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Guest post: Hope Clark on “My new normal” following her brain injury.

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 15:09:44 +0000

Today I want to introduce you to Hope Clark. She is a talented writer, who has written about learning disabilities and has written a couple of articles for some local newspapers. Plus there are plenty of articles written about her. These articles can be found archived at the National Library in Ottawa.

Since her brain injury she wrote few pieces as part of her therapy. However, she has now decided to share them publicly and hopes (no pun intended) that they will help others.

“I am from SW Ontario, Canada. My past like is filled with Management positions, Event Planning, Fundraising and Marketing with a side of Communications. Writing for me is something I find very cathartic. I acquired my TBI in March of 2018 and have been trying to reinvent myself ever since. I am not sure what I am going to do when I grow up, but if I can help someone with my writing then I feel I have done my job.” – Hope Clark aka HM Lemon

This is an extract of one of her articles. You can read the full version of My new normal which she has published on Facebook here.

As the thick veil of trauma has slowly been dissolving over the past year, nine months, 5 days (you get the gist) my life has been interesting to say the least. I have been the most alone I have ever been even though, unlike before, I have a loving husband and two beautiful children. Don’t get me wrong, I have been treated with great empathy, compassion and caring.

My road to recovery has been met with other trauma victims, doctor’s, specialists, treatment providers: I am never alone, yet, I am the most alone I have ever been.

Living with a traumatic brain injury and trauma really does lend itself to the saying, ‘if you have never experienced it, you just won’t understand.’ You try to be like your old self, or your normal and no matter what happens…something you’ve never experienced before rears its ugly head. It is true what they say, ‘Don’t take things for granted because you never know what could happen”, is taken to the extreme!

I can’t drop my kids off at school because the commotion of the people, vehicles, movement, noise – it makes me so sick to the point my brain feels like it will explode. My ‘level of tolerance’ as the treatment providers call it is about 2 hours. When I meet a friend for a lunch, little do they know that I must sleep for 2 – 3 hours afterwards just to recover. This coming from a woman who would get up at 6 am to workout before getting the kids up at 7 am and then not stopping until around midnight. This schedule repeated day after day. Some other wonderful side effects of an MVA are, yet not limited to, screen time (computer and television) gives me headaches; my wonderfully intelligent brain now struggles with sentence structure, word recall and spelling and even executive functioning. My love of music has been put on mute and my awesome dance parties with the kids have been put on hold. I keep hearing the term, ‘new normal’ – and that is very difficult to wrap my head around. Living 44 years is a long time. You acquire certain traits, characteristics and now to be told that that isn’t you anymore is a struggle. At the same time, I am being told that I am extremely high functioning. What does that even mean!? Lol! Until recently I didn’t understand this until my OT said something of brilliance.

Living with a traumatic brain injury and trauma really does lend itself to the saying, ‘if you have never experienced it, you just won’t understand.’

You try to be like your old self, or your normal and no matter what happens...something you’ve never experienced before rears its ugly head.

It is true what they say, ‘Don’t take things for granted because you never know what could happen”, is taken to the extreme!

‘We can go our whole lives living a certain way and one little bonk to the brain and yep, you have to relearn your whole way of life and living.’ Crazy enough it made me feel a bit better. I understood what people were trying to tell me about my ‘New Normal.’

Living with a TBI, (traumatic brain injury) is your brain telling you that you just can’t!

What does that mean exactly? When my level of tolerance has been met my brain begins to feel like it’s on fire. You are most likely saying once again, what does that mean? Well, it’s like when you begin to get the flu and your head feels like you’re starting get a fever, that is what my head feels like – yet, without the flu. I begin to get foggy. My concentration levels start to fade. My ability to understand let alone comprehend what the person I am with is saying it to is slim to none and I am unable to make eye contact with whom I am with because my brain is too busy trying to keep up. Oh yes, comprehension has left the building everyone and thank gawd for spell check. This coming from the woman who has been published, interviewed for television, print and radio more times than I can count. On Mother’s Day 2019, I dropped to the floor in front of my family. Out cold I was, and an ambulance had to be called. I spent the day in the ER. Just before I was released the doctor came and tried to explain what was going on. We had a conversation and when she walked away, my mom said – honey, you did NOT understand a word she was saying. I was mortified. This isn’t the only time this has happened, and I was oddly humbled by the experience. The great news is that my memory is completely shot so the likelihood of me remembering these highly embarrassing moments are unlikely.

