HOPEster

R.I.P. HOPEster – Jesse Jhon Andrews

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With a heavy heart we share our loss, wish a peaceful transition and reflective thoughts to our

dearly departed HOPEster…..Jesse Jhon Andrews.

Jesse Jhon Andrews lived a life that was complex, creative, and unforgettable. His story is not easily summarized, because he was not a man of simple lines. Jesse felt deeply, created passionately, and saw the world through a lens uniquely his own. His music, writings, and the lasting imprint he left on those who knew him continue to speak even in his absence.

We invite you to visit Jesse’s Memory Page, where his life, his work, and the stories shared by those who loved him are preserved. This page honors not just his struggles, but the incredible brilliance, depth, and one-of-a-kind spirit that defined him. This page serves as a place where his story can continue, where his voice can still be heard through the work he left behind, and where those who knew him, or wish they had, can connect with the legacy of a life that was lived fiercely and uniquely.

Explore Jesse’s Memory Page by clicking the word below that says “HERE”:

H E R E

The 11th Hour

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Today marks a milestone in the life of myself and my family. Today is the 11th-year survivor-versary of the wreck that, in part, changed the course of all of our lives.

While it remains factual that it was myself and our youngest son involved in the actual wreck itself all those years ago, the family as a whole would become and remain affected as a result of its aftermath – for years to come.  The rehabilitation journey has not been for the faint of heart and continues…albeit in different ways now than when it all began.

There have been many things involved that have gotten me to this point in my life – which I guess I would call the “survivors plateau”. Many things that cause me to reflect a bit deeper each year at this time.

On the positive (effective) side, I could speak about the great care of many healthcare professionals; the unwavering support, love, struggles, and sacrifice of time and energy of my family; how clinging on to HOPE, my deep-seated faith, and a healthy dose of daily gratitude has helped us traverse this seemingly insurmountable experience. I could speak to many details, many therapies, many opportunities for growth, successes, and immense blessings that have come into our lives….with and without concentrated and unbridled effort and determination.

On the negative (noneffective) side, I could speak about the chronic physical and emotional pain that still riddles my body and our lives in various ways; I could speak of the continual setbacks and disappointment…and the deep and very personal losses that no one ever sees – that continue to wreak havoc at many levels – levels that force me into a daily field of emotional landmines that seek to obliterate all that I continue to accomplish and overcome. I could speak of the financial toll it has taken and continues to take from our family and my body;

However, what I want to focus on in this writing is not far from either of these things, but a valuable idiom that has been the consistent and steady foundation of all of these things over time.

What I want to write about today, is a lesson that we could all come to appreciate and give an open arms welcome to…..and that is the gift of the things that happen, come to us, appear, or work out at the last minute, sometimes in ways we never saw coming, sometimes as a result of seriously difficult and seemingly hopeless moments – a glimmer of light, a breath of air, right when we need it and often in unexpected ways.  I want to write about the good dose of courage required to face a world without this relief, and the sheer awe created as it rises up to present us with a much-needed outcome in the 11th hour of our stripped-out moments.

Some may be wondering what I mean when I reference this verbiage “the 11th hour”.  Let me take a moment to reflect on some various views of this, and how it can be used in various contexts…….

The phrase “at the 11th hour” is an idiomatic expression (cannot be understood according to its literal meaning)  or allusion (subtle way to mention something familiar) that means at the last possible moment or just before a deadline. It suggests that something is happening or being done in the final moments before a crucial event or situation. (3). In a broader sense, “at the 11th hour” can refer to any situation where action or intervention takes place when time is running out or when it seems almost too late to achieve a desired outcome. It implies a sense of urgency and often conveys the idea that there was little time to spare or that the situation was in a critical state before the last-minute action was taken.(4)

The 11th hour means the latest possible time before it is too late. It is a phrase that means “at the last moment”. It is taken from the Bible passage in Matthew 20 verses 1 – 16 where Jesus taught the Parable of Workers in the Vineyard. The eleventh hour miracle is a miracle you get when it looks like time is running out on you. (1)

Perhaps the most celebrated “eleventh hour” was 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” — “Armistice Day,” which brought an end to World War I.(2)

Note that the Roman time system referred to twelve ‘hours’ from sunrise to sunset (and twelve hours of the night from sunset to sunrise). So the eleventh hour was by definition the period just before the end (of the day). ~Tim Symington (ironically posted in 2014 – 11 years ago)

Ultimately, the phrase “in the 11th hour” has multiple spiritual meanings as well. Being a person who clings to their personal faith as a way-shower…I share these things as specific examples:

  • Refusing to give up – this supports that idea of not giving up too soon, not giving up the effort, or the attempt, even if things are going, or appear to be going, badly.  This is often the time when everything points to needing to give up, and then a solution or miracle comes.
  • God’s Timing – the idea that God will intervene at the last minute, even when things seem hopeless.
  • Claim Opportunities – this relies on the actual effort and choice to take the opportunities, or use the resources given to us
  • Delayed Blessings – this is reflected by the ripple affect of blessings coming to us in various forms long after the time we would have experienced them in a traditional time continuum.

Today, as I write this. I am reminded of how, in the 11th hours of many days…. I have been lifted and plucked from the bowels of depression, exhaustion, and at times a concentrated form of aloofness, or lack of desire to go on.

As I write this, I am honored to share my progress with all of you as a testament of the fruition and reward of hard work, resilience, and sheer grit.  I have been managing and expanding on the services I provide in my business; am in school still and working towards a Higher Education Degree to represent my new life. I am making great strides to return to a modicum level of activity and vocational satisfaction in the form of a successful reckoning and comeback tour. I continue each day to show up for my life.  I volunteer, advocate, and continue to give back as I am able. Life is hard.  Life is a bitch.  Life is tough……but my goodness is it also rewarding.

Here I am in all my unique complexities in this 11th year of my rehab journey and literal reinvention of my life.

Today is not without its challenges, failures, learned mistakes, or hard lessons that this process continues to shed light on.  Today though, in the 11th hour of this Anniversary, I also celebrate a life I have grown to be proud of.   A life shed of toxic people from my inner circle.  A life that keeps giving me unexpected and sometimes delayed blessings. A life that keeps giving me miracles with each breath I have been allowed to experience each and every day. A life that has given me a life partner/husband/friend who inspires, supports, and loves me with selfless representation. A life that continues to allow me to witness the love through others (specifically those close to me, but through humanity in its finest glory too). A life that injects an ever-present presence of deep dramatic chasms and last-minute solutions that continue to shape the tapestry in the valleys of my world.

Today I face a turning point, a choice; an opportunity in the 11th hour of this day….. to define my next steps and wear my confidence like a cloak of joy, exalted, as I pay it forward to the next generation.

It takes a healthy dose of humor and unyielding humility to reach the 11th hour. A place when all may, at times, seem lost; when the precipice, or teetering of survival and destruction (or light vs darkness), vie for the same spotlight and seeks to own the moment – whatever that moment may be.

It takes determination to reach the 11th hour. A place that lays naked…. and bares all the beliefs, values, and character of the individual thrust into its path.

It takes realization to TRUST in the 11th hour; to trust that life goes on and will continue to evolve with or without our decree, consent, or approval. 

The 11th hour carries the rescuing we all need at times and then sheds the stress, strife and hopelessness from our midst repeatedly; a place where all things come full circle.

11 years later….we remember the 11th hour….. 

Giving and taking in equal measure.

(1) (2) (3) (4)

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

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Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Brain Injury Mentor Program

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Check out our latest page addition to our Site. HOPE TBI has partnered with Vital Ability, LLC to offer our readers access to another resource:

The “Brain Injury Mentor Program” puts you in contact with a mentor who connects with you on a one-to-one basis, helps inspire you, and helps you figure out how to overcome roadblocks. They provide you with resources and tools based on their own experiences, connections, and self-advocacy strategies.

They are someone that is knowledgeable about the medical field that can listen, relate, and be supportive, through a research and strengths-based approach, as you navigate your own brain injury process.

You can read more about the program HERE

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

Reviews and Testimonials

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

10 Year Milestone – A Life Worth Living

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Human beings are creatures of time. We are preoccupied with what time it is, getting somewhere on time, keeping calendars, planners, setting timers, setting alarms, and wondering how much time is left so we can stretch our budget until our next payday, and even how much time is left in our current life.  Maybe we are even too obsessed at varying moments throughout our life and as a society as a whole. 

Some, like Albert Einstein would even say that time is an illusion…a distraction to keep us shackled between the past and the present.  To many physicists, like Carlo Rovelli, who says “…our perceived reality is a sequence of events (past, present, and future), and we assign the concept of time to that sequence” – thus making time an illusion.

Other physicists would say that while we experience time as psychologically real, time is not fundamentally real.

The sensation of time seeming to perpetually “freeze” often arises as a byproduct of awe or amazement, that rare but overwhelming feeling of reverence we experience when witnessing something wonderful or miraculous. 

