| As baby boomers we expect much from ourselves, | | | | House of Newport News Virginia). What all my |
| the world around us, and especially technology. What | | | | therapists, doctors, rehab personnel and what I have |
| I found was technology has not caught up with | | | | experienced is compensatory strategies do work. |
| affects of a longer life has on the brain, life style, and | | | | Since my brain injury is mild I couldn't find a rehab |
| medical awareness. With all of the new medications | | | | group that could help me. They all said since I could |
| and attention to medical care, many individuals live | | | | make a list I was fine. They don't realize that making |
| longer with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, MS, | | | | a list and using a list are two different things. I finally |
| heart problems, etc. The brain can and often does | | | | after two years of working by my self worked out |
| still suffer from the affects of these diseases with | | | | a set of lists that kept me on track for my daily |
| damage to the frontal lobe of the brain that controls | | | | activities and household chores. However when I |
| executive function and cognitive abilities. Executive | | | | decided I wanted to become a public speaker and |
| function controls your ability to make and apply lists | | | | have a web business my lists didn't work anymore |
| of things to do, organize your daily activities, make | | | | and I can't take two years to figure out lists again. |
| decisions, initiation of tasks, and emotional | | | | The lists would also be too cumbersome to work in a |
| connections. | | | | real world setting anyway. So technology it is. |
| Your brain needs 3 important things -- blood, oxygen, | | | | I was a computer specialist before my brain injury |
| and glucose to operate. The lack of any of these | | | | and still know what I used to know even if I can't |
| things and the brain starts to die. The lack of any of | | | | always execute it. So what I am trying to do now is |
| these takes a real toll on the frontal lobe. I never | | | | work with a rehab facility that is doing a study on |
| knew my glucose was low, I never had any warning | | | | brain injuries and the ability to live more productive |
| signs -- I did not know anything was wrong until the | | | | lives with the use of handheld devices like palms, |
| lack of glucose was doing the damage to my brain at | | | | blackberry's or pocket pc's. I am anxious to see what |
| the molecular level. | | | | this will do for me and will keep the blog informed of |
| What was my life like before my brain injury? I was | | | | how it works. I am hoping that I can get a device |
| a go-getter. I was involved in my job, church, | | | | that I can add all my contacts too and what they |
| hobbies, self-employed, writing a book, children, | | | | mean to me, how to do certain things ( like I can |
| grandchildren, and hobbies. | | | | never remember how to add a picture to my web |
| What's my life like now? I had to retire from work | | | | site and have to look it up every time), alarms to |
| on disability at the age of 49. My relationships | | | | take medication, to rest, and so many other ways I |
| changed because I can't always feel emotions or | | | | need an alarm to keep my life balanced, and to be |
| connections to others. I have problems with | | | | able to keep my information I need right at my hand |
| executive function (the front part of your brain that | | | | so I can access the information in a timely fashion. I |
| plans, organizes, and executes daily activities), gait | | | | am still waiting to see if I am part of the study so |
| problems ( I have fallen 5 times in 3 year once | | | | for now I am working on a disorganized set of lists. |
| breaking my leg) vision problems (sensitive to light | | | | I am a brain injury survivor. I was not in a car crash, |
| and blurred vision) immediate memory (memory that | | | | hit my head, have a stroke or heart attack -- my |
| allows you to hold on to enough information to | | | | brain injury was brought on by my blood glucose |
| problem solve a problem or remember a phone | | | | dipping so low that it caused a permanent brain injury |
| number long enough to dial it) visual memory (I can't | | | | at the molecular level. I am not diabetic but I had |
| look at a pattern or other information and then apply | | | | gastric by-pass in 1999 and in the year 2000 I |
| that information) and other problems. | | | | started having problems keeping my blood glucose |
| What can technology do for us? I have heard many | | | | under control. Not every one who had a gastric |
| physical therapists agree that cognitive therapy does | | | | by-pass will have this problem but my neurologists |
| not work. I don't believe that because I have seen | | | | said they are starting to see more of this kind of |
| improvement in my life by participating in a work day | | | | problem with the higher numbers of this surgery |
| program for brain injured individuals (The Denbigh | | | | being done. |