain Trauma Foundation states that there are 5.3 million people in the United States living with some form of brain injury.

On “Faces of Brain Injury,” you will meet survivors living with brain injury. I hope that their stories will help you to understand the serious implications and complications of brain injury.

The stories on SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury are published with the permission of the survivor or designated caregiver.

If you would like your story to be published, please send a short account and two photos to me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d love to publish your story and raise awareness for Brain Injury.

Linda Wells (survivor)

I am a brain-injury survivor of twenty-three years. I went through five years of intense speech and physical therapies. I could not walk or talk. Now I am a speaker for the Brain Injury Center of Ventura County, California. Our group started in a living room with me, my dear late husband, Rex, and six other people. I am very proud that last year there was an attendance of 300+ people. I work very hard to educate the community about traumatic brain injury. This year at our event, I will be receiving the Honoree Award for a Survivor. I often say, “One foot in front of the other.” I try very hard to do just that – to say, “I can, I will, I did.” I enjoy family, my friends, and my dog; and I have three great caregivers.

Also, I am now a watercolor artist.

(Artwork compliments of contributor. They are copyrighted and may only be used with express permission of Linda Wells. )

Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

As I say after each post: Please leave a comment by clicking the blue words “Leave a Comment” below this post.

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Faces of Brain Injury

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT! Sherri Ward

Caregivers SPEAK OUT! Sherri Ward

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

1. What is your name? (last name optional)

Sherri Ward

2. Where do you live? (city and/or state and/or country) Email? (optional)

Williamstown, New Jersey, USA sherri_ward313@yahoo.com

3. What is the brain-injury survivor’s relationship to you?

The survivor is my husband.

How old was the survivor when he/she had the brain injury?

He was 39.

What caused your survivor’s brain injury?

My husband’s traumatic brain injury (TBI) was caused by a motorcycle accident.

4. On what date did you begin care for your brain-injury survivor?

My care began on July 11, 2009.

Were you the main caregiver?

Yes

Are you now?

Yes

How old were you when you began care?

I was 36.

5. Were you caring for anyone else at that time (e.g., children, parents, etc.)?

Yes. I also had the responsibility of caring for our three kids.

6. Were you employed at the time of your survivor’s brain injury? If so, were you able to continue working?

I was employed full-time, but I had to quit my job of ten years to stay home and care for my husband.

7. Did you have any help? If so, what kind and for how long?

8. When did your support of the survivor begin (e.g., immediately – in the hospital; when the survivor returned home; etc.)?

My responsibility for my husband began immediately – it started the day of the accident. Even though my husband was in a coma in the hospital, I was the one making all the decisions in regard to his care.

9. Was your survivor in a coma? If so, what did you do during that time?

Yes, he was. I prayed and prayed, made decisions in regard to my husband’s care, and tried my best to keep things going at home.

10. Did your survivor have rehab? If so, what kind of rehab (i.e., inpatient and/or outpatient and occupational, physical, speech, and/or other)? How long was the rehab? Where were you when your survivor was getting therapy?

Yes. My husband’s rehab was outpatient, as per my decision. I know my husband, and, if he were to have gone into an inpatient facility, it would have been the worst thing for him. This is why I decided to quit my job and stay home with him. He had speech, physical, occupational, and psychological therapies. This occurred four days a week, four hours a day, for about a year. (His psychological therapy is still going on.) I was the sole person by his side at this point; none of my husband’s family offered to help ever. I drove him to and from his appointments every day.

11. What problems or disabilities of your brain-injury survivor required your care, if any?

There are days when my husband is able to care for himself completely. But, the days in which he does require help far out number those good days. He gets disoriented and confused because he has periods of complete memory loss. Some days, he is unable to get out of bed, to dress himself, to provide himself with any type of sustenance, such as food or drinks, or to take medicines.

12. How has your life changed since you became a caregiver? Is it better? Is it worse?

Every aspect of my life has changed since my husband’s accident. To say my life is better or worse is hard I think – it’s just different. Life is full of ups and downs and twists and turns in the road. In order to keep one’s sanity, a person needs to be able to roll with it and try to make the best of each situation. The facts, however, are that most, if not all, of my friends have removed themselves from my life. It could be from a lack of understanding of the situation and my husband’s disabilities or perhaps it is from the fact that they just don’t want to be bothered because it’s too much for them to deal with. Not sure really.

13. What do you miss the most from pre-brain-injury life?

I miss my husband, the companionship, and the parenting partner I had. My husband is a completely different person now in every way. His outbursts and anger are always directed towards me. This is something that he never did before.

14. What do you enjoy most in post-brain-injury life?

NOTHING!

15. What do you like least about brain injury?

I dislike the unknown. Not knowing how the future will play out is one of the hardest things right now.

16. Has anything helped you to accept your survivor’s brain injury?

Thinking about it now, I actually don’t know if I’ve ever really fully accepted my husband’s brain injury. I mean, I know my husband has a TBI, and I know his limitations and disabilities, but accepting it in my mind makes it so final. To think in terms of what the future holds for us scares the crap out of me. I see a therapist, and it does help, but I do have a hard time accepting this new life.

17. Has your survivor’s injury affected your home life and relationships and, if so, how?

Yes. We are in the process of losing our home due to lack of income. The relationship between my daughter and me is pretty much nonexistent now, as she sees my husband as the victim, so to speak, during his outbursts and me as the awful wife, since I don’t engage him in these incidents. As a result, she only hears what comes out of his mouth, which are all the name-calling and paranoid delusions that my husband feels are real.

18. Has your social life been altered or changed and, if so, how?

Haha! What social life?

19. What are your plans? What do you expect/hope to be doing ten years from now?

I really don’t know where I will be in ten years. My husband’s health is steadily deteriorating, so I don’t know how I would plan anything. We are just living each day as it comes right now.

20. What advice would you offer other caregivers of brain-injury survivors? Do you have any other comments that you would like to add?

Take time for yourself, and stand your ground when it comes to caring for yourself! This is something I did not do, and now it’s kind of late for me. You are not only a caregiver to your survivor, but also a caregiver to yourself. Honestly, you should come first because, unless you take care of yourself, you can’t expect to take care of someone else.

I just want to add that this is not a life we chose to live. Rather, it’s a life that was dealt to us for whatever reason. Caring for and dealing with someone with a severe brain injury is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. The impact it has on everyone involved is tremendous. Our lives have changed forever. The loving, caring man that once was will never be again. I think that’s the hardest part for me. My husband died the day of that accident – the man I fell in love with and married. The man I have now is a stranger to me in so many ways. As I said above, this is probably the hardest part for me.

You can learn more about Sherri Ward at “Faces of Brain Injury.”

(Disclaimer: The views or opinions in this post are solely that of the interviewee.)

If you would like to be a part of the SPEAK OUT! project, please go to TBI Survivor Interview Questionnaire for a copy of the questions and the release form.

(Photos compliments of Sherri Ward.)

As I say after each post: 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!

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT!

