As I recover from a moderate traumatic brain injury, working through understanding new limitations, and looking for ways to cultivate positive outcomes from a negative event, I plan to post resources for recovery as I discover them.
Soon, I intend to link a set of static pages with the kinds of resources the title of this blog suggests. I also intend to post a description of the accident (to the best of my ability) that caused my brain injury. That description may take the form of a "first" blog entry. I have written about the accident on a number of occasions, so I have notes I can use to put together something rather quickly. One issue that concerns me about describing the accident is my continuing amnesia surrounding the event, and the discrepancies between what I think I remember and what others reported at the time. I still haven't resolved what I really think about the accident in my own mind. It is safer to say I don't remember, and to report what others have said, than it is to report my own disconnected set of mental images that are inconsistent with each other, and don't fit the observations of others.
I started writing this morning with the intention of discussing the value of brainstorming to overcome limitations with short-term memory, but as I prepared, I found my thoughts are too disorganized to write coherently about a single topic today. Instead, I'll do some brainstorming here, and mention some of the ideas I'm considering.
As I have considered my own situation I have become fascinated by the relationship between problems with the inner ear and a range of cognitive difficulties that are traditionally associated with the cerebellum. Specifically, I am intrigued with the suggestion that inner-ear difficulties that cause vertigo can overwhelm the cerebellum with conflicting data, slowing down its function, and causing a variety of difficulties which fit the general pattern of symptoms I have experienced.
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| mindmap created using http://www.mindmeister.com |
The idea that vertigo and cognitive and sleep issues could be related is exciting to me because it would imply that exercises and meds that are effective in treating vertigo may also be effective in helping my recovery.
References:
Schmahmann, J.D. (2004). Disorders of the cerebellum: Ataxia, dysmetria of thought, and the
cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical
Neurosciences, 16, 367-378.
cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical
Neurosciences, 16, 367-378.
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I am developing a prototype resources website at http://bit.ly/resourcesfortbi. Please review my plans and make suggestions.
I welcome comments that can help make this site more helpful to those experiencing similar difficulties, or for those friends, family, and professionals who take care of bicycle injury / brain trauma.victims.
Since I want this site to be helpful to victims, I reserve the right to edit comments if they seem to conflict with that goal.
Helpful comments would include corrections of false information, references to local services that relate to my posts, or comments that help me to keep spelling, grammar, and word-choices appropriate and correct. As a brain injury victim, I depend on others to insure accuracy and to spot the kinds of errors that I may not recognize. Please feel welcome to contribute your expertise to make this site effective!