Some problems that are happening inside our healthcare system are due to Read the rest of this entry »
Category Archives: Disabled American Veterans
Is sleep a problem
Sleep is a common problem. Most people dealing with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, ADD-ADHD, chronic medical conditions and injuries and more, have difficulty with sleep. I recommend clicking on the highlighted red link to Sleep Struggles and Disorders for a comprehensive and quick list and easy to navigate.
This site has an extensive list of all types of sleep problems. Additions and deletions of articles will be maintained. Go to the bottom of the page and click and read the links you are interested.
English: Diagram illustrating the influence of dark-light rythms on circadian rythms and related physiology and behavior. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
These Links about Sleep, Sleep Struggles & Disorders, ADD, Spectrum & Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), Apnea, Insomnia, Narcolepsy, Rarer Sleep Disorders, Other elements impacting sleep, Light, vision, and sleep … and more.
Please leave comments as you explore these links. What is helpful and what is not? How do these sleep disorders apply to your life and situation?
Simple tips understanding injuries are very different … Part 2 of 2
Following the minor accident she sustained many symptoms. Some of the problems she recalls are: memory problems, an inability to focus, poor judgement, poor financial decisions, unable to balance a checkbook, unable to compensate, unable to sleep, increase in pain, extreme fatigue, irritability, unable to be independent because of level of fatigue, required assistance to accomplish activities of daily living, profound confusion, and finally an inability to work at career that was her passion.
Most importantly, she was unable to care for herself and struggled to parent her daughters. She did not qualify for rehabilitation. Now she wonders why her brain didn’t qualify for rehabilitation, but her amputation was covered daily for several months! Was her leg considered more valuable than
Simple tips understanding injuries are very different … Part 1 of 2
How many have been compared to someone who have a visible injury? “Look how much someone can accomplish after they have lost limbs or have some other visible physical injuries.” Is the frustration with brain injury Read the rest of this entry »
Simple tips helping others
At times life seems complicated and everything one does just does not make sense. You get up and look in the mirror. You consider yourself fortunate that you’ve survived … sometimes! Because of the superficial society no one understands what life is truly like. You look good, must be nothing wrong! That couldn’t be any further from the truth!
Appearance is the one thing that most those who traumatic brain injury, aging, chronic illness, and mental illness can control. They take pride in their appearance when out in public. Often it is the only thing under one’s control.
How many have been told to look how much someone can accomplish after they have lost limbs or have some other physical injuries? Is the frustration with brain injury justifiable? Is losing a limb comparable to brain injury? Next two “Simple Tip Posts” is a situation from someone who experienced both. Read the rest of this entry »
NHBPM – Doing My Own Prompt Today – Chronic Illness Links
NHBPM – Doing My Own Prompt Today – Chronic Illness Links.
This is an impressive site with well written articles and several links pertaining to chronic illness. Take some time to review the related links on this post. I personally reviewed all the links thoroughly except one, which was not of interest to me but may be to others. These are all educational links and contain well-written materials. Tell me what you think?
Simple tips … Where have all your friends gone Part 3 of 3
Everyone should have a Living Healthcare Will highlighting who is significant and who is not. Does your friend know where you keep it? Make sure Read the rest of this entry »
Simple tips … Where have all your friends gone Part 1 of 3
You are finally getting your life back in order. You are alert and oriented, don’t feel like much and yet so much has changed. The world Read the rest of this entry »
Loneliness is the Most Terrible Poverty
Loneliness is the Most Terrible Poverty.
This is a well written article that nearly all TBI, brain dysfunctions, chronic illnesses, and an array of health issues deal with. Most readers will certainly understand this this loneliness. This will also offer insight into FM (fibromyalgia), another frequently misdiagnosed, and misunderstood disease. Take the time to read this and leave your comments.
To my last patient…and the last of my patience! Part 4 of 4
This is the final pages of my letter to my last patient part 4 of 4. This letter in its entirety has clearly identified numerous safety issues without our healthcare system and specifically rehabilitation for neurology and traumatic brain injury patients. Safety is ultimately the concern for all patients and staff. Do healthcare professional overlook obvious symptoms because it is just a “job”? Are patients truly safe?
Neither myself or immediate family ever sought legal action against this facility. I was trying to get well and had no energy to do anything else. In retrospect, if we only knew the long-term consequences and had the proper legal advice with authorities looking out for the innocent the outcome would have been totally different. Maybe, it’s what nurses are expected to put up with and the facility is always right.
