The Biggest Lessons From Tbi Stories
While every recovery story is different, some common themes emerge that can be extremely helpful for brain injury survivors to understand.
First of all, at least four of the five patients from this article had very strong support groups that encouraged them to persevere and keep going no matter how difficult things got.
Having friends and family members who truly care undoubtedly helps TBI patients stay strong. And for some survivors, such as Ryan, Samuel, and Abigail, their support networks actually led them to finding effective treatment at Cognitive FX.
Second, there are often two phases to recovery from moderate or severe brain injuries. The initial phase, which typically includes hospitalization, initial rehabilitation, and regaining of basic function, may last several months or longer.
But just because a survivor makes it through the first phase of recovery and is able to lead a life that appears normal on the surface doesnt mean theyre fully healed or that everythings fine now.
And in cases where actual brain damage occurs , recovery may be more limited. That said, no one can say for certain how much function a TBI survivor will regain, and more often than not, well-meaning providers underestimate patients recovery capabilities.
Lingering symptoms may be common, but many healthcare providers remain unaware of them. As a result, too many TBI survivors suffer in limbo, or even come to believe theyre imagining things.
How Does Brain Injury Fit In The Current Criminal Code
Traumatic brain injury does not fit appropriately in the criminal code. It currently falls under the definition of mental disorder which is defined as a disease of the mind. Individuals living with the effects of acquired brain injury may experience mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, but the brain injury itself is not a mental disorder.
The improper classification of brain injury as mental health disorder causes a cascading effect. Judges are unable to order the proper assessment, so are therefore not able to get an accurate picture of the impairments which may have contributed to the criminal behaviour. Without an accurate assessment, judges are unable to give sentencing that would focus on rehabilitative needs and upon release, the individual is likely to re-offend.
The Power Of Love And Prayer
Joyce went to be with Jonathan, to let him know about the prayer vigil. She says that at that time, Jonathan, who had not moved at all, no stimuli to pain, no movement at all to show us that he was in there, he up and moved his head from right to left.
Dr. Semon says it was nothing short of a miracle. I’ve never seen anything like it before. There’s a lot we don’t know about people with traumatic brain injuries, how they recover, how well they do. There’s only so much we can do as physicians and it’s kind of all up to the patient and the love from the family he’s had to recover from something like this.
Jonathan continued to regain motor functions and was discharged from the ICU 20 days later to start rehabilitation.
You could kind of see him coming back. It was him, says Joyce. It wasn’t a new person where we were so afraid that we would have someone different than Jonathan, a new Jonathan. Of course, Jonathan’s looking at you like, I haven’t left. I’ve been here all along. He still does that even today.
Dr. Letarte says that, the judgment that a good neuro trauma team has to make is if we do this, are we likely to save a life of quality? That judgment was made in this case. He had the decompressive craniectomy and this is one of those wonderful cases where the team was right.
Joyce is beyond grateful. I’m just so thankful for the physicians that were on that day. They did not stop. They worked on him like it was their own child. I appreciate them to no end.
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Brain Injury Awareness With Tbi One Love
Yes, thats so important. And I think that it is really beautiful that you do what you do with TBI one love. And we havent touched upon that subject just yet. So can you maybe tell a bit about it?
Of course. TBI One Love is a nonprofit organization, spreading a positive form of hope, inspiration and education to those that have been touched by a brain injury, along with awareness and prevention to the general public.
It is a phenomenal source of, like I stated, that positive form, but it also has survivors sharing their story with our inspirational family tree of survivors and caregivers. Theres over 400 individuals that have joined the family tree out of 14 different countries to helping us paint the world green and end the silence of the invisible disability.
Relearning After Brain Injury
So having injured the left side of your brain, I think its responsible for things like talking and understanding and analyzing and planning right? The more logical things, and you need this to do your work, all of which you are doing with TBI One Love. So I think its an amazing illustration of how much the brain is capable of relearning after injury.
Thank you so much for your kind words.
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A Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Story To Provide Hope
Traumatic brain injuries , among the most serious injuries you can sustain, are almost always caused by accidents. Brett, an avid bicyclist, recently shared about his traumatic brain injury recovery in an article for SCOPE, a publication of Stanford Medicine. He was severely injured during a bicycling accident that left him with a life-altering TBI. However, Brett was determined to not allow his prognosis of traumatic brain injury to hold him back.
In the article, Brett talks about his road to traumatic brain injury recovery and what life is now like for him six years post-injury.
Louisville Teen Shares Recovery Story For Brain Injury Awareness Month
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A teenager with their entire life ahead of them gets into a crash, changing their life forever.
