Yeah, it's been some years

I am not who I was.
I am not the same.

I am working now.
I am in a whole different space now.

It feels good.

sapphoq healing tbi

When the Helping Professionals Fail

     There are some general facts to which I subscribe and which are responsible to a large degree for my thinking and actions in certain key areas in my life.


a). The government is not responsible for my health, welfare, or happiness.
b). No other agency is either.
c). If I want something different, then I have to do something different.
d). It takes courage to ask for help.
e). It takes guts to get out when said help is becoming a hindrance.




     Within the past decade or so, I have experienced repeated actions of a particular agency-- whose described mission is to foster vocational rehabilitation among the disabled population who it claims to serve-- which appear to be contrary to its stated mission. The last straw was the supposed procurement of part-time work that I could have performed at home during my own scheduled hours. The job was temporary and seasonal. Although I'd been led to believe erroneously that the work itself would employ my ability to doctor photos [and it actually would not], I was willing to give it a go anyway.


     It was not to be. Contract was supposed to start mid-September until the work ran out sometime in December. I would have had bits of things to do throughout the year after that until the next cycle of mid-September through December [the busy time] and so on.


     State agency had to do its paperwork. Sister agency that was going to pay me for the first one hundred hours or so had to do its paperwork. Meetings had to be held. It became mid-October. Nothing was happening. I received word yesterday that my services would not be needed after all.


     I don't blame the employer for backing out. Business is business. Employer needed someone from mid-September, not from mid-October or afterwards. Neither is this one my fault. No love to the bean counters and pencil pushers for this state of affairs.


sapphoq healing t.b.i. says: I have referred myself to my own factoid labeled e). It takes guts to get out when said help is becoming a hindrance. I'm out. I have other options today. Screw your broken system. If you aren't going to help me, then get out of my way. 

Stop Hurting That Tree!

     I was out walking with the dying dog today [she has terminal liver failure but so far is comfortable and still eating and holding her own three months post diagnosis] when I came upon a mixed bunch of kids-- some were teens and some younger-- gathered around two trees. The older kids were harassing one of the trees. 

     Specifically, they were grabbing onto one of the lower branches, yanking down to several feet from the ground, and then attempting to sit on the branch and bounce on it. There were no adults in sight. [The kids were at some sort of day camp I think]. The property being used was board of education, i.e. school, property.

     The tree branch was not designed for what it was being put through.

     I had several choices. I mulled them over in my brain. I decided to do something in spite of my reluctance to get involved and my uncomfortability factor.

     I stood there with my hands on my hips. Then I projected my voice as loudly as it could go without giving myself coughing spasms. [My voice is soft. What other people consider to be "conversation level" sounds frightfully loud to me].

     "Why are you hurting that tree?" I asked.
     "Stop hurting that tree!"
     and finally, "Let go of that tree!"

     The adolescents-- to their credit-- did. A younger boy who was not involved in the tree incident waved at me in a friendly fashion. I waved back at him.

     A young adult then appeared at the doorway. The adolescents and basketballs dispersed. "Well, get into your groups," he told the junior high and elementary school aged children. He could not look me in the eye. I am not a proponent of eye contact so this was fine with me. 

     Life went on.

     Here is a picture of the tree an hour after having its branch jerked around. The branch is not where it should be. The teens were really going at it and I was afraid that the branch was going to be broken off.

Bottom branch of this tree was pulled from about six feet to the ground numerous times. Picture was taken an hour later with the branch still not in its proper position. I took the picture myself so go away copyright monopoly trolls. You are not welcome here.

 sapphoq healing t.b.i. and resultant brain damage says: Speaking up is part of being a responsible community citizen. When choosing to do so, pick your words carefully. Do not attack the person, only the action. Those children and teens that you do not understand will be here long after both of us are dead and gone.

Oliver Sacks is Dieing

     Oliver Sacks has long been on my list of people I would dearly love to hang out with for an hour or two. He is a renown neurologist whose books gave me hope after my own diagnosis of traumatic brain injury incurred during a motor vehicle accident. Like me, Oliver Sacks has prosopagnosia, although I suspect that my case of face-blindness is more mild than his. Also like me [and Sir Terry Pratchett who died recently], Oliver Sacks is an atheist.

     Oliver Sacks has terminal cancer. My world was made a bit more beautiful by his presence in my library.

     I am grateful to Oliver Sacks for gently teasing out the mysteries of neurological conditions and for presenting his patients as human beings first.

     I love you Oliver Sacks.   