Interestingly, one of the strangest side-effects of intense dread or fear, is the magnification and simultaneous slowing down of time. This is often put into visual form in movies when we see a specific moment or scene slowed to a very dramatic and obvious pace that seems surreal.

Additionally, a lot of us find ourselves losing track of time. Among all the things that can cause this losing track of time phenomena, there are some medical things to consider as possibilities. For example, how fast we are able to process our sensory input along with what we experience with our senses can change our perception of time.  There are even a few studies that show that an auditory event can appear to last longer than one that we see visually.  According to one study, we feel time passing faster when we enjoy things that are rewarding or pleasurable, which increases dopamine activity in the brain. Losing time can also indicate dyschronometria (loss of time due to dyslexia, dementia, or certain parts of the brain being damaged), ADHD, or mental health issues such as depression.

On the non-medical side of things, losing time is often experienced when we become unaware of time passing as a result of being fully absorbed in an activity or task, a consequence of procrastination, a sea of distractions, having poor time management skills, having busy schedules, following a monotonous routine, lacking motivation, or even caught up in a few moments of unplugged mindful bliss.

Another common way of tracking time is birthdays, the celebration we embrace that says we have managed to survive the trials and tribulations of another passing year.  I recently celebrated my 50th birthday, 5 decades, or a half of a century depending on whether it is laden with jokes or not.

Another way of marking milestones of time is by recognizing certain anniversaries.  Some anniversaries are endured (usually those associated with heartache, sense of loss, or grief); and some celebrated (like a birth, graduation, marriage, accomplishment, or milestones).

This brings us full circle to what is spurring the creation of this Blog today. This year marks the 10 year Anniversary of the very thing that inspired this very blog – an auto accident on January 4, 2014.  I have posted a blog every year on or around this Anniversary, with the exception of last year (the 9th year). I was prepared to write one and then as each day passed it became something I felt I had to forego as the words I envisioned putting here seemed too far out of reach. This year, I genuinely wanted to post this on the 4th yet as the 4th got closer and closer I started to feel some kind of absolute obligation to acknowledge how far I have come.  10 years, after all, is a hell of a milestone.

 I kept sitting with the words, thoughts, experiences, and memories, or lack thereof, swarming in my head of the last 10 years of this recovery and rehabilitation journey; a journey where I have inherently made, and continue to make, valiant steps at re-inventing myself.  I am slowly blossoming into the me I have been becoming, and it is ironic how things have come full circle, and I am left with a stark realization that I have been gifted with time. This whole process has been extensively mind boggling, emotionally mercurial, and fills me with pause. 

Let’s make a full stop to digest that for a moment.

There are many events, lessons, personal developments, professional developments, and a sordid amount of moments that have taken place. The list would be impossible to delineate or detail in a simple blog post. Yet, all have been consequential to my growth as a human being with all the cloaks of comfort and opportunity I wear (as a mom, wife, sister, friend, survivor, student, advocate, business owner, etc). 

I will take this opportunity though to turn the hourglass into a verbal synopsis. Pain still wreaks havoc with me, often very unpredictably, though is more managed.  Mobility is still a challenge in lots of ways, and in some ways I see, declining, yet I am still mobile, breathing, functioning.  This is worth celebrating. Finances are an ongoing real struggle, yet we still find a way to make things possible.  I am sure this is due to a lot of divine intervention and is truly a miraculous feat in and of itself. I am currently safe in a home with my family, and in a Country with amenities we would not be afforded in other Countries, and for this I am deeply grateful. My memory and emotions are all over over the place – each like a new discovery that I continue to protect and covet. My health is a rubik’s cube that occasionally lines up, and other times is a series of rotating puzzle pieces. However, I am still able to think, research, learn, and evolve. 

I have a deep appreciation for the linked together moments that build on each other. I have been enjoying the last 3 years as a new grandmother.  We now have 3 grandchildren. We have lived to see only 2 boys left at home, our youngest start High School, and I myself have even returned to school to further my own education.  I have met many professional goals (albeit much slower than I originally envisioned), and continue to move forward with this venture.  We have all been blessed with 9 more years of time with my mom (who nearly died, went on and came off a vent in 2015). Indeed, there are many things to be grateful for.

My journey has afforded me the opportunity to network, meet, and advocate with lots of providers, organizations, individuals, and groups that I may not have had the opportunity to know without the time that I have been given.

This is what guides me and propels me in a forward thinking fashion.  Seeing the precious process of experiences, creating new memories, and choosing to navigate all things given – whether effective or ineffective in my life.

As time passes, and I continue to reminisce about the last 10 years, and what the next 10 years might hold, I continue to be wrapped in the warmth of HOPE, faith, and an ever present growing awareness of my own mortality.

Until then….we celebrate!  We celebrate being 50 years young.  We celebrate only being halfway to reaching a century.  We celebrate not only surviving, but thriving!  We celebrate those moments that build into additional moments, which build into – despite any disabilities, hurdles, struggles, or setbacks – a life worth living.

~Caren Robinson, January 2023

I look forward to hearing your feedback. There are a number of ways to connect.

Happy 10th Anniversary to me and all my fellow HOPEsters!

Site Upgraded and New Additions

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Hello our fellow HOPEsters. We are glad to be entering this New Year of 2024 with all of you. We are thrilled to share with you that a series of new releases of pages, blogs, and updates on our Site has begun.

Check out our updated tabs across the top of your page when you arrive at our Site. Check each one carefully as some of them have dropdowns that lead to other pages. There have been a few adjustments and a few additions we are sure you will find useful. 

Check out our 3 newest page releases done this week:

Basic Survival Guide For Beginners

Mental Health, Counseling, and Coaching

Occupational Therapy

Check out our updated contact us page as well

Hope Faith Miracle

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What is the correlation between faith and hope, and what exactly is a miracle as it relates to hope and faith?

Compiled By: Caren Robinson

”The whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things”

~ Hans Christian Andersen

My current connection to this topic is originated from being raised in a faith based home; exploring/educating myself about multiple religions over the course of my life, and life experiences that have shaped my view on each of these concepts.

I already know this is a controversial topic because there are so many beliefs, strong opinions, and non-believers, that I risk alienating someone with my writing, or not connecting with my audience. This was also spurred by the experiences I have had since recovering from a catastrophic car wreck with my youngest son and a series of traumatic life events. This near death experience forced me to face everything I knew to be true and examine that which I didn’t know or understand as well. It conjured up pieces of complex opportunities that I would not have been given were I not to live through these experiences.

I know that this piece will challenge perceptions, and ideally I will be able to present it in a way that is palatable and provokes thought.

What also draws me to this topic is the state of our Country; the global strife; the battle between being spiritual vs religious, vs science focused, vs a balance with some or all of those pieces; and my interpretation of the research done on these concepts and what that looks like. What draws me to this also involves what I have witnessed happen through different life experiences and unexplained events.

When beginning to explore this topic I had to ask myself in a really direct manner – how can I make this unique, novel, personal, and not rehash what has already been said or spoken numerous times before but just in different formats?

I went on a hunt to be able to at first define what faith, hope and a miracle was. Then I began to really immerse myself into how they correlated. Anyone seeking to cope, anyone that believes in a power greater than themselves would benefit from this writing. Anyone, whether they were religious or not, whether they subscribed to a certain belief system or they didn’t – any of them would benefit and get valuable information from this writing. That was the goal and remains the goal throughout this blog entry.

So we begin with the dictionary definition of faith. We can find this in a number of dictionaries and while the definitions are similar, there is a lot of overlap. For this particular blog post though, I chose to utilize the Miriam-Webster dictionary.

Miriam-Webster dictionary defines “faith” as:

  1. a: allegiance to duty or a person; loyalty b: fidelity to one’s promises
  • a: belief and trust in and loyalty to God; belief in the traditional doctrines of religion

b: firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust; believe without question

  • a: something that is believed especially with strong conviction especially: a system of religious beliefs

Miriam-Webster dictionary defines “hope” as:

  1. to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true
  • trust; reliance
  • to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment; expectation of fulfillment or success
  • to expect with confidence; someone or something on which hopes are centered

Miriam- Webster dictionary defines “miracle” as:

  1. a: an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs
  • an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment
  • a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law

I would identify myself as more of a spiritual person at this point in my life, rather than a religious person. Yet what does that really even mean? You may have heard a lot of folks now-a-days describe themselves that way. There is an even growing number of individuals who are breaking from the confines and walls of organized religion, or don’t even subscribe to any particular belief system who may still describe themselves as spiritual. Then again, you have that subset of individuals still who do not consider themselves religious or spiritual and yet still have faith, hope, and believe in miracles.

The majority of our society uses the words “religion” and “spirituality” interchangeably with the idea that they are the same things. However they are very different and have very different concepts.

“Religion is the rules, regulation, ceremonies, and rituals developed by man to create conformity and uniformity in the approach to God. Spirituality is God’s call in your soul.”

