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SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury Pamela Sveum & Sherri Diehl Ward

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury Pamela Sveum & Sherri Diehl Ward

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.

Pamela Sveum (mother and caregiver for her son, Robby)

Seventeen years ago, my son, Robby, (then age 15) suffered a traumatic brain injury from an accidental gunshot wound to the head with a .357. He was moving his boss’ gun from the seat of the truck to the dashboard when the gun went off. He was given a 0% chance of survival. Medically speaking, Robby should not have survived. Medically speaking, everything pointed to zero at the very best. Robby’s survival and recovery are nothing less than a miracle! The picture on left is Robby dancing at his best friend’s wedding a few years ago. He was the best man. The one on the right is Robby getting his dog, Holly, about five years ago. May 27, 2015, is the date on which I acknowledge feeling very blessed – very thankful for Robby’s presence in our lives and his continuing progress. I feel a bit of sadness for the things we lost along the way – there were casualties. My message: Keep the faith, never give up hope, and always be willing to continue to be surprised with what life has in store for you. With Robby, life is always full of surprises.

Sherri Diehl Ward (caregiver)

Our story in a nutshell: My husband, Bill, was in a near-fatal motorcycle accident on July 11, 2009. He was thrown from his bike and lay in a ravine in the woods – about twenty feet from the road. When Bill wrecked and was thrown, the bike stayed upright and continued down the road about 300 feet. The police got to the scene and saw the bike with minimal damage. They assumed that the rider dumped it and left. Bill lay in the woods until a police officer found him. The police were actually ready to leave the scene, when Officer Hurd from the Winslow Township Police Department saw something in the road and went to see if it was part of the accident scene. When he approached, he heard Bill’s moans coming from the woods. At that point, everyone sprung into action, so to speak, as Bill’s time was quickly running out. The helicopter was called in. En route to the hospital, Bill actually coded. He was gone for four minutes. When Bill arrived at the hospital, I was not far behind him, as I had been notified by my brother-in-law, a police officer from our town. (Once the police ran the plates on the bike and realized who the victim was, they contacted my brother-in-law first, as they knew him.) He picked me up, and we quickly made our way to the hospital, not knowing if Bill was dead or alive at that point.

When I first saw Bill, he was completely unrecognizable. He had broken every bone in his face, broken his jaw in three places, fractured his neck, broken eight ribs, and, worst of all (the reason I am writing this), received a traumatic brain injury. It was very touch and go for weeks. Bill spent three of them in a coma. He had to have complete facial reconstructive surgery, and he had his jaw wired for twelve weeks. Bill came home about a month and a half after the accident, complete with a peg tube (a tube inserted through the abdomen that delivers nutrition directly to the stomach) and a trach (tracheotomy – an opening surgically created through the neck into the trachea to allow direct access to a breathing tube).

Although Bill healed physically, I don’t think he will ever be fixable emotionally and mentally. We now struggle daily with bouts of amnesia, sporadic memory loss, cognitive impairment, confusion, disorientation, paranoid delusions, hallucinations, nightmares, flashbacks, and early signs of dementia, among many other things. Bill’s severe and drastic mood swings and rage are a part of daily living as well. We try to make the best of the situation at hand, and I am forever grateful to still have him here, but living with a TBI survivor is not a life I would have chosen – for obvious reasons. I can only hope that one day we will all have peace.

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

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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.)

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(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

Category:

TBI Tales

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

SPEAK OUT! Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

SPEAK OUT! Itty-Bitty Giant Steps will provide a venue for brain-injury survivors and caregivers to shout out their accomplishments of the week.

If you have an Itty-Bitty Giant Step and you would like to share it, just send an email to me at neelyf@aol.com.

If you are on Facebook, you can simply send a Private Message to me. It need only be a sentence or two. I’ll gather the accomplishments and post them with your name on my blog approximately once a week. (If you do not want your last name to be posted, please tell me in your email or Private Message.)

I hope we have millions of Itty-Bitty Giant Steps.

Here are this week’s Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

Gina Morin (caregiver for her ex-husband)

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

YOU did it!

Congratulations to all contributors!

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

As I say after each post:

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

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

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

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

Feel free to “Like” my post.

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Itty-Bitty GIANT Step

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Survivors SPEAK OUT! Hayley Nichols

Survivors SPEAK OUT! Hayley Nichols

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

Hayley Nichols

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

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

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

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

4. How did your brain injury occur?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Photos compliments of Hayley Nichols.)

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

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

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

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

Feel free to “Like” my post.