Oliver Sacks essay:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/oliver-sacks-on-learning-he-has-terminal-cancer.html


recent articles referencing Oliver Sacks:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/19/living/feat-oliver-sacks-cancer-essay/index.html

http://www.celebritydiagnosis.com/2015/02/oliver-sachs-terminal-cancer/

http://boingboing.net/2015/02/19/oliver-sacks-i-have-terminal.html

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/20/oliver-sacks-reveals-terminal-cancer

http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2010/oct/17/profile-oliver-sacks-author-neurologist  an old article about face blindness or prosopagnosia



other info about prosopagnosia:

http://www.faceblind.org/

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/living-with-face-blindness/279898/

Brain News

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/health/3689603-duluth-man-chronicles-his-struggles-traumatic-brain-injury-caused-childhood

Brad Dearth was in a car accident at the age of seven. He was not expected to survive but he did. He had a difficult time for many years but then relocated to Duluth, Minnesota from Ohio. In Duluth, he received the support that he needed. He speaks to classes of nursing students about his experiences. Dearth has a self-published book due out on Monday.

Best wishes to Brad Dearth! Don't ever give up on yourself.


http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/spoto-community-rallies-behind-girl-who-suffered-traumatic-brain-injury/2219092

Tyra Janelle Brown, a high school senior in Spoto [Florida], suffered a traumatic brain injury during a freak accident on an expressway. She is currently being treated in Atlanta. Her mother is by her side.

Students in Tyra's school have rallied together to support Tyra in her struggles. They have been planning and participating in a multitude of fund-raisers.

A shout-out to the students and others who are helping Tyra and her family during this difficult time! Best wishes, Tyra! Remember that it takes courage to dream new dreams.


http://news.psu.edu/story/346485/2015/02/26/academics/ist-student-entreprenuer-pursues-passions-despite-brain-injury

Krista Krebs does not allow her brain injury to dictate how she lives her life. She was injured as a senior in high school She is currently a student at Penn State and determined to graduate in 2010. In spite of physical pain and complications from her t.b.i., she is thriving at school in her chosen field.

Best wishes, Tyra! Keep on keeping on.


http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2130313

Repeated clinical trials have demonstrated that progesterone has no effect on outcomes or reduced mortality when used to treat patients with traumatic brain injuries.

Although this sounds like discouraging news, we need solid medical research that demonstrates what doesn't work as well as what does work.

A shout-out to JAMA and other scientific peer-review journals!


sapphoq healing brain damage says: Life does not have to grind to a halt after a traumatic brain injury. Regardless of any personal difficulties or degree of disability, it is possible to have a productive and meaningful life.

I have self-published two e-books. They are currently only available at Barnes & Noble. You can check them out here:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/SpikedUp-Frog?store=allproducts&keyword=SpikedUp+Frog

The books-- one pretty cool novel and one about being in x.a. recovery as an atheist-- are e-pubs without any D.M.C.A. crap applied. Those who buy them are free to use python scripts or other conversion tools [like Calibre or Epubor Ultimate] in order to be able to read them across their devices. The books are published under a creative commons license.

I have also learned to take halfway decent photos with my cheap digital camera and a cheap cellphone. I enjoy altering them as I see fit. Here is one of them:

It's mine. I made it myself. I took the photo with my cellphone on a snowy day in the woods and then added the words using my legally obtained copy of PaintShopPro 10. Go away copyright trolls. You are not welcome here ever. Period.
The rest of you are free to download and save it to your computer and to upload it to any social media site on the web of your choosing. Or not.

Follow me on Twitter(tm) if you want to. 
https://twitter.com/SpikedUpFrog

Brain News

Take it, use it, but don't hot-link it. Credit and link back not necessary.

From Science Daily:
 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150218101839.htm

From Science Daily: It turns out that Broca's area is more of speech and language synthesizer rather than a producer. When we speak out loud, the Broca's area shuts down. Results are from a very small sample-- seven patients with epilepsy-- and so I suspect that the study will have to be replicated on a larger scale. Still, this is intriguing to me.



Also from Science Daily:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150217114430.htm

There are two pathways for visual information [not just one as previously thought]. New techniques involving M.R.I. have revealed evidence that-- especially in children-- when the primary pathway is damaged, a secondary pathway can re-route around the primary.
My special [t.b.i.] eye doc told me that "the eyeballs are the outcropping of the brain." Visual acuity is indeed separate from ocular-motor function or dysfunction.



