Day 1
http://www.brainline.org/multimedia/interactive_brain/the_human_brain.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Hootsuite&utm_campaign=BrainLineSM
Day 2
Brain Injuries and memory-
Memory is often damaged when a traumatic brain injury occurs. Mild traumatic brain injuries may have little or no effect on memory. If there is an effect, the memories lost may be recent (for example, no recall of the traumatic event) and quickly return in hours or days. However, more severe traumatic brain injuries can cause loss of memories for long time periods (weeks, months, or longer). Sometimes some memories may never return.
Day 3
Many victims of traumatic brain injury experience personality changes, some subtle, some severe. A set of recent studies from the UK have examined these personality changes and found that TBI sufferers show a much higher incidence of some specific problems in emotional processing, leading to relationship problems and difficulty in recovery.
Day 4
Meditation requires deep concentration. For those who practice Mindfulness meditation, it opens their awareness to present bodily sensations, i.e.: their breathing, the beat of their heart, their thoughts and their emotions. Mindfulness meditation calms and nourishes the brain while it increases the blood flow to the brain.
http://vimeo.com/70357535
Day 5
Injuries of the left side of the brain can cause:
Difficulties in understanding language (receptive language)
Difficulties in speaking or verbal output (expressive language)
Catastrophic reactions (depression, anxiety)
Verbal memory deficits
Impaired logic
Sequencing difficulties
Decreased control over right-sided body movements
Injuries of the right side of the brain can cause:
Visual-spatial impairment
Visual memory deficits
Left neglect (inattention to the left side of the body)
Decreased awareness of deficits
Altered creativity and music perception
Loss of “the big picture” type of thinking
Decreased control over left-sided body movements
Diffuse Brain Injury (The injuries are scattered throughout both sides of the brain) can cause:
Reduced thinking speed
Confusion
Reduced attention and concentration
Fatigue
Impaired cognitive (thinking) skills in all areas
Day 5 Continued...
There are many ways to protect your brain or at least decrease the severity of injury. Some include:
-- Always wear certified safety helmets when biking, motorcycling,
snowmobiling, skiing, skating, snowboarding, horseback riding, sledding,
rollerblading, skateboarding and many other activities that lead your
head vulnerable to hitting hard surfaces.
-- Properly wear a seatbelt at all times in a moving vehicle.
-- Two-thirds of all-terrain vehicle accidents involve children under 16.
Always wear a helmet when operating them.
-- Always wear helmets when playing hard contact sports like football and
hockey.
-- Properly install a child's safety seat, have it inspected, and make sure
your child is strapped in correctly depending on their specific age.
Day 6
What were the most challenging symptoms for me?
My symptoms - sensitivity to noise and light, inability to process movement, nausea, mental and physical fatigue disproportionate to the activity, balance issues, proprioception issues, memory problems, vertigo, difficulty focusing and a decreased speed in processing/thinking, inability to make decisions, difficulty following a simple conversation to include an inability to find my words.
Day 7
Getting lots of rest. At least 10 hours of sleep per night is essential to my well being.
Day 8
My new creative side brain. Learning how to bake. My favorite treat and sharing with you.
Serves 4-6
10 Medijool Dates Pitted
½ Cup of hazelnuts
½ Cup of Walnuts
½ tsp Ginger powder
Pinch of Nutmeg
¼ tsp of cinnamon
2 Tbsn of Honey
1 tsp coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt
Blend and then roll into bite size balls. You can then either roll in coconut or dip in chocolate!
Amazingly so good.
Day 9
We're a little fragile.
http://youtu.be/LwDpITG-ww4
Day 10
Snails wearing sweaters. Because I could use a spot of comic relief.
Much of the brain’s energy is used to filter out irrelevant or unnecessary information. Just imagine what it would be like with no filter on your brain. All the sounds, smells, images, and feelings would come crashing in at the same time. The over stimulation would probably paralyze you and prevent you from taking any action.
http://grist.org/list/snails-wearing-sweaters-might-just-be-the-best-thing-ever/
Day 11
I went downhill skiing for the first time solo today since my accident.
