When did you learn about gravity?
If like me you would state in school.
In fact you didn't.
You learned it when you first tried to roll over or tried to crawl or walk and fell over.
If I asked you to climb atop of your 2 story house and jump off, chances are you would respond, "You first!."
The reason is you need no scientific proof of velocity and the sudden stop at the end to convince you, "This is gonna hurt!"
If we go out fishing and catch a fish, remove the hook and release the fish back into the water, one could assume that the fish saw its world from a different point of view. It also saw its limitations and how it was bound to its watery confines.
Welcome to the world of the brain injured.
If you are a caregiver for the first time.
If you are a survivor for the first time.
Each of you are like that fish. Your perspective has been changed. The world for your friends carries on but yours will never be the same.
The point of view of friends and family may not coincide with yours. They are not wrong, they just haven't been pulled out of their world and viewed it through your eyes. Chances are they will never get it. Why should they? They too, have a comfort zone, have time constraints, and all the daily constraints that differs from both of you.
They are not wrong if they leave you behind.
In essence both you, caregiver and survivor have taken a different path too.
Yes, you may miss the friendship or be angry for their lack of compassion but there are truths about brain injury you need to appreciate like the truth about gravity that will need to be accepted if you desire a less traumatic path to acceptance.
Truth
Friends will abandon you. Regardless of brain injury, friends will come and go.
Family may abandon you.
Its hard to get around the word permanent, the word disability and forever. Put them into one sentence, "Your loved one has suffered a brain injury and will be permanently disabled and the affects are most likely forever.
Truth
You are and will yearn for who you once were.
You will gauge your progress on who you once was clinging to any inkling that he is resembling his/herself.
DON'T!!!!!!!!
The more you chase the past, the more anxious and frustrated you will become.
Gauge the process from the date of the injury and move forward from there celebrating any new progress made!
TRUTH
You are like a new child, a new employee on this path for the first time. Do you berate a child for failing in his/her first dozen attempts or give them encouragement?
So, caregivers, you need patience and be positive.
Brain injured? Give yourself some latitude to screw up. Like gravity, you will stumble and fall
TRUTH
YOU WILL NOT REGAIN ALL FUNCTIONALITY!
You will master your new world minimizing the affects of having a broken brain and have a new perspective that those who failed to follow you in the progress of healing, are most likely doomed to return to the bonds of earth and repeat the lesson of compassion.
Hotel
Friday, 27 June 2014
Tuesday, 24 June 2014
It Just Happened! What do I do?
This is the time to act. You see insurance companies act post haste, to minimize the cost of damages. So should you.
Regardless of whether this is a TBI or an ABI. Whether insurance is availble or not, you do not have time to begin either the healing process or the legal process.
If you have either insurance or injury occurred at work, if a representative offers you a settlement, politely say, I must speak with my attorney first. (Of course "I" being the spouse or caregiver)
Lawyers better be well versed in Brain Injury. This will be a long process.
Long term? Possibly for the rest of his/her life where the file needs to remain open.
We may hope for a complete recovery, but we need temperance, and plan for something in between.
Things to consider long term. Income loss, siezures, scar tissue building up on the brain over the years.
Yes, you may be fortunate like me, no scar tissue build up, yet. No siezures but one can never rule them out.
Get a goooooood lawyer who ensures you file is ongoing.
Now if you have no coverage, had a stroke or tumor then you need to turn to help groups immediately. They can direct you to government or charities that may offer assistance, like walkers, wheel chairs, wheel chair ramps, medical beds, hoists to aid in moving the most serious.
You will also need to know what rehabilitation is for your loved one.
The proper neuropsychology testing.
The newest treatments like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (hbot).
The quicker the rehab and legal process begins the better the outcome for both you, your marriage, and or family.
Hope you never need me but I am glad to be of some help if you do.
Regardless of whether this is a TBI or an ABI. Whether insurance is availble or not, you do not have time to begin either the healing process or the legal process.
If you have either insurance or injury occurred at work, if a representative offers you a settlement, politely say, I must speak with my attorney first. (Of course "I" being the spouse or caregiver)
Lawyers better be well versed in Brain Injury. This will be a long process.
Long term? Possibly for the rest of his/her life where the file needs to remain open.
We may hope for a complete recovery, but we need temperance, and plan for something in between.
Things to consider long term. Income loss, siezures, scar tissue building up on the brain over the years.
