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Posts tagged ‘TBI Survivor’

Survivors SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . Anonymous

Survivors SPEAK OUT! – Anonymous

(survivor requested anonymity for personal reasons)

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

Anonymous

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

Ohio, USA

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

I was 28 years old.

4. How did your brain injury occur?

My ex-boyfriend pushed me over a balcony, and I hit my head on concrete.

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

People called 9-1-1, so it was within a few minutes.

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

I had two craniotomies (removal of part of the skull to expose the brain). A pic line (also “picc line,” peripherally inserted central catheter) was added in my arm. I had a G-PEG (gastric tube inserted by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy; the tube leads directly to the stomach and allows direct feeding).

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

I was in a coma for four days. The coma was medically induced.

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)?

I had occupational, physical, and speech therapies.

How long were you in rehab?

I did six weeks of inpatient therapy, followed by ten months of outpatient therapy.

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

I’m half deaf. I have problems with muscle weakness, memory loss, double vision, balance, discoordination, and loss of the brain’s executive function.

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

My life is better now. I’m more loving to my family and my son. It seemed impossible at the time – I thought I’d be crippled.

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

I was in college to be an RN. At the time, I already had a good job helping people with their everyday needs.

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

I have a new appreciation for life. I know that life can end at any time, so I cherish each day. I don’t drink anymore. Therefore, I can now provide my son with whatever he needs.

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

I dislike forgetting words and names. I have a hard time with what I want to say to people. Often, I have short-term and long-term memory loss. Those things can be the hardest.

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

My son and my family have helped me to accept my new changes by being caring and patient.

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

My brain injury has affected my home life by my having to find new ways to get around things. I have also learned that, while a relationship would be nice, I don’t have to be in one.

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

My social life is now limited to walking in my small town and the occasional visit to the grocery store or department store to get only what I need

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

My mom is my main caregiver. She handles all of my finances, plus she’s been an Occupational Therapist for over twenty years.

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

I would like to continue talking to people about the effects of alcohol, the effects of abuse, and how we can change all of that.

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.

I wish I would’ve known what real abuse is – not only the physical aspects, but emotional and psychological abuses as well. Had I been aware of those, I would not have been injured in a way that completely altered my life.

Plus, let it be noted that no two traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are ever the same.

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

I am a TBI survivor. We are all TBI survivors in our own ways. We don’t need to be in abusive relationships; we deserve all of the care in the world. My advice – don’t become a statistic of horrible abuse that could harm you. Everyone has the capacity to be stronger. I realize that now, and I hope that everyone does.

(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.)

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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Survivors SPEAK OUT!

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SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faces of Brain Injury . . . . . . . . . Shanna Wolf Heart Powell

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury – Shanna Wolf Heart Powell

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

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

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

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

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

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

Shanna Wolf Heart Powell (survivor)

This was me three years ago. I was in this truck when it flipped and rolled at 60 mph. I had a shattered face and a shattered shoulder. And, I spent some time in a coma. This was the final nail – the one that pushed my PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) into full mode and gave me a TBI (traumatic brain injury). I am not the same me. I am the “new” me. God chose me to still be here. I see it too many times – people are in wrecks and they don’t make it. My survival just makes me even more thankful. (I now make a horrible passenger, as every time the driver swerves, a car looks like it’s going to hit us, or it appears that it is not going to stop, I freak out.) I forget things a lot. I loose what I am saying in the middle of a conversation. I get flustered easily. I have many depressed days and cannot do all the things I used to. I panic for people when I see them getting flown by Care Flight (as I was a “passenger” once). All I can do is say, “God, please help them.”

One day, I had taken my boys to a hospital’s Emergency Room for something, and they wheeled a trauma patient past us. Covered in blood, she was badly hurt from an automobile accident. She was screaming, confused, and scared. They were taking her out to put her on Care Flight. I cried for her and panicked. That was one of the first-known PTSD triggers for me. I have no recollection of the wreck that almost killed me. But, I relived a horrible moment in my life through her. I could only imagine what it was like for me.

Those who care enough to read through my story will read this and then go on with life. But, I live this every day. My TBI (though not as bad as some, and for that I say, “Thank you, God”), my PTSD, and my bipolar disorder will never go away. So, I just have to live with them every day. I cannot do a simple task without issues. For example, I may not understand things when I go to places, like the cell phone store. I don’t understand how to put the airtime cards in my new phone. Instead of telling the clerk, “I have a TBI and don’t understand,” I just say, “Oh, OK.” 😦

Almost every day, something triggers my PTSD, and I fight to stay afloat. People say, “Get over it.” 😦 There is no getting over it! It’s not an easy battle, so please do not tell me to “get over it.” I have lost the memory of a lot of things in my life. I may forget things you just told me. I get confused to the point that I just say, “Forget it. If you try to explain any further, I will just get mad because I don’t get it.” And, I have no filter. I tend to say what I think. So, if I say something and it offends you, move along or unfriend me. It’s not personal.