Day 12
Wear A Helmet!
Day 13
Thank you Andy (my husband) for being part of my family! I couldn't walk through this without you!
Day 14
7 "Facts" About The Brain That Are Not True
Enjoy the extra 7 more minutes of life
Day 15http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t3y7EeBhxg
Day 16
Emotional stages you will probably experience are: first, denial and disbelief; second, sadness, anger and bargaining; and third and most important, acceptance.
Change the way you think about disabilities!
http://youtu.be/tjZQwoR2Bkg
Day 17
March is brain injury awareness, but the awareness who does it make the public aware of, is it the survivors or families or what, disability in general needs to be looked at much differently, and only those living with the effect of brain injury know what it is like to spend the day inside of someones head living with a brain injury. A place I dont wish anyone to be.
If you have some stories you want to share please do so, share your successes as well as failures we learn from every experience. People need to hear the stories of our journey That is truly the only thing each of us really has to offer is that story of our journey. Let us know, and thank you in advance for sharing your story.
Day 18
What is the brain and what does it do?
http://www.brainfacts.org/in-society/in-society/articles/2013/what-do-you-think-about-when-you-think-about-brains/
Day 19
Avoid Traumatic Brain Injury While Playing Winter Sports
Last year, U.S. ski areas counted almost 57 million visits. But winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snowmobiling, and ice hockey can put people at increased risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. Winter sports included, more than 1 million young and adult U.S. athletes in all sports sustain a TBI each year.
A 2013 study from Norway found that TBI was the leading cause of death for competitive skiers and snowboarders. In the study, 245 head or face injuries were reported during seven seasons; of those, nervous system injuries or concussions were the most common (81.6 percent) and 58 of these nervous system injuries or concussions were severe (23.7 percent). Freestyle skiers—those who do jumps and ski on hills—had the highest rate of TBI. The study also found that more women than men incur TBI while skiing.
The numbers don't have to be so high, says Jeffrey Kutcher, M.D., associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School, director of the University of Michigan NeuroSport program, and member of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). He is also the Team Neurologist for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team, providing neurological coverage for all the Olympians, and the first neurologist to have this role.
“There are things people can do to prevent injury. The most important protection comes from participants' behavior,” says Dr. Kutcher, who was also the lead author of the AAN's sports concussion guideline. (To read the guideline, and to access the AAN's Concussion Quick Check mobile app and toolkit, go to aan.com/concussion.) Dr. Kutcher offers the following recommendations while participating in winter sports:
▸ Be aware of your surroundings. This is critical to ensuring that you and others around you are safe, according to Dr. Kutcher. For example, stay on marked ski or snowboard trails, and don't attempt trails that are beyond your level of skill. The National Ski Areas Association's Responsibility Code advises: “Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.”
▸ Focus on technique. This is true for team sports as well, such as ice hockey. “Focusing on safe playing techniques and on what's happening around you are critically important,” says Dr. Kutcher. A University of Utah Ski Injury Data Analysis from 2010 cited the importance of skiing and snowboarding technique as an injury reduction strategy. Instructors can also educate beginners on the importance of a good warm-up and cool-down, properly fitted equipment, and safe skiing techniques, says the public outreach program Stop Sports Injuries.
▸ Dr. Kutcher applauds ice hockey coaches who enforce no hits to the head or other dangerous plays. Toward that objective, in April the National Federation of State High School Associations Ice Hockey Rules Committee approved changes that will strengthen the language for dangerous hits as well as give game officials discretion for issuing a game disqualification when a player illegally hits another player from behind.
▸ Wear a helmet. No piece of approved, properly fitted and maintained equipment (or well-learned sports technique) can completely eliminate the possibility of concussion, says Dr. Kutcher. “Still, you must wear a helmet for any type of snow sport.” When tempted to try tricks you may have seen on TV, understand that helmets can instill a false sense of security and are most effective at speeds under 14 mph.