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SPEAK OUT! NewsBit . . . . . . . . . . . . Simple Blood Test For Traumatic Brain Injury

Simple Blood Test For Traumatic Brain Injury

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

A simple and convenient test for the existence and severity of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is badly needed. Currently the only test for a TBI appropriate for use in the Emergency Room is the CT (computerized tomography, often referred to as “CAT”) scan. However, a CT scan can only determine if there is bleeding in the brain. If there isn’t a hemorrhage, the patient is likely to be sent home. Also, a CT scan cannot determine the existence of a concussion. Concussions (even those that do not cause loss of consciousness) are brain injuries that can be harmless and heal, or they can be fatal or cause major life-altering problems. Until now, there has been no way to measure brain damage.

Exciting new results show that the amount of a blood protein (BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor) correlates with the existence of a TBI, when measured within 24 hours of the trauma. Patients with a TBI had less than one-third the amount of BDNF in their blood than did non-TBI patients. The researchers also found that patients with a TBI who had very low levels of BDNF recovered poorly. This is an exciting beginning because it will be routine to tell if there is brain damage in a person who may have been in an event that could lead to a concussion. A person who has experienced any trauma (like a motor vehicle accident, a sports-related injury, or domestic violence) can now be assessed for brain injury. Appropriate therapies can be considered immediately, instead of waiting for symptoms to appear.

Of interest to current TBI survivors is the possibility that continued BDNF measurements may correlate with the speed of recovery. This correlation needs to be tested – is a BDNF measurement taken months later still meaningful? Also, researchers urgently need to learn the molecular mechanism behind the lowering of BDNF with TBI. Do things that raise the BDNF level allow a patient to recover faster from a TBI? (Interestingly, omega-3 fatty acids and exercise raise BDNF levels.) (Full story)

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

As I say after each post:

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

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SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury Shane Coco & Gary Rankin

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury Shane Coco & Gary Rankin

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

It can happen to anyone, anytime, . . . and anywhere.

The Brain Trauma Foundation states that there are 5.3 million people in the United States living with some form of brain injury.

On “Faces of Brain Injury,” you will meet survivors living with brain injury. I hope that their stories will help you to understand the serious implications and complications of brain injury.

The stories on SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury are published with the permission of the survivor or designated caregiver.

If you would like your story to be published, please send a short account and two photos to me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d love to publish your story and raise awareness for Brain Injury.

Shane Coco (survivor)
It is a good day to be alive – a good day to be grateful. I think that somewhere, deep inside, my gratitude helps keep me alive. I’ve suffered and felt like dying. I looked at my situation and saw I have no friends. My gratitude may have kept me alive. I can drive; I have a job; I have a family who loves me; I have a dog; and I have fellow associates who told me today they love working with me. I can walk, talk, and drive!

I remember when I couldn’t talk right and when I couldn’t walk. I thought that if I could walk, everything else would be a breeze. Well, it wasn’t. I had other obstacles. Then driving was my next huge thing. I thought that, when I learned how to drive, all the ladies and friends would come to me. I would have it made, man. Well, I can drive, but I’m kind of still working on the “ladies and friends” thing. Then I needed a job. I’ve got a job now. How grateful was I then – and still am!
It certainly is a good day to be grateful. It’s a good day to be alive. This injury may have happened to me for me to see all that I have – not to moan and groan about what I wish I had.

A while ago, I took yoga, but I quit because I did something embarrassing during the session. (Use your imagination, and you probably got it right.) The instructor always used to say to the group, “Simply be.” This really helped me relax. But nowadays, I may be thinking differently. I want to move forward. I don’t want to stop or move backwards. Progress. I want to become. I want to transform. I like to say, “Simply become.” Get stronger. Get wiser. Don’t waste time. I don’t have to be perfect. I just can’t stay in the same spot for too long. I’ve got to keep on moving. It works for me. “Simply become.”

Gary Rankin (survivor)

On October 27, 2001, I took my friend’s motorcycle for a joyride. It was as if I were there speeding away, and then it was as if my eyes were closed all the way. So to speak, I never came back that day. I arose like a phoenix on the eighteenth day. Later I was told that I had been in a coma. I fractured my lower vertebrae and had a closed-head injury that led to a traumatic brain injury. I had to relearn to walk and to use the left side of my body. (I tied my right arm to my body to force me to use my left.) My autonomic system is broken and two years of memory of anything from before the accident has been deleted. I don’t remember 9/11 happening. I’m just going to say that it’s weird not remembering a major event in our history. I feel like an alien.

Western medicine wrote me off. My walking again was not on the table. I kept telling the doctors they were wrong. My mom read me Emeral’s New New Orleans cookbook while I was in a coma. My dad looked down at me and said, “You beat this, and I’ll help you become anything you want.” OK, game on.

I was enrolled into culinary school before I walked out of the hospital. I earned three culinary degrees from the Florida Culinary Institute. I have been traveling around the country as a chef, pastry-chef, and baker for the past nine years. I had my debut appearance on the Food Network. I crushed everything Western medicine put in front of me. I did it without their drugs and their help, and I did it on my time-line. I left the hospital eighteen days after I woke up. I have not seen a doctor since I left the hospital in 2001.

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

As I say after each post: 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!

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Faces of Brain Injury

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TBI Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Surprise” by Miki Mashburn-Bailey

“Surprise!”

Miki Mashburn-Bailey

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

A couple of years after my husband’s accident, I bought flowers for myself and gave them to him to “surprise” me with. I told him that I was going to walk out of the room and come back in and that he needed to say, “Surprise!” and hand them to me.

My husband thought I was weird. Pre TBI, I really couldn’t have cared less about the flowers, but my husband lost his knack for surprising me every once in a while with kisses and hugs, knick-knacks and treats, or flowers. I needed him to see that it was important to me.

I went out of the room and came back in. My husband yelled so loud that it scared my son in the other room. He was very sarcastic, and he gave me the flowers without a smile. But, I smiled and told him, “Thank you!” I said that I loved the flowers.

I placed the flowers on the table. Every time I knew that my husband would notice, I would deliberately stop, smell them, and smile. He would always say, “You really like those flowers.” I would correct him and say, “I just like that they’re from you.” My husband became convinced that he bought those flowers for me.

Thus began my husband’s new “routine.” He has done things like this ever since. He likes the idea that he can make me smile. He used to all the time before his TBI, but he doesn’t have it in him post TBI. The thought that my husband can do it had to be placed back into his mind.

(Disclaimer: The views or opinions in this post are solely that of the author.)

If you have a story to share and would like to be a part of the SPEAK OUT! project, please submit your TBI Tale to me at neelyf@aol.com. I will publish as many stories as I can.

As I say after each post:

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

Please follow my blog. Click on “Follow” on the top right sidebar. (It’s nice to know there are readers out there.)

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.