Category:

Survivors SPEAK OUT!

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT! Tatiana Puckett

Caregivers SPEAK OUT! – Tatiana Puckett

presented

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

Tatiana Puckett

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

Palmdale, California, USA tatianamdiaz@yahoo.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15. What do you like least about brain injury?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

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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Category:

Caregivers SPEAK OUT!

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

National Hockey League Player Retires at 24 Because of Concussions

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

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

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

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

As I say after each post:

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

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

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

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

Feel free to “Like” my post.

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NewsBits

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SPEAK OUT! NewsBit . . . . . . . . . . . Depression Reversed in Mice

Depression Reversed in Mice

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

NOTE: This news is especially important for young brain-injury survivors because clinical application may take 10-20 years.

In a major advance in basic research of the brain, neuroscientists were able to reverse depression in mice by activating neurons storing a positive memory. The work was done by a team of brain scientists headed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor and Nobel Laureate, Dr. Susumu Tonegawa. This work on depression extended Dr. Tonegawa’s earlier work, on which I reported previously. The current research was done at the RIKEN-MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics.

The experiments were done on mice. (I have previously written why mice are good first models for humans.) Dr. Tonegawa’s team was able to use light to activate cells of the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus – the area of the brain where memories are stored. They also showed that tagging a memory with a positive or negative feeling involved a pathway composed not only of neurons of the dentate gyrus, but also of neurons in two other areas of the brain: the nucleus accumbens and the basolateral amygdala.

(The use of light to activate specific neurons is a powerful and relatively recent method called “optogenetics.” The mice are genetically engineered to allow the neurons that made new memories to be turned on by light. The light is supplied by implanting optical fibers near the desired neurons, in this case in the dentate gyrus of the mouse brain, and shining light from a laser through the fibers.)

When neurons storing a positive memory were light-activated in mice that showed the symptoms of depression, the mice no longer acted depressed. The depression had been reversed by turning on those neurons. Briefly activating the neurons storing a positive memory for five days and then stopping the trigger of activation (light) was also effective in reversing depression. This shows that the positive-memory neurons do not need to be continuously activated.

Current therapeutic drugs for the treatment of depression in humans act on all neurons of the brain. It is hoped that eventually drugs will be designed for specific neurons. Another approach to stimulate specific neurons is to use a kind of “pacemaker” that could be implanted in the brain. Such treatments would have fewer side effects. (Full story)

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

As I say after each post:

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

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

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

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

Feel free to “Like” my post.

Category:

NewsBits

Tagged with:

“Another Fork in the Road” . . . Brain Injury Radio Network . . . Panel Discussion – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

YOU ARE INVITED!

Panel Discussion – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

Panel Members – Catherine (Cat) Brubaker, Julie Kintz, and Juliet Madsen

with host Donna O’Donnell Figurski

Catherine (Cat) Brubaker, Julie Kintz, and Juliet Madsen join host Donna O’Donnell Figurski to discuss the many problems that surround their lives as brain injury survivors who look “normal.”

People easily understand the implications arising when someone suffers a broken limb or is diagnosed with cancer or is physically disabled. But, when someone is living with an “invisible” brain injury, folks find it difficult to comprehend. They don’t understand the seriousness of memory loss, confusion, lack of organizational skills, bursts of anger, or lack of emotions. “Get over it!” “That happens to me too,” and “Oh, I know what you mean….” are some of the phrases that are commonly heard by brain injury survivors, and they’re infuriating. Such a phrase is a big, red flag that shouts that the friend, family member, or loved one simply does not understand what his or her survivor is going through. Cat, Julie, and Juliet will address this topic. They hope to help others understand more clearly what it means to live with a brain injury while looking “normal.”

Cat Brubaker is a two-time traumatic brain injury survivor and the founder of “Hope For Trauma.” Also, in the summer of 2014, Cat rode her recumbent trike Across America (diagonally) to raise awareness for brain injury.

When Julie Kintz‘s car went off a cliff in California in 1991, she got a brain injury. Julie is a former Brain Injury Radio Network host.

Troop, Juliet Madsen, got her brain injury while serving her country in Iraq. Juliet is a member of the Board of Directors of R4 Alliance and is a master quilter. You can see some of her work at “Stroke of Luck Quilting.”

Come One! Come ALL!

What: Panel Discussion Topic – “All Disabilities Are Not Visible”

Why: Cat, Julie, and Juliet will discuss how “Invisible” brain injury affects their lives.