~ lyanla Vanzant

Religion is more external from ourselves and encompasses more of that institutional type of belief process. This is something that often involves a specific building with a structured belief system that contains members, converts, or pledges who practice certain rituals, beliefs, or practices. The fear of punishment for one’s actions is often a principle factor in religion. Religion simply involves a group of people who have common beliefs and faith about the divine. It is about adherence to rules, laws, and specific actions. Religion often discourages people from listening to their own instincts. In fact, most religions instruct and teach their “believers” to accept and do what they’re told, without questioning it; forcing them to stay fixed to a specific text, the scriptures, or whatever specific ideology they are being taught by their religious leaders.

Spirituality is really more internal and self-directed energy and essence that is more about one’s inner-self, soul, and personal development. A solitary experience of the divine that focuses on the individual experience, encourages the focus on individual energy, positive mindsets, and acts based solely on love; the ability to combine truths from various belief systems and apply those beliefs to their lives. Being spiritual entails maintaining one or more beliefs, adapting those beliefs based on personal study, self- reflections, interpretation, and the ability to connect with something greater than ourselves. Spirituality is very personal, and unique. It may involve some very sacred traditions, or practices; and yet, may be reflected in something as abstract as art, or our connection to nature or music. Spirituality encourages folks to do what they feel is right, despite the consequences.

Neither of these is better than the other and is truly a matter of personal preference – though there are plenty of people ready to fall on their sword defending one over the other, but that is not what we are here to discuss or argue in this blog post.

“Miracles are not in contradiction to nature.

They are only in contradiction with what we know of nature.”

~Saint Augustine

People that have hope, have faith. Seemingly, a person cannot have one without the other. Yet what is the correlation between them? There are many that would say that:

  • they have faith because they need hope
  • people have hope because they need faith
  • people have hope because they have faith
  • they have faith because they have hope

After all, “faith” expresses confidence in the truth, value, or veracity of someone or something and is often characterized by the absence of empirical proof that is not necessarily verifiable. Faith represents a belief that actually exists.

“Faith, in slogan form, is resilient reliance, by which we mean a disposition to rely with resilience in the face of challenges”

~Daniel Howard-Snyder

Then we have “hope”. Hope is directed to what will come, what is possible, toward the future…..of what may come. This may also be viewed as an anticipated fulfillment of a particular intention or focus.

According to Shannon Kincaid, Ph.D. and Philip Pecorino, Ph.D. from Queensborough Community College of The City University of New York – they state in one of their research papers that “…..one does not have to be an incurable optimist to claim that faith is a sufficient and necessary condition of hope. When people have hope they have faith, because they hold a belief that says “I believe that the future will be better.” And while they have no grounds to “prove” the hopeful assumption, they have faith in it. While faith without hope is possible, hope without faith is not. Thus faith is not sufficient for hope. Faith is necessary for hope but faith is NOT SUFFICIENT for hope because you can have faith about a number of things and yet no real hope. “

Then that brings us to miracles. Why do the vast majority of people not believe in miracles? This is possibly the direct result of living in a technologically science-driven and informational era where people are constantly demanding “proof” of everything and often, there is no “proof” of any miracles. No one has ever recorded, on camera, with no cuts or special effects, a leper being healed, a blind man being given vision, or anything even close, outside of medical advancement and treatment options.

Additionally, a lot of folks find it difficult to embrace or believe in something they cannot explain or cannot see. This is also why there is a falling away from organized religion to some degree because there is, to some individuals, no convincing evidence that God exists and if God doesn’t exist then surely miracles cannot exist. Yet, miracles, to me, are not a God-principle. Miracles are simply an unexplained event which absolutely defies, nature, physics, or any logical explanation. Then again, you can believe in supernatural events and not believe in God. Some would argue even that miracles are the result of confirmation bias, or coincidence, and impossible when it comes to the laws of Science and physics and often dismissed as falsities with those things that cannot be explained through a scientific process. The eighteenth-century Scottish skeptic philosopher David Hume argued, “the wise man should not believe in miracles”. The basis for his assertion was what might be called the “repeatability principle”— evidence for what occurs over and over (the regular) always outweighs evidence for that which does not (the rare). Since miracles are rare and contradict our uniform experience, Hume argues the wise man ought never to believe in miracles. While it’s true that a wise man should base his belief on the weight of evidence, it’s not true that evidence for uniform experience always outweighs evidence for what is singular and rare. Hume’s principle nullifies science itself. As an inductive discipline, science necessarily presupposes the possibility of discovering new things that may contradict uniform experience. It views rarity as that which disqualifies rational belief, yet rarity is of the essence of a miracle. Sure, it could easily be said that we need to exercise a heightened sense of awareness and sincere caution when confronted with accounts of the miraculous, however we should also be apt to following the evidence where it leads, even if we cannot explain it, no matter how extraordinary and improbable it is.

“… look for hope in a realistic way, and choose to lean in to it – but let it be part of the larger whole. You need not avoid the grief and distress that go along with the big picture. In fact, hope – or light – can be that much more exquisite and meaningful when it comes with full acknowledgment that darkness exists, too..”

~Dr. Andrea Bonlor PhD

Ultimately, we have control over the way we choose to believe. Whether we choose to have faith, hope, or believe in miracles even – or we choose not to believe in any of these. The belief or non-belief in and of itself seems to have a direct correlation to our actions. Since beliefs affect our behaviors, we have to step up and take responsibility for them. It is imperative to examine claims from all sides. It is imperative to examine claims from several different perspectives. It is imperative to be able to think on our own steed, and form our own conclusions based on our intuition and what we know to be true rather than simply accepting the opinions or forced beliefs of others. It is also imperative to be able to wrap our minds around the fact that not all things have an explanation. Not all things can be proven by Science. We are responsible for our beliefs because they are the consequences of things over which we do have control (for example paying attention to our prejudices, biases, or whether we choose to be open minded and curious; whether we choose to be religious or spiritual). Yet we have no control over the outcome or end result of a specific action or non-action because the Laws of the Universe often defy this.

These times that we live in they are uncertain. In a moment life can change. Everything we knew to be true can be catapulted and often is an immersive experience when thrust into unexpected life altering events. During these times, it is difficult to feel hopeful. There are plenty of studies to show that having hope for the future helps build our resilience – that ability to get through the seemingly impossible and recover more quickly. Hope can reduce stress, reduce anxiety, trauma, and depression. According to the “hope theory” formulated by positive psychologist Charles Snyder and his colleagues, hope gives people the will, determination, and sense of empowerment that allows them to reach their goals. Hope encourages emotional ownership. Hope reminds us of what we are working for or towards. Hope holds space and optimism for the future, keeps us committed to self-care, and ironically is science based. Let me explain. When a person has hope, it releases endorphins in the body and lowers stress levels. This increases mood, improves behaviors, and makes us more productive, even if the end goal or result seems illogical. Now hope is not the same as wishing either though. There is a profound difference between hoping and wishing. Wishing encourages passivity, whereas hope represents an active stance and actually taking action in a specific direction.

If I am focusing on a specific direction, a specific outcome, a desired result and I have hope, can I also have faith without being religious? I believe that we can. A lot of people are fed up with all the negative connotations and bad actions within various religious belief systems, churches, etc. yet they believe in a creator that is infinite and overall cannot be comprehended by anyone. After all, the human mind cannot quite seem to comprehend the infinite, which is why most people find it difficult to accept miracles as a possibility. While we may know, as a species, as people the meaning of infinite or vast….comprehending it is not something we have mastered. Not even with Science.

“Hope is a match in a dark tunnel, a moment of light,

just enough to reveal the path ahead and ultimately the way out.”

~ Dr. Judith Rich

Personally, I believe in God. I believe in the omnipotent power of the Universe. In a power or divine greater than myself. I believe in the Creator, even though I cannot fathom the form of the creator except that the creator is in the molecules and DNA of all things animated and inanimate. I believe that to be a Christian is to be “Christ-like” and that to be “Christ-like” means to embody that which is lovely, pure, and of good rapport. I believe that to be “Christ-like” means to treat others like you want to be treated. It means to be selfless, humble, confident, giving, charitable, and tolerant. I believe that embracing this form of belief is a culmination into one simple yet powerful word – FAITH. Yet I also believe that one can have Faith and not embrace any of these beliefs.

I can say with pure conviction that I would not have survived all that I have this far into my life without a strong connection to my Faith and a deep Spiritual Connection with something greater than myself. I can say that throughout the recovery process after the wreck I was in, there are times – when it feels – that all I have that is consistent, is my Spiritual self, and my every present life clinging grasp, onto HOPE.