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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TBI Tales

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

SPEAK OUT! Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

SPEAK 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

Gina Morin (caregiver for her ex-husband)

My ex-husband’s accident was August 8, 2014. I am celebrating his first time to go out to eat at a restaurant. My prayer was answered that he could put the silverware to his mouth. Even picking up his food with his fork was amazing! He has come so far. The goal now is for us to get comfortable when transferring him from car to wheelchair and vice versa, so that his time in the nursing home is limited. It’s a taste of freedom for him. At some point, I want to bring him to my house for a weekend visit. But, he is two hours away, and he gets carsick. I’m going to talk to the doctor about that. For now, it has to be short rides in the car.

YOU did it!

Congratulations to all contributors!

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

As I say after each post:

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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SPEAK OUT! On the Air with . . . Brain Injury Radio Show Menu “Another Fork in the Road”

Topic: Coping with Irritability After Brain Injury (II)On the Air

“Another Fork in the Road” Menu of Radio Shows

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Finding the show you are looking for is easy. Just scroll through the list of shows below. There are interviews with brain injury survivors and caregivers. There are shows with therapists and authors. Discussions of pertinent topics relating to brain injury are also included. I hope you find something that interests you.

If there is a topic that you would like me to address on my show, please send me an email at neelyf@aol.com. In the subject area, please write “On the Air” Topic.

See you “On the Air”

October 6, 2024

Talk About It!

Panel: Dawn Corbelli & Kelly Tuttle

May 5, 2024

Note: Technical problems at the network. This show is from May 17, 2020.

Guest: Mimi Hayes (survivor/author/comedienne)

Topic: Meet Mimi Hayes – Survivor, Author, Comedienne

April 21, 2024

No show due to technical problems at the network

April 7, 2024

Discussion: Host Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Topic: Talk About It!

March 17, 2024

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)

Topic: Coping with Irritability After Brain Injury (II)

March 3, 2024

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)

Topic: Coping with Irritability After Brain Injury (I)

February 18, 2024

Panelist: Gail Waitkun (survivor/author)

Topic: Talk About It

February 4, 2024

Panelist: Dawn Corbelli (survivor/caregiver/author)

Topic: Helping Survivors in the Hospital

January 21, 2024

Panelist: Barbara Wilson (survivor)

Topic: What Does “Normal” Life After Brain Injury Look Like? (II)

January 7, 2024

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)

Topic: Another Year! Thoughts About Resolutions

December 17, 2023

No show due to technical problems

December 3, 2023

Panelist: Deb Brandon (Survivor/author)

Topic: ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly – Even with Brain Injury

November 19, 2023

Guest: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Topic: Acceptance and What It Looks Like

November 5, 2023

Panelist: Kelly Tuttle (survivor/author)
Topic: Talk About It

October 15, 2023

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Topic: Let’s Talk About It (Not Available)

October 1, 2023

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor/author) &
Dawn Corbelli (survivor/author)
Topic: Changing Relationships After Brain Injury

September 17, 2023

Guest: Kelly Tuttle (survivor/author)
Topic: Living with a Brain Injury “After the Crash”

August 20, 2023

Panelist: Dawn Corbelli (survivor/author)
Topic: What Survivors and Caregivers Want/Don’t Want to Hear

August 6, 2023

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor/author) and
Norma Myers (survivor/writer)
Topic: Dealing with Emotional Changes After Brain Injury

July 16, 2023

Guest: Bob Millsap (caregiver/author)
Topic: His Tragedy-filled Life, His Transformation, and His Book – Shake Yourself Free

July 2, 2023

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Topic: Free-for-all – Talk About It!

June 18, 2023

Guest: Janna Leyde Hockenjos (survivor/caregiver/author)
Topic: Balancing Life After a Parent’s Brain Injury

June 4, 2023

Panelists: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author)
Deb Brandon (survivor/author)

Topic: Rehabilitation and Recovery After Brain Injury

May 21, 2023

Guest: Norma Myers (caregiver/author)
Topic: Part 2 – Grief and Ambiguous Loss

May 7, 2023

Panelists: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author)
Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Topic: Dealing with Cognitive Disabilities After Brain Injury

April 16, 2023

Guest: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver/author)
Topic: Please Don’t Judge Me

April 2, 2023

Topic: What Brain Injury Survivors and Caregivers DO NOT Want to Hear

(Technical Difficulties – Will Be Rescheduled)

March 19, 2023
Guest: Tamar Rodney (PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, CNE)
Topic: Neurofatigue

March 5, 2023

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)

Karina Seda (survivor/author)

Topic: Support Groups – Yes or No?

February 19, 2023

Guest: Norma Myers (caregiver/author)
Topic: Caregiver, Author, and Advocate

February 5, 2023

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver/author)
Bob Millsap (caregiver/author)
Topic: Free for All – Talk About It! Talk About It!

January 15, 2023

Panelist: Dawn Corbelli (survivor/author)
Topic: Let’s Talk About IT!

January 1, 2023

Guest: Fruit (Grace) Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Natural Paths Towards Healing
(show originally broadcast on June 17, 2018)

December 18, 2022

Panel: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Fruit (Grace) Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Mish Mosh Revisited
(show originally broadcast on October 4, 2020)

December 4, 2022

Panelist: Gail Waitkun (survivor/author)
Topic: Emotional Issues and the Holidays After Brain Injury

November 20, 2022

Guest: Jenifer Fallert (caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Caregiving

November 6, 2022

Panel: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author)
Dawn Corbelli (survivor/author)
Topic: Coping with Memory Loss After Brain Injury

October 16, 2022

Guest: Jordan Fallert (survivor)
Topic: My Brain Injury

October 2, 2022

Panel: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author)
Gail Waitkun (survivor/author)
Topic: What Does Recovery Look Like After Brain Injury?

September 18, 2022

Panel: Karina Seda (survivor/author/stroke coach)
Gail Waitkun (survivor/author/TBI coach)
Topic: Free-for-All (Freewheeling Chat – Let’s Talk About It)

September 4, 2022

Panel: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Karina Seda (survivor/author/stroke coach)
Topic: Who Am I? Where Did I Go? Finding Myself

August 21, 2022

Guest: Greg Payan (caregiver/author)
Topic: His Story

August 7, 2022

Panel: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author)
Lisabeth Mackall Bonafede (former caregiver/author)
Topic: Help Folks Understand Living with a Brain Injury

July 17, 2022

Panel: Karina Seda (survivor/author/stroke coach)
Gail Waitkun (survivor/author/TBI coach)
Topic: Free-for-All (Freewheeling Chat – Let’s Talk About It

July 3, 2022

Panel: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author)
Dawn Corbelli (survivor/caregiver/author)
Barbara Wilson – formerly Barbara Asby
(survivor/co-founder of Helping Hands Club)
Topic: Losing Family & Friends After Brain Injury

June 19, 2022

Guest: Bill Gasiamis (survivor/stroke podcaster)
Topic: Living with Stroke

June 5, 2022

No show

May 15, 2022

Panel: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Karina Seda (survivor/author/stroke coach)
Topic: Free-for-All (Freewheeling Chat About Brain Injury)

May 1, 2022

Panel: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Karina Seda (survivor/author/stroke coach)
Topic: Returning to Work/School after Brain Injury

April 17, 2022

Panel: Lisabeth Mackall Bonafede (former caregiver/author),

Harriet Hodgson (former caregiver/author), and
Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver/author)
Topic: Self-care for Caregivers. They NEED IT!
(repeat show from June 6, 2021)

April 3, 2022

Panel: Lisabeth Mackall Bonafede (former caregiver/author),
Deb Brandon (survivor/author), and
Gail Waitkun (survivor/author)
Topic: Adjusting to Personality Changes after Brain Trauma

March 20, 2022

Guest: Casey Chaffey (survivor/author)
Topic: Chronic Illness and Pain

March 6, 2022

Panel: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author), Gail Waitkun (survivor/author), and Barbara Wilson (survivor)
Topic: What Do You Miss Most About Yourself?

