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TBI Tales: One Usable Hand

Living With One Usable Hand

Dorothy Mah Poh Choo

(presented by Donna O’Donnell Figurski)

As a hemiplegic, I have one usable hand. It’s definitely very challenging. To carry on with life, I had to find new ways of doing things. I lost my job when I could not return to work full-time. Though I live with my children, I am home alone during the day when they go to work.

I learnt that the saying “Necessity is the mother of invention” is true. Creative thinking can find new solutions to old ways. Besides finding new ways, I also use many aids, the most useful of which is a portable trolley. With it, I can carry things around. I found a one-touch can opener, which does the job with just one press of a button.

The fingers of my remaining hand can do much more than before. I can hang socks on a peg carousel with one hand. Using a peg system I invented, I hang towels and small items on an airer. (It was most frustrating trying to hang undies before that.) I still do most indoor house chores. Washing dishes is very noisy, but I do my best.

My best achievement is putting the bread clip back onto the bread bag, after an occupational therapist I asked in rehab told me it couldn’t be done with one hand. It is important to acknowledge all achievements, no matter how small.

I cut meat and vegetables using a special cutting board with nails in one corner to hold the item. I butter bread using a special board with raised sides that hold the bread in place. I open jars by pressing down on an anti-slip mat, which stops the jar from moving. There are mats everywhere. There is one where I eat so the plate doesn’t move around. I cook using a heavier pan so it doesn’t turn round and round from stir-frying. I use the gas burner closest to the wall so that the pan doesn’t fall off the stove onto me.

Doing things with one hand is a matter of breaking the activity down into individual steps. For example, to put a cup into the cupboard, I open the cupboard door, get the cup, then put it into the cupboard. Before I had only one good hand, I would just take the cup, open the door with one hand, and put the cup in with the other hand.

Of course, some results won’t be as good as they would be using two hands. I have accepted that and learnt to laugh at myself. Folding clothes takes double the time now and results in a messy pile. Wrapping presents is a sloppy task. After I lost my left arm, I wrapped presents for the last time at the end of that year. I handed the “wrapped” presents to my friends saying, “Sorry – not my best effort. It’s a one-handed job”. LOL! Life is better when you are laughing.

Doing things with only one hand takes a lot of patience and determination. I keep trying until I do it. I’m also very safety conscious. If I can work out in my mind to do something safely, I will do it. Waiting for someone else to do something can be quite frustrating. (I don’t like sitting on leather chairs – it’s cold. I had an old doona on the electric recliner I sleep in. It kept slipping off, and it annoyed me terribly. I had the brilliant idea to sew one end so it would slip over the chair like a cover. I asked my daughter to do it, but she was very busy, and the days stretched on. I got up one morning, planned everything in my head, took some measurements, threaded the needle using a needle-threader, and off I went. The work took four hours, but I did it. My daughter didn’t notice it for weeks, until I pointed out that she didn’t need to do it for me anymore. She was impressed.)

Most things are possible if you put your mind to it. If something is truly hard, ask for help. It is not worth it to get hurt.

I have learnt that success is just one more try after failure. Life is worth living. Don’t give up.

Thank you, Dorothy, for sharing your story in TBI Tales. I hope that your experience will offer inspiration to my readers.

(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 donnaodonnellfigurski@gmail.com. I will publish as many stories as I can.

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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TBI Tales

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On the Air – Brain Injury Radio Julie Kintz Substitutes for Donna O’Donnell Figurski

On the Air – Brain Injury Radio

Julie Kintz sits in for Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Mark Ittleman, MS CCC-SLP, speech & language pathologist

Due to a prior engagement, I was unable to host my show, Another Fork in the Road on the Brain Injury Radio Network on October 19, 2014. Fortunately for me and all my listeners, Julie Kintz of Quantum Leap stepped into her host shoes and interviewed a very interesting guest. Mark Ittleman, a speech and language pathologist, spoke of the many difficulties brain-injured survivors encounter after their injury. I will be back on November 2^nd with Dr. David Figurski, (my spouse) who will give his perspective of his life as he conquers traumatic brain injury.

