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On The Air: Brain Injury Radio “Another Fork in the Road” with Former NFL San Fran 49er, George Visger and Caregiver, Kendra Hammond Brittain

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

with

Former NFL San Fran 49er, George Visger

and

Caregiver, Kendra Hammond Brittain

presented

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Former NFL San Fran 49er, George Visger talked about the dangers of football and brain injury. He also discussed hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and Cranial-Sacral therapy, which he believes have helped him.

Kendra Hammond Brittain joined for the last half of the show to tell of her son’s football injury, which caused his TBI.

If you missed this show on “Another Fork in the Road” on August 16^th, 2015, don’t fret. You can listen to the archived show here. Click the link below.

See you “On the Air!”

On The Air: Brain Injury Radio “Another Fork in the Road” with Former NFL San Fran 49er, George Visger and Caregiver, Kendra Hammond Brittain

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

Category:

On the Air!

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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

Cory Edmondson (survivor)…Two years ago, I was told that I would never drive again. That didn’t sit too well with me. My mom told me I could accept it or I could continue to work hard and, one more time, prove somebody wrong. I am now one excited dude – I got my license back! Never give up. Always believe in yourself.

Cory Edmondson (survivor)…I’m pretty proud of myself right now. I stood at the sink, washed and wiped the supper dishes, and put away 98% of them. I walked around the kitchen with just one hand on the cupboard. This was a BIG accomplishment for this fella. Never give up! 🙂

Jo Emery (caregiver)…This week in Australia, it is Brain Injury Awareness Week. For donations, we have BangOnABeanie and BangOnABarbie (“Barbie”=BBQ). I am so very proud of my beautiful twelve-year-old, who organised the BangOns with her local girl-guide unit. She talked about why they were doing them and a little bit about her dad. She also played a memory game with them. She raised about $30, which was really great. I’m a very proud mummy!

Kyle F. (survivor)…This puzzle took me ALL day. It may seem rather easy, with its being only forty-eight pieces and all, but I get distracted extremely easily – a heck of a lot more easily than before my TBI. So…score one for me. Also, this puzzle is as cute as heck with all the minions.

Kristina Hopkins (caregiver)…I’m about ready to donate blood again. I feel so honored to be able to do this every eight weeks. I’m a universal donor with my O-negative blood type, and it’s a blessing to be able to help so many. I challenge you all to donate if you can and are able.

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.

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Category:

Itty-Bitty GIANT Step

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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!

Feel free to “Like” my post.

Category:

Caregivers SPEAK OUT!

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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.)

Category:

TBI Tales

Tagged with:

Survivors SPEAK OUT! Hayley Nichols

Survivors SPEAK OUT! Hayley Nichols

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

Hayley Nichols

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

I live in Valparaiso, Indiana, USA. My accident occurred in Lafayette, Indiana.

3. On what date did you have your brain injury? At what age?

I had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) on November 16, 2014. I am 23 years old.

4. How did your brain injury occur?

Some background: I went home to Lafayette, Indiana, for my brother’s birthday dinner with my family on November 16. My brother does motocross as a hobby, and I had never been on a dirt bike before. So, that day I went for my first ride. We made it down the road, and then we wrecked. An eyewitness of our accident said that we were not speeding at all, but the bike started to teeter back and forth. My brother was able to dodge a mailbox. The bike then hit a drainpipe head in a ditch. The eyewitness said that the force propelled my brother and me ten to fifteen feet into the air. We were so high that we were in the tree branches before we landed on the ground.

5. When did you (or someone) first realize you had a problem?

As a result of our possible head traumas, my brother and I were rushed to two different hospitals. My mom told me that it was horrible to have us separated but that one hospital wouldn’t be able to handle us if we both needed emergency surgery for head trauma.

6. What kind of emergency treatment, if any, did you have?

I did not have any emergency surgery the day of the accident. I did have surgery to repair my nose. I hit my face so hard that my nose was completely flattened.

7. Were you in a coma? If so, how long?

I was not in a coma, but my mom told me I could only respond by moaning whenever a doctor or nurse performed a sternum rub. My mom told me that, after a few days went by, I was able to wiggle my toes and fingers. I was in the Intensive Care Unit for almost a week.

8. Did you do rehab? What kind of rehab (i.e., inpatient or outpatient and occupational and/or physical and/or speech and/or other)? How long were you in rehab?

I did rehab as an inpatient for about four weeks. I had occupational, physical, and speech therapies Monday through Friday. Once released from rehab, I had to continue therapy as an outpatient.

9. What problems or disabilities, if any, resulted from your brain injury (e.g., balance, perception, personality, etc.)?

When we had our accident, I landed on the left side of my body, so my left knee is always painful. I am able to walk on my own, and I am even driving. But, I only drive down the road – I haven’t been on the interstate yet. When I was first released from rehab, I had trouble with depth perception. I still have trouble with balance. One of the biggest problems that have resulted from my TBI would be dealing with personality changes. (I become upset easily. I could be crying my eyes out over something someone said to me, then five minutes later, be completely happy.)