February 20, 2022

Guest: Karina Seda (survivor/author/Life & Health Stroke Coach)
Topic: Moving Forward After Stroke

February 6, 2022

Panel: Deb Brandon (survivor/author) and Lisabeth Mackall Bonafede (former caregiver/author)
Topic: Pros and Cons of New Year’s Resolutions

January 16, 2022

Guest: Dawn Wasserman Corbelli (survivor/author)
Topic: Another Fork in the Road: Survivor & Author – Dawn Wasserman Corbelli
How My Daughter and I Live with Our Brain Injuries

January 2, 2022

Panel: Gail Waitkun (survivor/author) and Barbara Wilson (survivor)
Topic: Getting Through the Holidays

December 19, 2021

Guest: Gail Waitkun (survivor/author)
Topic: Living with My Brain Injury

December 5, 2021

Panel: Jamie Crane-Mauzy (survivor) and Barbara Wilson (survivor)
Topic: What Good Has Come from Your Brain Injury?

November 21, 2021

Guest: Aaron Avila (survivor)
Topic: Creating a Satisfying Life After Stroke

November 7, 2021

Panel: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author) and Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Topic: Depression and Suicidal Thoughts After Brain Injury

October 17, 2021

Guests: Drew (caregiver) and Terry (survivor) Niemann
Topic: Spouses Living with Brain Injury

October 3, 2021

Panelist: Barbara Wilson (survivor)
Topic: What Does a “Normal” Life After Brain Injury Look Like?

September 19, 2021

Guests: Jamie (survivor) and Crystal (survivor) Fairles
Topic: Meeting Because of Their Brain Injuries and Living Their New “Normals” Together
(originally broadcast on February 15, 2015)

September 5, 2021

Panelist: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author)
Topic: Expectations for Survivors and Caregivers After Brain Injury

August 15, 2021

Guest: Laura Miller (survivor/yoga instructor)
(Note: Laura starts at minute 28:00 due to technical difficulties.)

Topic: Dealing with Brain Injury, Years of Memory Loss, and Problems
with the Medical and Insurance Systems in Understanding and
Treating Brain Injuries

August 1, 2021

Panelist: Bob Millsap (caregiver for his wife)
Topic: Role Changes – Know Your Partner’s Jobs

July 18, 2021

Guest: Kate Washington (caregiver/author)
Topic: Caregiver Burnout

July 4, 2021

Panel: Meghan Beaudry (survivor/author) and Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Topic: Support Groups – Yes? or No?

June 20, 2021

Guest: Marcia Pelletiere (survivor/author)
Topic: Moving Forward After Brain Injury

June 6, 2021

Panel: Lisabeth (formerly Mackall) Evans (former caregiver), Harriet Hodgson (former
caregiver), and Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver)
Topic: Self-care for Caregivers. They NEED IT!

May 16, 2021

Guest: Danielle Skranak (survivor)
Topic: Soldier to Beauty Queen

May 2, 2021

Panel: Jamie Crane-Mauzy (survivor) and Barbara Wilson (survivor)
Topic: Good Attitude Coupled with Gratitude

April 18, 2021

Guest: Annie Ricketts (survivor)
Topic: Living with a TBI; the Global Picnic of her Global Brain Injury Awareness (GBIA) non-profit

April 4, 2021

Guest: Heather Sivori Floyd (caregiver for her son)
Topic: Caring for TJ

(repeat show originally broadcast on February 18, 2018)

March 21, 2021

Guest: Meghan Beaudry (survivor)
Topic: Living with Lupus

March 7, 2021

Panel: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver)
Topic: The Unmet Needs of Caregivers

February 21, 2021

Guest: Ashley Bendiksen (caregiver/author)
Topic: Caring for My Mother, Who Had Early Onset Alzheimer’s

February 7, 2021

Panel: Deb Brandon (survivor) and Jamie Crane-Mauzy (survivor)
Topic: What Do You Want Your Caregiver or Survivor to Know?

January 17, 2021

Guests: Terry (survivor) and Drew (caregiver) Niemann
Topic: Our Life with Brain Injury

January 3, 2021

Panel: Deb Brandon (survivor) and Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver)
Topic: What’s New in the New Year?

December 20, 2020

Guest: Dr. Alauna (trauma psychiatrist/author)
Topic: The Invisible Ways That Trauma Can Affect the Brain

December 6, 2020

Panel: Deb Brandon (survivor)
Topic: Getting Ready for the Holidays COVID-19 Style

November 15, 2020

Guest: Harriet Hodgson (caregiver)
Topic: Life as a Caregiver, Advocate, and Author

November 1, 2020

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor)
Topic: Transition from Recovery to Living with Brain Injury

October 18, 2020

Guest: Craig J. Phillips (survivor/writer/speaker)
Topic: How to Live with Brain Injury

October 4, 2020

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor) & Grace (Fruit) Mauzy (former caregiver)
Topic: Mish Mosh

September 27, 2020

Donna Chit-Chats with Jamie on “Life Gets Mo’ Crazy,” Jamie Crane-Mauzy’s show

September 20, 2020

Guest: Abby Maslin (caregiver/author)
Topic: Caring for My Husband after His Brain Injury

September 6, 2020

Panelists: Fruit Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter)
Barbara Wilson (survivor)
Topic: Faulty Cognitive Thinking and Brain Injury (Part 2)

August 16, 2020

Guest: Nolan McDonnell (survivor)
Topic: Nolan McDonnell – Survivor of Brain Injury

August 2, 2020

Panelists: Fruit Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter)
Barbara Wilson (survivor)
Topic: Delayed Symptoms of Brain Injury

July 19, 2020

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor) & Fruit Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Brain Injury – A Little Bit of This – A Little Bit of That

July 5, 2020

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor) Fruit Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Going Back to Work/School after Brain Injury

June 21, 2020

Guest: Ken Collins (survivor and Executive Director of The Hozho Center for Personal Enhancement)
Topic: Ken Collins – Survivor of Brain Injury

June 7, 2020

Panelists: Fruit Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter) & Barbara Wilson (survivor)
Topic: Faulty Cognitive Thinking after Brain Injury