Where: Brain Injury Radio Network

When: Sunday, July 5th, 2015

Time: 5:30p PT (6:30p MT, 7:30p CT, and 8:30p ET) 80 minute show

How: Click: Brain Injury Radio Network

Call In: 424-243-9540

Call In: 855-473-3711 toll free in USA

Call In: 202-559-7907 free outside USA

or SKYPE

If you miss the show, but would like to still hear the interview, you can access the archive on On Demand listening. The archived show will be available after the show both on the Brain Injury Radio Network site and on my blog in “On the Air.”

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of panelists.)

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Events Calendar

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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.

I hope we have millions of Itty-Bitty Giant Steps.

Here are this week’s Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

Jeffrey Smallwood (survivor)…This month is Brain Injury Awareness Month in Canada. Last weekend, I ran my first 5K run. I did it for brain injury awareness. My local organization raised over twelve thousand dollars, which will continue to fund our clubhouse. My running is not pretty, as I’m a fat guy. I still felt the burn two days later. This was big for me, as I’ve done something I’ve never done before. A shout-out to all my fellow Canadian brain injury survivors!

Dave Villarreal (survivor)…Dave Villarreal joined the competition at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. In this week-long event (June 21–26), Dave took part in many events, including shot put, javelin, handcycling, archery, and rifle shooting.

He is the proud recipient of two medals. He won a silver medal in shooting and a gold medal in archery!

And, he came in the top five for handcycling! He says, “That was my best race yet. What an awesome rush!” Dave’s advice: “Get out and LIVE your life. Have fun.”

YOU did it!

Congratulations to all contributors!

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

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Itty-Bitty GIANT Step

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT! . . . . . Kendra Brittain

Caregivers SPEAK OUT! – Kendra Brittain

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Donna O’Donnell Figurski

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

Kendra Brittain

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

Sapulpa, Oklahoma, USA brittainhome@yahoo.com

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

My TBI (traumatic brain injury) survivor is my son. He was about 13 when his injury happened. He was playing football and got hit on both sides of his helmet. This caused a severe concussion. No one knew what was going on at that time. Of course, both the coach and we let him keep playing any sport out of not knowing what happened to him. As a result, his injury did not have time to heal.

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

I immediately took him to a seizure-doctor because I suspected his juvenile epilepsy had come back. But, it was very different. Nothing showed up on what was wrong with him until six months later. My son’s concussion was around 2008. I was 37 when his injury occurred. My son is now 18, and he is mostly unable to take care of himself.

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

My husband and I were taking care of our daughter in addition to our son.

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

No, I wasn’t working. I had been injured at work, which left me disabled. So, I wouldn’t have been able to work anyway. But, I was able to care for my son better.

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

My husband helped me a lot when he could. Other than that, I didn’t have any help.

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

My husband and I helped our son immediately by taking him to the doctor.

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

No, my son wasn’t in a coma, but he lost all memory of before the accident and the week of the injury. He can’t remember his childhood at all.

My son did have to do a lot of physical therapy for his back because he developed a syrinx due to the injury. (A syrinx results when cerebrospinal fluid, which normally flows around the spinal cord and brain and transports nutrients and waste products, collects in a small area of the spinal cord and forms a pseudocyst.)

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

My son needs constant reminders to do stuff because his memory isn’t very long. He requires reminders to take his medicine. Because his depression was so great, we had to give it to him.

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

My son’s brain injury has made life better because we are closer as a family, and it made us realize what is important in life.

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

My son loved sports, and we loved to watch him play. But, because of his memory, no one will give him a chance – not even to play basketball, which he is good at and enjoys. He really misses playing too, so he has had to find enjoyment someplace else.

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

I enjoy our family life and the closeness we have as a family. I would not change it for the world.

15. What do you like least about brain injury?

I dislike all the struggles my son has to go through and the limitations he has that no one can see by looking at him. I also dislike when he has a seizure and I can’t do anything about it.

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

I’ve been helped by my faith in God’s wisdom and knowing He can heal anyone.

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

We are a closer family than ever before.

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

No, not really.

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

My son got his driver’s license. He’s graduating high school and then heading to college to learn about computers. He will have a job that he went to school for – doing what he wants to do.

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

Don’t give up – even though your circumstances may look dim. There is hope in life and in God. There is a better plan for your life in the future. God will make something good out of something bad. Also, if you know your child or your survivor and you know that something is not right and you feel that what the doctors say doesn’t make sense, get a second opinion and pursue it. We did that, and my son is ten times better.

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.

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Caregivers SPEAK OUT!

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