10. How has your life changed? Is it better? Is it worse?

My life has changed tremendously. A good thing that has resulted from the accident is that my family is much closer. The worst thing that has happened to me is that my entire memory of my life has been erased. I am now able to remember things if someone triggers the memory by a song or by giving pieces of the event. It is honestly scary not to recognize people whom I have known my whole life and who have known me. It is frustrating not to recognize people from school. I hate not remembering things that have occurred in my own life. The only way for me to learn about my life is through pictures. Sometimes, I feel like a stranger in my own life.

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

I miss being able to run outside. I love to do activities outside – like playing kickball with my family or walking my dog. I also used to be a cheerleader and a ballroom dancer. I don’t see myself being able to do those things anytime soon.

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

I appreciate life. I do not allow little things to bother me or make me upset. I pay attention to the tone I use when I say things and to the words I choose. I have had people in a joking manner say, “Your accident was months ago. Isn’t that memory-excuse getting old?” They say it in a joking way, and, in the context of the situation, it was not a direct attack. But, it was hurtful. My TBI is a silent disorder, just like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Alzheimer’s, depression, and so many others. I never want to offend anyone, so I have learned to be compassionate of anyone with any disorder.

13. What do you like least about your brain injury?

Memory loss is the worst outcome of my TBI. Some days, I look through pictures and feel like I’m looking at a stranger – and the girl in the picture is me. It’s an odd feeling to have everyone around you know more about you than you do.

14. Has anything helped you to accept your brain injury?

Honestly, what works for me is to have a positive attitude and to be able to rise above the negative things people say. I am also helped by reading blogs online to learn how other TBI survivors live everyday life. My family has been my motivation to keep going.

15. Has your injury affected your home life and relationships and, if so, how?

I live with my boyfriend, Travis, now that my family has allowed me to return to Valparaiso. He is my primary caregiver. He does everything for me. He is my whole world. He drives me to my doctors’ appointments, to therapy, and to school, and he even helps me with my homework. I would not be able to go back to school or even try to get back to a normal life without him. My mother and I are very close, and my accident brought us even closer. She helps me calm down when I get upset and frustrated. She is a great listener, even when I call to tell her the same story for the third time in the same day. My mother is a hospice nurse. Her background and experience working with patients who need her to do everything have helped her to help me. My mother has a positive attitude, even when I say I can’t do something. She says, “Not yet, but you can do….” She will then list all the things that I have learned to do again.

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

My friends are wonderful. But, I would love for them not to be so protective of me nor to change plans because they think that I can’t do something. I want to try and be normal like them. If I can’t do it, I just think, “I know they mean well. I think they need more time to get used to it all.”

17. Who is your main caregiver? Do you understand what it takes to be a caregiver?

My main caregiver is my boyfriend. I live with him, so he helps me get to school and to doctors’ appointments. Travis is my everything. He has made possible going back to living my old life. My mom is also my caregiver. She helps me with all of my doctors’ appointments and life-decisions. She and Travis work as a team to help me.

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

My future plans began with graduating in May from Purdue North Central with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. Ten years from now, I plan to attend veterinary school.

19. Are you able to provide a helpful hint that may have taken you a long time to learn, but which you wished you had known earlier? If so, please state what it is to potentially help other survivors with your specific kind of brain injury.

Don’t become overwhelmed with your current state. Don’t be afraid of the future. No doctor has all the answers, so don’t become discouraged if he or she can’t understand your TBI. No TBI is the same. Have faith.

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

Talk to those around you. Education about TBI to those who don’t understand will help spread the knowledge. Also, not being afraid to explain your TBI will help those around you understand and help you.

(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 Hayley Nichols.)

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.

Category:

Survivors SPEAK OUT!

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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.)

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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Category:

On the Air! Show Menu

Tagged with:

SPEAK OUT! NewsBit . . . . . . . . . . . National Hockey League Player Retires at 24 Because of Concussions

National Hockey League Player Retires at 24 Because of Concussions

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Football and hockey are the two sports that are responsible for the majority of concussions in athletes. A concussion is now known to be a brain injury and can be serious. More and more people are becoming aware of the possibility that a concussion may lead to a major life-change.

Previously I wrote about Chris Borland, a starting rookie linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL (National Football League) who quit after one season because of his concerns about brain injury.

Now, Patrick Wey is quitting the Washington Capitals in the NHL (National Hockey League) at a young age (24) because he had two concussions in 2014. Wey plans to substitute “educational interests” for hockey.

(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.

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.

Category:

NewsBits

Tagged with:

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!

faces On 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.

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 from 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.

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(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

NOTE: 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.

(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)

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

As I say after each post:

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NewsBits

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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

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 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.

When 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.

Troop, 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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