Lewis Ferguson, 19, has spent the last year and a half in Louisville after a crash forced him to relearn basic functions like walking and talking.
His pickup truck was mangled in the aftermath of the crash.
I just know I should be dead, Ferguson said.
The crash happened on Oct. 11, 2020, when Ferguson was 18-years-old. The severity of the crash caused Ferguson to suffer a traumatic brain injury.
He had injuries deep in his brain as well as outside, inside, right side, kind of all over, Dr. Darryl Kaelin with UofL Health Frazier Rehabilitation Institute said. He was in a minimally conscious state.
Life for Ferguson had changed ever since.
I couldnt even talk, he said.
Ferguson remains in extensive therapy at UofL Health to make sure his body stays in shape until his brain catches up.
People like Lewis are often written off, Kaelin said. Their families are told hes going to have to go home completely dependent, he may have to go to a nursing home, but by having a program like ours, we show people that life goes on. Although you may not be exactly what you were, you still are pretty special. Lewis is special in our eyes.
Ferguson is sharing his story for Brain Injury Awareness month. Brain injuries are a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., with at least 2.8 million Americans suffering a traumatic brain injury each year.
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Every Tbi Is Different When It Comes To Tbi Recovery
No two traumatic brain injuries are the same. Even in instances where two injuries are caused in similar ways, the resulting brain damage and recovery process that follows is never the same and will affect each person differently. However, there are many incredible stories of traumatic brain injury recovery that survivors share to encourage other TBI survivors and their families to remain hopeful.
At Spinal Cord, weve made it our goal to provide survivors of traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, as well as their families, with the information they need by serving as the best possible resource. This includes sharing relevant research and news, as well as the incredible stories of TBI recovery from survivors like Brett.
If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury and would like to share your story and experiences with the SC community, we invite you to do so by clicking on the link below.
Biography/spirituality Of St Luigi Guanella
Luigi Guanella, the future saint, was born to Lorenzo and Maria Guanella on December 19, 1842, in the small Alpine village of Fraciscio near the Splugen Pass and the Swiss border. He was the ninth of thirteen children in this very devout Catholic family and, as with most families in the St. Giacomo and St. Filipo valley, were primarily shepherds and farmers. His parents were models and teachers of Christian family life with Maria’s kind, gentle, and caring nature providing for both the body and soul of the family and Pa Lorenzo, as head of the domestic church, teaching his children through stories in Sacred Scripture and teaching them of heavenly things.
it was at that moment that I felt remorseful in my heart. That act of selfishness is still a weight on my conscience after so many years.
Finally, on the day of his First Communion, at the age of nine, Luigi, feeling great joy, wanted to spend some time in solitude and prayer and so he went to a hill in nearby Gualdera and suddenly heard a voice saying Louis,Louis, and he saw the Blessed Mother who revealed to him, in a mysterious way, his future mission. Rarely did he speak of this vision but when he did so he would say that it was a heavenly vision, a sweet call from above.
This is a short Portrait of a Saint and we pray with him In Omnibus Caritas and In Your Providence is Our Hope .
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Stage 2 Vegetative State
Comas and vegetative states are often believed to be the same, but they are actually two separate states of consciousness.
The primary difference between comas and vegetative states are the neurological responses the survivor displays. In a coma, individuals are completely unresponsive. In a vegetative state, the survivor has regained some of their reflexes.
Survivors in a vegetative state may sometimes appear to be awake. Their eyes may open and close, and they can even react to pain and loud noises. However, they are not yet truly conscious. Rather these reactions, which are often delayed, are caused by autonomic responses of the brain that are still intact or have begun to heal themselves.
If a person begins to react and communicate in a purposeful way, they have entered the next stage of recovery: the minimally conscious state.
My Journey Back To Life
After three months, I started to wake up. When I got to Gillette, I was 200 pounds. After the coma, I was a little over 100 pounds. Diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, I had to relearn basic cognitive and motor skills and how to walk and talk. These were huge obstacles, but I was determined to get better. I went through months of inpatient rehab. Every day I had occupational, physical and speech therapy. On top of that, my family and friends, especially my father, added additional rehab to my schedule and pushed me harder than I thought possible.
My family, my father Bob and Jo Alleva both were determined to get me where I am today. I remember back when I just started to eat solid foods, the doctor said I could progress slowly. Well, my father must have thought progression meant Chinese food. He took me out to eat at a Chinese buffet. When we came back to the hospital he decided I was fueled up for rehab therapy in the pool, so we got in the pool with his hopes of teaching me the fundamentals of swimming. This was not a good idea. As we were swimming, my father noticed something floating in the water.