Read the rest of this entry »
To my last patient…and the last of my patience! Part 3 of 4
To my last patient part 3 of 4 poses a number of problems that cause further psychological harm to inpatient on this rehabilitation unit. The fear they demonstrated throughout this lengthy stay was insurmountable. It’s sad that these patients were more concerned about my well-being following the assault they witnessed than staff themselves. Safety is always a priority. How safe can anyone feel while being hospitalized? Read the rest of this entry »
To my last patient…and the last of my patience! Part 2 of 4
This is part 2 of 4 on the letter I wrote to my last patient after the assault as a Registered Nurse on a Neurology-Head Injury Rehabilitation Unit in Northeast Ohio October 30, 1991. In part 1 of 4 I included the table of contents for this letter. This letter was retyped March, 2008 but otherwise has never had revisions. It gives good insight into what was happening inside the healthcare system, and how I perceived the individual who assaulted myself and other healthcare professionals. Read the rest of this entry »
To my last patient…and the last of my patience! Part 1 of 4
This letter was written in 1993, a little over a year after my injury. This letter details not only what was happening to me shortly after brain injury, but what was happening inside the healthcare system. The information is accurate and correct as supported by documentation. It has been retyped, but no other revisions exist. Read the rest of this entry »
Need help? Simple tips: Where do I go? When? How can I ask for help?
So many might think asking for help comes naturally. Millions of individuals never need to ask for help, hence they do not know how. Of all these people life goes on without great difficulty because they easily deal well with daily living…until that event occurs that changes their lives forever. Until that time you probably were independent with everything in your life organized and successful. Most likely, you put others first and everyone seemed to look to you for answers. Unfortunately asking for help following a brain injury sometimes seems impossible simply because all the other consequences of this devastating injury. It’s a travesty that with all the recent media attention so many are struggling with life altering changes that fluctuate from day-to-day and year-to-year without rehabilitation or help. Others simply do not understand.
The first key to getting help is to find someone who listens! After getting someone to listen I have included several different ideas to ask for help and receive it for traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and other chronic illnesses as well as any life problems to reach your highest level of functioning. Read the rest of this entry »
Healthcare professionals with a traumatic brain injury. Who should know better? 2 of 3
Brain Injury Awareness: Anywhere, Anytime, Anyone. 
Healthcare professionals are not exempt from this devastating traumatic brain injury. Without more education, understanding and research how do you think this could compromise your health? How many healthcare professionals are dealing with current brain injuries? We should start doing pilot or research studies on this, or at the very least surveys.
I functioned without difficulty until this last injury. It’s imperative we educate healthcare workers before this happens to them. It’s always an after thought. The I should’ve, would’ve, could’ve scenario! Stop it from happening to begin with. Prevention is key and they should all know that! When does someone step in to help? When should they return to work? Two weeks after brain surgery? Two months after injury? Where are the guidelines? What and who are protecting patients? Who is helping the healthcare professionals through this difficult time? They are always helping other people at work…but what happens when it is a healthcare professional? That’s the key…when it happens to a healthcare professional then everyone is expected to understand and help. That is not the case. Few understand and fewer care. This is all about brain injury awareness and patient safety and advocacy. You don’t want to be a patient! Read the rest of this entry »
Unless you get it, you just dont get it…
Unless you get it, you just dont get it….
I read this, and I think everyone with a Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Chronic Illness (mental or physical) can understand these ignorant comments.
Take a look and think about how many times you’ve heard so many of these comments. Gee, how easy life was when I could jump out of bed, get dressed, take care of family, go to work, go to school, do community work, etc…and if only we could do that again! Instead not only do you deal with the daily problems you need to deal with ignorant and uneducated individuals.
This was an excellent posting. Hope you can identify with this. You are not faking it, you are not crazy, this is not drama… this is your LIFE and it is REALITY!
Healthcare professionals with a traumatic brain injury. Who should know better? Part 1 of 3
How confident do you think you would be if a healthcare professional was caring for you and had a recent traumatic brain injury? It’s doubtful you would know unless this were a new injury or obvious problem. Isn’t that what brain injuries are: Invisible Injuries? So who’s policing healthcare professionals when they do not understand traumatic brain injuries? Denial, denial, denial. Errors are not widely publicized and rarely are documented. They are supposed to be documented. When errors are documented they are usually not in your medical records unless it’s a subtle mention so they do not raise red flags. There is a separate incident report created that is not attached to your medical file.
Healthcare is also guilty of pushing their employees back to work. Why don’t healthcare professionals understand TBI or mental/brain dysfunction? They are the least likely people to be compassionate and understanding when an employee is ill (mentally or physically) or injured. Unfortunately, their misgivings may become part of your life threatening injury or illness and affect your health and life forever. I will share only one situation at this time so not to overwhelm anyone with what’s happening inside our healthcare facilities. Read the rest of this entry »
Could This Be The Reason Traumatic Brain Injury Is Misdiagnosed and Untreated?