From The Hindu:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/brain-dead-woman-saves-three-lives/article6906825.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication

The organs from a brain-dead woman were harvested and saved three lives.



From Chronicle Live U.K.:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/brain-damaged-county-durham-woman-8667602

An English woman who sustained severely debilitating brain damage early on in life was awarded a huge amount of money. The money will enable her aged parents to move to a larger home [they are her primary caretakers] so that the woman can remain in the community rather than suffer institutionalization and will also ensure her well-being after their deaths.



From National Geographic [on-line]:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/150217-shell-shock-ptsd-tbi-world-war-one-ied-veterans-administration-science/


A short interview involving blast-induced traumatic brain injuries being sustained by our service people. And a cool mask.



From Yahoo News:
https://news.yahoo.com/eye-tracking-tech-could-detect-concussions-football-players-150621714.html;_ylt=AwrBEiQZDeVUiDIAQVrQtDMD

I could have told the researchers this [if they had known to ask]. I have ocular-motor dysfunction caused by my t.b.i. Yeah, I do rather horribly on eye tracking tests. My eyeballs don't play nicely with my brain or with each other.



From North Jersey [dot com]:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/health-news/cyclist-sets-sites-on-bi-coastal-ride-1.1272211

A man who sustained serious head trauma approximately five years ago plans to bike across the country to raise awareness of traumatic brain injury. This is a wonderful thing! You go, Daniel Mollino!



From W.B.T.V.:
http://www.wbtv.com/story/28131593/stepfathers-abuse-conviction-sentence-upheld-by-nc-court

R.I.P. little four year old Kalih Davenport. Her step-father rammed her head into a wall, leaving her with brain damage. She has since died. 



From York Press in the U.K.:
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11799709.York_man_was_savagely_attacked_with_golf_club__rock_and_drill_then_left_for_dead_with_dozens_of_wounds__court_is_told/?ref=rss


A young woman claims during trial that after two men beat on a fellow, she went upstairs and was on Facebook. She didn't realize until later that he was bloodied up in her cupboard.
Hearty wishes go out to Adam Blythe who sustained brain damage and other injuries from the attack.


From I09:
http://io9.com/gourmand-syndrome-is-the-most-delicious-kind-of-brain-1686326418

A curious article about changing food tastes after brain damage brought on via stroke or t.b.i.


sapphoq healing traumatic brain injury

Organizing

I took the photo myself and I can prove that. I added the caption with my legally obtained digital photography software. Copyright monopolist trolls are not welcome here. All others may save the pic to your computer if you want to and use it on social media if you want to. Credit and link back to this blog not necessary. Just please don't claim it as yours and no hot-linking. The photo is copyleft. Thanks.

     Whatever organizing skills that I had pre-traumatic brain injury have gone the way of my old multi-tasking skills. I now have the help of a friend who knows how to organize. I point to stuff and the friend organizes it.

     I no longer have a problem with throwing out or getting rid of stuff that is no longer useful to me. I can't remember why I wanted it in the first place.

     I suspect that I am not the "only" citizen in this community who has problems with household organization. And I also suspect that I am not the only t.b.i. survivor with this problem. I'm fortunate that our situation allows us to hire someone to help with this. And I also know that not everyone with a similar problem can afford to hire help.

     Offering me an hour visit with an occupational therapist who might want to offer tips on how to make housework less exhausting is something that I do not find to be of value to me in my situation. I also deem that particular suggestion as impractical. 

sapphoq healing traumatic brain injury asks: To the "helping" professionals in my life and in the lives of other folks with traumatic brain injuries and/or other disabilities: Would you put a small square of sterile cloth on a deep cut that calls for stitches?
     Your offer of quasi-assistance is hereby rejected. If you aren't going to help me, then don't hinder me. Just get out of my way. The quick fix is worthless in the complexity of our individual lives. No love.

Brain News

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/12/11/year-old-with-brain-tumor-gets-finish-concert-with-her-friends/q67nfV1q5374AhDpPM3gHK/story.html?rss_id=Top-GNP

     Nine year old Sophie Fellows from near Burlington, Vermont found out last week that she had a brain tumor. She plays the violin. She is hospitalized in Boston and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow (12/12/2014). Her music teacher brought the Christmas concert to her. She played her violin and the class performed a medley of Christmas tunes. Best wishes to Sophie for a speedy recovery and many thanks to the music teacher and friends who brought Christmas to Sophie!


