TBI Caregiver | Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury

TBI – Survivors, Caregivers, Family, and Friends

Posts tagged ‘TBI Caregiver’

On The Air: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brain Injury Radio . . . . . . . . “Another Fork in the Road” with Survivor & Caregiver, Sandra WIlliams

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

with

Guest: Survivor and Caregiver, Sandra Williams

presented

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

images-1 Sandra William’s was thrust into the role of brain injury survivor and caregiver when her whole family was involved in a motor accident with a drunk driver with multiple DUIs. Sandra spoke about the trials her family endured and still endures because of the negligence of a stranger.

As two teachers, Sandra and I delved into how schools can better help students who are identified with brain injury or special needs. Federally mandated, 504 Plans and Individual Education Plans (IEP) were discussed.

If you missed this show with Sandra Williams on “Another Fork in the Road” on November 15th, 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 Survivor and Caregiver, Sandra Williams

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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On the Air!

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On The Air: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brain Injury Radio “Another Fork in the Road” Daily Living & Organizational Skills

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

with

Panelists: Survivor, Lisa Dryer and Caregiver, Jeannette Davidson-Mayer

Topic: Daily Living & Organizational Skills

presented

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

images-1 Living day by day with a brain injury can be an utmost challenge. Juggling fatigue, memory loss, or dealing with concentration issues, to name just a few, can be extremely overwhelming. So how does one overcome these problems while trying to get through the day? These are some of the topics that Lisa Dryer, Jeannette Davidson-Mayer, and I discussed. Some really good ideas came out of the discussion. Tips that be easily utilized to help folks make their lives a bit more simple and controlled. I hope you will listen to the show to find out.

Dryer, Lisa Survivor Panelist and survivor, Lisa Dryer, talked about having structure in her life, which helps her to stay more organized. Structure adds a balance that helps to make things more predictable. A predictable life is easier to maneuver through.

Panelist and caregiver, Jeannette Davidson-Mayer, elaborated on her “Central Command Center,” which is located in her kitchen. She said this method worked best for her husband, DeWayne, who received five brain injuries while serving in Iraq. Post-It notes and whiteboards help to keep Jeannette’s family more organized.

If you missed this show, “Daily Living & Organizational Skills” on “Another Fork in the Road” with Lisa Dryer and caregiver, Jeannette Davidson-Mayer on November 1, 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 panelists: survivor, Lisa Dryer and caregiver, Jeannette Davidson-Mayer on “Daily Living & Organizational Skills”

(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.

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On the Air!

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SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guest Blogger: Miki Mashburn-Bailey “Awareness: TBI Survivor Advocate”

Awareness: TBI Survivor Advocate

Miki Mashburn-Bailey

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

It has been twenty years since my husband’s traumatic brain injury (TBI). Unawareness has been our enemy and hurt us tremendously. Awareness has found its place in our home just this past year, and it has brought along with it forgiveness, acceptance, and understanding.

Awareness has turned our life around. And, everyone who suffers from a TBI deserves to understand this life he or she lives. So obviously, awareness is important to me. It has become my passion. I ask you to help me prevent further damage by making the world aware. Your response could save a life – a marriage – a family.

My husband was hit in the head by a brake drum that had flown off an eighteen-wheeler. The brake drum was traveling at highway speed. It wasn’t actually a “car accident,” but it was an unnecessary and unfortunate accident. (It’s for a reason such as this that you can receive a ticket for “failure to maintain your vehicle.”) My husband’s car veered to the left. The barrier between the highway lanes slowed him to a stop, as he was combative and lost all control of his being. An ambulance just happened to be driving by soon after, and the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) team just happened to look down into my husband’s vehicle. They saw him and took immediate action.

I am thankful for this EMS team because they helped save my husband’s life. They responded quickly and effectively, and my husband was rushed to the nearest trauma center. The team there responded quickly, and the surgeon was able to do what was necessary to prevent further damage. This man and the trauma center team saved my husband’s life. I am forever grateful to them. They did their jobs, and they did them well. Had the EMS team not responded in the manner they did, it would’ve made the trauma center’s job more difficult.

My husband survived an incident he should not have. He improved much sooner than expected. He recovered miraculously and was discharged earlier than expected. I am thankful to everyone. They did their jobs well.  HOWEVER, there was still a job that was necessary. There was still work to do. There was still much-needed therapy. There was still much-needed counseling.  A life was saved, but it was forever changed, and no one was there to help make sense of it. No one was there to guide my husband and me to the next step. No one was there to warn of the subtle changes that have huge impacts. No one was there to enlighten and give insight as to what to expect next.  EMS did a great job and sent us on to the next step – the trauma center. The trauma center did a great job and sent my husband on into surgery. The surgeon did a great job.