May 17, 2020 

Guest: Mimi Hayes (survivor/author/comedian/speaker)

 Topic: Living with a Brain Injury

April 19, 2020

Guest: Dr. David Figurski (survivor/Prof. Emeritus in Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University
Topic: Life with a Brain Injury and COVID-19

April 5, 2020

Guests: Carrie Collins-Fadell (Executive Director of the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona – BIAAZ)
Paula Crockett (Shelter Manager of Central Arizona Shelter Services – CASS)
Topic: Correlation Between Brain Injury and Homelessness

March 15, 2020

Guest: Harriet Hodgson (caregiver/author of 36 books)
Topic: Caregiving

March 1, 2020

Technical difficulties – no show

February 16, 2020

Guests: Kristina (caregiver) & Tommy (survivor) Hopkins
Topic: Living with Brain Injury

February 2, 2020

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor), Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver for her husband), and Fruit (Grace) Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Gratitude & Attitude

January 19, 2020

Guest: Ronda Alcorn (caregiver)
Topic: We’re Moving Forward with Ronda Alcorn (caregiver)

January 5, 2020

Panelists: Barbara Wilson (survivor) & Fruit (Grace) Mauzy (caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: A New Year and New Resolutions

December 15, 2019

Guest: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver and author)
Topic: Her husband and survivor of brain injury, DeWayne, and her new book, “Our Military Family Home”

December 1, 2019

Panelists: Barbara Wilson Asby (survivor) and Bob Millsap (caregiver for his wife, Shelly)
Topic: Let’s Talk Turkey and the Holidays after Brain Injury

November 17, 2019

(a repeat show originally broadcast on November 16, 2014 – see below)

Another Fork in the Road: Melissa Cronin, author “Chicken Soup for the Soul

November 3, 2019

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor)
Topic: Emotional and Behavioral Problems after Brain Injury

October 20, 2019

(a repeat show originally broadcast on May 21, 2017 – see below)
Another Fork in the Road – Cyndy Feasel – NFL Wife – An Exorbitant Price to Pay

October 6, 2019

Panelists: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver) and David Figurski (survivor)
Topic: Coping with Physical Disabilities after Brain Injury

September 15, 2019

Guest: Alisa Marie (survivor)
Topic: How a Newfound Creativity in Art after Brain Injury Is Helping Her to Accept Her “New Normal”

September 1, 2019

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor) and Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver)
Topic: Self-Perception after Brain Injury

August 5, 2018

Panelist: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver for her husband)
Topic: Avoid Caregiver Burnout – Caregivers Need Care Too

July 21, 2019

G uest: Lynn McLaughlin (survivor)
Topic: Her book (Steering Through It: Navigating Life, Threatening Illness Acceptance Survival and Healing) and Living with a Brain Injury

July 7, 2019

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor)
Topic: Cognitive Dysfunction after Brain Injury (Part 1 of 2)

June 16, 2019

Panelist: Deb Brandon (survivor)
Topic: Fatigue after Brain Injury

June 2, 2019

Guest: Kayce Stevens Hughlett (psychotherapist and life coach)
Topic: Her new book, SoulStroller, and brain injury

NOTE: There is an interruption from minute 7 to minute 9 as I became aware that the live feed was not being heard. I continued the show, and it became available as an archived show. The link gives the show in full.

May 19, 2019

Guest: Carrie Collins-Fadell (Executive Director of the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona – BIAAZ)
Topic: Carrie Collins-Fadell discusses BIAAZ

May 5, 2019

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor) and Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver) 

Topic: How to Handle Special Days after Brain Injury

April 21, 2019

(a repeat show originally broadcast on Sept. 16, 2018 – see below)

April 7, 2019

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor) and Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver)
Topic: Support Groups After Brain Injury

March 17, 2019

Guest: Courtney Clark (survivor, motivational speaker, author)
Topic: Courtney Clark discusses her brain injury and her career as a motivational speaker

March 9, 2019

Interview of Donna: Brain Injury Radio Network host Lisa Dryer interviews Donna O’Donnell Figurski about her recently published book, Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale, which was released on November 1, 2018

March 3, 2019

(a repeat show originally broadcast on May 7, 2017 – see below)

February 17, 2019

Guest: Malissa Mallett (former caregiver for her son, Program Director of BIAAZ)
Topic: Malissa Mallett, Program Director of Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona (BIAAZ), on Opioids

February 3, 2019

Panelist: Lisa Dryer (survivor)
Topic: What NOT to Say to a Brain Injury Survivor

January 20, 2019

Guest: Deb Brandon (survivor/author)
Topic: Brain Injury Survivor and Author – “But My Brain Had Other Ideas”

December 16, 2018

Guest: Robb Anthony Filippes (survivor)
Topic: Life after Brain Injury

December 2, 2018 (a repeat show originally broadcast on September 3, 2017)

Panel:
Cyndy Feasel (wife of NFL Center Grant Feasel, who died at 52 from the effects of CTE)
Mary Seau (sister of Hall of Fame NFL linebacker, Junior Seau, who had CTE and committed suicide at age 43)
Debra Pyka (mother of Joseph, who played football through high school, had CTE, and committed suicide at 24)
Topic: Youth Football and the Brain Disease CTE

November 18, 2018

Guest: Kuna Williams (survivor)
Topic: Life after Brain Injury

November 7, 2018

Radio interview (110718): Brain Injury Radio Network host Kim Jefferson Justus interviews Donna O’Donnell Figurski about her book, Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale, which was released on November 1, 2018

November 4, 2018

Panelists: Deb Brandon (survivor), Lisa Dryer (survivor), and Bob Millsap (caregiver)
Topic: Sensory Overload after Brain Injury

October 21, 2018

Guest: Julie Rake (meditation advocate, former fellow at Dr. Andrew Weil’s University
of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine)
Topic: Physician Assistant Speaking on Meditation

October 7, 2018

Panelist: Bob Millsap (caregiver)
Topic: What Is “New Normal” after Brain Injury?

September 16, 2018

Guest: Su Meck (survivor)
Topic: Author of I Forgot to Remember: A Memoir of Amnesia

September 2, 2018

Panelist: Lisa Dryer (survivor)
Topic: Survivor Needs – Caregiver Needs (from Each Other)

August 19, 2018

Guest: Carole Starr (survivor – author and speaker)
Topic: Living with a Brain Injury – Part 2/2 (Note: Part 1 was on May 20, 2018.)

August 5, 2018

Panelist: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver for her husband)
Topic: Avoid Caregiver Burnout – Caregivers Need Care Too

July 15, 2018

Guest: Jim Ledgewood (survivor)
Topic: Genesis of and Living with My Brain Injury

July 1, 2018

Panelist: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver for her husband)
Topic: Dealing with Anger and Denial post Brain Injury (Part 4)
(Part 1 was the 030418 show.)