http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_21246.shtml

     Shawn Monti, a Florida deputy, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma. Surgeons at University of Miami Hospital used fluorescein as a marker in his brain. It made the tumor glow. All of the glio was successfully removed. The injection was a new thing that seems to be useful as well as ground-breaking. Best wishes to Shawn for a complete recovery!


https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/myelin-linked-to-speedy-recovery-of-human-visual-system-after-tumor-removal-82512/

     Patients with pituitary tumors in a University of Rochester School of Medicine/University of Rochester Medical Center study had something called diffusion tensor imaging used on them which could predict how much vision they would recover after resection.


http://www.medicaldaily.com/brain-tumor-gene-found-linking-familial-glioma-between-family-members-313372

     Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine were able to identify the gene responsible for the mutation that leads to familial glioma. The gene is called POT1. The research study was written up in a peer review journal. It is suspected that five percent of all brain tumors have a genetic component.


http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/Community-rallies-around-Altoona-girl-diagnosed-with-brain-cancer-285446611.html

     Seven year old Kyanna Darnell was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor that is both inoperable and non-responsive to chemo. Her community in Wisconsin has come together to raise funds for a trip to Spain. It is hoped by Kyanna's parents that a specialist there will be able to offer life-saving (and not merely life-prolonging) treatment.
     Her go-fund-me site is located at 
http://www.gofundme.com/kyannastrong
     
and her t-shirt site is located at http://teespring.com/teamkyanna

     Kyanna has named her diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma Flutter. 
Best wishes for recovery to Kyanna and a huge thank you to all the folks who are making this trip happen for her and her family.


http://www.newswise.com/articles/a-new-way-to-diagnose-brain-damage-from-concussions-strokes-and-dementia

     Engineers at Tufts in Boston have developed a new way of measuring brain damage arising from a variety of neurological events and disorders. It is called coherent hemodynamics spectroscopy ( or C.H.S.) and it involves non-invasive scanning of the brain and the use of algorithms applied to the data obtained from infrared lights. It sounds pretty high tech. This C.H.S. will be used for patients presenting with traumatic brain injuries as well as those who evidence some kinds of dementia, and some kinds of stroke.


http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/836443

     An article from Medscape confirms two studies which failed to replicate an earlier study demonstrating possible effectiveness of administering progesterone immediately after an event leading to traumatic brain injury. Although the news was disappointing, it is better to know what is effective and what is not effective rather than subject patients to treatment which does nothing.


http://www.newswise.com/articles/brain-inflammation-a-hallmark-of-autism-large-scale-analysis-shows

     And finally a study conducted by John Hopkins Institute and University of Alabama at Birmingham has found that brain tissue of cadavers who were known to be on the autistic spectrum in life had activated (or switched to the on position) microglial cells which have something to do with immunity and inflammation. Because gene expression testing has to be performed on specific tissue of interest (rather than on any tissue like in regular gene testing), cadaver brains have to be used rather than live people. This study does not mean that brain inflammation causes autism spectrum disorders. It does mean that the next question to be researched is whether or not treatment of inflammation can make autistic symptoms go away. I figure it won't but I'm not any sort of scientist so I could be really really wrong about that. The outcome of replication research will be interesting to watch.


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/SpikedUp-Frog?store=allproducts&keyword=SpikedUp+Frog

     I am the author of "Another Atheist in Recovery" (from addiction, not t.b.i.) and co-author of "Up the Rebels" (a novel). Both are in ePub format without any D.R.M. because I hate D.R.M. and I chose a Creative Commons license for my work deliberately so that the books can be uploaded to the torrents by anyone who wishes to.

Stay warm and stay motivated!
~ sapphoq healing t.b.i. ~

It's Official !

     I did it! 

     Last week, I published two e-books. 

     A friend and I wrote Up the Rebels! together. It is a fun story about a fellow named Jesus born in Newark, New Jersey, Ed SnowD -- I mean Dree RainCave-- hiding in plain sight, the people who are helping him hide, a few mental patients escaping from their oppressive outpatient day program, a fourteen year old who is rescued by some homeless people, and more. Featuring several cats in its pages, Up the Rebels makes for a good read on a rainy day afternoon. You can find it at:  http://preview.tinyurl.com/njy4vm2


      The cover features a picture of a funky bus that I took on a visit to San Francisco:

    



     My second book I wrote without a co-author. It demonstrates how an atheist can work the twelve steps and remain clean without any higher powers. I had to re-write the steps in order to do so. Recently I celebrated thirty-four years of continuous clean time. If you are in recovery, you may want to take a look at Another Atheist in Recovery at:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/m37wmhv

     The cover is of a trail that my dog and I enjoy walking:

     
sapphoq healing brain damage says: In my determination not to allow my disability to beat me, I decided that if I want something different, then I have to do something different. It took over ten hours for me to learn how to format my e-books. And countless more hours to write and re-write them. Risk-taking is risky. Endeavoring to achieve a dream took hard work. I had to battle my severe fatigue while doing it. I did it. And I am still writing. 
     Remember: It takes courage to dream new dreams. And yes, I believe in you.

