I watched her sleep today. Always the first one up in the morning, my brain often waking up an hour or more before I do, today I had the luxury of not jumping tight out of bed.

And she was smiling in her sleep.

And I was glad… glad that she was able to find a measure of peace away from the daily challenges of life.

We’ve all heard that old saying about a picture being worth a thousand words. But looks can indeed be quite deceiving. A face smiling back at you as you look at a picture tells you so little. Rather than a using picture to tell the tale, today I opt for the Thousand Words.

Mike Strand reflects on how words such as brain damaged, brain injured, disabled, or crippled send powerful messages about the value of the individual. Survivor and recovery are also used freely but what do they really mean for the person who is living with a brain injury. As a survivor and a person who has lived with a brain injury since 1989, Mike Strand shares his perspective and personal views on the words that he chooses to use to describe his life.

So much has changed since the day of my accident. I still struggle to live the life I used to live. As more time passes the reality that there is no going back settles even deeper into the very core of my being.

As I put my thoughts on paper today I am at 30,000 feet heading back North to New Hampshire, both Sarah and I are foot weary from a few days walking around Disney World. Though now well into year three of my post-TBI life, I still marvel at my naiveté.

How innocent I feel looking back on last week’s simple request.

“Sarah, can we take a short vacation from all things TBI?” I asked as we packed for our trip. “I just want to forget about it all for a few days.”

In almost everything I have written, I have referred to the importance of advocacy. Whether it is yourself, or someone advocating for you, time has shown me over and over again why it is so important. I recently completed my book, Who Am I Again? At the end of my book, I noted that I was working with a major clinic in southeastern Minnesota where I began with hope, lost it, and now thanks to self-advocacy, I am filled with hope for results there once again. Here is my story…

Brain injury caregivers can feel the pressure of “not enough time” even more during the holiday season. Even if your family doesn’t follow a religious or secular tradition, the frenetic energy of others can be unpleasant. Here are five ways to give yourself a special gift of time this year.

Survivor, brain injury expert, author, educator, and award winner – Christine Durham is all of these. Traveling from her home in Australia to the US and Canada, she finds the brain injury community shares many hopes and dreams – as well as frustrations. Her international perspective is both personal and entertaining as you read her travel journal.

Studies have also shown that caregivers are at higher risk of depression and chronic illness. Wouldn’t it make sense to add the question “Are you a family caregiver?” to medical intake forms? That would alert the healthcare professional to ask about stressors, supports, respite arrangements, and medical screenings.

Coping with life after brain injury is challenging for both families and survivors. It’s easy to give lip service to the importance of educating and supporting families. But how do you do it when rehabilitation stays are shorter, insurance coverage is limited, and families are already stressed to the max? Samantha Backhaus has developed a 16 week curriculum for adults with brain injury and their families that is designed to help them not only learn about brain injury and brain trauma but to help them develop the skills needed to cope, problem solve and manage life at home.

Robert Hensel has lived with a disability since birth but it does not define him. The power of his abilities rather than the losses from his disability are what define him. A poet and activist, his selected quotations on living life fully reflect lessons learned. They are also lessons that he shares with others who face challenges, whether from an illness, brain trauma or physical injury. On those days when it just seems too hard, just take a moment and read his blog. We hope you will take the time to comment on his reflections.

I have a client who is being tested at U of M hospital for post-traumatic Parkinson’s and seizures following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a truck accident after he struck his head. This case, as with Bryson’s, holds lessons for brain injury lawyers about the relationship between TBI and post-traumatic seizures. My client had what was initially classified as a very “mild” traumatic brain injury. Mild is a medical classification, and it does not mean the impairments are “mild” or that the consequences of brain injury for the accident victim are mild. And, over the past year, my own client’s condition clearly deteriorated.