Yes, you may be fortunate like me, no scar tissue build up, yet. No siezures but one can never rule them out.
Get a goooooood lawyer who ensures you file is ongoing.
Now if you have no coverage, had a stroke or tumor then you need to turn to help groups immediately. They can direct you to government or charities that may offer assistance, like walkers, wheel chairs, wheel chair ramps, medical beds, hoists to aid in moving the most serious.
You will also need to know what rehabilitation is for your loved one.
The proper neuropsychology testing.
The newest treatments like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (hbot).
The quicker the rehab and legal process begins the better the outcome for both you, your marriage, and or family.
Hope you never need me but I am glad to be of some help if you do.
Monday, 23 June 2014
Another Great Link
http://survivingtraumaticbraininjury.wordpress.com
Surviving Trumatic Brain Injury
Surviving Trumatic Brain Injury
Saturday, 21 June 2014
A Question Of Faith
In my last blog, I mentioned faith or spiritualism as a means for healing. Now many require no convincing of the power of meditation or divine intervention.
Some athiests may scoff at the idea that a mystical being has anything to do with the healing process and it's all in your mind.
I agree with both!
Those who have a faith whether they believe it or not are using an icon, to really still the mind to access the subconscios mind which I feel is connected to a greater power I refer to as the "Collective Consciousness" that some refer to as God.
Whether you believe or do not believe is neither up to me or anyone else however, if you are worldly, meaning tolerant and respectful of all beliefs or non-beliefs then I pose a simple question.
What harm is it in believing in spiritualism as part of the healing regimine?
Let me put it to you this way. If we believe that Global Warming is true but the nay sayers hijack the argument and say it is not so and we destroy this planet then we all lose. If we support the argument that global warming is real and are proactive in cleaning the environment, what do we lose?
Nothing. In fact we gain a cleaner environment.
So if you allow for prayer in any form, whether from a specific faith or from someone who has faith in a healing rock, a pool of water, or an annointed person, and when you die there is no afterlife, what have you lost? Conversely if you deny the possibility of life after and there truely is then you may have denied yourself the option to healing yourself or a loved one by way of prayer.
You merely have to still the mind at night and simply ask the power to be to please bring balance, harmony, health, success and love to the named injured person.
Positive reaffirmation.
What have you got to lose?
To me it's a win,win kind of situation similar to those who would rather destroy the environment instead of leaving it cleaner than it was when you got it.
Some athiests may scoff at the idea that a mystical being has anything to do with the healing process and it's all in your mind.
I agree with both!
Those who have a faith whether they believe it or not are using an icon, to really still the mind to access the subconscios mind which I feel is connected to a greater power I refer to as the "Collective Consciousness" that some refer to as God.
Whether you believe or do not believe is neither up to me or anyone else however, if you are worldly, meaning tolerant and respectful of all beliefs or non-beliefs then I pose a simple question.
What harm is it in believing in spiritualism as part of the healing regimine?
Let me put it to you this way. If we believe that Global Warming is true but the nay sayers hijack the argument and say it is not so and we destroy this planet then we all lose. If we support the argument that global warming is real and are proactive in cleaning the environment, what do we lose?
Nothing. In fact we gain a cleaner environment.
So if you allow for prayer in any form, whether from a specific faith or from someone who has faith in a healing rock, a pool of water, or an annointed person, and when you die there is no afterlife, what have you lost? Conversely if you deny the possibility of life after and there truely is then you may have denied yourself the option to healing yourself or a loved one by way of prayer.
You merely have to still the mind at night and simply ask the power to be to please bring balance, harmony, health, success and love to the named injured person.
Positive reaffirmation.
What have you got to lose?
To me it's a win,win kind of situation similar to those who would rather destroy the environment instead of leaving it cleaner than it was when you got it.
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
The Spirit Within
I may not be the best person to speak about spiritualism for obvious reasons, like I don't follow a religion, have not read the bible, have for the most part of my life been an agnostic, yet I am going to share my story and hopefully you won't be offended or think that I am a lost cause.
It has taken me 40 years to come to the conclusion that in fact the power of prayer may work. I say may for those who are like me a little cautious. You see I was mad at my God, for giving me this terrible challenge. I could understand it if in fact I was the cause of the aneurysms but they were formed before I was born.
Now the reason for writing this is to help those who are more faithful than I and maybe open the minds of those still wondering.