What is the real reason traumatic brain injury is misdiagnosed, untreated or under treated? Do we have enough rehabilitation centers in America to accommodate 1.7 million people every year? Is this a national problem or local issue? I cannot believe they missed the most obvious of all … brain injury. I was the patient with all the issues…but the healthcare professionals still expect you have it all together to let them know what’s going on. What one does know is most head injuries, strokes, and many diseases of the brain are not classic in any way. The emergency room personnel look for only the classic obvious symptoms: one sided weakness, dropping of the facial muscles, slurred speech, and others. These are not necessarily symptoms that appear with the 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries every year. Read the rest of this entry »
Simple Tips to Cope With The Unmentionables After Brain Injury … Blood, Sweat and Tears with Urine, Sweat & Feces
How can you cope with the unmentionable after traumatic brain injury? It’s blood, sweat and tears with urine, sweat and feces. Oh Crap, or Piss-on-it, or just too much Sweat! Any way you look at it I stink! 
The injury is healed, but now you have so many symptoms to live and cope with. Now, who is there to help you anyway? You are at home…big deal! It is a big deal to be at home, but now you have to figure out your surroundings, your role in life, but most importantly how your body now functions or for that matter does not function. Read the rest of this entry »
Are You Really A Different Person After Brain Injury?
How often do you heard you are not the same person? In many ways you have changed but the struggle you deal with is partly owing to all the characteristics who made you what you are today. You are still the same person, in the literal sense. And so much of you can not change. You just function differently physically, emotionally and in life itself. It’s this struggle within that is so difficult. I tried to put into encouraging words the easiest way to understand why you are NOT a different person and why you struggle with this every day. Read the rest of this entry »
Simple Tips to Manage Fatigue with Brain Injury, Memory Problems, and Chronic Illness to Self Rehabilitate
How can you manage mental and physical fatigue in your daily life? The normal fatigue you feel from brain injury is not like simple feelings of tiredness. It’s far from this. It exhausts all your physical and mental energy and leaves one in a brain fog where you can not think at all or physically accomplish anything. Your limbs feel so weak you just cannot be involved in doing anything until you get rest. Sleep is the only thing that helps you feel better. Read the rest of this entry »
Fatigue After Brain Injury or Anyone Suffering from Excessive Fatigue
Are you exhausted or constantly fatigued after brain injury? Anyone suffering from chronic excessive fatigue or exhaustion? Is it “normal” or “excessive”? You might have an underlying condition that has not been diagnosed or treated yet. 10 Suggestions and more to help find your cause. Read the rest of this entry »
What do I need? Or where do I go? To relearn my computer or purchase a new computer after brain injury?
My computer is not working like it did before brain injury. I need a computer to help me compensate for my memory and other things. What should I do and where can I go? Read the rest of this entry »
Leaving the Twilight Zone … So I thought! after a closed head injury
If you look okay you are expected to be working!
It was time to get back to work following a closed head injury. I thought everything was going well and my simple concussion was resolved. Oh, if I only knew what was yet to come. So by Monday November 4, 1991 and 5 days later I was ready to return to work. After all a few days have passed since I was hit in the head and certainly there should not be any reason to keep me from working. Read the rest of this entry »
10 Tips in Placing Telephone Calls with Brain Injury
10 tips and highlights to handle telephone calls without distraction and keep focused for those with brain injuries, brain dysfunction, and other chronic illnesses.
So many types of telephones.
Everyone is familiar with the telephone for communication at work, at home or more commonly everywhere one goes with their cell phone. Read the rest of this entry »
Deeper into the Twilight Zone with Brain Injury
Feeling puzzled? common symptom after brain injury.
Frequently x-rays and other diagnostic tools are "Normal". Need healthcare professionals to monitor symptoms and clues to changing status.
I did not think I could go deeper into the twilight zone and neither did I think I had a brain injury. After all, I had many injuries prior to this assault and recovered from every single one without residual effects. What was I thinking as a nurse? Read the rest of this entry »
Best and safest exercise for brain injury…brain dysfunction and all other areas of health
Are you having difficulty standing? Is your balance off and you fall often? Are you dizzy? Or are you simply too tired or fatigue? Do your joints ache? Do you think you have had a traumatic brain injury but not sure? Have you been diagnosed with a brain injury or medical condition? Are you a hero that has fought for our country? Are you a disabled American Veteran?
Children in aquatic therapy
Exercise is always important, but now it can be fun! Read the rest of this entry »
Entering the Twilight Zone of Brain Injury…Nurse
CAUSES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Learning what brain injury is all about. It was nothing like I experienced as a nurse treating the patients with brain injury. Little did I know I was about to enter the twilight zone at work on October 30, 1991. Read the rest of this entry »
Difficulty remembering? Start here to help yourself. Brain Injury?
Forgetting or simply not remembering? Which is it? Well, forgetting is something you have in your memory. Or maybe it is not that simple. It could be something you tried to memorize but could not, then you forgot what it was. It’s all a matter of intrepretion. Remembering is questionable. Was it ever in your memory to begin with, or was it something you tried to remember and could not have. The question is more complex then anyone could believe…until you’ve been there. Read the rest of this entry »
braininjuryselfrehabilitation 