A traumatic brain injury greatly affects the cognitive thought process. Every aspect of thought can be challenged, e.g., attention, memory, reasoning ability, language.

According to Boeing, M., Barton, B., Zinsmeister, P., Brouwers, L. Trudel, T., Elias, E., and Weider, K. in their article Lifelong Living After TBI, the impact of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can change every aspect of family roles across the life continuum (2010). Change like the seasons is inevitable. Change either becomes an opportunity or a threat to how life is lived and how circumstances are experienced (Boeing, M., et. Al, 2010).

We have all been in situations where we did something that was careless or thoughtless and caused distress for others. An example would be bumping into a table and knocking off a treasured ornament, smashing it into a gazillion pieces. We feel foolish and may even say, “Oh my goodness, look what I’ve done. I am so sorry. That was completely my fault. Please let me replace it for you.” Don’t confuse this with self-blame – this is being accountable for one’s action and making amends or rectifying the situation.

Brain Injury Adventure Camp in Robards, Ky., is a nonprofit organization that provides activities and education to people with traumatic brain injury. Among the activities they offer are a ropes course, canoeing, horseback riding, and yoga. All of these allow campers to challenge themselves and build strength and self-esteem. Here’s an interview with founder Tim Johns about how he came to be so interested about brain-injury issues and his plans for the camp.

If you are a brain injury survivor, struggling to cope with daily life, special events can cause an almost intolerable amount of stress and anxiety. You are already dealing with extreme fatigue and have the full time job of rehabilitating from a brain injury. Financial situations and family relationships are often strained. Similar feelings may apply to caregivers as well. Managing the holidays may seem impossible – but there are some strategies you can use to help keep the joy in the season.

A poem by Barry Ferguson titled “Forgotten” covering his feelings and experiences having gone through a TBI.

Head injuries are the leading cause of death from winter sports. Wearing a helmet when sledding and tobogganing is equally as important as wearing one when playing hockey or skiing. Children can reach speeds of up to 50 km/hr on sledding hills. While going at such a speed sounds thrilling, the potential for collisions that result in a serious injury or death is great. Broken bones will heal, but a serious injury, such as a brain injury is forever! Death as a result of what should be a simple pleasure in life is senseless and incomprehensible.

Here is our second installment of interviews with our distinguished authors. This month we’re featuring our concussion guru, Phil Hossler. He is the certified athletic trainer at East Brunswick High School in East Brunswick, New Jersey and has authored 3 texts for high school athletic trainers, parents and athletes.

I guess for Bill and I, the first thing we had to get over when he was injured was the Traumatic part of the equation. I am sure we have all had trauma in our life, so you know that it keeps coming back from time to time. PTSD, is a real problem and many of us suffer from it, both from TBI and our previous life experiences.

We can experience being part of a group in many ways. These groups may also be called teams, clubs, troops, a crowd or a unit. You may be part of an art group, musical group, theatre group, gardening group, cooking group, reading group, dance group, or a travel group. The list goes on and on. Many individuals living with a brain injury and/or their family members have come to experience, perhaps for the first time, another type of group: Support Group.