The Plural of Moose is "Meese"

     I first started experimenting with making tags and e-stationary because Jeremy Crow introduced me to it sometime after my motor vehicle accident and subsequent diagnosis of traumatic brain injury. I like taking pictures and I like making backgrounds in particular. 
     
     Hobbies are good things to have. They force our brains to solve problems and give us pleasure. Have you picked up any new hobbies since your brain injury?

     I took the picture of the moose, and a picture of the lawn [used in the background] and altered them on my legally obtained digital photography software. I added the words. If you want any of them, please right-click and save to your "My Computer." Enjoy. You can use them on the Internet at will.

Eat more beef.

      A friend went hunting and bagged a moose. He made moose stew and it was delicious.

FAIL.

FAIL moose.

      Here I was thinking of the FAIL boat pictures. I like the FAIL moose.

Hey There.

I like BIG bucks.

      Flirting can be fun.

Like a BOSS.

      I'm a Duck Dynasty fan. I think I've heard this saying on there.

NO.

      If we never say "no," then our "yes" ceases to mean anything.

Thanks, Cupcake.

      I picked up "Thanks, Cupcake" from Todd Kincannon. For situations when "no" just isn't enough.

WHATEVER.

     I remember being a teen and living in "whatever" mode.

Brains in the News: 9/12/2014

     A 24 year old woman in China was discovered to have no cerebellum. The cerebellum is the part of the brain that is responsible for motor functions i.e. walking, locomotion; word formation via the tongue, teeth and mouth; and may also be indicated in some cases of epilepsy. The woman, considered to be mildly developmentally delayed, walked and talked late. She had balance problems her whole life and a slur quality to her words. In spite of her difficulties, she is married and has one child.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/09/12/where-my-brain-woman-missing-cerebellum-went-unnoticed-for-24-years/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/09/12/newser-brain-cerebellum-missing/15504297/

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-womans-brain-is-missing-a-cerebellum-2014-9

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-found-to-be-missing-cerebellum/

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/09/11/a-woman-reached-the-age-of-24-and-no-one-realized-she-was-missing-a-large-part-of-a-vital-organ/

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329861.900-woman-of-24-found-to-have-no-cerebellum-in-her-brain.html#.VBNzvvm-2o8




     C.N.N. Health has a list of ten apps that are thought to help with brain training at http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/09/health/brain-training-apps/. I cannot vouch for them as I have not tried them. What I will say is that I've found Tetris, exercise, and patterns to be best for me in terms of helping my brain function well. I also need a schedule-- something that I've always resisted. You?


     A Boston internist discusses her brain abnormalities due to multiple sclerosis and her feelings about it at http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2014/09/making-peace-with-my-abnormal-brain. Definitely worth a read for anyone interested. I know it's not "traumatic brain injury" but I think some of us might like to know about other brain drains besides our own.


     A sad story from Morrow, Ohio. A high school football player injured in a crash has now been declared brain dead. http://www.wlwt.com/news/little-miami-school-district-says-injured-student-is-brain-dead/28031170. Yeah, we all have problems but we do have the distinct advantage of being alive.


     Professional football players have a higher than average incidence of brain trauma and long-term neurological defects and diseases than are present in the general population as reported at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/13/sports/football/actuarial-reports-in-nfl-concussion-deal-are-released.html. I have no yearning to play football myself although I did have to be forbidden by a chirodoc from entering a contest. The contest involved sliding down a hill full of snow in a box. The prize was a trip to Aruba. That might have been nice to win but the chirodoc just stared at me and said no way. 


     Tufts U reports that brains can be trained to prefer healthy food over crap. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/12/train-your-brain-eating/. I figure there might be something to that. I've been endeavoring to lose my sweet tooth for some years now. There are small indicators of partial but not complete success. I do like to exercise now and that is certainly something.


     Finally, the folks from Time [magazine, but on-line] tell us that children from South Africa are at highest risk for fetal alcohol syndrome. Babies are born with that when their mothers drink during pregnancy. How much a mother would have to drink is unclear. http://time.com/3342053/this-is-your-childs-brain-on-alcohol/. 

     The title of the article is misleading. I was expecting yet another primer on why adolescents "should not drink."

     A couple of things about the relationship of addiction-- whether limited to alcohol or including any and all drugs-- to traumatic brain injury: The probability of addiction goes up after a t.b.i. Those of us who are in recovery have a higher probability of relapse for a couple of years after a t.b.i. I managed to escape relapse because I increased the stuff I do in order to remain clean from active addiction.

     I appreciate that no one likes the suggestion that one ought not to do something or other because of some risk factor. I certainly don't like that stuff either. I gently urge you to not drink alcohol or use street drugs for the first couple of years after your traumatic brain injury or acquired brain injury [such as stroke]. If there is any question about your level of consumption or ability to control what happens when you do party, I urge you to get screened for addiction. An active addiction problem hinders getting the best recovery that we can get for our brains after a t.b.i. or a.b.i.

     So that's all for now!  ~ sapphoq healing brain damage