I can be found at Twitter(tm): https://twitter.com/spikedupfrog

Congrats to Amy Morosini

     A woman named Amy Morosini from Moraga in California came in third place in an Ironman 70.3 triathlon over in Augusta, Georgia in the female physically challenged division. I believe the triathlon involved swimming, biking, and running. 

     Amy is one of us. She sustained a severe T.B.I. back in 1977. The professionals involved in her rehabilitation were not sure if she'd ever walk again by herself. Amy did. She currently serves as a volunteer fitness instructor at a V.A.

     Kudos to Amy Morosini for being a true winner!



https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0818/Moraga-Traumatic-Brain-Injury-Survivor-Places-3rd-in-Intermedix-Ironman-703.html

Brain Drain

Yeah, I took the photograph and then altered it using my legally obtained copy of digital art software. Yeah, you can download it to your computer and use it at will on the interwebz. No, link back is not required.
And if you are a copyright monopolist, you ought to go away now.

     Yesterday, I had an achy head. Not exactly a headache-- ever since the blocks put into my skull, I rarely get full-blown headaches or migraines-- but something that hurt. Sometimes I will take an over the counter medicine for this and sometimes I won't.

     Challenge and rest are both important when dealing with the damaged brain. I have to challenge myself enough so that the brain can improve. I also have to rest enough so that the brain can improve. Managing a balance between rest and action is tricky.

     I felt it yesterday. The physical achy in the brain coupled with the idea that I was experiencing the beginnings of "information overload." Crap. I was busy and I did not want to slow down.

     I had to slow down. I had to drag myself from my reading (the cause of the info overload) and force myself to do something else less taxing. I had to take a rest.

     Often it is a physical rest that I require. Once in awhile, it is more that I need a change of scene coupled with a change to a less challenging activity. Yesterday, I needed the latter. I went out with my housemate for a bit. I felt better.

     The rest of the day, I monitored myself. I usually nap in the afternoon for an hour. Yesterday was no exception. The achy head stayed gone. I was happy about that.

         ~ sapphoq healing brain damage, but not completely ~

Another Probably Therapeutic Effect of Marijuana

     I myself cannot partake of marijuana safely. In fact, marijuana was a factor in the motor vehicle accident that left me with a traumatic brain injury. [The other driver claimed he had smoked "just one for the first time ever."] Even so, I think marijuana should be legalized.

     Of particular interest to me are the stories appearing about the protective effects of marijuana in regard to brain injuries. An article from Fox News admits that reefer may actually protect neurons. https://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/10/13/pot-tied-to-fewer-brain-injury-deaths-study-says/  Although the study was not able to distinguish between those who use pot once in awhile from those who use more often, the conclusion was that marijuana ought to be investigated more thoroughly, especially in light of medical uses. I will be following this closely for follow up studies to see if they can replicate the lower death rates from traumatic brain injuries found in the one study.

Other articles referring to the same study:

https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/13/us-head-trauma-thc-protect-idUSKCN0I21UI20141013

https://www.eastbayexpress.com/LegalizationNation/archives/2014/10/14/cannabis-protects-brain-during-injury-new-study-shows

https://mic.com/articles/101368/new-study-shows-nbsp-something-surprisingly-resilient-about-marijuana-users-brains

https://www.dailybreeze.com/science/20141005/study-marijuana-helps-prevent-death-for-brain-trauma-patients

https://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/17690/20141004/study-links-marijuana-use-to-lower-mortality-rate-among-patients-with-traumatic-brain-injuries.htm

https://www.9news.com/story/news/health/2014/10/06/thc-traumatic-injury/16822639/

And the Plural of "Spider" is

     Learning how to make tags and e-stationary progressed into using my pictures as backgrounds. Colors and textures make me happy. In that spirit of happiness, I present you with some atheist quotes and other stuff that you can use if you want to:

And here are some phrases that are not related to atheism for your use if you want them. Because [it seems to me] that a high percentage of folks recovering from traumatic brain injuries that I've met [unlike me] are not atheists, I thought it is only fair to include regular stuff too. Because the words and phrases were short, they look okay with different stuff applied to them. Shiny! 