June 17, 2018

Guest: Grace (Fruit) Mauzy (former caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Natural Paths Towards Healing

June 3, 2018

Panelists: Lisa Dryer (survivor) and Bob Millsap (caregiver for his wife) Topic: Dealing with Anger and Denial post Brain Injury (Part 3)
(Part 1 was the 030418 show.)

May 27, 2018

Interview of Donna O’Donnell Figurski by Jamie Crane-Mauzy of Life Gets Mo-Crazy on the Brain Injury Radio Network

May 20, 2018

Guest: Carole Starr (survivor – author and speaker) 
Topic: Living with a Brain Injury

May 6, 2018

Panelists: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver for her husband)
Lisa Dryer (survivor)
Bob Millsap (caregiver for his wife)
Topic: Dealing with Anger and Denial post Brain Injury (Part 2)
(Part 1 was the 030418 show.)

April 15, 2018

Guest: Michelle Bartlett (survivor)
Topic: Living with a Brain Injury

March 4, 2018

Panelists: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver for her husband),
Lisa Dryer (survivor), and Bob Millsap (caregiver for his wife)
Topic: Dealing with Anger and Denial post Brain Injury

February 18, 2018

Guest: Heather Sivori Floyd (caregiver for her son)
Topic: Caring for TJ

February 4, 2018

Panelists: Lisabeth Mackall (caregiver for her husband) and
Grace (Fruit) Mauzy (caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: How to Help Your Hospitalized Survivor

January 21, 2018

Guest: Pattie Welek Hall (former caregiver for her son, author)
Topic: Her experience and her memoir, A Mother’s Dance: One Step Back, Two Steps Forward, Full Circle

January 7, 2018

Panelists: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver for her husband) and Bob Millsap (caregiver for his wife)
Topic: Flooding and Brain Injury

December 17, 2017

Guests: Jason Westhoff (survivor) and his parents, Sheria and Darryl Eubanks
Topic: Survivor Jason Westhoff and His Parents Share Their Story

December 3, 2017

Panelist: Grace (Fruit) Mauzy (caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Can Massage, Meditation, or Oils Help Brain Injury?

Disclaimer: Neither the host or guest are medical practioners. The information shared in the show is what has worked for us. Please consult your physician.

(Time ran out before we could discuss Meditation. A new show with Fruit Mauzy is scheduled for May 6th, 2018. Hope to see you there.)

November 19, 2017

Guest: Jeff Sebell (survivor/author/speaker)
Topic: Jeff Sebell – Brain Injury Survivor & Author – “Learning to Live With Yourself After Brain Injury”

November 5, 2017

Panel: Juliet Madsen (survivor) with daughter Erin and Bob Millsap (caregiver for his wife)   Topic: How Do Children Deal with the Brain Injury of a Parent?

October 1, 2017

Panel:
Barbara Asby (survivor)
Lisabeth Mackall (caregiver for her husband)
Grace (Fruit) Mauzy (caregiver for her daughter)
Topic: Role Changes After Brain Injury

September 17, 2017

Guests: Richard Schooping (survivor/musician/author) and Cal Kalaf (caregiver)
Topic: Brain Injury from an HIV Infection

September 3, 2017

Panel:
Cyndy Feasel (wife of NFL Center Grant Feasel, who died at 52 from the effects of CTE)
Mary Seau (sister of Hall of Fame NFL linebacker, Junior Seau, who had CTE and committed suicide at age 43)
Debra Pyka (mother of Joseph, who played football through high school, had CTE, and committed suicide at 24)
Topic: Youth Football and the Brain Disease CTE

August 20, 2017

Guest: Bonnie Nish (survivor/author)
Topic: Concussion and Mild Brain Injury

August 6, 2017

Panel: Karen Dickerson and Juliet Madsen (survivors)
Topic: College After Brain Injury

July 16, 2017

Panel: GeorgeAnna Bell, Frank Mackall, Daniel Mollino (survivors), and Bob Millsap (caregiver)
Topic: Free-for-all Discussion on Brain Injury

July 2, 2017

Panel: Dan Zimmerman (stroke survivor) and his partner, Lise Neer
Topic: Recumbent Trikes for Brain-injury Survivors – The Benefits of Adaptive Cycling

June 18, 2017

Guest: Karen Leavitt (survivor/author)
Topic: Living with Brain Injury; her book, The Resilient Soul – stories by survivors of brain injury and caregivers

June 4, 2017

Panel: Jamie Crane-Mauzy (professional skier/survivor) and her sister, Jænee
Topic: Recovering from Brain Injury

May 21, 2017

Guest: Cyndy Feasel (caregiver/NFL wife/author)
Topic: CTE: An Exorbitant Price to Pay

May 7, 2017

Panel: Barbara Asby, Shelley Taylor, Taylor Trammell (survivors)
Topic: Anoxic Brain Injury

April 16, 2017 (repeat of December 18, 2016 show)

Guest: Freya Perry (survivor/artist)
Topic: Art after Brain Injury

April 2, 2017

Panel: Frank Mackall (survivor); Jeannette Davidson-Mayer and Bob Millsap (caregivers)
Topic: Roles of Caregivers After Brain Injury

March 19, 2017 (repeat of August 16, 2015 show)

Guest: George Visger (survivor and ex-NFL player)
Guest: Kendra Brittain (caregiver for her son who acquired a TBI at age 13 from football)
Topic: Football and Brain Injury

March 5, 2017

Panel: Cam Compton and Lisa Dryer (survivors)
Topic: Finding Purpose After Brain Injury

February 19, 2017

Guest: Amy Zellmer (survivor/author)
Topic: Living with a Brain Injury

February 5, 2017

Panel: Cam Compton and Frank Mackall (survivors)
Topic: Employment-related Challenges After Brain Injury

January 15, 2017

Guest: Daniel (survivor and cross-country bicyclist) & Amber (wife and caregiver) Mollino
Topic: Living with Brain Injury and Advocacy for the Brain Injured

January 1, 2017

Guest: Craig Sicillia (survivor/owner and head of the Brain Injury Radio Network)
Topic: Expectations for the New Year

December 18, 2016

Guest: Freya Perry (Survivor/Artist)
Topic: Art after Brain Injury

December 4, 2016

Another Fork in the Road – It’s All About David – That’s Why I’m Here

November 20, 2016
Guest: Jamie Crane-Mauzy (champion freeskier and survivor)
Topic: Life after TBINovember 6, 2016
Panel: Lisa Dryer (survivor) and Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver)
Topic: Cognitive Disabilities After Brain Injury

October 16, 2016

Guests: Shelly Millsap (survivor, writer) and Bob Millsap (caregiver)
Topic: Meet the Millsaps

October 2, 2016

Panel: GeorgeAnna Bell (survivor), Lisa Dryer (survivor), and Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (caregiver)
Topic: Do Support-Groups Help After Brain Injury?