Mark explained his philosophy of therapy (it should be doable, interesting, and enjoyable), his methods (analysis, repetition, and modeling), and his strong desire to involve the caregiver (by his or her presence in the sessions, by learning from him, and by his writing simple-to-understand books – he’s working on one now). Mark cautioned survivors to get more than one prognosis because a prognosis is only a doctor’s opinion and because survivors are often more capable than people realize. Mark understands the power of the ability to communicate and suggested that survivors – even years after their trauma – can benefit from having a speech therapist.

If you missed the show, don’t fret. You can always listen to the archived show. I’ve included the link below.

Please SHARE!

I hope you’ll tune in to my show, Another Fork in the Road, which airs the 1^st and 3^rd Sunday evenings of every month. The show starts at 5:00p Pacific Time and runs for 90 minutes. On the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays at 5:00p Pacific Time, Julie Kintz hosts Quantum Leap. When there is a fifth Sunday in a month, Julie and I will team up to cohost a show called Another Quantum Leap in the Road.

See you “On the Air!”

(Click the link below to listen to the show.)

Julie Kintz interviews Mark Ittleman M.S. CCC/SLP. Mark will address speech difficulties after brain injury in both children and adults.

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On the Air!

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

SPEAK OUT! Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

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 donnaodonnellfigurski@gmail.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.

David Figurski…I assembled Donna’s new office chair. It came as 12 pieces with 13 screws. The Allen screws made it possible to use my non-ataxic left hand. Because the instructions were written with two good hands in mind, I sometimes had to devise my own way of assembling the parts. It took me twice as long, but I felt good about doing it.

Jodi Mannon…I was hit and thrown down stairs in January by my ex-roommate. I don’t remember a lot in the past 8 1/2 months. Yesterday I became friends with a lot of people who also have a TBI. I spoke with one on Facebook Messenger for a couple of hours. We chatted for a moment today, and he is going to call me tonight. I was shocked! He made me truly happy for once because we were able to talk the way we did and share our lives. I haven’t done that with anyone because I’ve never even thought about it before. I just had a lot of issues in dealing with getting better. It’s the greatest feeling to have people who have been through the same thing understand me!! Not that my parents and friends haven’t been nice, but they just don’t understand the things I go through. My new friends do. I feel so blessed to have them in my life, and I look forward to keeping these new friendships for the rest of my life!!!

Carmen Gaarder Kumm…I passed the test that allows me to keep my job!!! I needed a 70, and I got 73.7 – not much, but I PASSED! Better yet, I found my car after going out a different door than the one I went in. (Also, I was parked on the street in a college city that I’ve only been to once before.) I walked around for a half an hour looking for it – but I was still within 2 hours! LOL!

YOU did it!

Congratulations to all contributors!

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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Itty-Bitty GIANT Step

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Survivors SPEAK OUT! Melissa Cronin

SPEAK OUT! – Melissa Cronin

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Melissa Cronin

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

Melissa Cronin

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

South Burlington, Vermont, USA

3. When did you have your TBI? At what age?

Age 36

4. How did your TBI occur?

In 2003, when visiting the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, an elderly driver confused the gas pedal for the brake and sped through the market. I was thrown forward, and my head hit the pavement. The force of the impact resulted in a ruptured spleen and multiple fractures, including my pelvis.

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

Fourteen months after the accident, when I returned to part-time work as a public health nurse, I experienced increased fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and multitasking. My boss threatened to fire me, so I resigned and attempted part-time work in a pediatrician’s office (bad idea for someone with a TBI), but I struggled to keep up in a fast-paced environment. In May 2006, I finally saw a neuropsychiatrist for testing, and the results proved to be consistent with a TBI.

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

I did not have emergency treatment for a TBI. The CT (computerized tomography, also known as “CAT”) scans showed no bleeding (typical for a “mild” TBI). I did have emergency surgery, though, to remove my ruptured spleen.