     So, more free tags for your use. The atheism quotes were pulled off the web. I took the photographs with my cheap digital camera and altered them using my legally obtained copy of software. Enjoy.

     As usual, save to a space on your hard disc where you can find them again. No hot-linking.

sapphoq healing brain damage

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

Balance Problems

     Some physician somewhere that I had to go see-- and I don't remember which one although I suspect it was the no-fault insurance company doctor. No-fault means "It ain't our fault so we ain't paying"-- gallantly informed me that since there was 'nothing wrong' with my inner ears ergo I do not have any balance problems. Dude clearly hadn't seen me in action. I can fall on level ground. 

     The needle-sticking neuro-doc directed me to tell him right away if I ever got dizzy. I wasn't dizzy. The room was dizzy and slid slowly to the left. Still does. He didn't ask me to speak up if the room got dizzy. So I never told him. Hey.

     It was the chiro-doc who first educated me about the two vertigos. The internal vertigo means I am dizzy. The external vertigo means the room is dizzy. I have the second one.  The room slides slowly to the left all of the time. During attacks of vertigo [and I've had a few of them], the room twirls to my left a bit faster than usual and also bobs up and down like ocean waves. The room and everything slides to the left. I fall to the right. 

     Yes, I fall more often these days. The latest fall involved a spill off of a step. I landed  *s p l a t*   on the hard earth. My lower legs resembled purple sleeves. There were also some lumps. After a week, I went to the primary care doc.

     "Leukemia?" I asked. 

     "What?!?"

     "The bruises. And the lumps." I pointed to my lower legs. "I'm going to have lumpy legs forever."

     The anxiety was pre-injury but let us just say that the t.b.i. did not improve that aspect of my psyche.

     I don't have leukemia. Armed with an explanation of exactly how bruising and lumps work, I left fortified with the knowledge that this may take up to two months to heal.

     I did mention that I went *s p l a t*.


     "You aren't using your cane," a buddy of mine accused me later.

     I shrugged. I've fallen with the cane too.

sapphoq healing traumatic brain injury says: Balance is one of those things that can be worked at and I do. Even so, I still go 
*s p l a t*  once in awhile. No reason to quit. I keep striving.

Concussions Can Be Serious-- Ya' Think?

     After my traumatic brain injury, I used to think frequently that "Not so many people give a crap about concussions or about t.b.i." That changed. First there was some news about our veterans returning from the battlefields with brain injuries. [I do have several relatives involved with the Wounded Warrior Project]. Then people decided to get excited about concussions in professional sports and in high school football.

     Attention can be a good thing. Awareness gets raised that way and suddenly one community passes a law about bicycle helmets. Another implements guidelines for high school athletes who get their heads banged in the field. 

     But attention can also be not so good. When the populace is not exposed to original research-- and don't know how to interpret it if the data was made available-- articles written for common folks can be mystifying and contradictory. In the references below, articles have maintained that either location of impact has little to no impact upon outcome or that top of the head impact is worse than other areas and is more likely to cause unconsciousness. Or that high school football players are most at risk for permanent cognitive effects. 

     Do you want to believe the professional athlete who has had three concussions and is not fazed by the idea that a fourth can end his career? Or do you want to believe those folks who are no longer able to work after what was initially diagnosed as a "brain bruise," "a concussion," "post-concussive syndrome," or nothing? Or the guy in the sailboat race who was hit hard by the boon in an accident, gets hospitalized for several weeks and almost dies, can return to work but is told he cannot ever sail again? Another injury to his head like the last one may well be his last one.

     The thing is, every head injury looks different. Whether it is a concussion-- a brain injury with no lasting effects-- or a brain injury that is judged to be a traumatic brain injury (which has lasting effects), or an acquired brain injury (from stroke or brain tumor removal etc.), every single head injury looks different. The t.b.i. survivor who did not lose consciousness at all may in fact be more permanently disabled than the survivor who arrived to the emergency room unconscious. Add to that, the reluctance of the adolescent to admit to having cognitive symptoms or how badly his or her head hurts and the denial of the professional athlete who figures the glory of the game is of higher priority than the integrity of the brain.

sapphoq healing traumatic brain injury says: Those of us who have had brain damage know how serious any injury to the head can be. We also know that repeated concussions can alter brain functioning permanently. 

