Suicide and TBI

This is a great article that explains why so many military men and women kill themselves after sustaining traumatic brain injuries.

The first paragraph is my favorite because it's a perfect description of "what it's like":

Imagine that you're hung over and haven't slept in two nights. You can't think clearly, can't focus or concentrate. You forget things -- even important things -- and spend your energy just trying to stay awake and drag yourself through the day. When you finally get to sleep, you drift off hoping tomorrow will be better. But it won't. That's what life with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is like, relentlessly.

I totally relate to this description - especially the part where it takes so much energy to drag yourself through the day and do anything. Don't get me wrong, I've never, ever been suicidal. I just know that if more TBI Surivivors were taught how to manage the effects of their injuries, suicide rates would go down.

Learning to live with a TBI takes an incredible amount of patience, and I'm so lucky that I was born with the gift of patience.

Read the article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruth-bettelheim/why-heroes-kill-themselve_b_2108976.html

Valerian = my drug of choice (maybe?)

I'm on the hunt. 

In search of a new sleep aid. So, today I stopped in Dave's Health and Nutrition and was advised to try Dave' Sleep Formula. A lady who worked there told me she's had great success with this formula. "It just relaxed me," she explained.

The main ingredient in the formula Valerian (along with Straw Oat, Aerial Eyebright, Lemon Balm, and Wild Lettuce). Interesting mix and hopefully a good one.

The suggested dose is 3 capsules!! I took just one about 20 min ago, and I'm alerady feeling mellow. yippee!! I will take one more capsul in about 20 more min from now and then I'm hittin' the hay! I'll blog my results tomorrow.

Sweet Dreams (to me, hopefully)!

Taking Back Beauty

Last night my actress friend, Sarah Kent, introduced me Tara Starling. Tara considers herself a beauty architect (yeah, she's a makeup artist) who started the MILLION MANIFESTOS Project. The PERSONAL BEAUTY MANIFESTO is each woman’s opportunity to declare for herself what HER definition of TRUE BEAUTY is. Not what Society tells her, and not what the Media has taught her , but what SHE believes to be true about beauty.

As I was telling Tara about my car accident and my book, I showed her the smile on my forehead (the scar) and she said, "that's beautiful!"

It is beautiful! My scar is beautiful because it's a mark that reminds me that I've overcome a great trial which has shaped my character, and made me a more complete woman. This is true beauty.

My secret fear

(I wrote this post months ago, more like a journal entry, and never posted it. I stumbled upon it again the other day, and decided to go ahead and let any bloggers read my journal entry. Please note: since first writing this post, I've made more great strides in my capacity to feel "normal" again -- better, deeper sleep, greater endurance, and just plain-old happier. I'm not so frightened about motherhood as I was when I wrote this).

I'm pretty comfortable in my TBI skin (after 17 years). My strategies are in-tact, so my life works. I have a job. I play. I date. I travel. I exercise. I feel happy.

That being said, there is one thing that I long for, one thing missing from my almost-complete-life, and although I know this dream will come true, I'm frightened about doing it with a TBI.

The dream: motherhood

Victoria Tilney McDonough, editor at BrainLine.org recently, suggested I read the following article and it really helped me to feel better. I know that I just need to trust my abilities to manage my injury.

You can read the article here:   

I'd love comments. Especially those from other parents.

Sleep Tips (doTerra and good sleep hygiene!) from a therapist.

Steven Covey dies

I love Steven R. Covey's leadership principles. That being said, it breaks my heart that he died . . . and it tears me up that he had brain complications. Here are a few clips (from the internet) that describe what happened:

"Covey died at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on July 16, 2012, due to complications from a bicycle accident he suffered the previous April. He was hospitalized after being knocked unconscious in the bike crash on a steep road in the foothills of Provo, Utah, about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City."

"At the time of his bicycle accident, his publicist, Debra Lund, said doctors had not found any signs of long-term damage to his head."

"He just lost control on his bike and crashed," Lund said. "He was wearing a helmet, which is good news."
Catherine Sagers, Covey's daughter, told The Salt Lake Tribune in April that her father had suffered some bleeding on his brain after the accident."

