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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Gabrielle Giffords: Reality Check!

"Most people with such injuries have some level of impairment for the rest of their lives."

How's that for honesty?

I just read an article about Gabrielle Giffords that, although still positive, was very realistic about the implications of living with a Traumatic Brain Injury. It seems like I've been reading a lot of things like, "she asked for toast this morning" or "she's so motivated, she'll be running around the hospital corridors in no time." While that might be true, something that we need to remember when thinking about her future is this: (from the article I read)

" . . . for the most part, brain injury patients will always have some degree of impairment, Grafman said.

That's not necessarily a recipe for misery; it just means people need to adjust, said Grafman, who has studied Vietnam veterans with brain injuries for 30 years.

"I'm always impressed ... at seeing how may of them have lived quite successful lives, having families and kids and working at jobs," he said. They "wind up living, in some sense, an ordinary life."

Click HERE to read the entire article

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jennifer, I love reading your blog. I'm impressed in how much effort you continue to put in doing research on how to help yourself and others who live with a TBI.

You continue to make the best of your situation. Of course, that shouldn't surprise me. You've never been one to give up!! Keep up the good work!!

You've always been a delight in my life.:)

Just Your MOM

Anonymous said...

Seems like soon they will have to deal with the reality of what she is left with. But that may not be for a long time yet. I admit I am a little jealous of the treatment she is getting but at the same time happy for her. Interesting how all these articles attract you and I and how much we learn from them. So glad we can educate ourselves so much and always learn something new. Also seeing and understanding anothers story is comforting somehow to me.

Diane