So “Happy Three-Year Survival” to me! This is why I’m getting the “;” tattoo. And, my story is not over.

To those who think I am stupid and annoying, “Please don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.” And, to those who stayed by my side, stayed my friends, or have become my new friends – “Thank you! Love to all!”

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

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

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

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

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

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Faces of Brain Injury

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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 is this week’s Itty-Bitty GIANT Step

Debbie M. Wilson (survivor)…I want you to know that there really is a pay-off for living, and I really did get there. I was able to go by myself and navigate public transportation alone for the first time in 24 years. I did not have a seizure-alert dog or a caregiver. I am more thrilled than anyone can possibly imagine! I had hoped, I had prayed, and I did dare to dream. My dream became a reality. I am not just seizure-free, but I now have the cognition to be safe, alone, for the first time. Miracles really do happen in this lifetime and in this world!

YOU did it!

Congratulations to contributor!

(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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Itty-Bitty GIANT Step

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

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury – Linda Wells

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

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

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

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

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

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

Linda Wells (survivor)

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

Also, I am now a watercolor artist.

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

Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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

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:

Faces of Brain Injury

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SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faces of Brain Injury Chelsea Rolph

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury

Chelsea Rolph

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

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

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

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

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

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

Chelsea Rolph (survivor)

Four summers ago, I did not know what I was going to do after leaving high school. I had suffered multiple concussions, and I spent my summer in concussion rehab. I was sent for a test or results at least once a week. I had a neuropsychological exam. It was a full, exhausting day of random tests. The results of this exam really gave me some answers. Essentially the doctors were telling me that I have a lot of problem areas. If I decided to go to school, I would need:
– a note-taker
– a private room for exams
– extra time for exams
– take-home, open-book exams, if possible
– formulas for any possible math classes
– extended time for assignments
– to be given assignments right away
– exam reviews from the profs
– the use of a computer

I had a lot of problems, and I needed a lot of help. The doctor told me that, because I was trying to choose between college and university, I should choose college. I was told that college is more hands-on, but it was suggested that I take time off and not even consider going to school. I decided that I would go to McMaster University and see if I can get the accommodations. When I sat down with one of the guidance counselors, I was told that they have had people with my problems before. The counselor suggested that I take one, maybe two, classes a semester. Basically I left that meeting feeling discouraged. I didn’t think I would be going to school at all.

As the school year approached and I had to make a final decision on school, I decided that I was going to go to school. I decided that I wanted to prove everybody wrong.

Four years later, I GRADUATED! I did it without the help of any doctors and without any accommodations from Mac. It wasn’t easy, but I walked across that stage and became an official “Graduate of 2015.”

I would like to thank everybody that made it possible, and I want to thank everybody I have met along the way to make these past four years some of the most memorable. Among the Vanier Cup win in first year, Homecoming, meeting the love of my life, beer pong Tuesday, and even a flash mob, I have made some unforgettable memories.

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

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

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

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

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

Feel free to “Like” my post

Category:

Faces of Brain Injury

Tagged with:

SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faces of Brain Injury Erin Lea Beville & Evelyn Pumarejo-Justiniano

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury

Erin Lea Beville & Evelyn Pumarejo-Justiniano

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

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

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

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

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

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

A special shout out to two special nurses.

Erin Lea Beville (survivor)

I’m a sixteen-year survivor. I got my bachelor’s degree in nursing from Florida State University in May (2014) and my RN license last October. Having a traumatic brain injury (TBI), I needed a bit of rest following the hell that is nursing school. I was fried!

I recently started a job as an Integrated Health Wellness Coach and Peer Support Specialist at Community Mental Health. It’s perfect because they want me to share my story and pay me for it. My brain injury is finally an asset rather than a liability. So, hooray for patience, perseverance, and determination! I’ve done it – not in spite of my TBI, but because of it. Together, we can be the difference, for each other and for others. Go out there and inspire people. Be the person only you can be – yourself. Then own it. You rock!

Evelyn Pumarejo-Justiniano (survivor)

I suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) almost twenty years ago. I had to learn how to walk and talk and to relearn the basic things we take for granted in life. Yet, I feel I am blessed. I overcame all the obstacles and unforeseen circumstances put in my life. I returned to school after my injury and had a GPA of 3.79 in nursing school. Today I am a nurse – going on a year now. I am planning to go for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. And, I thank God for my good husband, who has been by my side the past 29 years.

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

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

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

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

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

Feel free to “Like” my post

Category:

Faces of Brain Injury

Tagged with:

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

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

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gary Rankin (survivor)

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

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

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

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

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

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

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

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

Feel free to “Like” my post.

Category:

Faces of Brain Injury

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

“Surprise!”

Miki Mashburn-Bailey

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As I say after each post:

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

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

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

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

Feel free to “Like” my post.

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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.

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

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June 6, 2021

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Top 30 Brain Injury Blog Award

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