I am not without humility when it comes to the fragility of life in general. I am truly in awe of the miraculous events, too numerous to be coincidental, involving that wreck and all of the circumstances in my life since. I truly believe that there were angel wings wrapped around my son that day. It is the only explanation for his survival….the only explanation for my survival. My continued courage to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties, medical and otherwise have only been conceivable due to my connection to God and the abiding Faith that I embrace. This propels me and gives me strength to never give up HOPE. I am not religious by any means. You may or may not have a tie to faith, hope, or miracles in your own life and your own experience. Yet I challenge you to keep an open mind and not to get bogged down on the things you cannot explain or prove. Sometimes you just have to know, to trust, and to make the best decisions you can. I also wholeheartedly believe in, support, and have a great and deep love for Science. Yet despite the laws of physics and all that comes with that line of thought, I am still faced with the unseen power of the topic of this writing.

There is indeed a correlation between faith and hope. There are indeed miracles that can happen as it relates to hope and faith and the belief that you give energy and power to.

Have FAITH. Never give up HOPE.

With FAITH comes HOPE.

Where there is HOPE there is FAITH.

Where there is FAITH. MIRACLES happen.

I AM LIVING PROOF OF THAT!!!

Works Cited

“Faith Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith.

“Hope Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope.

Scott, Steve. “Spirituality vs Religion: 3 Big Differences between Each.” Happier Human, 21 Jan. 2022, https://www.happierhuman.com/difference-religion-spirituality/.

Haidt, Jonathan. “Moral Psychology Must Not Be Based on Faith and Hope: Commentary on Narvaez (2010).” JSTOR, Sage Publications, Inc. on Behalf of Association for Psychological Science, Mar. 2010, https://www-jstor- org.grcc.idm.oclc.org/stable/41613323?pq-origsite=summon#metadata_info_tab_contents. Perspectives on psychological science

Editor, Hope Grows. “Why Is Hope so Important?: Understand the Deeper Meaning of Hope.” Hope Grows, Hopegrows.net, 2 June 2022, https://hopegrows.net/news/why-is-hope-so- important.

Cline, Austin. “What’s the Difference between Religion and Spirituality?” Learn Religions, Learn Religions, 25 June 2019, https://www.learnreligions.com/religion-vs-spirituality- whats-the-difference-250713.

Howard-Snyder, Daniel, and Daniel J McKaughan. “Faith and Resilience.” Springer.com, International Journal for Philosophy of Religion (2022) 91:205–241, 8 Jan. 2022, https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11153-021-09820-z.pdf.

Kincaid, Shannon, and Philip Pecorino. “Philosophy of Religion.” The Interrelation of Faith and Hope, Queensborough Community College – The City University of New York, 2005, https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/phil_of_religion_text/chapter_10_defi nition/Faith-Hope.htm.

Broussard, Karlo. “Is It Reasonable to Believe in Miracles?” Strange Notions, 24 Feb. 2016, https://strangenotions.com/is-it-reasonable-to-believe-in-miracles/.

S;, Griggs. “Hope and Mental Health in Young Adult College Students: An Integrative Review.” Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Feb. 2017, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28218927/.

Robinson, Caren. “Hope Tbi.” Having Faith, HOPE TBI, 28 Apr. 2022, https://hopetbi.com/2022/04/28/having-faith/.

Blake, Sharon. “Hope vs Faith or Faith and Hope.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hope-vs-faith-or-faith-an_b_8907892.

Murthy, Vivek H. “A SEASON OF HOPE, A SEASON OF ACTION: ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH FAITH COMMUNITIES.” JSTOR, Sage Publications

Inc. Public Health Reports (1974-) Vol. 130, No. 6 (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015), Pp.

560-561 (2 Pages), 2015, https://www.jstor.org/stable/43776220.

Brady, Adam. “Religion vs. Spirituality: The Difference between Them.” Chopra, 4 Aug. 2020, https://chopra.com/articles/religion-vs-spirituality-the-difference-between-them.

Emoha. “What Is the Difference between Religion and Spirituality?” Emoha Blogs, Emoha – Elders First, 22 June 2022, https://emoha.com/blogs/learn/what-is-the-difference-between- religion-and-spirituality.

Bishop, John, and Daniel J. McKaughan. “Faith.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 15 July 2022, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/faith/.

Ng, Nathan. “Spirituality and Theology a Review and Perspective of Their Relationship.” Sage Journals, Volume 4 Issue 818, Mar. 2001, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0040571X0110400205?journalCode=tjxa.

Wong, Kenneth. “10 Differences between Religion vs Spirituality.” The Millennial Grind, Amazon Services LLC Associate Program, 5 July 2021, https://millennial-grind.com/10- differences-between-religion-vs-spirituality/.

Brain Injury and Intelligence

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Brain Injury does NOT equal Lack of Intelligence

We should probably start with defining intelligence. Intelligence can be defined as the ability to solve complex problems or make decisions with outcomes benefiting the that particular individual that involves problem-solving and decision-making.  These are functions of the nervous systems, including the brain, so intelligence is closely related to the nervous system. There is not just one way to be intelligent or display intelligence.  In fact they are 8 types of intelligence, with a 9th known as “existentialist intelligence” that has been recently introduced by Howard Gardner, a psychologist from Harvard. Gardner’s theory suggests that traditional psychometric views of intelligence are too limited. 

What does brain injury look like?  Do you know?  What does someone look like who has a brain injury?  Do you think of them as being unable to think anymore, or as a drooling incapacitated individual who has somehow lost their ability to be independent or do for themselves?  What if they tell you they have a brain injury but nothing shows up on a CT Scan or an MRI – would you still believe them?  What if someone didn’t start to have symptoms until years later? Do you think this is even possible or would you think symptoms should show right away?  This writing is dedicated to any professional that works with or comes into contact with any person who may have sustained a brain injury.

I personally have had numerous concussions (brain injuries) throughout my life. I mean, anytime you hit your head and see “stars or sparkles” – guess what?  That is a brain injury. That being said, I never gave a 2nd thought to them because I never had any seeming lasting damage or long term effects. Let’s face it, the education about concussions was not as advanced back when I was a kid, nearly 50 years ago.  I mean, the fabric of education and discovery around medical science changes on a daily basis, and I am sure as a society we will continue to learn even more about our brains as time goes on. 

When I sustained a closed head injury in 2014 my opinion about head injuries, what they looked like, and how they presented would forever change.  In addition to multiple orthopedic fractures, I also had to overcome this new way of existing in a body I no longer recognized.  I could not think the same way I used to.  I could not pull up my words as fast.  My recall was crappy and yet I still maintained the same level of intelligence as before my injuries, just the ability to process and trouble with memory made it near impossible to feel like I was able to express it in the same ways I was used to. Based on multiple accounts, certificates of merit, and other input given to me throughout my life, I was considered to be highly intelligent before all my injuries, so why after that accident was I now just testing as “average”.  Why couldn’t I recall basic information, simple words, and struggle with putting my thoughts together? Why did my taste and smell and ability to be in crowds and around noise change?

Noone professional, or in roles to educate me on this really seemed concerned about this at first.  Just me. They would say things like, “you communicate really well so you’ll be fine”, or “most of society is average so you are good”, or “you should be happy you aren’t worse”, or “everybody gets headaches or forgets things”. They weren’t listening, only getting caught up in the numbers of the “average” of their other patients – not dealing with me as an individual or taking my concerns, or the concerns of my family seriously. I was worse – they just couldn’t see it.  “Great”, I told myself, “I am happy for everyone else, but this is not normal for me”.

How could these providers look me in the face and say I was fine, especially since they didn’t even know me before my injuries?  How could they be so callous, indifferent, and lack basic knowledge in a field where they should be teaching me about these changes?

  I knew I was different. My family knew I was acting different. The me I used to be was gone.  Killed in that accident.  I was now living with a stranger in my body. I knew my thinking and processing and memory was off.  It was a daily and sometimes moment to moment battle. Yet since I was suddenly “average” I was okay to those looking at the data and my life.  I was not average to myself.  I was falling apart and while different than those fractures in my body I also sustained and everyone could see, my brain injury they could not see. My injury remained invisible on a regular MRI and CT scan since I didn’t have a skull fracture or hemorrhage.  Apparently the general thought was that the brain swelling that encapsulated my brain and then reduced made me all better.  False!  In fact, I was generally dismissed as just needing to be patient and give myself “time to recover”. 

Then the most miraculous thing happened.  I discovered in my search a special brain scan called a SPECT CT (different than a regular CT scan). Michigan No-Fault was a lifesaver in providing me the opportunity to get this scan done.  The SPECT CT, which showed diffuse axonal shearing in multiple parts of my brain….finally PROOF…something that could be “seen”.  Honestly, that test was a game changer in a lot of ways….but that is another story.

Let’s start here though and focus on what this writing is about to begin with. You can be highly intelligent, experience a brain injury and still be highly intelligent. This is what confuses people who see you and interact with you.  To them, you are still “normal”. A brain injury does not necessarily affect intelligence. Intelligence is a stable trait which includes many aspects of cognitive functioning. Following a traumatic brain injury, the brain is unable to function as well as it did prior to injury. This is why we typically see some difficulties with memory or academics. However, once the brain recovers there is no change in a person’s overall intelligence. Your intelligence is based, depending on the definition of intelligence, on the sum total of your knowledge.