But, the only place left to pass my husband on to was home. “No more treatment necessary” written on discharge papers means “There is no more left for us to do on our end,” but, to the sufferer of a TBI, it reads as, “You’re fine. You will heal right up!”  My husband and I go home. We expect things to be different. We adjust. We assume time is all that’s needed. Time marches on, and things don’t improve, or we begin to notice this and that here and there. By the time we recognize things aren’t healing cognitively as well as they are physically, we go to a doctor confused and try to communicate our concerns. My husband is brushed off because he “looks fine.”

Trauma centers need to have a “TBI Survivor Advocate” to hold the survivor’s hand into the next step of the TBI journey – not to hand out written material that will be lost in all of the other paperwork given at discharge. TBI Survivor Advocates would sit down with survivors and their families and/or friends and help them understand that, while EMS and the hospital saved the survivors’ lives, there are others who will help survivors LIVE their lives. TBI Survivor Advocates could direct and guide survivors to find therapists and counseling that will help transition and adjustment to their “new normal.”  A disservice was done to my husband – to his future, to the company he worked for, to our relationship, and to our family.  We were denied effective help and expected to carry on, due to my husband’s “miraculous” physical healing. Because of that, the cognitive damage that affected his being never got the attention or therapy it desperately needed.

Awareness of the reality of TBI as often being an invisible disability is vital in the health of the world we all live in. TBI is a thief in the night and has no prejudice. It can happen to anyone of any status. Please help me make others aware. We can be that hand that guides others to their next steps in their journeys. The world we live in is full of those who have influence. A difference CAN be made in the way a brain-injured individual adjusts to his or her new life. All it takes is ONE person to make a difference. The more we help one another, the better our world becomes.

Thank you, Miki Mashburn-Bailey.

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of Miki Mashburn Bailey)

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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Guest Bloggers

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On The Air: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brain Injury Radio “Another Fork in the Road” Janiece Naber Martindale “Caregivers Need Care Too”

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

with

Janiece Naber Martindale

Topic: Caregivers Need Care Too

presented

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Janiece Naber Martindale knows a lot about caregiving. She is a two-time caregiver – first for her husband, then for an elderly friend. Janiece says that her caregiving responsibilities were very different for each person. Janiece and I examined what it takes to be a good caregiver.

If you missed this show, “Caregivers Need Care Too” on “Another Fork in the Road” with Janiece Naber Martindale anoon September 20, 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 Janiece Naber Martindale: “Caregivers Need Care Too”

(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!

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On the Air!

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT! . . . . . Janiece Naber Martindale

Caregivers SPEAK OUT! Janiece Naber Martindale

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

1. What is your name? (last name optional)
Janiece Naber Martindale

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

Chickasaw, Alabama, USA

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?

My husband, James Martindale, was 61 when he was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy (MSA, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain). In December 2008, my husband and I drove an empty semi-tractor to Calexico, California, to our drop yard. We were to pick up a loaded trailer for our trip home. Because of rain, the drop yard was extremely muddy. The semi got stuck in the mud, so James walked through the muddy yard looking for our loaded trailer, when he fell in the mud. James hurt his back at that time, and he began to complain of dizziness. He also complained of a nasty headache. I believe that that was the beginning of James’ MSA.

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 my husband’s care in June 2009. I was 45. I was his main caregiver. I am not now because my husband passed away on October 16, 2014.

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

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

Yes, we were working at the time. But, we had to quit.

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

My husband had hospice care for the two years before he passed away.

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

For the first three years, I was the only caregiver, and I didn’t really have any help. But, I had a lot of help in the final two years with hospice care coming into the house.

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

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?

My husband had no rehab.

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

My husband had problems with his balance and his gait. He couldn’t write. He wasn’t able to drive a car. Eventually, he lost all ability to move. He had an upper respiratory infection.

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

My life is better because I now have the knowledge to help other people

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

I miss being able to go out and ride around the Gulf coast together.

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

It’s hard to enjoy life, since I have to start over all by myself.

15. What do you like least about brain injury?

My husband died too soon.

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

I just accepted it. It was the way of life.

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

I had to stay at home a lot. I realized that I could change that when I had the help of hospice workers.

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

My social life was affected at the time. Now I’m trying to put my life back together again with a husband.

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

I plan to help someone who is living in this situation – I may even start a support-group, so people have a place to go and chat.

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

Keep a positive attitude. Hold your head high. Be patient. Encourage the survivor.

(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.

(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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Caregivers SPEAK OUT!

