This is my ONLY
opportunity for useful FREE therapy for my brain injury from those
who really know; the others living with our mental glitches and the
people who care for them. If you know of others, tell them or
bring them, please.
TOPIC:
This month, I have spent most of my time thinking of
my caregivers and the hell I put them through and a little bit of
hell still today. As always, I will ask what each of you attending
have faced and worked out or would like to talk about. This format
has led to the most informative meetings when attendees are defeat
their bashfulness.
WHERE:
St. Joseph Hospital South Campus Rehab Center. LOWER LEVEL
809 East Chestnut Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
(Where Brain Injury people have met for a over a
decade)
CONTACT:
I am Gary Nelson, the facilitator of this TABI support group and you
can contact me with any other questions about the Wednesday’s
meeting can be answered by me at 360- 656-6195 my home number
or on my cell 360-739-3300 or email me at
PeglegTBI@gmail.com
“Concussion,
The Invisible Injury”
A lively, brand-new look at a common, sports-related
injury. Everyone knows someone who has suffered one or more
concussions. Find out when to seek medical care, what’s important to
watch for, when you can return to play, and how to avoid more
serious complications. Q&A
Plus the world premier of “Help! My Bell Just Rang”
video featuring local athletes From Chimicum, Sequim, and Port
Angeles
Win Mariners tickets! Three sets of (2) tickets for
summer games. Pick up your free raffle ticket at the door. Drawing
after the video, must be present to win. One per person.
Plus:
Special Thanks to: Brain Injury Assoc. of WA (BIAWA),
Seattle Mariners and Olympic Medical Center
Questions? Call Dave Ditlefsen, SHS AD 360-582-3600
or Jean Rickerson 360-452-6765
*CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention)
Return to Home Page
New UW Study to Focus on Mood Swings and
Irritability
Have you noticed changes in your behavior since your
brain injury? If your brain injury occurred at least 6 months ago,
you are between the ages of 18 and 65, and you have experienced
irritability since your brain injury, then you may be eligible to
participate in a new research study conducted by the Traumatic Brain
Injury Model System at the University of Washington. For more
information please contact Aaron Scrol at 206-616-0334
ascrol@u.washington.edu
Documentary chronicles the lives of four
patients living with traumatic brain injury
The Film:
The University of Washington TBI Model System in
cooperation with the Trauma Foundation at Harborview, and the
Washington State Department of Social and Human Services has
recently produced a 30 minute documentary on Traumatic Brain Injury
titled "Living With a Traumatic Brain Injury." The documentary
chronicles the lives of four patients living with traumatic brain
injury and shares information from experts at Harborview Medical
Center and the University of Washington about the effects of brain
injury. People with traumatic brain injuries may experience
physical, cognitive or personality changes that affect their work
and relationships. Hear stories of people who are rebuilding their
lives and readjusting to family, careers and everyday life.
What
Need Does it Fulfill?
“Traumatic brain injuries affect
thousands of people every year,” said Dr. Peter Esselman, chief of
Rehabilitation Medicine at Harborview. “In
2006, 54 percent of all patients who received inpatient
rehabilitation at Harborview were involved in trauma, and more than
half of these patients had traumatic brain injuries. Our team
works to guide,
educate and support these patients as they return to maximum
independence in their life activities.”
Traumatic brain injuries can
result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object or when
an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. The injuries
can be life threatening. About half of severely head-injured
patients will need surgery to remove or repair ruptured blood
vessels or bruised brain tissue.
Disabilities resulting from the
injury can include problems with thinking, memory, reasoning,
sensory processing, communication, as well as behavioral or mental
health problems, including depression, anxiety, personality changes,
aggression, acting out and social inappropriateness.
The Centers for Disease Control
estimates that at least 3.17 million Americans, or about 1 percent of
the United States population, currently have a long-term or lifelong
need for help performing the activities of daily living as a result
of a traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries contribute to
a substantial number of deaths and permanent disability annually.
As a recognized regional and
national leader in Rehabilitation Medicine, it is a paramount goal
of the UW TBI Model System to disseminate information about TBI to
survivors of brain injury and their families, the local community
and government, and health care professionals. To accomplish these
goals we use a variety of mechanisms including publication in
relevant journals, presentations at local, regional, and national
conferences, local informational campaigns and newsletters,
continuing education coursework, training of allied health and
rehabilitation professionals, and the use of Internet and video
technology to disseminate information locally and nationally, in a
variety of media, through relationships that allow us to connect and
network with many different end-users (consumers and providers).
"Living With a Traumatic Brain Injury is our latest effort to
educate the general public on the issue of traumatic brain injury.
How was the Washington State
Department of Social and Human Services involved?
In co-sponsoring the event with
the Department of Social Health Services, Aging & Disabilities
Service Administration, Lead Agency-Washington State Traumatic Brain
Injury Grant, the UW TBIMS was able to assist that agency in meeting
one of its primary goals of providing TBI education to the entire
state of Washington. This is a collaborative dissemination effort
that includes multiple stake holders, service providers and advocacy
groups in the planning and dissemination of TBI education materials
to a large and diverse audience. This project is a continuation of a
long standing collaboration between the Department of Social Health
Services, Aging & Disabilities Service Administration and the UW TBI
Model System.
Past collaborative efforts have
included a video conference TBI Education Series that presented
nationally recognized speakers covering topics on traumatic brain
injury research, education and prevention. The events were open to
anyone with an interest in the treatment and care of TBI survivors,
and included a question and answer session following each
presentation. Community-based providers, state agency personnel,
family members, and the general public who work with or have an
interest in traumatic brain injuries were targeted to attend. The
presentations were broadcast live via a two way video link to ten
remote sites around Washington State and British Columbia. Remote
sites included both urban health centers and rural community health
venues in order to reach a broad audience and to make the series
accessible to individuals with limited access to local TBI
resources. Select sessions were also available at 8 sites in Idaho
through the Idaho Virtual Grand Rounds.
Copies of the
series are available for viewing or free download by the National
Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCRTM). The
National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials is
sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and
hosted by Utah State University (http://ncrtm.org/). You can also
visit our website at http://depts.washington.edu/uwtbi/Education/tbiedseries.htm
to watch these informative sessions.
How To View or download a
free copy of this film:
This film is currently available for viewing on
the regular UWTV programming schedule. UWTV is an award-winning
television channel brought to you by the University of Washington,
which offers original, non-commercial educational programming—24
hours a day, seven days a week. Since its inception in 1994, UWTV
has received numerous regional and national awards for excellence in
production and programming content. UWTV provides TV viewers with a
unique educational resource: direct access to world-renowned
scientists and researchers presenting the latest innovations in
their respective fields, without interruption. Beginning with
Wenatchee in 1997, UWTV has expanded its broadcast coverage to
include communities throughout Washington state. Remote communities
across the state can also broadcast UWTV through a free satellite
downlink. Webcasting of the channel began in 1999, offering Internet
viewers around the world the opportunity to watch UWTV. In 2002,
UWTV became available on
DISHNetwork, providing its
exceptional programming to satellite subscribers across the United
States. For more about UWTV, visit their website at
http://www.uwtv.org/. To view or
download a free copy of "Living With a Traumatic Brain Injury,"
please visit our website at
www.tbi.washington.edu
Return to Index