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

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

I had physical and occupational therapy at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles to help regain muscle mass and strength after being hospitalized for nearly one month. I would be in a wheelchair for four months while my fractures healed, so rehab taught me ways to navigate through my day.

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

Fatigue, difficulty multitasking and concentrating, occasional irritability, depression; and difficulty processing verbal, auditory, and visual information

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

My life is both better and worse. It’s better because my TBI, and other injuries, opened up a path for me to writing. And my husband, whom I met only three weeks prior to the accident, has been my strongest support. It’s worse because I eventually had to give up my 20-year nursing career.

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

Running and skiing, and the babies I cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit where I worked before my injury

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

Writing, playing the Irish fiddle, going for walks, and, of course, my husband’s unwavering support

13. What do you like least about your TBI?

I’m much slower at getting things done. I often sleep in until 9:30 or 10:00 am, and I feel as if I’ve wasted much of the day. Also, I often fail to understand concepts others seem to grasp so easily.

14. Has anything helped you to accept your TBI?

I’ve been helped by the neuropsychiatrist who diagnosed me with a TBI and by the cognitive therapist who treated me. Also, my therapist – he continually reminds me that my brain has been rewired.

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

Definitely my home life has been affected. I rely on my husband to do much of the “heavy” lifting, like cooking, grocery shopping, and driving, because I am easily distracted.

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

Absolutely. I do not socialize as much as I did before my injury because it doesn’t take much for me to become fatigued.

“Invisible Bruise” Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries. June 2014

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

I am my own main caregiver, though my husband does much of the cooking. I do not know what it takes to be a caregiver, though my father is living with Alzheimer’s, and I help out as much as I can.

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

Writing and traveling

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 TBI survivors with your specific kind of TBI.

I wish I understood much earlier the truth about TBIs before I re-entered the workplace and had to face the threat of being fired. For example, I wish someone had warned me that I might have actually suffered a TBI, and that the initial presentation of milder injuries does not mean the consequences are mild.

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

Persevere. Try not to compare yourself to non-brain injured individuals – you’ll only get frustrated. Pay attention to what your body and brain are telling you, and give yourself permission to take naps. Exercise your brain, in moderation, by doing crossword puzzles or learning a new skill. Whatever you accomplish, even if it’s getting out of bed by 7:00 am, is an accomplishment.

Melissa is the author of “Invisible Bruise,” published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries.

Melissa Cronin with her fiddle

To learn more about Melissa, please visit her website/blog at Melissa Cronin.

Thank you, Melissa, for taking part in this interview. I hope that your experience will offer some hope, comfort, and inspiration to my readers.

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

(Photos compliments of Melissa.)

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.

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Survivors SPEAK OUT!

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Brain Injury Resources . . . . . . Amazing Potential of Stem Cells to Repair the Brain

Amazing Potential of Stem Cells to Repair the Brain

My NewsBits are often about advances in stem cell research (1, 2, 3, 4). There is good reason – the recent advances in our understanding of stem cells make them a key component in efforts to heal the brain. This video shows the potential of stem cell-based therapy.

Dr. Siddharthan Chandran on TED Talk

For years, medical students have been taught incorrectly that the brain cannot repair itself. Recent exciting research on stem cells has definitely put that “dogma” to rest. In fact, the rapid pace of discoveries about the brain indicates that the future may be closer than you think. The brain actually does repair itself, just not enough. The repair the brain does do uses a natural reservoir of stem cells (pluripotent cells that have the potential to become any cell). Recent research has shown that we will be able add more stem cells to boost the natural repair of the brain and restore lost functions, even functions usually considered to be lost forever. In the video, Dr. Siddharthan Chandran hypothesizes that the added stem cells help repair the brain, not by acting themselves to do the repairs, but by activating more of the brain’s own stem cells.