Memory: I did have one almost 2 years ago. I had a great memory and my jobs reflected by ability to hold large amounts of information. Now, I forget to turn off the stove or close the fridge. I lose my thought(s) in mid-sentence, knowing there was something there and at the same time not having a clue what I was saying, doing, or what the topic was. Grabbing and putting the wrong lid on something is day after day. I forget my children’s names. In my defence, it is mostly when I am upset of my tolerance levels have been met and asking them to go brush their teeth or get ready for bed. My daughter just looks at me as says, ‘Mom, why are you telling me to go to the kitchen!? Don’t you want me to go to the bathroom, cause we’re already in the kitchen?’ My response, ‘Om-goodness, you understood what I am trying to say so please just go,’ Lol.

Honestly, looking at your brain injury with a positive outlook is the only way to be. The truth is that you can not control the future, only your present. You have no idea when and if you will be 100% and that is okay. It is okay because you can begin to reinvent yourself and how many people really get the chance to do that? Every step forward is a victory. Each and every day you can manage the pain, headaches and nausea is a bonus! You just push forward with whatever you have left. Be thankful for every moment you get to spend with your children and jump for joy that they were not in the car with you. And, even though you miss experiences and moments with your children – you get to be there with them in the small moments: putting them to bed, helping them brush their teeth, making dinner because all moments and experiences are important. You cherish and laugh out loud when your 6-yr old tells you to piss off; and, when your 8-yr-old daughter wants to just sit and cuddle with you for hours. And, this is where I leave you 1 year, 9 months, 15 days,…for now.

Other articles you may like:

Does this sound familiar to you? What has it been like having to accept what is your new normal following a brain injury?

The post Guest post: Hope Clark on “My new normal” following her brain injury. appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

You Can Find the Perfect Career After You Suffer A Traumatic Brain Injury

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 14:19:05 +0000

Today I have for you another guest post by a truly inspirational young man who has written his second post for me. We all know who much a brain injury can alter the trajectory of your life. But Brandon is keen to share his story in order to give hope to other survivors. Previously he explained how he graduated despite his injury, and now he wants to give you the next installment: What happened next with his career….

About the Author:

Brandon Leuangpaseuth is a writer from San Diego, CA that helps various brain injury attorneys across the country with their public relations. You can connect with him on LinkedIn @ bleuangpaseuth.

In April 2015, I was hit by a car while pushing my car on the freeway.

Apparently, when the car struck my friend and me, my body was flung across the road over 20 feet…

I spent a month in the hospital and another month in an intensive rehab center.

I am very blessed to be alive and able to walk as my friend, who was involved in the accident with me, received an incomplete spinal injury.

Although my friend sustained some horrifying physical injuries, I suffered a serious traumatic brain injury.

After the accident, I could not even remember what I had done the day prior and I was having the same conversations with people who visited me in the hospital. I was still in college during this time and I was so fearful of my future.

I suffered from all the symptoms of a severe traumatic brain injury.

I fatigued easily, my short-term memory was abysmal, I had persistent headaches, I slept more than usual, etc.

With the help of the student disability services at my college, the Department of Rehab, and my family and friend’s support, I barely managed to graduate from college.

I overcame such a huge obstacle in my life by graduating from college. Even though graduating from college with my brain injury was a huge accomplishment, I realized it would be an even greater challenge to maintain a full-time job.

My brain injury symptoms made working at my first full-time job after college painfully onerous. It was a struggle every day to get through the work day. I would feel acutely lethargic and mentally weary after 3-4 hours of work. When the workday started in the mornings, I would have mental clarity and vigor.

As the day progressed, my headaches and mental exhaustion would take over.

I would occasionally spend my hour lunch breaks driving home and taking a nap (I was really fortunate I lived really close to the agency I worked at). If my brain injury exhaustions got really unbearable during the day, I would even sometimes sit in the bathroom stall at work, set an alarm, close my eyes, and recharge for 5 minutes. I became especially dependent on coffee or tea to get me through my day.

After nearly a year of working at the agency, I decided to move away from my hometown. I was thoroughly blessed to be offered remote work from the agency when I moved away.

I was quickly appalled at how it made working with a brain injury manageable as I was able to work on my own schedule. With remote work, I was able to work when I had the most stamina, take a nap when I started to fatigue and then continue to work after I recovered from my traumatic brain injury exhaustion.

Working sporadically actually made me more productive.

