What’s the story behind this website?
At age 17, I had an accident that left me with a left leg amputation and a brain injury (TBI). Years later, things were getting better, and I thought that I was done with brain injury, but apparently, brain injury was not done with me. You see, at age 12, my daughter Sarah also had a brain injury (ABI) as a result of a hemorrhagic stroke and brain surgery to treat it. It was difficult to watch her starting her teen years with a broken brain and the challenge of navigating through her new and unknown world. But living through years of hidden TBI struggles myself allowed me to better help my child through her ABI challenges. Together, through our experience and knowledge, we have developed necessary skills to better identify and confront those brain injury challenges. In the end, we have both fared relatively well. In the process, I have gained valuable knowledge in the world of brain injury, and my daughter took it one step further and completed her Master’s and PhD in Neuropsychology. She is now a subject matter expert. Sarah and I continue to collaborate, and her experiences and knowledge will be felt throughout this web space.
Also, as I age, I have discovered that a shrinking brain and other degenerative processes can cause some brain injury symptoms to return, and other new symptoms to develop, including tremor-related illnesses. Furthermore, brain injuries are often misdiagnosed or go undetected because the symptoms are not immediately apparent, or because the symptoms mimic those of another medical condition, including mental illness, emotional trauma, PTSD, and long COVID. Regardless, those of us who are all too familiar with brain injury symptoms advocate for the inclusion of anyone who experiences the same, regardless of how the symptoms came to be. If you have the symptoms, you will need the help. Brain injury symptoms may include, but are not limited to, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, impulsive behavior, reduced inhibitions, brain fog, blurred vision, anxiety, memory loss, balance issues, hearing issues, dexterity, photophobia, changes to depth perception, decreased reaction time, clouded judgment, sensitivity to sound and light, low attention span, losing old knowledge, difficulty retaining new knowledge, decreased focus, sensory overload, and brain processing jam.
Brain injury is an under-supported cause, and brain injury survivors often don’t get the help they need. This is a much harder battle because the brain is injured, so you generally rely on others for help, as you don’t even know what you really need. I know this through much experience as a brain injury survivor, and as someone who provided support. But together, we can do better. There is no established or direct path from injury to symptoms to recovery, so those of us who lived through those significant experiences (injury, support, or both) are duty-bound to help others in need, and help those searching for answers. Through this inclusive and comprehensive self-help webspace for all, we provide mentoring and support, advocacy and navigation, to help guide you through those challenging and often debilitating symptoms. We also advocate and shed light on essential tools that are needed throughout the healing and recovery journey, like support groups, proper nutrition and hydration, organized adaptive activities, music and art therapy, using the natural outdoors for self-care, etc. Ultimately, during the brain healing and recovery process, our experience will help you establish achievable goals, maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle, and set realistic expectations on what the road to recovery will look like.