Someone’s IQ can be unaffected by a TBI, but other parts of the brain that “pilot” or guide one’s brainpower can be messed up. Decision-making and complex social interactions can cause major problems in one’s life and career. The individual with high intelligence may still have cognitive problems such as headache, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficits, mood swings and frustration. These injuries are commonly overlooked, especially in those with high intelligence.  Their low threshold of functioning or slower processing speeds may appear as average where prior to injury they would have tested as above average.

Something interesting I discovered in my studies is that the brain of the intelligent person is more complex in appearance, not as soft, and has greater weight relative to size. Additionally, it can be noted that the intelligent brain may have an enlarged prefrontal cortex or parietal lobe relative to other areas of the brain. More intelligent people have more wires, more connections and more complex architectures in their brains. These are reflective of genetics, as well as developmental experience. Also, more intelligent people may enjoy higher processing speed or impulse conduction in brain-wires (axons). But with more complexity in the brain, the net result still could look in performances as much slower decision making resulting in a dulled sense of self, lower test scores compared with their education/experiences, and reduced overall performance compared with their performance before injury.

That being said, Intelligence and personality dysfunctions after minor traumatic brain injury (TBI) (whiplash; slight head impact) incurred in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) were studied in adults after an average interval of 20 months. There was a mean loss of 14 points of Full Scale IQ from estimated preinjury baseline IQ determined from the standardization group (WAIS-R) without evidence for recovery. Personality dysfunctions included cerebral personality disorder, psychiatric diagnosis (30 of 33 patients), post-traumatic stress disorder, persistent altered consciousness, and psychodynamic reactions to impairment. Cognitive loss is caused by interaction of brain injury with distractions such as pain and emotional distress. Unreported head impact and altered consciousness at the time of accident contribute to the underestimation of brain trauma after minor TBI.


 I can tell you this.  There is a saying in the brain injury medical community that if you have seen one brain injury, you have only seen one brain injury because no two brain injuries are alike.  While there are many symptoms that are consistent with each other and may overlap between folks, there is one thing you can be sure of – it is consistently inconsistent.

 In fact, there are a lot of misdiagnoses for ADHD, ADD, and ODD when instead these folks should be screened for history of brain injury and have neuro testing done as well before making a blanket diagnosis.  Now this doesn’t mean that all people diagnosed with ADHD/ADD are misdiagnosed.  However, it does mean that if they have a history of a brain injury it is something worth exploring.

Unless there is objective evidence (evidence you can physically see that is obvious) of brain injury on MRI or CT Scan (hemorrhages, hematoma’s penetrating skull fractures into the brain, etc) people (including uneducated providers) assume the individual expressing symptoms of a traumatic brain injury may be faking, exaggerating, or malingering their injuries or the person has psychological problems that had to have pre-existed before their accident.  The reality is that the majority of mild (mTBI) and moderate brain injuries show normal results on an MRI and CT scans.  That’s right, you cannot see the injury with these particular tests – and a lot of folks develop psychological changes and personality changes as a result of their injuries.

The basic imaging of an MRI or CT Scan also does not show diffuse axonal injuries nor do they show levels of intelligence.

Keep in mind also when working with your patients, clients, or colleagues, that women also tend to have longer recovery times than men with regard to brain injuries as shown in recent studies.  Recent studies on women’s brains finally coming to the front of the class in the scientific community.  This is important because almost all research has previously been done on just men’s brains.

We are learning that there is damage we can’t see with the naked eye that requires special testing (like a SPECT CT) and that is called diffuse axonal injuries (DAI). Someone with diffuse axonal injuries may also have brain inflammation or swelling.  This can lead to restricted blood supply to the brain tissue and brain herniation. Which by the way, does not necessarily affect the person’s intelligence.

Diffuse axonal injuries (DAI) are caused by acceleration, deceleration, and contact forces. DAI affects individual nerve fibers which can lead to a disruption in nerve communication.  DAI is microscopic damage to the axons in the brain neural tracts, corpus callosum, and brainstem, is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. When these forces are great enough it creates a shearing force that severs the axons of nerve fibers, which causes nerve cells to die and can create swelling in the brain. The main symptom of diffuse axonal injury is lack of consciousness, which can last up to six hours or more. A person with a mild or moderate diffuse axonal injury who is conscious may also show other signs of brain damage, depending upon which area of the brain is most affected. Diffuse axonal injury causes cognitive, physical, and behavioral changes that compromise social reintegration, return to productivity, and quality of life of patients and their families. These changes persist beyond the acute phase of treatment and continue for a long period after the traumatic event. Diffuse axonal injury, and more generally TBI, often results in physical, cognitive, and behavioral impairments that can be temporary or permanent.

Due to the diffuse and microscopic nature of the injury, CT scans and general MRIs are typically negative unless small areas of bleeding within the brain are noted within the cerebral cortex or corpus callosum (tracts of white matter in the brain). If a patient presents with unconsciousness and these tests are negative, the medical facility should move onto a different imaging technique to check for DAI. Depending on the severity of the injury and the extent of the damage. A concussion can be considered a mild case of shearing brain injury. At its mildest, DAI can occur unnoticed. 

Another thing for providers to be aware of when dealing with their patients, clients, or colleagues is that tonsillar herniation is a type of cerebral herniation characterized by the inferior descent of the cerebellar tonsils below the foramen magnum. Chiari one malformation is a form of tonsillar herniation and is now known to be caused by trauma (like severe whiplash and traumatic brain injury) or in most cases “symptoms awakened” from trauma.  This is an often overlooked correlation between trauma and DAI and TBI.

The bottom line here is that you can’t get tunnel vision and just assume that because your patient looks okay, that they are okay.  You should keep in mind that a patient knows themselves better than you know them.  If they are telling you that something is wrong and they are different – then listen and take that seriously. 

If a person has a brain injury with long lasting debilitating symptoms, they can still have the same intelligence.  You can have a severe traumatic brain injury with empirical radiological evidence of damage and still maintain your intelligence.   Brain injury does not equal lack of intelligence.  A person’s intelligence is not a solid basis for deciding a person’s extent of disability after an injury.

What I hope you get out of this is a way to relate to, offer help for, and be better informed about brain injuries so you can offer the best possible care to the people you work with.

The High IQ TBI  (a blog which is worth the read about high IQ and TBI – this will take you to a different site)

References:

RS, P. and A, R., 2022. IQ loss and emotional dysfunctions after mild head injury incurred in a motor vehicle accident. [online] PubMed. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8682910/

Nayak, A., 2017. How are the brains of intelligent people different from the average brain? Is there anything one can do to alter their brain to enhance i…. [online] Quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/How-are-the-brains-of-intelligent-people-different-from-the-average-brain-Is-there-anything-one-can-do-to-alter-their-brain-to-enhance-intelligence#

Sharecare. 2022. Brain health and the nervous system – Health Topics – Sharecare. [online] Available at: https://www.sharecare.com/brain-health-nervous-system

HuffPost. 2022. How Just One Concussion Might Hurt The Brain. [online] Available at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/single-concussion-brain-volume-atrophy_n_2855549

BrainLine. 2011. Understanding Diffuse Axonal Injury. [online] Available at: https://www.brainline.org/video/understanding-diffuse-axonal-injury

UPMC HealthBeat. 2014. Can Concussions Impact Memory or Intelligence? | UPMC HealthBeat. [online] Available at: https://share.upmc.com/2014/12/can-concussions-impact-memory-intelligence/

Maher, C., 2019. Does Brain Injury Affect Intelligence? Here’s What to Expect. [online] Flint Rehab Tools To Spark Recovery. Available at: https://www.flintrehab.com/does-brain-injury-affect-intelligence/

BrainInjury.com. 2022. Types of Brain Injury — 12 Unique Classifications. [online] Available at: https://www.braininjury.com/brain-injury

Brain and Spinal Cord. 2022. Diffuse Axonal Injury – BrainAndSpinalCord.org | Brain Injury Trauma. [online] Available at: https://www.brainandspinalcord.org/diffuse-axonal-injury/

 Vieira, R., Paiva, W., de Oliveira, D., Teixeira, M., de Andrade, A. and Sousa, R., 2016. Diffuse Axonal Injury: Epidemiology, Outcome and Associated Risk Factors. [online] National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5071911/

Wood, R. and Rutterford, N., 2006. Long-term effect of head trauma on intellectual abilities: a 16-year outcome study. [online] National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077538/

Gao, MD, PhD, B., Jiang MD, S., Wang MD, PhD, X. and Chen MD, J., 2000. The Role of Pre-injury IQ in the Determination of Intellectual Impairment from Traumatic Head Injury. [online] Neuro.psychiatryonline.org. Available at: https://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/jnp.12.3.385

Gipe B.C.S, S., 2011. Can Acute Trauma Car Accidents Cause Chiari Malformations?. [online] Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA. Available at: https://www.dolmanlaw.com/blog/chiari-i-malformations-and-their-relationship-to-acute-trauma/

Johnson Jr, G., 2022. Normal IQ after Brain Injury Doesn’t Rule Out Brain Injury. [online] TBI Law.com. Available at: http://tbilaw.com/normal-iq-after-brain-injury.html

Robinson, C., 2017. Brain Injury does NOT equal Lack of Intelligence. [online] HOPE TBI Help One Person Excel – To Be Independent. Available at: https://hopetbi.com/2017/05/06/brain-injury-does-not-equal-lack-of-intelligence/

(This blog re-post has been updated from Original Post on May 6, 2017)

Page Changes and Updates

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Due to growth in our submissions, we took this opportunity to split up one of our pages into 2 different pages for your convenience.