My work was tracked by data and I noticed that I was getting more work done remotely than when I was working in the office.

I feel truly relieved that I am able to cope with my disability when working a remote job.

For any brain injury survivors who are struggling with work, I would recommend looking into remote work. Remote work may help ease the burden of the injury. There are a ton of jobs you can do remotely. Here is a list of places where you can find remote work.

If you are working, maybe bring up remote work to your employer at your current job. I discovered after I received remote work, that I could have asked for some accommodations. So if they do not allow remote work, I would recommend talking with your employer about your disability and working out some accommodations.

Here is a list of workplace accommodation ideas provided by brainline.

I understand how hard it can be to work a full-time job. Brain injuries are taxing on your body and mind by itself. Working a job can intensify the symptoms and make it really difficult to do your job. Working is arduous, however, with accommodations or remote work, working can be doable.

I hope my story can give you hope in finding a career or seeking help at your job to make working easier after you receive a traumatic brain injury!

Other articles you may like:

Have you been thinking what you should do about your career following a brain injury? Have you found the perfect career for you?

The post You Can Find the Perfect Career After You Suffer A Traumatic Brain Injury appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

Simple bug Vs brain injury = Disaster

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 16:34:06 +0000

I know everyone dreads getting the summer cold. But that’s just because it’s no fun, right? Well, mine just knocked me for six (OK so I don’t play cricket but you get the picture.) As a brain injury survivor I’m used to fighting through brain fog, but an added head cold makes it even worse. This common bug has been playing havoc with me.

How a simple bug can have such a drastic effect on a brain injury survivor.

Everyone has, at some point, found it hard to “think straight” when they are struggling with a bug. And this is especially the case when your sinus’ are affected. It slows down your speed of processing, making everything that little bit harder to work out. Many brain injury survivors, like me, already have had their processing speed hampered. But this made it look like the descent of a glacier down a mountain could give me a run for my money. Also dexterity can be physically impaired, and for me this showed up by my stumbling around on the landing when getting up from bed. I gained a number of bruises from bumping into door frames and the banister all because my feet had decided to get creative with what a straight line looks like.

But seeing as I have weakness throughout my left, I’m kind of used to looking a bit strange. The thing I really hate is the brain fog! So many times I picked up my laptop thinking how it felt like ages since I’d last written a blog, only to turn it off again because I couldn’t think of what to say. Writers block is one thing, but there is always something to talk about when writing about life with a brain injury. Yet I had nothing. My mental sharpness was as blunt as a spoon.

Inflammation is the biggest culprit.

Our immune systems go into over drive when a bug such as the common cold, or it’s evil cousin, flu, strike. They have a detrimental effect on neurotransmitters, which can already be having a hard time if you have a brain injury. So the immune system goes into full attack mode throughout the whole body. It’s like having a SWOT team marching everywhere and being very trigger happy. And whilst it’s great to have the “good guys”, all this drama causes inflammation. Unfortunately their version of radioing for backup, is swelling blood vessels so the white cells (our SWOT team) can have easy access to the bad guys den. This is the equivalent of blowing a hole in the wall for them, rather than just opening the door. This is inflammation, and often is the cause of your aching joints, sore throat, stuffed nose and thumping head. Yep, that’s right. It’s the heavy handed approach your SWOT team has towards the pathetic small time criminal “cold” that causes all the suffering.

Of course I’m grateful for my immune system. And whilst it does seem to leave something wanting, it’s doing it’s best to protect me. Happily there are a few things you can do to reduce the sting of these symptoms:

Caffeine
Ibuprofen
Light exercise

Caffeine boosts the effectiveness of the anti-inflammatory behaviour of Ibuprofen when they are used together. Plus in increases mental alertness. (I went from a spoon to a butter knife. Alright this doesn’t perform miracles, but it helps.)

*Important note about Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

There is evidence that suggests prolonged use of these drugs can rise blood pressure, which may result in heart attack or stroke. According to Gregory Cuffman, MD, “Taking an NSAID for a headache, or for a few days to ease a sore shoulder isn’t likely to cause a heart attack or stroke. It’s more prolonged use that can get risky.