▸ Know the signs of TBI. If you hit your head, you might not notice symptoms immediately, Dr. Kutcher warns. “If possible, continue to observe yourself—or have a friend or family member do it—to determine whether your symptoms become clinically worse. For example, if you get sleepier as time passes, you could become unconscious.” Dr. Kutcher says worrisome signs and symptoms include:
Headache and sensitivity to light and sound.
Nausea and vomiting.
Changes in reaction time, balance, and coordination.
Changes in memory, judgment, speech, and sleep.
Loss of consciousness, which happens in less than 10 percent of cases.
If you experience any of these symptoms, consult a health care professional trained to identify concussions.
Day 20
Why does head trauma cause facial palsy?
Skull fracture to the temporal bone (through which the facial nerve travels) is responsible for causing facial palsy. This is because the facial nerve travels through a small bony channel where the nerve can get crushed either by a blow to the head, or the swelling afterwards. This can result in temporary or permanent damage to one or both of the facial nerves.
Day 21
I've lost a few words. I can't remember short term events. I've lost some skills but I've gained a skill I wouldn't give up even if it meant I'd instantly get words, memory and balance back in one fell swoop. The forced lesson in assertiveness has been worth the price.
And I'll get the other stuff back eventually.
Day 22
Mountain biking has empowered me to make forward motion in the most difficult journey of my life. It has enabled me to become a better wife.
Day 23
Pro cyclist Timmy Duggan says a lot in his exit interview about TBI on how to cope and manage. Thank you for sharing!
http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/12/news/exit-interview-timmy-duggan-on-retiring-from-pro-cycling_310819#wPlqCxWtPFlqfTwt.01
Day 24
Two years ago today (March 24th) Sally Francklyn skiing accident in Jackson, Wyoming. You're determined! Joyful healing everyday to you. #braininjurysurvivor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxaOqqecfqE
http://sallyfrancklyn.com/
Day 25
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acute injury suffered by the brain, and can be caused by various events, the most common causes being car accidents, falls, and firearms. The injuries sustained from a TBI can vary from mild temporary amnesia to permanent coma. Some impairments may heal over time, and some functions may be regained some through therapy, while other impairments will not improve -- or they actually get worse over time.
Day 26
Have faith in yourself and don’t give up. Know that healing from a brain injury takes a long time and you have no way of knowing what the future will bring. Treat yourself like you would treat your best friend if he/she were dealing with a serious illness. Make time to do something that will make you smile, everyday!
Day 27
I had almost lost my life at age 19 (1997) thankfully I was driving dads Cadillac and not my VW Rabbit that day. My head hit the windshield. It's simple... Wear a seatbelt to help prevent brain injury.
Day 28
Brain injury survivor Kevin Pearce words:
"I still do get out there, and I still have so much fun snowboarding. I'm just so lucky that I can be out on the mountain. So I want to make sure that I can continue to do that and be as safe as I possibly can."
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5042395
Day 29
Everyday I wake up I chose to be strong and happy. I have so much to be thankful for and happy with. But today it takes all my energy to actually be.
Then I had a visit with my niece and we played. Thank you for the play date.
Day 30
Personality changes are not uncommon following a traumatic brain injury. After all, how we think and process the world is so much of who we are. Temperament is essentially the way our brain interprets the world around us. With a brain injury, the mechanisms we use to filter and understand information are disrupted. Personality changes can come from two sources following a brain injury:
-specific changes in how the brain experiences, understands, modulates, and expresses emotion.
-emotional reactions to the changes brought about by the brain injury.
As most know me (before my accident) I never was interested in baking, or spending time in the kitchen. Today I made {grain free} Dark Chocolate + Sea Salt Pumpkin Cookies. Result = happy brain
Day 31
Love me through all the healing and craziness of my recovery. That person would be my husband, Andy Damman,my best friend. He loved me when I couldn't love me. Accepting me as who I am today.