Our original page used to be called Support Groups Sites and Books. This link will no longer work. However, we still have all of the great resources from this page now split into 2 pages.

These pages have been changed to:

Support Groups, Sites, and Organizations

Survivor/Caregiver Blogs, Books, and Music

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New Page Created –

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Hello my fellow HOPEsters. I am so very excited to introduce and offer some additional and new opportunities and resources to bring awareness about brain injury and polytrauma to our followers, supporters, advocates, and new HOPEsters on a global level

Can you believe we have been around for 8 years now?

While we will continue to offer all of you many free resources here at HOPE TBI, including relatable content through an active Blog, numerous resources, our tireless research on various topics, an evolving informational podcast, networking opportunities, and help in creating and e-publishing your stories – we are now also offering some other additional options as well.

We have partnered with Vital Ability, LLC to bring you even more options here at HOPE TBI.

(*** DRUM ROLL PLEASE ***)

We are now able to offer informational workshops tailored for your organization, group, class or event.

We also are now able to offer supportive services at an elevated level through our new medical advocacy consultant services with monthly memberships. at a considerable and affordable option for those interested in a bit more than what we offer for free.

Check out our paid services page under the “About Our Site” tab at the top of the page on the left (first tab on the menu list if looking at this from your mobile).

Let us know what you think check out the page and let’s see those messages start flying. Help me welcome Vital Ability, LLC as a partner.

Paid Service Options

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Progress In Canada Halted

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Hello to our neighbors in Canada!!!

Phonomenal and groundbreaking news that had been spreading like wildfire there since May 2021 and then again in November 2021 – only to be met by disappointment and seemingly caught up in global financial politics and escaping what the focus should be: benefit of rehabilitation for the patients.

In a major development for brain injury survivors across Canada, the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine (CANM) adopted, ratified and endorsed Guidelines for Brain Perfusion Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT).

Essentially, what this means is that the SPECT scan is now medically recognized for the diagnosis and prognosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The SPECT test shows in much clearer detail the presence and extent of the brain injury (especially mild TBI), something that MRIs and CT scans cannot.  See this article

Then the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released an important decision in Meade v. Hussein, 2021 ONSC 7850 regarding the use of single-photon emission computed tomography scans (“SPECT scans”). Justice Bale found that SPECT scans failed to meet the reliability foundation test for novel scientific evidence. See this article

This is of global interest and has the potential of benefiting millions of people affected with brain injury. It was noted that the the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine (CANM) unanimously adopted new procedure guidelines for brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging for psychiatry and neurology. The prestigious scientific body endorsed brain SPECT imaging for the assessment of many common issues affecting tens of millions of people. See this article

This is surely going to be a very hot topic where the medical community is finally catching up with technology and years of research. Sure to be on the forefront and not going away any time soon is the focus of getting our laws to also catch up with medical and technological discoveries.

This would also involve getting the Insurance industries on board to provide coverage for this diagnostic necessity and to provide better rehabilitative care to our survivors of brain injury and those suffering with mental illness.

See this article

See this article

Already we are seeing bucks in the system to discount and argue against science ( an ongoing and disturbing trend). See this article

Keep up with the developments with these organizations:

The Brain Association of America

Home

Brain Injury Canada

Home
Brain Injury Associations

Brain Injury Conference Canada

Homepage

Ontario Brain Injury Association

Home

Brain Injury Association United Kingdom

https://www.headway.org.uk/

I can speak from personal experience about my SPECT experience. It was a game changer for me. It validated all of my symptoms. It helped me not feel crazy, but allowed me to know just what to focus on as part of my rehabilitation process.

Having “proof” for something you know is true, because you are living it, is an overwhelming relief and was a hugely emotional process for sure. I was determined to get answers, one way or the other. This process helped me to be able to then focus on what I needed to improve and work on, to let the healing commence, and be able to move on to acceptance in the grief and transformation process of re-inventing myself. The results of the SPECT allowed me to be able to talk about my injuries in a more educated and informed manner.

I honestly wish I had been able to access the services from day 1 of my injuries. It would no doubt improved and perhaps even shortened the rehabilitation process. I am a staunch supporter of the SPECT scan and am hoping that there are ongoing landmark and groundbreaking determinations that benefit the quality of life of all patients.

See our Page about SPECT

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Brain Injury Radio – August Episode

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Come and listen this coming Wednesday 8/10/2022 at 10pm EST as Kim and Co-Host Caren, will be discussing Navigating Mental Health after a Brain Injury, and reframing our thought patterns.

Can a brain injury lead to mental health conditions? How can we help ourselves self-regulate?

Wednesday Radio Show – 10pm EST

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER SHOWS:

Radio Shows with Caren Robinson and Kim Justus

Caren Robinson – Survivor

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Check out the Orginal HOPEster. The Survival Story of our HOPE TBI founder.

It’s been a while since I have shared my story and I wanted to share it with those of you who may not know it. Thank you for being here as part of my ongoing recovery. I just wonder if we just continue in our process for the duration of our entire lives.

Isn’t the brain and the body magnificent?

“My name is Caren Robinson. I have always been a busy gal. Adrenaline junkie to some regards. Loved riding motorcycles, roller coasters, diving off bridges to go swimming, and also anything to do with The Arts really. I have always had a job since I was … Continue reading HERE….”

My Story page has gotten a wee bit of a face lift, and a few more clarification and more information added. Funny how as time passes, things are easier to talk about. At least some things.

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

Reviews and Testimonials

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Newest HOPEster – Cathy Law McLaren – Survivor

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Help us welcome our newest HOPEster. Cathy is from Everett, Washington.

“I got in a very bad car accident on August 8, 1976 when I was 14 and preparing to go to high school. I was born in the 60’s (1962 to be exact). That was a time when not a lot was known about the after affects of sustaining a severe head injury……..”

“…..If I could share any one message with all of you out there in the world, it would be to not give up. It’s never too late to get help, and keep fighting to get where you want to be in life, even if you have to do it a little bit differently than others.”

You can read her story here: https://hopetbi.com/cathy-law-mclaren-survivor/

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

Reviews and Testimonials

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Key Tips For Hiring Differently-Abled Employees

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Differently Abled Workers

One of the biggest challenges is finding new hires who have disabilities. It’s difficult because they might not have the opportunity to work in a job where their disability is accommodated. For example, someone with hearing difficulties might be limited to jobs that can easily be vocalized.

If you want to attract differently-abled employees, you’ll need to put structures in place to accommodate those disabilities. In this guide, HOPE TBI shares some key tips for making your workplace more inviting to more diverse people.

Ideas to Attract Differently-Abled Applicants

SHRM suggests creating a more inclusive culture, making sure your website can work with assistive devices, offering career planning opportunities, and more. Reasonable accommodations are also important for different types of disabilities, such as allowing for part-time work, providing accessible transportation options, or any other type of accommodation that would help support your differently-abled employees.

Incentives for Differently-Abled New Hires

You should also think about what incentives you can provide for people with disabilities. For example, what if you offer an internship program for people with disabilities and then hire them once they graduate from the program?

It’s a win-win situation because you are able to reach out to this target audience and offer them the opportunity for advancement while providing valuable experience and skills training at the same time. Offering career planning opportunities can also help attract differently-abled new hires. It’s important that they have opportunities to think about their long-term plans in order to feel confident and empowered in any role they pursue.

Revamp Your Recruitment Process

When it comes to recruitment, make sure you’re including all different methods of sourcing and hiring. Keep in mind that people with disabilities are a viable pool of talent to consider when you’re looking for new hires.

For instance, IMPACT notes that you can make your website more accessible to those who need different types of assistive devices by making sure everything is in plain English and using contrast colors for text. You can also offer opportunities at your company for internships or mentorships for those with disabilities.

Finally, think about how your process may be excluding this group from applying. Maybe you don’t have an option on the application form for people who have certain types of disabilities? In order to find out where this might be happening, provide contact information on the application form so that people can ask questions.