In view of the warnings, it is best for people with heart disease to avoid NSAIDs if at all possible, and for everyone who is considering taking an NSAID to proceed with caution. Here are some strategies:

It’s important to take the lowest effective dose, and limit the length of time you take the drug.
Never take more than one type of NSAID at a time. There appears to be risk associated with all types of NSAIDs.
Try alternatives to NSAIDs such as acetaminophen. It relieves pain but does not appear to increase heart attack or stroke risk. However, acetaminophen can cause liver damage if the daily limit of 4,000 milligrams is exceeded, or if you drink more than three alcoholic drinks every day.
If nothing else works and you need to take an NSAID for arthritis or other chronic pain, try taking week-long “holidays” from them and taking acetaminophen instead.
If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or sudden weakness or difficulty speaking while taking an NSAID, seek medical help immediately.

The fatigue got me.

Even as I had just about strung a few sentences together, I just didn’t have the energy to write anything. As a brain injury survivor, well timed naps are an important feature of the day. But I have slept so much more than I have been a wake since this stupid bug got me. And even then I would wake feeling dizzy, and so would even need to go back to sleep. I think the only reason I would wake at all was just to either consume some water, or let it out.

So whilst it’s still just a cold, and not something to unduly worry about, if a brain injury survivor says their cold bug is getting the best of them, you hopefully will better understand what they are going through.

Other articles you may like:

Have you found a simple bug can hit you harder following your brain injury? Have you got any coping tips to share?

The post Simple bug Vs brain injury = Disaster appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

Guest post: Kelly Ribeiro on brain injury, “Heal first, life can wait.”

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 14:57:35 +0000

Today’s post shows how determination alone isn’t enough to put life back together after a brain injury. Kelly Ribeiro had a true passion for her career, and appeared to be defying the odds when she continued to climb the career ladder following her car accident. But then suddenly it took a second bite out of her….

Heal first, life can wait

I was driving home in the early morning after a Friday night out. My blood alcohol level was .01, so it was well below the legal limit and it would be fair to say it didn’t impact my driving. The details are a little hazy, but I believe I swerved to avoid an animal. My car went onto the grass sloped divide between the North & South carriageways where I was ejected out of the sun roof. This was despite wearing a seatbelt, in my brand new car. Not only did I suffer a traumatic brain injury, but I also broke all major bones except my left arm. I was left in a coma for three months.

Since then I have had approximately 20+ surgeries. It is a blessing & a curse, but I recall, now 21 years later, most of what happened from the night of my accident to the time I entered the rehab in Braintree Massachusetts. However from then my memory is sketchy. I am not sure I was cognitive 24 hours a day when I was then moved, but thanks to insurance I had little choice but to go with it. After relearning basic life skills over again, four months after sustaining my brain injury, I was sent home. But I was not independently walking or able to fully care for myself.

As soon as I was home and able to regain life, I hurried back to work. I worked for a National Mutual Insurance Company, I loved my job. A job I had no memory of what to do beside knowing my love for it. I worked the next 18 years having countless number of surgeries and needing ‘brain breaks” and suffering from epilepsy. Each year, despite my condition I was rewarded with raises and a promotion.

Then one day, I realized what had happened. I had no support, understanding or compassion at that point from my employer. I had a break down. It hit me; I’d almost died! This caused a major depression which brought many of my deficits up front and center. My short-term memory was at its worst, my gate had become obviously hindered. Almost as if I had caused a second brain injury thru emotion. My employer would not wait for me to “get better” again.

Today, no longer employed, I work daily to regain what I was able to do following my accident when I returned to work so I can get my life back. Not only financially but emotionally.

My message to all is to feel, you need to heal first, life can wait.

Other articles you may like:

Did you try to return to work? How did your employer respond?

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Guest post: Mark Koning on brain injury, the long road.

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 19:40:51 +0000

Today’s post is by a man who, like myself, as been on both sides of the brain injury coin. He was a young boy when he contracted a brain injury which undoubtedly changed the course of his life. And later he witnessed his mother go through the pain of a traumatic brain injury and began caring for her.

MARK’S PASSION TO LEND A HELPING HAND, OFFER ADVICE AND GIVE BACK, HAS DEVELOPED INTO A MORAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE GOAL OF SHARING, INSPIRING AND GROWING, FOR OTHERS AS WELL AS HIMSELF. HIS EXPERIENCE AS A SURVIVOR, CAREGIVER, MENTOR AND WRITER, HAS LED TO HIS CREDIBILITY AS AN ABI ADVOCATE AND AUTHOR OF HIS LIFE’S STORY, CHALLENGING BARRIERS & WALKING THE PATH. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @MARK_KONING OR GO TO WWW.MARKKONING.COM

The Long Road.