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About Me and My Blog!

SPEAK OUT! for Brain Injury

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Writer, Blogger, Radio Host, Speaker

WRITER

My completed memoir, “Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story,” starts the minute my husband, David, had his brain injury. He was exercising. He did one more chin-up than his normal twelve. That dreaded thirteenth changed our lives forever. The story carries the reader through three unwanted brain surgeries – none of which David was expected to survive and which reduced him to an infantile state. “Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story” portrays David’s first eighteen months of struggles through recovery, therapy, and rehabilitation, while heralding his strength and persistence. I have included an epilogue to bring the reader up to date on David’s recovery and David added his flair to the story and his personal touch by writing the afterword. “Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story,” documents my dedication to helping David recover and details how we picked up the pieces and glued our lives back together. The story will make you laugh. No – brain injury is not funny, but life without humor during recovery from brain injury would be unbearable. It will also make you cry. No doubt! But, mostly it will offer hope to brain-injured survivors, their caregivers, and their family and friends. “Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story” is my completed memoir currently searching for an agent

I have four stories published for children in three books with Scholastic in their Education Department. Also, three biographies about notable Native Americans are scheduled for publication in two anthologies in early 2016.

BLOGGER

My blog, Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury, was the brainchild born from my realizing how many people are living with brain injury. At least 5.3 million people, just in the United States alone, are affected by brain injury. That is an astounding number! After being a part of this huge community for almost ten years, I knew I had to raise my voice, and I realized I could use my writing skills to reach a large audience. Social media was not yet a part of folks’ lives when David had his brain injury, so we invented our own wheel. But now, with so many social media sites where brain-injury survivors, their caregivers, and their family and friends can search for information, I felt it was senseless for them to invent their own wheels. I wanted to help. The blog began with the Survivors SPEAK OUT! interviews, which gave survivors a voice, using my blog as their stage. That venue became hugely successful, and soon the Caregivers SPEAK OUT! interviews evolved. Soon after, many more categories followed as I saw a demand for them. The categories are listed below with a brief description.

BLOG CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

Brain Injury Resources

The Brain Injury Resources category houses various informational topics, including books, movies, documentaries, facts, and research about brain injury.

Caregivers SPEAK OUT! Interviews

Read interviews from caregivers of brain-injured survivors. If you are a caregiver, this is where you can tell your side of the story. Look for the Caregivers SPEAK OUT! Questionnaire below.

Caregivers SPEAK OUT! Questionnaire

This is the Caregiver Questionnaire. It’s easy – just fill out the 20-question template. (All the directions are on the page.)

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury

Meet brain-injured survivors and their caregivers on “Faces of Brain Injury.” Their candid and heart-wrenching stories will help readers understand the serious implications and complications of living with brain injury.

If you’d like to share your story on “Faces of Brain Injury,” please send it to me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d be happy to consider it. (Please put “Faces of Brain Injury” in the subject line.)

SPEAK OUT! Guest Bloggers

Everyone has a story. In this section, Guest Bloggers can SPEAK OUT! about topics relevant to brain injury and special to them.

If you have a Guest Blog you’d like to share, please contact me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d be happy to consider it. (Please put Guest Blogger in the subject line.)

SPEAK OUT! Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

When you are living with a brain injury, no accomplishment is too small. ibGs provides a platform for brain-injury survivors and their caregivers to shout out their BIGGEST (or smallest) recent accomplishment. Share yours now!

Send it to me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d be happy to consider it. (Please put Itty-Bitty GIANT Step in the subject line.)

My Book: “Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Story”

You can read about my book under “Writer” above.

SPEAK OUT! NewsBits

NewsBits is the place to go to find out the latest in the news about brain injury. (Well, it was the “latest” when I published it. I’m sure it’s still interesting, though.)

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

My radio show, “Another Fork in the Road,” airs the first and third Sundays of each month at 5:30pm Pacific Time. The show features brain-injury survivors and/or their caregivers. It also delves into the problems and issues that survivors and caregivers live with each day. Professionals, including therapists, are also interviewed on the show. If you can’t tune in to the live show, don’t fret. You can listen to the show anytime. It’s archived. Just find the show you want to hear and click the link. (“On The Air Show Menu” in the sidebar of my blog has a list of all my shows and provides their links.)

On the Air! Show Menu

This is the place to go if you are looking for a great show about brain injury. All of my shows are listed here with a link that will carry you directly to the station to listen. So, sit back, relax, and learn.

So, Whaddya Think?

Is there something you are passionate about in this brain-injury world? Do you want to be heard? Your opinion matters! You can SPEAK OUT! on “So, Whaddya Think?