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(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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On the Air – Brain Injury Radio Interview – Catherine Brubaker Triking Across America

On the Air – Brain Injury Radio

Interview with Catherine (Cat) Brubaker

Triking Across America – diagonally

In my interview of Catherine (“Cat”) Brubaker, Cat tells the story of her life before her brain injury, her two TBIs, and her recent 5200-mile trip across the US (diagonally) on a recumbent trike.

Cat came from a humble and religious family. As a child, she loved sports and the outdoors. Her parents sacrificed so that she could go to college, where she earned a B.S. degree in Psychology. That education has been immensely valuable to Cat, especially now that she has a brain injury. It was “probably the best education I have ever received from any institution.” Cat then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in 2007, with a perfect 4.0 average (all As). Her father passed away two years earlier, and Cat knew he would’ve been proud.

From Anacortes, Washington to Key West, Florida (5,200 miles)

In her mid-30s, Cat had made a great life for herself. She had a good job with lots of responsibility; she had a long-term relationship; and she was enjoying the independence of her life. Then she acquired her first TBI from an assault. She had to learn everything again. Cat had many deficits from her brain injury, including problems with balance. She suffered from Post-Concussive Syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). When Cat left the hospital a year later, she became involved in a head-on collision and received another TBI. For a second time, she had to relearn everything from scratch. Her long-term relationship ended, and she desperately missed her independence and freedom. When her mother died unexpectedly, Cat hit bottom.

Meet Cat’s Grizzly Bear

Then Cat discovered the recumbent trike and regained some of her independence. She later met Dan Zimmerman, a stroke survivor, while he was riding his recumbent trike. They stopped and talked, and he told her of his plan to ride across the country. Cat decided immediately that she wanted to do it too. After much preparation, the trip is happening. Cat has been greatly moved by the outpouring of love and generosity. She wishes that everyone could experience so much love at least once. Cat discusses some details of her trip so far, including one time in Montana when she was alone and encountered a grizzly bear. Cat’s discussion will mesmerize you.

Ride, Cat, RIDE!

If you missed the show, don’t fret. You can always listen to the archived show. I’ve included the link below.

Please SHARE!

I hope you’ll tune in to my show, “Another Fork in the Road,” which airs the 1^st and 3^rd Sunday evenings of every month. The show starts at 5:00p Pacific Time and runs for 90 minutes. On the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays at 5:00p Pacific Time, Julie Kintz hosts “Quantum Leap.” When there is a fifth Sunday in a month, Julie and I will team up to cohost a show called “Another Quantum Leap in the Road.”

See you “On the Air!”

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

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On the Air!

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Survivors SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . Lisa Parker McGreggor

SPEAK OUT! – Lisa Parker McGreggor

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

Lisa Parker McGreggor

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

Tampa Bay, Florida, USA parkermcgreggor@yahoo.com

3. When did you have your TBI? At what age?

July 24, 2000 I was 15 – only two weeks shy of 16.

4. How did your TBI occur?

Car accident

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

When I didn’t get up at the scene

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

I had a G (gastrostomy) peg (feeding tube). My spleen was removed.

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

Yes. I was in a coma for three months.

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

Yes. I had rehab at the hospital for six months. Afterwards, I was still going, but insurance would only pay every three months.

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

I have a problem with my balance. My mood is an issue. My right arm is drawn up.

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

My life may be better, but it’s lonelier.

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

My freedom

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

Food

13. What do you like least about your TBI?

The fact that it exists

14. Has anything helped you to accept your TBI?

Reality

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

Yes. It made me reliant on my parents. I hardly ever go out, so I don’t have a boyfriend.

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

Most of my friends left.

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

My mom is my main caregiver. Yes, I understand what it takes.

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

I don’t have any plans.

You can never “quit.”

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

Be strong.

Enjoy the ride. Life is shorter than you think!

Thank you, Lisa, for taking part in this interview. I hope that your experience will offer some hope, comfort, and inspiration to my readers.

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

(Photos compliments of Lisa.)

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.

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Survivors SPEAK OUT!