It has been quite a journey for me over the course of my life, from memories of my folks taking me and my sister to Marine Land, African Lion Safari, trips to Florida, all of those school years, right up to where I am now. Quite a few of those memories from my younger years come from stories shared, photographs and a few home made movies. A lot of my earliest moments are stored, within something tangible, not exactly within my mind.

At the age of six a viral infection erased everything previous and left me in a two week coma with my parents clutching at their child’s hand. When I awoke I had to rebuild my speech, my understanding, my physical strength. Because of my young age I think my recovery sped along. I was home within months but remained sheltered from returning to school and much of the outside world.

Growing up with a brain injury.

Like with having to fight for an understanding with the doctors to admit me to the hospital (they saw no problems until seizures returned), my mom had to fight for me to return to school. I had missed an entire year because of this illness, the teachers could not understand, they questioned if I was ready.

Throughout my public and high school years, and even in college, I faced many challenges. I failed, I was made to repeat, I was occasionally ridiculed by others for not being able to keep up. “Stupid” was a word I was labelled with, “What’s wrong with you?” was a question I often faced.

It was a question I often asked myself.

I may have lowered my head, but always, even if pushing against an unseen abyss, I moved forward.

My long road, my journey, was missing something. Well, to be honest, a few things. But the one missing thing I refer to, is a diagnosis. I never heard anyone refer to me as a kid with a disability, let alone a brain injury.

It was my passion for writing that led me to self-discovery. Wanting to create a story based on my illness, a small part of one of my Creative Writing courses. I began with questions for my mom (my dad had passed away when I was thirteen) and other family members. Symptoms were what I used to look online and, together with my feelings, find a conclusion.

Events that shaped a career path.

But it was my mom’s fall and her own acquired brain injury in 2001 that brought about my search for an official diagnosis. A strange deja-vu overcame me when I paced the hospital floors. I concluded right then that my own thoughts were not enough. So tests given by a Psychometrist and a consultation with a Neuropsychologist concurred with what I had earlier discovered about myself. And even though it was kind of expected, it was still shattering news. Part of it was having a brain injury. Part of it was that I had struggled for so many years unknowing.

Currently I work full time in a non-profit organization where I feel like I am giving back a little with the services that it offers. While I find the work good and satisfying, I struggle with fatigue. I require the accommodation of working at my own pace, being able to take breaks and step away when my concentration level blurs. The most frustrating of it all, in both work as well as most other things in life, is that this disability, this brain injury, is invisible to the naked eye. It is even episodic in the fact that some days or moments are better than others.

But I’ve come to a place where I am comfortable with who I am. If others don’t understand my energy level and pace, the occasional frustration, the on-off again word finding difficulty… well, that’s too bad for them because I have a lot to offer.

Over twenty-five years between injury and diagnosis. Misunderstanding from family and friends. Explaining my injury (now that I understand myself) only to have people forget, roll their eyes or conclude what I really meant instead of what I actually said. There are times I get pissed off with these things. But I’ve realized, and try to remind myself, none of this is my fault or my downfall.

I am Mark, not the brain injury. But I do live with it, and I have accepted living with it. The survival, ups, downs, accomplishments and needs for improvement. They are all me. And even if sometimes still pushing against an unseen abyss, I move forward.

Other articles you may like:

How far down the long road of brain injury did you have to go before you started to accept your new life? Do you have any advice for others?

The post Guest post: Mark Koning on brain injury, the long road. appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

I am listening… just my brain injury keeps phasing out.

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:56:39 +0000

I promise I do listen. But if you happen to leave the room for a moment and we are watching TV, don’t expect me to be able to fill you in on what you missed. The moment you ask me to explain, I will realise that I’m not sure because I’ve been phasing out so not taking it all in. Lots of people have this when they are distracted (mobile phones are a guilty party for this) but this happens so much more after my brain injury.

Please don’t be offended when I don’t follow what you just said.

Particularly if the conversation has become a little one way; eg you are recounting an event with intricate detail, I am going to struggle. Often we associate this with boredom and the subject isn’t interesting enough to stop our minds from wandering. But when you have a brain injury that isn’t the only reason for phasing out. I might just become aware of something, like “oh my double vision is slightly worse today,” or “wow, suddenly fatigue is coming back.” That can be the moment that you have just got to the crucial element but I’ve missed it. I don’t even particularly realise I’ve missed it until you ask me a question. Actually I often can’t even be sure why I phased out and couldn’t tell you what I had been thinking about.