     

References:

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/


http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2014/aug/10/monday-medical-concussion-tools-help-recovery/
        The article that I liked the best.



http://www.empr.com/for-concussion-outcomes-impact-location-has-limited-effect/article/365564/

http://www.designntrend.com/articles/17823/20140811/football-concussions.htm

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/11/us-concussions-football-high-school-idUSKBN0GB07C20140811

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280869.php



http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/index.html

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/blasting-away-at-concussions-270711161.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-2



http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/135137/lowery-no-reservations-after-concussion

http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2014/8/9/5987021/dwight-lowery-returns-to-practice-saturday



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concussion_grading_systems

http://post-concussion-syndrome.com/
         From an attorney website, sorry.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/clinical-updates/general-medical/diagnosing-treating-sports-related-concussion
         Guidelines from the Mayo Clinic re: sports-related concussions in schools.

Don't Have a T.B.I. in Kansas

     Even though there really is no "treat" in the word treatment, Medicaid denying access to services for a young man with a complex set of behaviors related to the after-effects of his traumatic brain injury is-- in my unasked for opinion-- inexcusable. The young man is a resident of the state of Kansas. His mother does not know what to do with him or for him. She cannot handle him due to problematic behaviors which have caused him to wind up in jail. While in jail, he had a seizure. The seizures are another, ahem, "gift" of his damaged brain.

     My own experiences with insurance companies causes me to believe pretty much that they are not interested in paying for t.b.i. services. Especially when no-fault car insurance is in effect. No-fault simply means "This ain't out fault and we ain't paying." The workers' comp company was similarly disinterested in paying my bills. Consequently, the only therapies I received were physical therapy [which did help immensely], vision therapy [which has not been medically proven], and a few sessions with a quack "cognitive art therapist" who threw me out because I refused to go to her personal internist to be prescribed medications. [I already had my own most excellent professionals in place]. The word quack is used as an adjective. People who claim to have a PhD [thirty-five bucks and a copy of a book describing her own history with brain injuries-- nine to be exact-- got her a piece of paper] from an alleged mail-order fake college may not be totally honest about their qualifications. I was told in t.b.i. chat that I had to take charge of my own rehab. This certainly has proven to be true.

     But the young man in Kansas is not able to do what I did. Some folks can't because of their level of impairment and that is a fact. Period. Meanwhile, Medicaid refused him admittance to a long-term program of six months to a year as an in-patient in a hospital as a patient with t.b.i. I feel bad for both the young man and his mother. 

     It seems that unless news items involve the word sports or the word veteran, some percentage of the population does not understand, does not wish to understand [in the case of employers and past employers], or cannot understand that head injuries can bring on complex symptoms which don't go away by wishing. A Vermont ski area certainly does not wish to understand [in my opinion via perusal of a court order] that the head and the neck are connected and that headaches certainly do originate in the head. I feel badly for the young man involved in that court case. He was a volunteer at the ski resort and was severely injured when snowboarding off the mountain. His injuries included but were not limited to a traumatic brain injury.

sapphoq healing brain damage says: Rehabbing someone with a traumatic brain injury costs money. Every brain injury is different. What happens to us in the aftermath may be very complex. We who have lived through brain injuries are people and we deserve competent treatment. What price are you insurance companies putting on our heads??? FAIL.






http://www.leaderandtimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17624:medicaid-denies-treatment-request-for-young-man-with-brain-injuries&catid=12:local-news&Itemid=40

http://labor.vermont.gov/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/KibbieMSJ.pdf

If It's Worth Having, Then It's Worth Working For

     Out of all of the professionals and specialists that I've dealt with in respect to my traumatic brain injury, there was a grand total of one-- and only one-- who told me that I was capable of learning how to control my impulses and harness my dis-inhibitions. Let me explain further:

     Go to any brain injury unit and you are likely to find patients who curse fluently. I'm not claiming pre-injury innocence. What I'm saying is that cursing originates from the more primitive, reptilian part of the brain located deeper in than language is. Hurt a brain, you will probably hurt communication but the cursing may remain more fluent than language skills for a time.

     I was talking with a friend who is eighteen months away from his stroke. He told me that he was having trouble with just blurting things out. He was astonished when I said that he could learn to govern that. Blurting things out and cursing both have a similar emotional component to them, to my way of thinking. 

     I also had experienced those sorts of demands from my fractured brain. I learned that when I was feeling a pressure to "Say it, just say it!" that was when I almost certainly should not "Just say it." And the cursing thing? I found out that it was easier for me to strive not to curse at all than it was for me to give myself permission to curse at some times and not at others. Learning not to insert the f-bomb into every other sentence and learning not to blurt things out were two things that helped me feel some semblance of control during a time when the world was still wobbly and rotating slowly to my left.

