“What does success look like post encephalitis?” This is the second article in a series of interviews with survivors. I only asked one basic question and it’s been fun to see how this experience moves each of us in a unique way. When I attended my first Encephalitis Global survivors’ and caregivers’ conference, I met […]
“Still Alice” captures the dramatic nature of dementia in its recent release in theaters. Julianne Moore gracefully depicts the real-life trauma of forgetting and the unfortunate shame that accompanies that circumstance. If years lend us the opportunity to grow older, most of us will gradually meet this tragic and startling experience head on. As a […]
Whether it’s a short recipe, instructions to play a kid’s game or basic directions to hook up a gadget, just a simple set of instructions can seem like a foreign language to a brain injury survivor. Following instructions involves cognitive skills such as attention, memory and problem solving. These skills are often negatively impacted during […]
Asymptomatic, a beautiful word for someone who knows chronic illness. Today is one of the few days in nearly seven years I woke up with energy, a respite from the daily fatigue that squashes my creativity and challenges my temperament. Today the word “asymptomatic” rolls off my tongue with ease, absent of my usual fear […]
Since hearing about Robin Williams’ death, I’ve been stunned at my reaction. How can I grieve over someone I never knew? I’ve paused to notice the richness he represents in influencing me and how his tragic death shakes me. Here are 6 things I’ve come to realize because of Robin Williams: Depression doesn’t discriminate. By […]
Imagine life as a parent heavily involved in their child’s life, the bread winner in a cut-throat corporate world, active in sports, a frequent traveler and public speaker. And suddenly all of that is taken away from something as simple as a mosquito bite … unable to read to their child, struggling with speech, never […]
Brain injury survivors often have words that fail us at key moments, such as an important doctor appointment. Could be aphasia, but sometimes stress/fear prevents the words to ever form. After interacting with hundreds of brain injury survivors (mostly encephalitis), these themes surfaced that BI patients universally mentioned as desirable for their clinicians to know: […]
7 tips for advocating for yourself http://goo.gl/k3PIrz
Whether our brain injury happened 5 years ago or 5 weeks ago, many of us are still coping with our new identity. The first moments at a doctor appointment are with you, who can help set the tone for how well we perceive our experience. Many of us have invisible residuals such as a […]
Brain injury doesn’t have to be scary if you are informed. I’m not just an employer, I’m also a brain injury survivor, but thriving in the demanding corporate world. It’s not just possible, it’s achievable. With returning veterans, an aging demographic, football injuries and epidemics like West Nile, brain injury is more common. More than […]