But why does this happen?

I’m not a scientist or a doctor so forgive me if I over simplify this explanation, but here goes. Active listening is a skill which is assisted by cognitive control. Different areas of the brain work together during cognitive control. Problem solving for example is an adaptive temporal scale, where as concentration is a stable temporal scale. I spent quite a long time reading and rereading a study about this. It probably isn’t easy for the average person to read as it is, but for a brain injury survivor I can tell you it’s bloody hard!

But I managed to take this away from it:

The stable control system (concentration) is more dependant on the length of time you spend on a task. Therefore cognitive fatigue is more likely to be a problem for this system. So often brain injury survivors will try to compensate for this by using the adaptive control system (problem solving). This system is much more reliant on how much oxygen there is in the blood and is less affected by the amount of time the task takes.

So this means if you want a brain injury survivor to stop phasing out on you, don’t just talk at them. Help them engage other parts of their brain to spread the workload. Asking open questions is a way you can do this as they have to think about the answer, not just recall it. By this I mean you could ask their opinion throughout the conversation rather than at the end of your speech. Plus give them opportunities to ask questions as they come to mind as this is an example of their adaptive control system kicking in and offering support.

Not all survivors will have this problem, and those who do will have different levels of recovery within in. I have got a lot better, but I still can struggle at times. Like now I need a rest from trying to read and understand that study, so I’m off to put the kettle on.

Do you find yourself phasing out and struggling to concentrate? Have you got any methods to reduce the chances of your mind wandering off?

The post I am listening… just my brain injury keeps phasing out. appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

Can smart home speakers help brain injury survivors?

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 15:24:32 +0000

Technology is always progressing at an astonishing rate. Those incredible boffins of Silicon valley are always pushing the boundaries of what is possible. A few readers have asked me to review how smart home speakers, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home can help brain injury survivors. And as my partner James bought me a Google home mini as a valentines present, I am able to start giving you an answer. This isn’t designed to tell you which is better, just to give ideas on what they could help brain injury survivors with. If you want a review comparing Amazon Echo and Google Home, I found a pretty comprehensive one here.

Smart home speakers are great for playing music on request, but what else?

Firstly I would like to point out that this technology is still developing, so whilst the adverts make it look plain sailing, it’s not. The main problem is how they understand language. Unless you phrase your request/command in a specific way, they struggle to understand. So you might find yourself keep saying the same thing in different ways to get the response you need. This I think is the biggest thing that reduces their ability to support survivors.

I had envisioned them helping with word finding difficulties. Aphasia affects a lot of people, and is very frustrating. I hoped you could ask “what word means…. [enter short description]?” and get an answer quickly. But as these smart home speakers have their own language difficulties, this isn’t plausible yet.

However they are great for spelling. Even using spell check when typing you have to get close to the word for it to recognise what you are attempting to spell. In the first year of my brain injury there were times I couldn’t even work out what letter a word starts with. That meant spell check didn’t have a chance. but now I can just say “Hey Google, how do you spell… [enter word]?” and I have it spelt out aloud to me. No having to keep typing best guesses to get close enough.

You can connect to other smart home devices.

When smart home technology first came on the scene I did think it was was another example of how humans are becoming more lazy. But I was seeing this from the eyes of an able bodied person. Now that I know what it’s like to struggle to get out of bed, it has put a new light on it. Talking of light, if you have Phillips hue lights (or other smart bulbs) you can ask Google to turn the light down or off when a migraine hits without having to move.

We have a Nest thermostat which I already thought was pretty clever to be able to control from my phone. But as I’m always losing my phone (thanks to my rubbish concentration) having a smart home speaker has taken that to a new level. Now I just have to ask Google set the temperature to [insert desired figure].

Apparently you can also get smart locks for your home. Perfect for when you can’t remember if you locked the door and you are always having to get up to check. Using you smart home speaker you can ask it if and when you locked it. If it’s unlocked you can ask it to lock it (but they don’t unlock it for you for security reasons.)

In fact by using a smart plug you can have some voice control over a number of home gadgets. Smart plugs use your standard power socket and then you plug your gadget into the smart plug. This allows you to turn the item on using a voice command. For example that could be a fan or AC unit.

They can help you remember things.