Additional details arent that important here, but needless to say, you should really listen to your provider.
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Brain Damage And Recovery
Brett was in a coma for nine days. The doctors had to remove part of his skull to remove blood and create space for his brain to swell without causing further damage. Later, he underwent a cranioplasty to replace the section of skull that was removed.
The accident left him with minor seizures, short-term memory loss, and the inability to control the left side of his body. While many TBI survivors go through a series of emotional stages during their traumatic brain injury recovery, Brett remained highly positive throughout the process.
Before the accident, Brett was very physically fit and active. As part of his recovery from brain damage, his neurosurgeon recommended that he start a comprehensive exercise routine that included daily exercise and healthy amounts of sleep. Brett eagerly embraced the plan and began clocking his steps, biking miles, and sleep cycles. He also stayed active socially as well, meeting up with friends and colleagues almost daily.
Bretts story is just one example of how some traumatic brain injury recovery stories can go. Today, more than half a decade after his accident, he walks between 40 and 70 miles each week.
Traumatic Brain Injury Affects The Whole Family
We experienced a severe lack of educational materials, support and advocacy while going through this process.We dont want other families to have to go through the same struggles that we did. We want to be able to help them with awareness, education, support, empathy, and encouragement while they support their loved ones.
In Dallas, they met with the owner, Kendell Bachik, of REACT Neuro Rehab were immediately impressed and knew that React was the facility to help him reach his goals to recover and regain hope for life again. The following week they started to raise funds again to help pay for him to go to React.
Thanks to many generous donations from friends and the community, Chris has received his Activity-Based Therapy at React in Dallas every week since September of 2018 for 2-3 hours of therapy for 3 days each week. Chris has thrived from this specific type of therapy and has gone from being in a wheelchair to walking with a cane to now walking independently, as well as some function in his left hand.
We were finally feeling signs of recovery and hope and knowing that Tulsa does not have an Adaptive Fitness and Recovery Center similar to React to help people recover from Neurological injuries, such as Traumatic Brain Injuries, Strokes, Spinal Cord Injuries, multiple sclerosis or other neurological conditions, Chris and Kim wanted to change that and once again create something for the Tulsa Community.
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The Types Of Traumatic Brain Injury
There is a wide range of traumatic brain injuries that people can sustain, and many survivors are successful in achieving some level of traumatic brain injury recovery. Some TBIs are relatively mild whereas others are severe and can result in death.
There are three main categories of traumatic brain injury: closed head, open wound, or crushing. Within these three categories are multiple types of traumatic brain injuries:
- Brain Contusion Also known as a bruise, a brain contusion causes a mild form of bleeding under the skin. This type of injury often occurs in conjunction with a concussion and is similar to them in nature.
- Concussion This is the most common type of brain injury and can range from mild to severe.
- Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury This occurs when there is enough force or motion to one side of the brain that it causes the brain to move inside the skull and cause damage to the opposite side as well.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury Also known as DAI, this injury is similar to a concussion in that it involves the movement of the brain. However, unlike a concussion, it can result in the tearing of connectors in the brain and can be fatal.
- Second Impact Syndrome Also known as recurrent traumatic brain injury, this is an injury that causes further damage after a previous TBI was sustained.
- Shaken Baby Syndrome Much like DAI, the damage caused by shaking a baby can result in brain hemorrhages, tears in the brain and brain stem, and strokes.
Ryan’s Story: Recovering From Severe Tbi Symptoms Following An Auto Accident
Ryan was living the life of an ordinary teenager until he had a serious car accident that resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury.
While unfortunate, this is not uncommon. Car accidents are a leading cause of TBI, and its one reason why adolescents and young adults have some of the highest brain injury rates of any age group.
Following the accident, Ryan struggled with short-term memory problems, long-term memory problems, focus problems, sleeping problems, clarity problems, headaches, and fatigue.
And as if those symptoms werent enough to deal with, he later developed severe anxiety issues as a delayed consequence of the TBI.
Although he was very motivated to heal and had tried many forms of therapy, nothing seemed to provide significant relief or progress.
Luckily, Ryans aunt found out about Cognitive FX and encouraged Ryan and his parents to look into the effectiveness of state-of-the-art brain injury treatment methods.
With support from his family, Ryan decided to attend treatment at Cognitive FX because he and his parents recognized the need for him to develop the processes required for normal brain function.
Remarkably, Ryans energy levels and sleep quality began to improve following the very first day of his intensive one-week treatment period. The trend continued, and he felt better and better as treatment proceeded.
He also noticed rapid improvements in focus, multi-tasking, and short- and long-term memory.
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