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Survivors SPEAK OUT! Luke R. Hostetler

SPEAK OUT! – Luke R. Hostetler

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Luke R. Hostetler

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

Luke R. Hostetler

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

Woodburn, Indiana, USA Lrhostetler@gmail.com

3. When did you have your TBI? At what age?

September 10, 2010 Age 26

4. How did your TBI occur?

I fell down stairs.

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

Friends looked for me when they realized I was absent from the party for too long. The doctors diagnosed the TBI!

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

I had a tracheotomy, and a feeding tube was inserted. My jaw was wired shut. 😦

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

I think I was, but I don’t think it was for an extended period of time.

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

I had rehab (occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy – maybe others), both as an inpatient and an outpatient. Rehab was maybe two years?

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

My right optic nerve is damaged. I have a problem with short-term memory. 😦

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

I’ve met many new people, so that’s a very good thing!

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

I miss my occupation and driving!

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

A new friend whom I met because of my TBI. 🙂

13. What do you like least about your TBI?

My short-term-memory is junk. 😦

14. Has anything helped you to accept your TBI?

My new friend. She also has a TBI!

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

Home life: At 30 years old, I still live with my mom, and I depend on others for most everyday activities.

Relationships: I’ve made countless new friends. That’s ALL GOOD. 🙂

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

I am much more of a social being.

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

My Loving Mother, Vicki Rose Hostetler, is my caregiver. I know and understand it’s hard work, and I appreciate that!

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

I hope to be able to live independently. I’d like to have had found the love of my life!

Patience is a virtue!

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

Live your life in stride. Good things come to those who wait. God has a perfect plan. 🙂

Hostetler with Muskie 10639383_10204875651152455_5899253425922197294_n

Luke R. Hostetler & Muskie

Thank you, Luke, for taking part in this interview. I hope that your experience will offer some hope, comfort, and inspiration to my readers.

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

(Photos compliments of Luke.)

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.

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Survivors SPEAK OUT!

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT! . . . Charline

SPEAK OUT! – Charline

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Charline & Rick April 2012

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

Charline

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

Abilene, Texas, USA

3. What is the TBI survivor’s relationship to you?

He (Rick) is my husband.

How old was the survivor when he/she had the TBI?

What caused your survivor’s TBI?

The TBI was caused by an aneurysm that started to hemorrhage. Two days after the surgery to repair the aneurysm, he had a major stroke.

4. On what date did you begin care for your TBI survivor?

September 2013

Were you the main caregiver?

Are you now?

Yes

How old were you when you began care?

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 TBI?

Yes

If so, were you able to continue working?

No. My husband and I were snowbirds at the time of the TBI. We worked on the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota during the summer and at an antique store in Texas during the winter. Rick is a Minnesota native, and I am a Texan. He was flown to Minneapolis, so I was not able to continue my summer job. We came back to Texas in June 2014.

7. Did you have any help?

Yes

If so, what kind and for how long?

My two daughters and their families live here and are able to come and relieve me for a few hours a week.

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

Immediately

9. Was your survivor in a coma?

Yes. Rick was in a medically induced coma.

If so, what did you do at that time?

I spent every day in the Intensive Care Unit talking and reading to Rick. He had family that came daily to visit as well.

10. Did your survivor have rehab?

Yes

If so, what kind of rehab (i.e., inpatient and/or outpatient and occupational, physical, speech, and/or other)?

Rick was in a nursing home between the hospital and rehab. He had to relearn everything. He had physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy when he was moved to the rehab facility.

How long was the rehab?

3 months

Where were you when this was happening?

I attended most of every therapy session and doctor visits. Rick responded better to me than to anyone else.

11. What problems or disabilities of your TBI survivor required your care, if any?

His memory was severely damaged. He can never be left alone. He is also incontinent. (I have him on a bathroom schedule. If I ask him if he needs to go, he always says no; but if I tell him it’s time to go, he does.) His appetite is great.

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

I can’t say that my life is better or worse. I can say that it’s different.