Create a Budget for Reasonable Accommodations

If you’re interested in being an employer of differently-abled individuals, budget for reasonable accommodations in the workplace. This includes office supplies and furniture that can be maneuvered to suit those who have physical disabilities. For example, consider providing a desk chair with wheels so that an employee who uses a wheelchair can roll from place to place instead of having to walk around the entire office.

Other accommodations may include louder alarms or bigger signs because some people with hearing impairments or dyslexia may not hear or read things correctly. Budgeting for these adjustments will help you attract more diverse talent to your company.

In addition, a critical housekeeping step is to establish yourself with the state to make sure you are compliant with tax laws. This is also essential in your EIN application, which is necessary for the IRS to use in payroll taxes and if you offer retirement plans.

Finding Differently-Abled Applicants

Michigan has several programs designed to provide disabled population services, as well as other related services. This is a good place to start if you want to connect with differently-abled people who are looking for employment.

HOPE TBI helps take the struggle out of finding resources and information when someone is faced with a trauma from a polytrauma or brain injury, and the resulting conditions from those injuries (acute or chronic pain, symptoms, experiences, processes, etc.) and various treatment options available. Connect with us today to find out more! hopetbi4ever@gmail.com

 GUEST BLOGGER: Diane Harrison of HealthPSA.info

Image via Pexels

Keep HOPE TBI Services FREE

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SEEKING SPONSORS and DONORS

Hello Fellow HOPEsters!!!

Not sure if you are a HOPEster? Check out our definition here: https://hopetbi.com/2018/07/16/be-a-hopester-2/

Did you learn something, read anything that inspired you or impacted you on the HOPE TBI site at https://hopetbi.com/ ?

HOPE TBI brings awareness, educates about self-advocacy, and helps take some of the struggle out of finding resources and information when someone is faced with a trauma from a polytrauma or brain injury, and the resulting conditions from those injuries (acute or chronic pain, symptoms, experiences, processes, etc.), and treatment options available.

Do you support bringing awareness to the topics written about and want to see more content? Check out our Blog at https://hopetbi.com/blog-and-updates/

Keep HOPE TBI active, growing and it services FREE.

You can support general operations, outreach, and awareness efforts of HOPE TBI by being a donor or sponsor at https://hopetbi.com/donations/.

(all yearly donators of $500 or more have the option to have their name, “in memory of” name, or business name/logo listed on our “Sponsors” page for one year after donation made)

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here: Reviews and Testimonials

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Having Faith

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FAITH is stepping on the “seeming void” and finding the rock beneath.  

                                                                         With FAITH comes HOPE. 

Where there is HOPE there is FAITH. 

                                                         Where there is FAITH.  

MIRACLES happen.

I can say with pure conviction that I would not have survived all that I have this far into my life without a strong connection to my Faith and my deep Spiritual Connection. I can say that throughout this recovery process, there are times when it feels that all I have that is consistent is my Spiritual self and my every present, life clinging grasp onto HOPE.

I am not without humility when it comes to the fragility of life in general.  I am truly in awe of the miraculous events, too numerous to be coincidental, involving the wreck I was in and all of the circumstances in my life since.  There were angel wings wrapped around my son that day.  It is the only explanation for his survival….the only explanation for my survival.  My continued courage to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties, medical and otherwise have only been conceivable due to my connection to God and the abiding Faith that I embrace.  This propels me and gives me strength to never give up HOPE.

“Can’t” is not in my vocabulary as a general rule.  I have never been that type of person to accept “can’t” as an acceptable answer.  I feel this limits the education and growth of ourselves as individuals, professionals, spouses, family, parents, and friends. If at all possible, rid this word from your life. Instead replace it with “can attempt” “can make effort to” “can do it” “can accomplish” “can change my thinking about” and any other word or phrase that includes your ability to put forth the effort in living the opposite of “can’t”.

One of my favorite verses is Phillipians 4:13  “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”.  This has fueled me for years.

I lived through this wreck for a reason.  I was meant to survive.  There is a plan, a special plan for my life.  My life matters. I truly believe this. I am not here to merely exist without offering some meaningful contribution to my family and the world.  I have been led to serve others my whole life.  I have enjoyed this life of service immensely.  I am grateful for the blessing that I have been given to continue my life’s journey. Sometimes, I am not sure why I was CHOSEN to live, while others with far less injuries have died – but I will not waste this time.  It is precious, and every moment counts! 

My dad used to say that many are “LED” but few are “CHOSEN”.  I never understood that very much as a child, however, I feel I am getting a better grasp on this as an adult – especially as one who continues to survive from a Catastrophic and Life changing event (but then aren’t all life events life changing?)

I find myself led to continue to write about, speak about, and educate about my Trauma, my Survival, my Rehabilitation, and Self-Advocacy –  so that others may perhaps find something useful from my experiences and I have a written expression of healing. I am enormously grateful to my mother for starting a blog for me in the beginning, and for being a testament for my life.  The timeline of events that she has written about has been very helpful to me as well and helped me fill in a lot of blanks for things I just do not remember.  I love seeing her posts and hearing her words like a warm blanket of protection.  How she knows how to say just the right things still amazes me.  I hope, in the end, that my kids love me as much as I love her; as much as she has helped me to continue to love myself.  She is amazing. 

I am blessed with a selfless and loving husband as well.  He has sacrificed much for me.  He makes me feel beautiful and shines light in my life, even in the darkest of nights. Not only did God Choose me, but so did he.  My love for him is unyielding and he is simply the best man I have ever known in my entire life (before and now). He is beyond amazing and I am truly fortunate to know such love.

My HOPE is that I continue to evolve professionally and personally. My HOPE is to continue to be led to the proper medical care,  and interventions to help me further my life as a functional, active, evolving, spiritual and passionate human being. My HOPE is that my family is continually blessed with support and strength to endeavor this journey with me.  It has not been easy on them either.

I realize I will never be the same Caren I was before the wreck.  That much is abundantly clear. The “new normal” I embrace I am still getting to know…….even years later. From being bent and literally broken, to a process of healing that incorporated plates, screws, nails, modern day technology and a sheer will to survive. I have been able to find value in the life I have been gifted to live. I am not perfect, I am far from it. There are struggles that still challenge the fabric of my existence. There are challenges and fears I still face. Sometimes, on a daily basis. However, I am grateful for the opportunity to face them and continue becoming the best version of myself possible.

We are allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress. I am a work in progress, my life is my masterpiece, and I am not giving up on ME.  Your life, your story, your experience, your sheer grit to survive is your masterpiece. I see you. You are not invisible. Don’t give up on you.

If you are reading this, thank you for being here at this moment.  Please don’t give up on me either.  With your help, your ongoing support, your presence, your intercession, your skills, your energy – real or virtual, all things are possible.

Have FAITH.  Never give up HOPE.

                            With FAITH comes HOPE. 

Where there is HOPE there is FAITH. 

Where there is FAITH.  MIRACLES happen.

I AM LIVING PROOF OF THAT!!!

Grief and Renewal

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Brain Injury Radio Show – Listen to our April 2022 Episode – HERE

Easter actually began as a pagan festival celebrating spring in the Northern Hemisphere, long before the advent of Christianity. “Since pre-historic times, people have celebrated the equinoxes and the solstices as sacred times,”   Later, Easter became recognized as the highest celebration of Christianity. Because the resurrection establishes the belief in life after death. Happy Easter if that’s you. However you believe, spring signals a time of renewal, when new life and color emerges.

Add the Virus and other news hot topics the past few years, and there has been ample opportunity for us to have reason to grieve. With more isolation, lock downs, fear mongering .. Grief over real losses of all kinds, has perhaps been even harder to bear. Grief is stressful enough, but add everything else mentioned, and no one has been immune to grief. We must take time to grieve, or we would never fully appreciate gratitude.

Tonight we discuss grief and renewal for brain injury survivors. We’ve felt the sorrow, now how do we refresh and move forward?

This show is a gathering place for anyone seeking recovery from the challenges of life on life’s terms. We discuss useful tools that have helped us lighten the load, of our journey through recovery. This is a “we” recovery program, because it is in the “we,” that we find the new “me.”

We focus on the four A’s of Recovery: Awareness, Acceptance, Action and Adaptation. This is a place for survivor’s striving to become thrivers, which takes a good bit of Warrior!

Hosted by Kim Justus, author of In a Flash: Miracles Here and Beyond and Hootie’s Hollow and the Magic Tree found at inaflash.org and Amazon & “Like” me at facebook.com/inaflash.org too! For More on Caren’s great Blogs and Resources see: hopetbi.com

Other Radio Shows with Caren Robinson and Kim Justus

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

Reviews and Testimonials

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Newest HOPEster Ramona – Caregiver

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This is where it all began. The HOPE TBI Blog and the HOPE TBI Website.

