HOPE TBI

This is part 2 of a 2 part episode regarding the Tsunmai of emotions after a Brain Injury/Trauma and the Hurricane of extreme impulsivity that can result in anger, anxiety, depression, loss, and rage as a result of the injury itself.Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Join us in part 1 of a 2 part episode while we talk about the things that can happen behind closed doors that we may not always see. Discussing Anger, Rage, and other intense emotions that can take us by surprise after experiencing a trauma or brain injury.Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

The sexual needs of a person after brain injury or Trauma is often not even considered or taken into account during the rehabilitative process; the endocrine and physiological changes that can take place as a result of a brain injury can alter a person's sexual life immensely.The resulting changes that can occur and the result of those changes are explored in this episode. Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Sexuality is one of the most complex aspects of life but, the sexual lives of people with disabilities have been disregarded and stigmatized for far too long. We have the ability through education and awareness to remove those stigmas and make sexuality a normal part of conversations, not just with our healthcare providers, but with each other as well.Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Here are 12 ways that may help you manage your memory loss in a more functional way, helping to maintain as much dignity and independence as possible.1. Make a memory board2. Create a life story book, photo album or something digital that is labeled3. Cognitive Stimulation4. Utilize a reminder system5. Lists6. Use post-it/sticky notes7. Use a mobile smartphone (cell phone)8. Medicine/pill reminder box9. Use an alarm clock, a watch with an alarm, or a kitchen timer10. Never leave the room when you are cooking11. Appointments and Meetings12. Don't ProcrastinateAdditional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Parents who have brain injuries often report that not only has their ability to carry out parenting roles been affected by their injury, but also their relationship with their children and what they can tolerate, has changed. Parents caring for a brain injured child, often struggle with finding a balance between being a parent or a medical caregiver.  Some parents have difficulty adjusting to the changes going on with their child because they may not be able to "see" an injury, feel helpless, or guilty.Sometimes it is the changes in relationships that are the most difficult to adjust to.Sometimes, as a mother, we can feel invisible.  We may feel misunderstood, not listened to, or like we can't be ourselves. All of this puts an enormous strain on relationships and our own self-esteem.  We just have to remember that doing the best we can is enough - even if what that "best" looks like changes from day to day, or moment to moment.  Whether a survivor, caregiver, or provider - just embrace being THAT MOTHERAdditional information and resources at hopetbi.com

1. Vision Testing (Neuro-Opthalmologist/Optometrist)2. Auditory Testing (hearing tests)3. Speech Therapy4. SPECT-CT5. Rest Come and listen as we discuss important recovery steps after brain injury and what those steps entail.  This episode is also available as a blog post: http://hopetbi.com/2021/02/12/5-important-brain-injury-recovery-steps/Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Following a concussion, the brain is often unable to function as well as it did prior to injury. This is why we typically see some difficulties with memory or academics. However, once the brain recovers there is no change in a person’s overall intelligence.  Just because someone has a brain injury, does not mean that they automatically lose their intelligence either.  A higher functioning individual who may have been "above average", may appear "average" after their brain injury, which can be misleading to the severity of their injury/symptoms.  The person with the brain injury knows they are not performing well, yet to a provider their results may show "average" testing which changes the services offered to the patient.This is how misdiagnoses happen.  Making assumptions based solely on presumed intelligence is not a good marker for determining rehabilitation services that may be needed.This episode is also available as a blog post: http://hopetbi.com/2017/05/06/brain-injury-does-not-equal-lack-of-intelligence/Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Adjusting to change when you are immersed in a PTSD moment can be a lot to traverse through.  Adjusting to last minute changes creates a vortex of emotions when you depend on that structured way of life to feel successful in your day, and it suddenly becomes unstructured.  This episode discusses the whirlwind of various types of change and what it is like to have anxiety added to it.This episode is also available as a blog post: http://hopetbi.com/2016/12/28/the-whirlwind-of-change-then-add-anxiety/Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Pain changes you.  Pain changes how you perceive the world.  Sometimes that change is for the better, sometimes it is for the worse.  One thing that is consistent though is that it effects each person in different ways.  For some, pain is an intermittent, temporary experience that subsides and disappears.  Yet for others, it is a constant reminder of a changed life and a permanent fixture requiring high maintenance in their lives.This episode is about Chronic Pain and how it resembles the stages of Grief.This episode is also available as a Webpage: https://hopetbi.com/rehabilitation-journey-2/chronic-pain/ Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Where did I put the keys?  Where did I sit my notebook?  What am I in this room for?  These are common questions for the average person.  What happens though after a brain injury?  What happens after trauma interrupts our thinking process and changes the normal questions to a barage of overwhelming and unanswered questions, self-doubt, checks, and balances that make us feel we are no longer "normal"?  Let's explore some of those thoughts together.This episode is also available as a blog post: http://hopetbi.com/2016/08/18/dusty-roads/Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

After a Trauma, we often know ourselves by looking at ourselves in our reflection, yet the experience has changed us inside.  Things in life may seem familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.  How do we reconcile the self we were before the trauma with who we are now?  How can we begin to recognize the inner part again as someone that we also love and accept in all of its newfound complexity?This post is also available as a Webpage: https://hopetbi.com/about-me/who-is-this-stranger-as-me/Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Hello and welcome to the Podcast for HOPE TBI - where you, as our listening audience, are embraced as our ⁠HOPE'sters⁠.You can find us at ⁠www.hopetbi.com⁠This episode is about 7 years I survived - from January 4, 2014 - January 4, 2021. "Year of the Seven"This episode is also available as a blog post: http://hopetbi.com/2021/01/04/year-of-the-seven/Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com

Hello ⁠HOPE'sters⁠.  Welcome to the podcast for ⁠HOPE TBI⁠, where you as our listening audience are embraced as the HOPE'sters of the world.  You can find us at ⁠hopetbi.com⁠What is a HOPE'ster?  A HOPEster is anyone who is interested in helping one person succeed to be independent – even if the person they are currently helping is themselves (specifically related to Polytrauma and Traumatic Brain Injury – though can apply to anything other than these two things as well).A HOPEster is someone willing to share information, offer support (whether that be emotional, mental, physical, or just by sharing awareness information), and encourages advocacy (self-advocacy, medical advocacy, advocacy awareness).A HOPEster is someone that thinks outside the box, is passionate, idealistic, and believes in the inherent goodness of others and our collective responsibility to each other as human beings.Come on in.  Join us.  Become a HOPE'ster.This episode is about the history of ⁠HOPE TBI ⁠and an Introduction to this Podcast.Additional information and resources at hopetbi.com