Vitamin D Makes Me SOOO Happy (literally and figuratively)

EVERYONE: please read the following article about the benefits of Vitamin D: Better Nutrition Magazine :: Supplements, Nutrition, Recipes, Personal Care :: Columns :: Healthy Solutions

Prescription Vitamin D Supplements have changed my life for the better. I sleep better and I feel brighter. I think (I've heard) that most people are low, due to the fact that we work inside all day and rarely spend a lot of time in the sun.

Eating Vitamin D rich foods can help a little (you need supplements to really feel different)

D-Rich Foods:
From Highest to Lowest Amounts

• Wild Salmon (Farmed salmon has been show to contain lower levels of vitamin D than wild salmon.)
• Sardines
• Goat's Milk
• Cow's Milk
• Shiitake Mushrooms
• Eggs

Mark your calendar for this spectacular Art Show!

"NeuroEXPRESSIONS" is an annual art show/ auction featuring artwork made by brain injury survivors and their family members. All proceeds benefit brain injury advocacy and prevention.

Location: Utah Association for Justice
Law & Justice Center
645 South 200 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
When: April 13, 2012
Time: 2-7 pm
Admission: Free

Low Vitamin D linked to brain fog!!

I feel sooooo good at every moment! This is the best I've felt since before my brain injury. It's because my doctor found (through a blood test) that I am severely low on my vitamin D count. I think it was about half of the suggested amount. So, she put me on a high dose supplement (50,000!) three times per week for a few months. This has helped me so much. I'm sleeping better. I feel happier, and not so cognitively impaired.

Check out this article. It says that low vitamin D linked to "general cognitive impairment."
I am IN LOVE with Vitamin D. . . .!!

http://www.rodale.com/vitamin-d-and-dementia

30% off if order my book now!

If you are interested in ordering my book, go to www.lulu.com search for "The Smile on My Forehead" and enter FEBRUARYCART305USD at checkout for 30% off!!!!

THIS OFFER IS GOOD ONLY THROUGH FEB 19

PS: (I did not write this post. Amy Henderson, Online Researcher, from one of "the UK's leading Medical Negligence and Personal Injury solicitors" wrote it).

Advice on Making a Claim on your Head and Brain Injuries

Every person’s situation is different but accidents that involve injuries to the head or brain can have severe consequences and can completely alter the injured person’s life. If you are pursuing a claim for personal injury, one of the key decisions will be who to go to for advice.

Although a free advisory service such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau are often able to offer guidance, and your local solicitor may be able to advise you on general aspects of personal injury claims. However, where a head or brain injury is involved, there are a number of factors that make it worth considering seeing a specialist lawyer.

Firstly and most importantly, damages. A specialist lawyer can calculate the right level of damages that should be argued for. They will also be able to advise on the likelihood of claiming ‘interim’ payments. These are payments that are paid to a claimant in a case where their claim seems likely to succeed, and it permits them to make certain arrangements before the litigation process has concluded.

Secondly, the accident itself. A lawyer specialising in this kind of personal injury will be able to assist with presenting the accident to court in the manner that best illustrates the case. They are likely to be experienced with using reconstructions or expert evidence in this area, and are familiar with the kind of medical evidence courts will require.

Thirdly, the severity of the consequences. Head injuries can create significant alterations to the victim’s daily life, and may have a significant impact on their employment or business. Lawyers with detailed knowledge of this area frequently have experts whose qualifications and knowledge they are able to recommend, such as physiotherapists, neurologists or other medical practitioners.

Fourthly, timing. Not all consequences of a head or brain injury are immediately apparent. There are cases where the symptoms take a little while to fully develop and a specialist solicitor is able to advise on how and when to commence a claim so you have the best chance of receiving what you deserve.

Finally, living arrangements. A specialist will be able to help you arrange your affairs after the injury. They will be able to help with matters like power of attorney, dealing with third parties, such as employers or banks, and putting you in touch with specialists who are able to help you manage other daily affairs.

In cases of all severity, it is worth considering getting specialist legal advice. Although their time may seem expensive, in the long run it can often prove to be a very good decision.
- Amy Henderson
http://www.searchlaboratory.com

How yoga can NOT wreck your body

Check out my refute to the New York Times article about how yoga can "wreck" your body. It was written exclusively for BrainLine.org, a WETA website. www.BrainLine.org:
READ IT HERE