September 18, 2016

Guests: David Grant (survivor, author, publisher) and Sarah Grant (caregiver, publisher) – Topic: TBI Hope and Inspiration

September 4, 2016

Panel: GeorgeAnna Bell (survivor), Lisa Dryer (survivor), and Daniel Mollino (survivor) Topic: Impulse vs. Logic After Brain Injury

August 21, 2016

Guests: Raine Turner (caregiver) and her son, Ryan Pohle (survivor) – Topic: Mother and Son Talk About Brain Injury

August 7, 2016

Panel: GeorgeAnna Bell (survivor), Juliet Madsen (survivor), and Mike Dalton (service-dog trainer) – Topic: Benefit of Service Animals After Brain Injury

July 27, 2016

Substitute host, Cam Compton Interviews Avi – Another Stroke Survivor

July 3, 2016

Panel: Cam Compton, Juliet Madsen, and Chris Morris (survivors)
Topic: Recovery and Rehabilitation After Brain Injury

June 19, 2016

Guests: Joel (caregiver) and Bart (survivor) Goldstein – Topic: Father and Son Tackle Brain Injury

June 5, 2016

Panel: GeorgeAnna Bell (survivor) and Lisabeth Mackall (caregiver) – Topic: Cognitive and Memory Deficits

May 15, 2016

Substitute hosts: Cam Compton and Lisa Dryer – Topic: MS Meets Stroke

May 1, 2016

Panel: GeorgeAnna Bell (survivor) and Lisa Dryer (survivor) -Topic: Behavioral and Emotional Changes and Brain Injury

April 17, 2016

Guest: Julie Kintz on Clubhouses for the Brain-Injured with Fly-By with Zachary Stilwell

April 3, 2016

Panel: Lisa Dryer (survivor) and Julie Kintz (survivor) – Topic: Living and coping with PTSD

March 20, 2016

Guest: Jim Proebstle, author of “Unintended Impact: One Athlete’s Journey from Concussions in Amateur Football to CTE Dementia” discusses his brother and CTE

March 6, 2016

Panel: Lisabeth Mackall (caregiver), Sandra Williams (survivor and caregiver), and David Figurski (survivor) – Topic: Grief After Brain Injury

February 21, 2016

Guest: Jessica E. Taylor – Brain Injury Survivor & Author of “From Tragedy to Triumph: Journey Back from the Edge”

February 7, 2016

Panel: Cam Compton and Lisa Dryer – Topic: Reasonable, Responsible, and Realistic Resolutions

January 17, 2016

Guest: Ann Boriskie, survivor and award-winning director of the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association

January 3, 2016

Show canceled due to illness – to be rescheduled

December 20, 2015

Party Night with caregiver, Lisabeth Mackall and survivor, Daniel Mollino

December 6, 2015

Panel: Lisa Dryer and Lisabeth Mackall – Topic: Holidays – Less Stress – More Fun

November 15, 2015

Guest: Sandra Williams, survivor and caregiver for her sons, special education teacher and advocate for brain-injured students

November 1, 2015

Panel: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer and Lisa Dryer – Topic: Daily Living, Organization, and Brain Injury

October 18, 2015

Guest: Kyle Turley, retired NFL player and musician talks about his life with brain disease
(postponed due to technical difficulties)
(Instead, I explained each category of my blog, survivingtraumaticbraininjury.com.)

October 4, 2015

Panel: Melissa Cronin and Juliet Madsen – Topic: Depression

September 20, 2015

Guest: Janiece Naber Martindale, a two-time caregiver – first for her husband, James, who eventually succumbed to MSA (multiple system atrophy), and then for an elderly friend

September 6, 2015

Panel: Lisabeth Mackall and Juliet Madsen – Topic: Where Have All My Friends Gone?

August 16, 2015

Guests:

George Visger, advocate for former and current football players, a San Francisco 49er who had to quit after two years in the NFL because of a brain injury (1st 40 minutes of show)

Kendra Brittain, mother of a son who had to quit sports because, at age 13, he sustained a brain injury from football (2nd 40 minutes of show)

August 2, 2015

Panel: Melissa Cronin and Juliet Madsen – Topic: Learning Accommodations After Brain Injury

July 19, 2015

Guest: Tatiana Puckett, young mother of three boys and caregiver for her husband, Joshua

July 5, 2015

Panel: Catherine Brubaker, Julie Kintz, and Juliet Madsen – Topic: All Disabilities Are Not Visible

June 21, 2015

Guest: Daniel Mollino, survivor and cross-country bicyclist

June 7, 2015

Guest: Lisa Dryer, survivor of brain injury, multiple sclerosis, lupus, epilepsy, and Sjögren’s syndrome

May 17, 2015

Guest: Juliet Madsen, survivor, troop, quilter, author

May 3, 2015

Guest: Lisabeth Mackall, caregiver, therapist, author

April 19, 2015

Guest: Jeannette Davidson-Mayer, caregiver and military spouse

April 11, 2015

Interview of Donna O’Donnell Figurski by Shannon Marie of the Brain Injury Radio Network

March 15, 2015

Guests: Joshua Puckett, survivor, and his wife, Tatiana

March 1, 2015

Guest: Deb Angus, survivor and author

February 15, 2015

Guests: Jamie and Crystal Fairles, survivors

February 1, 2015

Guests: Bob Calvert (radio host for US troops), Jeannette Davidson-Mayer (spouse of a brain-injured troop), and Juliet Madsen (brain-injured troop)

January 18, 2015

Guest: Rosemary Rawlins, caregiver for her husband and author

January 4, 2015

Guest: Allan Bateman – Preventive and Rehabilitative Therapist

December 21, 2014

Guests: Catherine (Cat) Brubaker, TBI survivor, and Dan Zimmerman, stroke survivor Reflections on Triking Across America

December 7, 2014

Guest: Christian Jungersen, author of You Disappear

November 30, 2014

Co-host: Julie Kintz – Holiday Stressors

November 16, 2014

Guest: Melissa Cronin, survivor – author of Invisible Bruise in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering From Traumatic Brain Injuries

November 2, 2014

Guest: Dr. David Figurski, survivor – Segment 4 of Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story

October 5, 2014

Guest: Catherine (Cat) Brubaker, survivor – Triking Across America – diagonally

September 21, 2014

Segment 3 and Epilogue of Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story

September 7, 2014

Segment 2 of Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story

August 31, 2014

Co-host: Julie Kintz – Life Changes After TBI

August 4, 2014

Segment 1 of Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story

July 9, 2014

Interview of Donna O’Donnell Figurski by Kim Jefferson Justus of the Brain Injury Radio Network

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT! Tatiana Puckett

Caregivers SPEAK OUT! – Tatiana Puckett

presented

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

1. What is your name? (last name optional)

Tatiana Puckett

2. Where do you live? (city and/or state and/or country) Email? (optional)

Palmdale, California, USA tatianamdiaz@yahoo.com

3. What is the brain-injury survivor’s relationship to you? How old was the survivor when he/she had the brain injury? What caused your survivor’s brain injury?

The traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor is my spouse (Joshua). He was 31. Josh was assaulted late at night outside our apartment building.