As I told you, this all began at 14 when aneurysms began to rupture. In actual fact without going into great detail I ask you to simply follow my thought patterns and determine whether it was luck of the draw or a greater force was involved starting before even I was born?
A simple thought for the non believers is simply this....We have two minds. The Conscious mind. This is what governs our conscious decisions. To walk, run, laugh, cry, wear a helmet or not, get behind the wheel, call a cab. Everything we do, right or wrong is governed by our conscious mind.
The second mind is the subconscious mind. This works 24/7, regulating your heart, managing your temperature, blood pressure, growing your hair and finger nails. It fights infection and it does what no doctor or psychologist can do and that is to heal you. Yes, a doctor may set the broken leg, which removes the block so that your body can begin the process of healing. The same with the psychologist. He guides you from the darkness so that your mind can begin to heal itself. All healers, whether Christ, Mohamed, Buddha and dentists, physiotherapists, chiropractors and the like are facilitators for the process of your subconscious mind to promote its own healing whether it is physical, mental or spiritual.
Now I am of the mind that the planet is much older than 6000 years, that the big gang occurred but the question still remains, who created the big bang?
Along comes a scientist and The "Theory Of Everything", by Robert Lanza, http://www.robertlanzabiocentrism.com/ who merges the realm of science and Biology which allows for both science and spiritualism to exist.
Now I am not going to go further in explaining the theory of relativity, the big bang, the reason for us being here but in that same thought I will explain how I think that possibly the hand of God played a role in my life.
Dr. Heffernan told my mom not to give birth to me until July 21, 1959 as he was on vacation until then. I decided that I like the number 19 and at 6 am, on the 19th, I was born.
Dr. Sinclair was the attending doctor and as fate would have it, I chose to see him over Dr. Heffernan in the years that followed.
I began passing out in or around age 13-14. Dr. Sinclair prescribed something for poor iron blood. It had little or no affect as the passing out continued. Wishing to avoid the cod liver mixture I simply stopped complaining about my passing out frequencies.
My grades began to plummet along with my concentration and my scholastic abilities were a swiss cheese of some grade 9, 10, 11 by the time I finally dropped out.
My dad decided to send me 500 mile north to Vanderhoof, B.C. hoping that working for our farmer friend would convince me to go back to school and get a good education.
Late July, I became nauseous from what I would later learn was an aneurysm rupturing. No pain, just disorientation. Still concerned I went to the doctor and he stated it was my spleen.
I though it was my head but who was I to question the doctor?
A week later I have the car accident and get a free trip with my broken leg back to Victoria.
I go to the emergency, see Dr. Mackie who is in the process of taking over doctor Sinclair's practice.
He discovers my broken arm missed by the hospital in Vanderhoof.
October 31, I have the major aneurysm rupture.
Dr. Mackie refers me to Doctor Cameron who saves my life.
Lets sum it up. For some unknown reason, I get Doctor Sinclair as my doctor before I am born and he is to retire and Dr. Mackie is to take over his practice on or around 1977. The Doctor in Vanderhoof 's misdiagnosis of my rupturing aneurysm. To get to Victoria something grand has to take place. Let's see, God throws a pick-up into my path and I break my leg. They miss my broken arm, another miracle, because Dr. Mackie remembers that and decides I need a brain scan, an X-Ray and an EEG.
The tests prove I have 6 weeks to live. To me, too many coincidences along with the timing leave me wondering.
I could not deny the many faiths that prayed for me to say that the power of prayer did not have an impact upon my recovery. I could tell you that these farming friends used to reside in Sidney which was outside of Victoria and moved to Vanderhoof in 1974.
The fact remains whether it is fluke luck or divine intervention, I personally lean towards the latter. I believe our bodies are not perfect but the soul within is. I believe we are divinely perfect and that our connection to heaven or the divine consciousness is through our subconscious mind. If you still your mind and feed your subconscious mind with healing positive thoughts you will consciously see the healing manifest itself in you.
I may not know what is in store for me. It may be this blog. It may be to give you hope, It may be to say a loved one is too broken and it is in God's hands, or may be a loved one passed already and you need to know all was done by you for him or her. Whatever the reason I hope this blog continues to help you in your healing or acceptance of the loss of self one has or is still facing.
It has taken me 40 years to come to the conclusion that in fact the power of prayer may work. I say may for those who are like me a little cautious. You see I was mad at my God, for giving me this terrible challenge. I could understand it if in fact I was the cause of the aneurysms but they were formed before I was born.