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

I miss the freedom to be able to just “go.” My husband and I were very active. We hiked, canoed, fished, shopped, and worked. I miss my jobs and the people I worked with.

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

I enjoy the brief moments of lucidity.

15. What do you like least about TBI?

The lack of “me time.” I hit the floor running every day – taking care of his needs and taking care of all the household duties.

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

I am still learning how to accept my new life.

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

Yes. I sometimes feel like a prisoner. I can’t just go shopping for groceries anymore. If I take him with me, he gets distracted and puts everything in the basket or tries to eat it before buying. I usually have to get one of my kids to come and sit with him so I can do any errands.

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

Yes. I don’t have a social life anymore.

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

I hope and pray that in ten years we will be a little more active.

20. What advice would you offer other TBI survivor caregivers? Do you have any other comments that you would like to add?

Charline & Rick July 2014

My advice is to stay strong. Take time to care for yourself.

Thank you, Charline, for taking part in this interview. I hope that your experience will offer some hope, comfort, and inspiration to my readers.

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

(Photo compliments of Charline.)

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

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT!

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Survivors SPEAK OUT! Joey Buchanan

SPEAK OUT! – Joey Buchanan

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

Joey Buchanan

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

Flovilla, Georgia, USA Dekalbfd19@yahoo.com

3. When did you have your TBI? At what age?

Date of accident – July 18, 2012 Age at the time – 46

4. How did your TBI occur?

We were overhauling at a house fire (which means searching for hidden fire). I was standing against a wall, when a full sheet of sheetrock (4 ft. x 8 ft.) fell from a vaulted ceiling, striking me on top of the head.

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

Immediately. I was told that I fell into the wall, then onto the floor. I was asked twice if I was okay. I don’t remember any of that. It broke and cut my nose, and I could feel the blood running down my face.

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

Nothing major – just a routine X-ray and a cat (CT) scan

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

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

Yes – cognitive therapy, emotional therapy, physical therapy, and vestibular therapy. I am waiting on a driving exam and endocrinology testing. I am currently in therapy.

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

I have difficulties with balance, decision-making, and reading and comprehension. I’m more emotional (crying and anxiety). I have headaches, dizziness, and tinnitus. My sorting skills and my ability to multitask (very important for a firefighter) have been affected. I experience depression, fatigue, and pains in my neck, hands, and feet. My motivation is a problem.

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

The mental and physical issues have been difficult. I went from working two fire-department jobs, homeschooling our daughter, and building a pool house to spending most of my time in bed, due to fatigue, depression, pain, and lack of motivation. My wife and daughter both say that I am much more easy-going. I tell them, “Well, yes. I am not working 120-plus hours per week.” (LOL)

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

My other family at the fire department

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

To be able (when I am able) to be home with my daughter, and the chance of starting a new chapter of my life

13. What do you like least about your TBI?

The fatigue, the lack of motivation, and the pain

14. Has anything helped you to accept your TBI?

My faith in God and the support of family and friends

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

It has been a mixed bag in my home life. Although I am home, the majority of my time is spent in bed.

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

Yes. We don’t go to concerts, and we don’t go out to eat. I try to avoid crowds. This is all due to overstimulation and anxiety.

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

My wife is my main caregiver. In some respects, I became her caregiver when she became ill in 2005.

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

I hope to recover as much as possible and to start a group that goes out and assists other first responders when they are injured and have to be home. In 10 years, I would like to be able to travel.

I want people to know that this injury will take much longer to recover from than they could ever imagine.

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

Try to keep emotions and stimulation to a minimum in the beginning – it will help in the long run. Find a support group – they have valuable knowledge. Doctors are not always as educated on TBI as they need to be. The sooner you can accept the “new normal,” the easier it will be. Don’t ever give up or stop trying. Find an advocate who will help you in your journey.

Thank you, Joey, for taking part in this interview. I hope that your experience will offer some hope, comfort, and inspiration to my readers.

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

(Photos compliments of Joey.)

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.

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Survivors SPEAK OUT!

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