4. On what date did you begin care for your brain-injury survivor? Were you the main caregiver? Are you now? How old were you when you began care?

I began care on April 10, 2013, the day Josh left the hospital. I have always been his main caregiver. I was 30.

5. Were you caring for anyone else at that time (e.g., children, parents, etc.)?

I was caring for my two sons, and I was pregnant with the third.

6. Were you employed at the time of your survivor’s brain injury? If so, were you able to continue working?

I was employed but gradually had to go from full-time to part-time, which got me laid off from that position. My mother-in-law moved in with us, which allowed me to continue working and accept a new job.

7. Did you have any help? If so, what kind and for how long?

My mother-in-law takes care of the boys almost around the clock since the date of the injury to now.

8. When did your support of the survivor begin (e.g., immediately – in the hospital; when the survivor returned home; etc.)?

I began care as soon as Josh got home from the hospital.

9. Was your survivor in a coma? If so, what did you do during that time?

No. Josh wasn’t in a coma, but he was given a lot of sedatives. Josh is very rebellious and antsy. You can’t tell him to sit still because, even prior to his TBI, he wouldn’t. Josh constantly tried to flee the hospital and the rehab center. I even had to go to the hospital one night in the middle of the night to convince him to stay. I drove between home and the hospital a lot, especially since the hospital didn’t allow children under 12 to visit. My mother-in-law and I had to take turns.

Yes, Josh had inpatient rehab – occupational, speech, and physical therapies. It should have been a lot longer, but Josh managed to talk his way out of it in two days time. When Josh had rehab, I was right there with him.

11. What problems or disabilities of your brain-injury survivor required your care, if any?

I try to keep Josh calm, which can be difficult. It changes daily and can get really frustrating, but I do my best to keep aggression at bay.

12. How has your life changed since you became a caregiver? Is it better? Is it worse?

It’s difficult. I feel guilty because I feel torn between work, the kids, and Josh. Josh requires a lot of my time. I feel like my kids are missing out on time with me because, when I’m not at work, I’m with Josh. And, sometimes when Josh needs me, I can’t help him because I need to spend time with my boys.

13. What do you miss the most from pre-brain-injury life?

I miss being able to depend on my husband for everyday things. I have to parent with my mother-in-law instead of with my husband, which isn’t bad, but it’s not ideal. Josh can’t be around the kids too long because they overwhelm him. It’s hard.

14. What do you enjoy most in post-brain-injury life?

I like watching Josh discover new aspects of his creativity. He has a newfound excitement for writing and painting, both of which have bloomed since his TBI.

15. What do you like least about brain injury?

I find Josh’s new personality to be overwhelming at times. He wants to share every poem, every drawing, and every thought with me, even when I just want a quiet moment.

16. Has anything helped you to accept your survivor’s brain injury?

Time. As time goes on, it gets easier, but some days are still really hard.

17. Has your survivor’s injury affected your home life and relationships and, if so, how?

Like I mentioned above for question 12, I feel stretched in every direction. I did before as a working mom, but even more so now. I feel like, in a day, I end up with maybe two minutes to myself, but, once I get those minutes of silence, Josh needs me to listen to a song, a poem, etc. I’m happy for him, but, between work, handling home finances, kids, and him, it’s so tiring.

18. Has your social life been altered or changed and, if so, how?

A little. I mean, maybe Josh and I go out a bit more. With his mom home, we get to go to open mics, so Josh can play music and read his poetry.

19. What are your plans? What do you expect/hope to be doing ten years from now?

I’d like to say that we will own a home in ten years. We all need space, so this two-bedroom apartment isn’t cutting it.

20. What advice would you offer other caregivers of brain-injury survivors? Do you have any other comments that you would like to add?

Give yourself and your TBIer some space. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. If you feel an argument starting, stay calm and, as calmly as possible, explain that you should both step away before emotions escalate out of control. Remember not to take things personally. It’s not you your survivor’s mad at. It’s a frustrating world, and it’s scary, and your survivor’s lashing out. Just keep calm and step away.

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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TBI Tales . . . A Letter to Attackers Jasmine Oldham

To My Husband’s Attackers – One Year Later

Jasmine Oldham

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

You’ve been on my mind lately. Frankly, you’ve been on my mind most of this year. Do you realize today marks a year since you attacked my husband while he was walking in Toronto? Doesn’t it seem odd that your actions almost ended my husband’s life, and you haven’t even seen it?

I wonder about you. I can’t help it. When we’re in the city for appointments (don’t you know that all the brain-injury specialists are in the same city in which this happened), I watch the eyes of the men we meet. I wait to see if they recognize my husband – if they are seeing the ghost of the man whom they thought they murdered a year ago. I don’t know that I’ll ever stop being curious or watching for you. It just makes sense that we will meet; the police assigned to this case are kind and smart, and the world isn’t as big as you might think it is.

My husband and his friends were out for his bachelor party. I know they told you. I know you knew I was waiting at home for the love of my life. And yet, my husband and his friends barely talk now. Traumatic brain injuries have a way of breaking up friendships. Our first year of marriage was spent in doctors’ offices and rehab clinics, instead of having vacations and adventures.

I wonder at your group dynamics now, and I am curious if they parallel ours. Have you pushed each other away because you can’t stand seeing your friends as the monsters from that night? Or, do you hold each other close – keeping tabs on each other to make sure the secret stays secret? Which of you will be the next with a boot to the head for saying the wrong thing? And that girl. Does she worry each time you all go out that you’ll be arrested? Or beaten? I wonder if she struggles with panic attacks each time a phone rings? I did. For months, I relived the voicemails detailing your attack on my husband.

When we meet, I hope you tell me you’ve counted the days. I hope that night changed each of your lives and convinced you to spend every day paying penance for the life you hurt. I hope the aftermath – living with that secret – has propelled you from the boys you were a year ago to men. I hope you’ve done something stunning with your life.

Of course, I hope you approach the police and confess. I’m not going to lie and say that’s not a wish. But, even on my most optimistic days, I can’t see any of you being strong enough to step up and accept the consequences. Nor, can I imagine any of you with enough compassion to want to put us at ease and offer us closure. (If you want to prove me wrong, by all means contact the police at the 52nd Division – http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/d52/).

At the very least, let this monumental, awful thing that rocked our world rock yours too. Don’t be so callous and immature not to realize the gravity of what happened that night. You stole the life we were planning on. Let that change you. Become better. Make it up to the world. Instead of letting your actions of that night define you, choose to make it the catalyst for a good life. I hope one day you can look back and say that that night you realized how powerful you were and you chose to invest your life in helping others instead. And, I hope when we meet, you can tell us that we’ve been on your mind too.

(Disclaimer: The views or opinions in this post are solely that of the author.)

If you have a story to share and would like to be a part of the SPEAK OUT! project, please submit your TBI Tale to me at neelyf@aol.com. I will publish as many stories as I can.

As I say after each post:

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(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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