#brain injuries
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Brain Injury #7. My brush with the surreal.
Mid-twentieth century phone use can seem primitive to people who have always had telecommunication mobility. Except for being able to speak directly to someone, the mobile phone of today and the phone of my youth have little in common. The telephone, a heavy hunk of technology, was usually a boxy black unit with a clear 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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Case study: 60 year old woman & the concept of impediment to cure. Part 2
An impediment to cure is a burden that holds someone back from experiencing full health. The impediment may be something in the diet the person can’t metabolize; something toxic in the environment; a parasite or infection that saps or pollutes the person’s system; heavy metals, systemic mold, poor blood sugar regulation – the possibilities are Continue reading
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TBI #5
Throughout the 50s and 60s, at least in the mill town where I grew up, girls were required to wear skirts or dresses to their academic classes. There was a spell after the mini skirt became popular that girls wearing skirts considered “short” were required to kneel by the teacher’s desk. At the outset of 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 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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TBI #4
Mom decorated cakes – not just little birthday cakes, although she made those too. She took great pride in making wedding cakes that served over 400 people. After she died, we found an album she had compiled of newspaper clippings – pictures of “her” brides and grooms smiling from behind their giant, frosting-rose-adorned cakes, ready Continue reading
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Case study: 41 year old bike crash survivor
In April 2000, Katherine, a 41-year-old female, was riding her bicycle when a car traveling forty miles per hour hit her. She lost consciousness and was still lying on the ground when the EMTs arrived. She was transported to the hospital where it was determined she was not seriously injured and should be released. Despite 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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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 