You can set reminders for activities you need to do and timed alarms. So it could help you remember what appointments you have that day, and tell you when dinner should be done so you don’t burn it. Pretty useful when you struggle with a poor memory and don’t read the lists you leave for yourself (like me). But of course there are many phone apps which can do this and you might already be comfortable with using.

Conclusion.

I feel it’s still very early to get much benefit from these devices as a brain injury survivor. If mobility is an issue for you it might be worth considering. But if you were hoping to have random questions answers, it’s very hit and miss still. However, I have no doubt that this will get better, and any updates can be downloaded to an existing device. So if you have the funds, by all means invest in one. Or if money is tight, perhaps wait a little longer until they are able to offer you more support for your brain injury struggles. My Google mini hasn’t changed my life yet, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.

Other articles you may like:

What would you like these devices to be able to help you with? Or do you have one and find it helps you with something specific?

The post Can smart home speakers help brain injury survivors? appeared first on Jumbledbrain.

Stuck in rigid thinking after brain injury

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:35:24 +0000

Before my brain injury I liked to think of myself as open minded. I’m sure that I was probably susceptible to some preconceived ideas, but I would listen to a well thought out debate even on those. Besides, being a woman I have been known to change my mind. All the men reading this are knowingly nodding. However, now when I’m in the moment, sometimes I can’t get past my rigid thinking. It borders on obsession…

A brain injury can give rise to some unusual behaviour.

In the first few months following my accident, I remember a weird incident between my partner, James and I, when taking out the rubbish. I’m hazy on the details, but I know I was really keen on ensuring the rubbish bag was done up tightly to avoid it spilling its contents in the bin outside. James was trying to take the bag outside, when I stopped him and was tying more knots. Suddenly his patience snapped, and he told me “That’s enough! It’s like you’re obsessed!”

Whilst I remember the feeling of needing to be diligent, I don’t recall what made me think I needed to do even more. Nevertheless, I like to think I have moved past this behaviour. But I might be just deluded. When I really think about it, I can see I do still have obsessive moments.

As much as I can be motivated to complete something, there are various reasons why it might take literally days.

Some days, with all the good intentions in the world, I still can’t get everything I planned done. Like the other day when I was going to do the ironing. My back was hurting so I decided to sit and rest it for a few moments. That plan promptly went out the window when I fell asleep. But other days I can be so finicky. Like when I’m creating images for this blog. I put in special effort in the ones for Pinterest (which are hidden on the page, to see them you have to pin the post or follow me on Pinterest.)

Sometimes I can waste hours achieving nothing because my rigid thinking stops me from seeing there’s an easier way to do whatever it is that I’m struggling with. I don’t even recognise that there might be another way. Instead I persevere with my failing method. When I walk away and come back another day, it dawns on me that there was another blindingly obvious method. Even then, rarely do it see that I could have gone with a different design. I’m too obsessed with my original idea to be able to get past it.

So next time someone tries to give you some advice and you’re get not hearing it, think of me. Whilst they might not be right, try to pause before you dismiss it out of hand entirely. Many brain injury survivors are prone to rigid thinking, and perhaps their suggestion might make more sense once you’ve had time to reflect.

Other articles you may like:

How do you try to overcome your rigid thinking? Does your brain injury affect you in a similar way?

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Missing the obvious mistakes after brain injury

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 17:53:00 +0000

Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they are tired or stressed. But when you are living with a brain injury those moments can become more common.

Take a recent friendly game of Monopoly I played with James and his parents. I have always liked Monopoly, but I don’t get uptight about winning or not. I’ve never got a strategy and just go with the flow. But I was actually doing fairly well during this particular game, without making too much of an effort. (Leicester Square was proving to be quite a cash cow for me.)

We had set up on the dinning table as it’s more comfortable than playing it on the floor. But it did mean that when your character piece was on the opposite side of the board it was a little difficult to reach. So we would help each other out and move one another pieces when the player couldn’t reach. Just as well that in Monopoly the pieces are distinctively different. Other board games often have the same shaped piece but in different colours. I think that is harder to remember which piece represents which player and leads to mistakes.

We each had specific reasons for which piece we chose:

James – The race car (He’s a man in his prime and his car is pretty important to him.)

James’ Dad – The iron ( He does like the top hat but this time he went for the iron as it’s easy to pick up.)

James’ Mum – The boot (It tickles her sense of humour to be “the old boot”.)

Me – The Dog (I’m animal crazy so it just had to be…. Plus it tickles my sense of humour to be “the b****”.)