     Was it difficult and challenging to develop some self-discipline? Yup. But I worked on it and I continue to work on that because I have found the results to be rewarding. Not feeling driven to tell my very proper mother-in-law filthy jokes over dinner in a restaurant made the meal go better. I was happier being able to blend in a bit. And m.i.l. certainly was happier too.

     Do I curse now? Yup. A lot less than post-injury and less than my pre-injury days too.

     Self-discipline is something that I found to be worth working for. I tell myself daily, "Get up, clean up, walk the dog, go to the gym. Your brain damage is not an acceptable excuse for your laziness." And so I get up, clean up, walk the dog, and go to the gym. I still have to rest during the day however I am getting stuff done now. And that feels good to me.

     There are bunches of stuff that is no longer automatic for me. I have to think through some tasks before I am able to do them. I have to concentrate on where my feet are going as I walk so I don't fall. I have to have things put away in the same places today so that I can find them again tomorrow. Supplies for cleaning the floors go on one shelf on the back porch. The laundry bag lives next to the washing machine. The stationary, bills, check book, stamps, and pens are kept in the desk. I still struggle with organizing today but not as much as I used to. I can get more done because I am not stumbling around the house in a blind rage unable to find the vacuum cleaner bags.

 sapphoq healing t.b.i. says:

If It's Worth Having, Then It's Worth Working For.

If It's Worth Having, Then It's Worth Working For.

If It's Worth Having, Then It's Worth Working For.

Feel Good Alzheimers Results

     I noted quite a few feel good stories about how to prevent Alzheimer's in the news tonight. A large Finnish study has concluded that diet, exercise, and cognitive stimulation may stave off the dreaded disease. Keeping up social contacts helps too. Folks with A.D. may experience decreasing agitation by being allowed to work in flower boxes or raised gardening beds. Losing sense of smell is bad, m'kay?

     That's nice, I guess.

     It's just that none of this is really news. Professionals who are actively involved with traumatic brain injury patients have been telling us for years to exercise, eat right, rest as needed, and do kiddie brain games which are freely available on the Internet. Having some sort of social life and gardening helps us too. Those t.b.i.ers who have lost their ability to smell may have temper out-bursts. The two areas of the brain involved in olfactory identification and emotional regulation are neighbors. 

     The Finnish study will be subject to peer review and have to be replicated of course. 

     My questions are many: Why focus exclusively on Alzheimer's? Why not include other non-reversible dementias? Why not include folks who have been diagnosed as having mild cognitive impairment? Why not include folks who have acquired or traumatic brain injuries? Were folks included who have the genetic make-up that dictates early-onset Alzheimer's? What kind of exercise and for how long at a time and how many days per week? What kind of diet? How about the role of rest? Sleeping disorders? 

 sapphoq healing traumatic brain injury says: I remember when hospice [around here at any rate] only took terminal cancer patients. People with A.I.D.S. were refused hospice services. Finally, someone got a clue and p.w.a.s were allowed into the death with dignity and free from pain fold. Nowadays, people with terminal neurological disorders-- including dementias-- are also able to get hospice if they meet the eligibility requirements.

     I envision a world where research will include other forms of dementia as well as A.D. Yes, a world where neurologists and research scientists will recognize the commonalities between the different groups of people they serve instead of focusing on our different labels. A world that will not allow quasi-religious bodies and organizations to shut down funding for research based upon their beliefs rather than the well-being of the rest of us.

     It's good to know where we fit. A well-run traumatic brain injury support group is a treasure. An e-board focusing on dementias as experienced by the folks who got it as well as their family and friends is a wonderful thing. Anytime people gather to create systems change, something powerful happens. Our agendas may be somewhat different by necessity. Let us not be blinded by that. All of us together is no longer a minority but a force to be reckoned with.  


some feel good articles:

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/aging/study-finds-possible-recipe-preventing-alzheimers-n155586

http://time.com/2982908/to-prevent-alzheimers-diet-and-exercise-are-effective-large-study-shows/

http://www.philly.com/philly/health/mental-health/HealthDay689450_20140714_Staying_Active_May_Help_Prevent_Dementia.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/14/health/alzheimers-disease-conference/

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/488869/Puzzles-and-crosswords-could-be-best-way-to-beat-dementia

https://news.google.com/news/section?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=Alzheimer%27s%20disease&ict=clu_top&ar=1405388897