Background info,
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A reliable predictor of & remedy for cognitive decline?
In a departure from my standard posts on this site, I am sharing a piece I wrote about the predictive value of Theta waves. Delta and Theta brainwaves are foundational. During our early years, they are dominant, but as we age, they become more situational. After about age seven, we require Delta and Theta waves Continue reading
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Visual Processing Issues & TBIs
You know your alphabet, the sounds each letter represents and how the sounds blend to reflect the facts and feelings of your world. You have been “inside the code” for some time and reading gives you great pleasure. Images form in your mind and you are often transported from your uninspired life to somewhere much Continue reading
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Effects of TBIs on Relationships, Part 6
Although I have dozens more examples, this is the final installment addressing the effects TBIs have on relationships. TBIs can feel contagious to those who have to deal with an injured loved one, friend, or colleague. The injuries are disruptive, disorienting, and disheartening to everyone involved. Thanks again to Nan Dunne, ND, for her encouragement Continue reading
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Effects on Relationships, Part 5
Distortions of sensory processing are disorienting and can be life altering. Loss of sense of taste or smell Franco, a 45-year-old chef, came in after a blow to the head caused him to lose both his sense of smell and taste. “Can you imagine what it is like for a chef to not be able Continue reading
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Effects of TBIs on Relationships Part 4
Changes in sleep patterns is probably the most common disrupter that romantic partners complain of after a head injury. Change in sleep habits. “If you can help Doug, I’ll kiss your feet. He’s up at all hours, TV on full blast or banging around in the garage with the radio on full-bore. The neighbors have Continue reading
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Effects of TBIs on Relationships Part 3
Continuing the discussion A common complaint among TBI survivors is a sense of loss. Not your simple “I lost my keys” or “I lost my train of thought”, although these can be enough to drive one bonkers. Most survivors of TBIs express a loss of some aspect of “self”. They no longer recognize themselves and Continue reading
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Effects of TBIs on Relationships Part 1
I recently wrote a piece enumerating problems TBIs might cause. (https://wordpress.com/post/mylifeinbraininjuries.com/209 published 4/2/23) To restate & abbreviate: “In sickness and in health” is a promise often made with the mindset that “sickness” is a temporary condition – we either heal from or succumb to an illness, right? Unfortunately, there’s a huge and uncomfortable terrain between Continue reading
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Changes a TBI might cause
It is not uncommon for TBI survivors – and, indirectly, their loved ones – to suffer a variety of consequences. And this isn’t even an exhaustive list. Anhedonia: Loss of sense of pleasure; inability to be moved by beauty. Adynamia: Apathy; dull or flat affect. Activity is difficult to self-initiate and the individual may appear Continue reading
adynamia, anhedonia, aphasia, apraxia, chronic pain, depression, disinhibition, disrupted appetite, disrupted sleep patterns, distractibility, emotional lability, flooding, memory deficits, motor deficits, oppositional/defiant behavior, Post-concussive problems, problems tracking time, sensory distortions, sexual function, Speech deficits, TBI -
TBI Myths & Misconceptions Part 2
Myth #5: It’s called mild traumatic brain injury because it isn’t serious. The nomenclature is unfortunate. “Mild” simply means the skull was not fractured and if the person lost consciousness, it was for no more than a few minutes. The consequences of a mild TBI may include: Myth #6: If a person’s pupils aren’t different Continue reading
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TBI Myths & Misconceptions Part 1
Myth #1: “I didn’t hit my head so my brain must be fine.” My previous posts have shown that the head needn’t hit anything in order to injure neurons. Just the brain slamming against the inside of its own skull is sufficient to cause plenty of damage. It’s not limited to whiplash either. Landing on Continue reading
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Why is it so easy to injure a brain? Part 3
The central nervous system (CNS) is comprised of gray matter – mostly cell bodies – and white matter – mostly cell axons. Although the two “matters” look separate, they are unitary – continuous neurons. We think of the gray matter as being the outside of the brain, which it is, but it also exists in Continue reading
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Why is it so easy to injure a brain? Part 2
Neurons are microscopic, gangly, and FRAGILE. Without the elaborate “insulation” provided by glial cells, neurons are brittle and become tangled. Unfortunately, glial cells are susceptible to damage from stress hormones, especially cortisol which can corrode glia like battery acid. In addition to the fragility of the neuron, the layout of the neurons in relationship to Continue reading
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Why is it so easy to injure a brain? Part 1.
Let’s start with the skull. The skull, on a normal day, protects the brain which sits, all glumpy – somewhat like a child’s balloon filled with pudding – in the skull. Because the living brain is nothing like the rubbery, dense preserved brains of science labs and hands-on museums, it needs all the protection it Continue reading
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There are many ways to break a brain
. There are so many ways to break a brain, but in case one’s imagination flags, the NIH has created a graphic to help one consider the options. (OK, I doubt that was the motivation for the creation of the chart.) I’ve added “hormonal disorders” and “environmental exposures”. I’ll give some examples of these as Continue reading
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Why Another Blog About Brain Injuries?
It took me years to self-identify as a head injured person. Heaven knows I had had plenty of injuries – some that rendered me unconscious for extended periods – but the message I received when family and caregivers were involved (most of my injuries were untreated at the time they occurred) was simply that Continue reading
disclaimer
This is a work of non-fiction depicting actual events in the life of the author, presented as truthfully as recollection permits. In order to protect the privacy of the very real people involved, names and other identifying characteristics have often been changed.
Information regarding health represents the opinions of the author and are not intended as medical advice. Consult your health care provider for individualized care.
My Life in Brain Injuries 