Send your opinion piece to me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d be happy to consider it. (Please put So, Whaddya Think? in the subject line.)

Survivors SPEAK OUT! Interviews

Read interviews from brain-injured survivors from all walks of life. Brain injury is NOT discriminating. If you are a brain-injured survivor, this is where you can tell your side of the story. I’d be happy to consider it. Look for the Questionnaire Template below.

Survivors SPEAK OUT! Questionnaire

This is the Survivor Questionnaire. It’s easy! Just fill out the 20-question template. (All the directions are on the page.)

TBI Tales

The stories that are shared here by a variety of survivors and caregivers will make you laugh and cry – sometimes at the same time. They may delight you or they may shock you, but I can guarantee that the stories will offer you courage and hope.

If you have a TBI Tale you’d like to share, please contact me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d be happy to consider it. (Please put TBI Tale in the subject line.)

and Explore More …
You’re just going to have to click to find out. Go ahead! You know you want to.

RADIO HOST

Becoming a radio host had never entered my mind and may be just about the biggest surprise in my life. When I was approached to join the Brain Injury Radio Network on blogtalk radio, I was hesitant. Probably more like…are you kidding me? It took some convincing and a lot of soul-searching before I said, “Yes.”

I wondered what skills I had for this job, and I began to think – always dangerous. I had been a teacher for more than three decades, entertaining my audience of more than four hundred six- to eight-year-olds – teasing them into learning to “read, ‘rite, and do ‘rithmetic.” Believe me, teachers nearly stand on their heads to keep their little “twerpsters” entertained – a must, if you are going to keep their attention.

I am also in the theater and periodically climb onto the stage to cavort with other actors in front of hundreds of play-goers, so I thought maybe this radio-host thing might work. After all, if I can speak in front of hundreds of people who are directly in front of me, speaking to thousands of invisible listeners should be a cinch. So, yes, I decided to join the network.

Well, it’s not a cinch, and I still get the butterflies before each show, but as soon as my intro music plays, I am in the zone. My 80-minute show flies by, and when I invite my audience to tune in again in two weeks and the mics shut down, I savor the satisfaction of a job well done.

Since I’ve lived in the brain-injury world for more than ten years as the caregiver for my husband, David, I’ve learned a lot and was eager to share my knowledge with others. I’ve been with the network for more than a year now, and I have hosted more than twenty-seven shows.

You can listen to my radio show, “Another Fork in the Road,” on the Brain Injury Radio Network. My show airs the first and third Sundays of each month at 5:30pm Pacific Time. On my 80-minute show, I interview guests in the brain-injury world, including survivors and/or their caregivers, delving into their lives to better understand how they cope with daily living after brain injury. I invite folks from the medical professions, such as therapists, who are willing to offer suggestions and hope to survivors. I talk with folks in brain-injury communities, such as troops from the combat zones of recent wars and athletes from the battlegrounds of the playing fields. I address many topics pertinent to brain injury with my panel of brain-injury survivors and caregivers.

Tune in! Click on Brain Injury Radio and look for “Upcoming Broadcasts.” (My show will be advertised about two days before the first or third Sunday of each month.)

You can listen to the shows anytime. They’re archived. Just click on On the Air! Show Menu on my blog. See you “On the Air!”

SPEAKER

If you’ve read the section above about my being a radio host, you will already understand why I have chosen to become a spokesperson for brain injury. Though brain injury has been around for forever, it seems that it is finally coming to the forefront as our troops arrive home with traumatic brain injury – what the world is calling the “signature” wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Recently too, there is a lot of attention to the head traumas that many football players have received, resulting in serious repercussions for them, such as memory loss, unrestrained anger, and even early dementia. Sadly, many players have completely lost hope and have resorted to suicide. Of course, with the baby boomers reaching their “golden” years (and some not so golden), they are finding that many of them and their loved ones are requiring caregivers in their lives simply to manage day-to-day living. And that’s where I come in. With my knowledge and experience of being a caregiver for my husband, David, for more than ten years, I have learned a fair bit and would like to share my knowledge to help others.

Need a speaker? My 90-minute PowerPoint Presentation, “What Caregivers Need to Know,” is for anyone with a brain injury, anyone who is caring for a brain-injured person, or anyone with any interest in learning more about brain injury. For details or to schedule me for your event, please contact me at neelyf@aol.com.

Below is my brochure.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Category:

About Me and My Blog

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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.

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.

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Category:

Caregivers SPEAK OUT!

Tagged with:

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:

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.

Category:

Itty-Bitty GIANT Step

Tagged with:

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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Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury

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June 6, 2021

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