All very clear. If I gave most people a test at the end of this article to test if they remembered who had which piece, the success rate would be pretty good.

Cue the brain injury induced mistakes….

To begin with everything was going fine. We were making our way around the board and buying the London streets we fell on. But my first mistakes came when I wasn’t able to concentrate enough to recognise when I should charge a fee for someone landing on my street. But everyone was very fair and honourable players, making sure they paid up anyway.

But before long it got worse than that. When I was trying to be helpful and move someone’s piece when it was tough for them to reach, I seemed to just move any piece. I never questioned why I was drawn to a particular piece and would just go for it. This even happened when I was trying to move my own. So many times I had to put them back where they started before the correct one could be move the required number of spaces.

My brain injury was probably making my brain conserve energy and work on autopilot. (Except my autopilot is very faulty.) Even when I knew I kept doing this and recognised I should tried to concentrate more, it was too late. There was no correcting the error happening due to my brain injury. So I had to stop moving any pieces and let others do it for me.

Why your brain can overlook obvious mistakes.

Naomi Karten wrote an interesting article called Miss Something Obvious? Your Brain Might Be Working. In it she explains how the brain uses it’s own short cuts at times. Sometimes this means we find the answer easily and reduce the amount of effort needed. But other times we miss things because we cut too many corners.

My Monopoly example luckily means no harm was done. And actually board games are great for training when you have a brain injury, as Alison explains in The Ultimate Guide to board games for brain training. But there could be other things I’m doing everyday without realising. The only reason that I knew what I’d done during that game was because everyone else witnessed it and was able to correct it. So I would advise that when you are undertaking important tasks and decisions, make sure you have someone you trust with you to help point out the obvious mistakes if they happen.

Following your brain injury do you miss obvious mistakes? What tips to you have to cope better?

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Held back by muscle weakness from brain injury

Michelle #jumbledbrain — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 17:15:53 +0000

Regular readers will know that I have muscle weakness from my brain injury which affects my left side. As I’m right handed, it usually is more of an issue for my leg than it is my arm. (I can’t run at all, but now most people don’t notice that I limp when I walk.) I have weakness on my right too, but as that was my naturally stronger side it coped better than my left. Initially when my accident happened I had foot drop in my right, so there clearly was some damage. But since I haven’t given it much thought or attention, until we got a new front door….

It’s a door. I mean how difficult can it be to use?

I was excited to get a new door as I’d never liked our white plastic PVC one. In my opinion it was ugly, and I had been locked out by it a few times. The locking system was playing up and sometimes even with the key you couldn’t unlock it. So my partner James and I decided it was time to invest in a new one.

James was keen on one where you didn’t need to turn a handle to open the door, just the key. Otherwise when you’re carrying shopping you feel like you are running out of hands. So we went with a 5 point locking system where you don’t have a handle. Under the lock is a lip for you to pull the door shut when closing it, but opening you just unlock and push. Sounds like it fits the bill, right….

My weakness resulted in me being trapped in my own home!

We were warned that as the frame and surround was well insulted it would take a few days for everything the settle. Basically that meant the door would be stiff for a while. That’s when I found out how weak my right hand really is. Previously using a handle gave me more leverage and so I had no problem. But with just a small knob to grip and turn, I couldn’t get out of the house! I was a prisoner in my own home!

They said that often women would find it a little more challenging than men whilst it settled, but this was ridiculous. I should be able to answer my own front door. There was a stage where if the postman needed to give me a parcel, I had to open a window for him to pass it to me. I must have looked like I was a bit crazy or something. (Alright, I am a bit crazy, but I don’t need other things masquerading as my issues.) Although it might have been a little tighter than necessary, it wasn’t really their fault, it was just that I’m unusually weak. I could open it from the outside with the key, but twisting the knob and pulling the door towards me when I was inside, was neigh on impossible.

I’m pleased to say that as it has settled now I am able to open the door by myself. But this episode reminded me how I am more limited than I had accounted for. It was so embarrassing that it highlighted how abnormally weak I am. Particularly when you don’t want to explain to someone you have only just met that it’s your brain, not really the muscles. However at least now I can escape the house (even though I look like a slow motion replay.)

For more about some of the physical affects to brain injury visit Headway’s article on it.

Other articles you may like:

How has muscles weakness affected your daily life? Have you discovered any tactics or gadgets which help overcome it?

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