Now the reason for writing this is to help those who are more faithful than I and maybe open the minds of those still wondering.
As I told you, this all began at 14 when aneurysms began to rupture. In actual fact without going into great detail I ask you to simply follow my thought patterns and determine whether it was luck of the draw or a greater force was involved starting before even I was born?
A simple thought for the non believers is simply this....We have two minds. The Conscious mind. This is what governs our conscious decisions. To walk, run, laugh, cry, wear a helmet or not, get behind the wheel, call a cab. Everything we do, right or wrong is governed by our conscious mind.
The second mind is the subconscious mind. This works 24/7, regulating your heart, managing your temperature, blood pressure, growing your hair and finger nails. It fights infection and it does what no doctor or psychologist can do and that is to heal you. Yes, a doctor may set the broken leg, which removes the block so that your body can begin the process of healing. The same with the psychologist. He guides you from the darkness so that your mind can begin to heal itself. All healers, whether Christ, Mohamed, Buddha and dentists, physiotherapists, chiropractors and the like are facilitators for the process of your subconscious mind to promote its own healing whether it is physical, mental or spiritual.
Now I am of the mind that the planet is much older than 6000 years, that the big gang occurred but the question still remains, who created the big bang?
Along comes a scientist and The "Theory Of Everything", by Robert Lanza, http://www.robertlanzabiocentrism.com/ who merges the realm of science and Biology which allows for both science and spiritualism to exist.
Now I am not going to go further in explaining the theory of relativity, the big bang, the reason for us being here but in that same thought I will explain how I think that possibly the hand of God played a role in my life.
Dr. Heffernan told my mom not to give birth to me until July 21, 1959 as he was on vacation until then. I decided that I like the number 19 and at 6 am, on the 19th, I was born.
Dr. Sinclair was the attending doctor and as fate would have it, I chose to see him over Dr. Heffernan in the years that followed.
I began passing out in or around age 13-14. Dr. Sinclair prescribed something for poor iron blood. It had little or no affect as the passing out continued. Wishing to avoid the cod liver mixture I simply stopped complaining about my passing out frequencies.
My grades began to plummet along with my concentration and my scholastic abilities were a swiss cheese of some grade 9, 10, 11 by the time I finally dropped out.
My dad decided to send me 500 mile north to Vanderhoof, B.C. hoping that working for our farmer friend would convince me to go back to school and get a good education.
Late July, I became nauseous from what I would later learn was an aneurysm rupturing. No pain, just disorientation. Still concerned I went to the doctor and he stated it was my spleen.
I though it was my head but who was I to question the doctor?
A week later I have the car accident and get a free trip with my broken leg back to Victoria.
I go to the emergency, see Dr. Mackie who is in the process of taking over doctor Sinclair's practice.
He discovers my broken arm missed by the hospital in Vanderhoof.
October 31, I have the major aneurysm rupture.
Dr. Mackie refers me to Doctor Cameron who saves my life.
Lets sum it up. For some unknown reason, I get Doctor Sinclair as my doctor before I am born and he is to retire and Dr. Mackie is to take over his practice on or around 1977. The Doctor in Vanderhoof 's misdiagnosis of my rupturing aneurysm. To get to Victoria something grand has to take place. Let's see, God throws a pick-up into my path and I break my leg. They miss my broken arm, another miracle, because Dr. Mackie remembers that and decides I need a brain scan, an X-Ray and an EEG.
The tests prove I have 6 weeks to live. To me, too many coincidences along with the timing leave me wondering.
I could not deny the many faiths that prayed for me to say that the power of prayer did not have an impact upon my recovery. I could tell you that these farming friends used to reside in Sidney which was outside of Victoria and moved to Vanderhoof in 1974.
The fact remains whether it is fluke luck or divine intervention, I personally lean towards the latter. I believe our bodies are not perfect but the soul within is. I believe we are divinely perfect and that our connection to heaven or the divine consciousness is through our subconscious mind. If you still your mind and feed your subconscious mind with healing positive thoughts you will consciously see the healing manifest itself in you.
I may not know what is in store for me. It may be this blog. It may be to give you hope, It may be to say a loved one is too broken and it is in God's hands, or may be a loved one passed already and you need to know all was done by you for him or her. Whatever the reason I hope this blog continues to help you in your healing or acceptance of the loss of self one has or is still facing.
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