Grief (personified)- A Short Story
“Grief, you’re too big, too heavy, and I don’t like you,” said the woman. “You show up often and uninvited. You crowd me and weigh me down. I don’t want to feel your presence anymore. I don’t want to feel…
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Yoga, and LoveYourBrain
When you think of concussions you might immediately think of football players, soccer players, other athletes, or military service persons. Did you think about your neighbor down the street who slipped on the ice and hit her head? What about…
Can you be happy when living with chronic illness?
Can you truly be happy when living with a debilitating chronic illness or health condition?The question came up when talking to a friend recently, when I had an emotional meltdown about the incapacitating, chronic ramifications of my traumatic brain injury…
TBI Holiday Survival Guide
The holiday season is in full swing, and for those of us who live with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other chronic health challenges, the season poses additional challenges. Here to help are some tips that I’ve learned in the…
Hang in there! (what NOT to say)
“Hang in there!”This is one phrase to please not ever say to me. It’s one that, unfortunately, several people have said to me even in the past month, let alone the past many years. To the average person, perhaps even…
Redefining Hope: When New TBI Challenges Arise
In 2018 I published my book, Head of Hope: A Resource & Empowerment Guide for Living & Thriving with at Traumatic Brain Injury, feeling confident that my life with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) was finally on the upswing after…
An Open Letter to Hollywood: Start Taking Traumatic Brain Injuries Seriously
An Open Letter to Hollywood:Dear Hollywood,Please start taking brain injuries seriously. Time and time again television shows and movies portray people receiving blows to the head, being injured in car accidents, or incurring severe head trauma in overly-dramatic action scenes.…
Medical Trauma, Traumatic Brain Injury, and the Kitchen Sink
Today I had one of the best doctor visits I can think of in my six and a half years of living with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and quite possibly ever. My doctor acknowledged that medical care and the…
TBI, Dysautonomia, and COVID-19 (oh my!)
Living with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is challenging. Add a pandemic on top of that and it’s even more so, as it is for everyone on our planet as we navigate life with COVID-19. While life has changed drastically…
Do You Ever ‘Recover’ from a TBI?
Can you actually recover from a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? A couple years ago during a conversation, someone said, “It’s amazing that you’ve overcome your TBI.” While I knew they meant, “you’re pretty f-ing awesome given what you’ve gone through…