It all began with my mom starting a blog and fundraiser on my behalf, years ago. My mom has been one of the many valuable supports in my life, through everything. She never gave up on me; for that I am grateful.

I asked her to collaborate with me to do a story page to honor her and the process she put so much effort into on my behalf. This is that story.

(Click on Name to access story page)

Ramona Andrews – Caregiver

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

Reviews and Testimonials

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Golden Girls Explain Golden Opportunities

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This is a post I wrote just as I was really learning to claim my role as an advocate for myself. It was a turning point for me, in truly learning to trust my body and not necessarily what I was told about my body. It was when I decided to trust MYSELF, and to speak up when I felt or knew something was wrong.

This experience with this nightmare provider was someone I should have been able to trust. It turns out he took advantage of that trust. This experience brought me to a painful realization that not all doctors respect the “do no harm” oath.

In fact, if left unchecked, those who don’t value that oath, can cause a great deal of additional irreparable harm to their patients, can absolutely cause medical PTSD, and change the course of a patients care for the worse. I share this again as it should not be forgotten.

Find your voice and speak up for yourself. You are worth it

(previously posted elsewhere in 2014, yet worth reposting)

The Golden Girls

Golden Girls Explain Golden Opportunities

TBI is an invisible disease….so is PTSD….and so are things that are obvious injuries if NOT actually checked…..if the doctors actually LISTENED to their patients and did the tests and procedures they were supposed to  from the beginning rather than making judgements without following through – or without actually consulting the patient about their decisions.

This is essentially what happened to me too. I was in a vehicle accident with polytrauma and Traumatic Brain Injury and several fractures. Then I keep complaining all through therapy that my pain was worse and I was losing strength on my right side. I was released to attend PT OT and ST without restrictions that during and after therapy….I spoke of my pain and limitations often. Not the referring Orthopedic Dr. nor the Rehab Dr. ever did a CT Scan to follow up on my pain or x-rays of all the previous fractures. In fact, the Rehab Dr. said it was probably all anxiety related and I needed to put in “more effort”…He even held my arm up and dropped. I couldn’t hold it up on my own. He thought I should try harder – what he didn’t accept is that I was giving it all that I could. It just wouldn’t work….and now I know why. As it turns out for the last 9 months I finally get that CT scan and it shows that my ribs 2-11 are still fractured and displaced with NO HEALING…and that shattered and fractured scapula on the R side?….YEP….no healing either. I am now scheduled for surgery Oct. 8th to plate and put screws on each rib and reconstruct my scapula/body and plate and screw those as well…..obviously THEY weren’t putting in enough “effort”…. if they only listened to me. Feels good to be validated and know that I can actually trust my own judgement about my body though…my PCP on the other hand has been great so far….I have a medical case manager too who has been advocating for me as well….I can say that they only added to the anxiety I was already having about the wreck in general….those other doctors, that is.

This is a great episode from the Golden Girls show about Invisible Illnesses where she confronts the Dr. who didn’t listen to her…..this is just AMAZING!!!

I only wish I could do this with my Nightmare Doctor….

Compilation of all the doctors Dorothy went to and the process she went through to get answers:

Confrontation by Dorothy to Dr. Budd

Both Empowering and worth watching!!!

Our Newest HOPEster – Stephen Bristow – Survivor

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Let us introduce you to Stephen Bristow. He is from Michigan and has a unique story of how the system sometimes fails it’s children. This story also drives home the importance of adequate services and interventions that are both compassionate, ongoing, and swift; a stark reminder of just how far we have come with the treatment of Brain Injury over the years, and how much further we have yet to go.

“I was young about five years old or younger when I sustained my first traumatic brain injury. This was caused by my father. He was very abusive. He was also a Navy man. The second traumatic brain injury I recall happening around 7 or 8 years old, and had something to do with baseball The one titled “mother” was not around most of the time. When she was, she was also abusive, and I sustained many beatings from her. She was employed at a Utility service…….”

STEPHEN BRISTOW STORY HERE

Eight Is Enough

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Some of you may remember this show back in the late 70’s, early 80’s.  For those old enough to remember..this was about the Bradford family, which consisted of 8 very independent children and the trials and tribulations of growing up, facing important decisions, and other tough topics of that time.  They had a father, Tom, who to me seemed quite oblivious to a lot of common sense solutions, yet when it counted, came through as a great source of love and support for his family.

There were a lot of movies, TV shows, and other depictions of families that carried us through relatable, humorous, and sometimes downright serious content and the process of life transitions, which we would stay glued to the TV or Big Screen to see just how things turned out, see justice done, capture a glimmer of hope, or just escape to be entertained for a wee bit.

In those moments, of living vicariously through our favorite character’s lives – we shaped our view of not only ourselves, but the world around us.  We shaped our views on advocacy, education, societal roles, relationships, our sexuality, and they challenged us to think outside of ourselves just a bit….especially if they included controversial content – personal writing ahead of its time really.  When a character would be removed from a show, killed off, or somehow taken in a different direction – it sometimes affected us deeply – especially if we watched them grow up or felt we were growing up with that character as well. Relatable, right?  It sometimes felt like we were losing a friend or loved one of our own – even though, by all accounts, this was completely unrealistic.  How could we go on?  Yet we did.  One day moved into the next, a new show, new series, new movie emerged and suddenly the previous experiences though remembered, became a distant memory, now replaced by better writing, CGI, better special affects, powerful acting, and tapping into those topics that often remained previously untouched. 

Some of us also no longer had time for that level of commitment to a “character” because we were building our own “character” through our lives, our own careers, our own families.  Striving to make sense of all the changes, the challenges, the amazing tribulations, the absolute exhaustion that being a responsible adult brings.  How could we go on?  Yet we did.

We all have experienced trauma in some sort.  Some from their first breath out of the womb, some their entire childhood, some their entire life in one form or another; some – a one and done situation which impacted the entire fabric of their lives despite all the good that exists around that one trauma.  Some of us persevere, some don’t.  There are so many factors that influence all of those changes and the way we evolve through them….or don’t. I am not even going to begin to attempt to list them all here.  Yep, there are that many.  We wake, we wonder – How could we go on?  Yet we did, and we do.

In this moment, as I reflect on my life on this 8 year Anniversary of the wreck that changed my life forever, in every aspect…..I am struck with examining all the characters in my life, my influences, my beliefs, my moral compass, and I think of all that I have survived and continue to endure.

I think of the effort required to overcome unimaginable pain, hopelessness, limitations, a stripping of life, dreams, and independence since that fateful day.  There were a multitude of moments where I would cry, rage, and scream…perhaps even laugh hysterically at the irony of things being the opposite of what I envisioned for my life at that time and since.  The stages of grief became my daily association with that one question that no matter how I progressed or what kind of HOPE I held….still loomed waiting for answer.  How could I go on?  Yet I am, and I do.

During this process of trauma, re-inventing myself, effort, and personal growth – I have learned some very hard, valuable lessons.  Some I am truly grateful for…others, not so much.

I have had my rose colored glasses ripped from my face, stomped on, crushed into the ground, and damn near destroyed from an repairable possibility.  However, once you see things from the way they actually are vs how you think they are….well….now that has a life altering affect of its own.  Which way you allow it to take you depends a lot on your own mental fortitude and ability to CHOOSE to go on, CHOOSE to survive, CHOOSE to be the best version of yourself in this very moment.  It depends a lot on whether you CHOOSE to accept and embrace the smallest victories, the smallest growth, the smallest blessings.  How do we go on?  We CHOOSE to.

I still enjoy watching a bit of TV and a movie here and there.  It is interesting to see how the writing in the shows nowadays differs a lot from my younger self’s experiences with the progression of each character. I find myself, with the assistance of technology, social media communities, and access to a plethora of information readily available at my fingertips…..that my possibilities for research, growth, healing, advocacy, and a life drenched with an unpredictable next step – have been forming that picture on life’s big screen in answer to the beckoning call of each Anniversary that reminds me that I am still here….thriving….without even knowing I could sustain as long in this form…as I have. 

I am struck with reflecting on this being the 8th year since the wreck.  The 8th year since I fought for each breath and each step and each ability.  The 8th year of creating a living visual answer of….despite starting over and over and over –  “How do we go on?” 

I am left with this.  Eight is Enough.  Enough time to decide to live; Enough time to choose HOPE permanently; Enough time to continue to vibrantly live a life of gratefulness, appreciation, and acceptance of what is, and what isn’t; Enough time to speak my truth, sound my voice, and share my words without feeling self-conscious about what others think about my experiences, or me as a whole person.  Enough time to decide to not just plan, envision something someday, not just try….but do.

Eight is Enough.  Enough time to finally be able to say out loud….”I am disabled, but I am more than my disabilities.  I am doing, and will continue to, do the best I can every day…and THAT….is enough!

Our Newest HOPEster – Laura, Survivor

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Check Out Our Newest HOPEster

https://hopetbi.com/laura-schmieder-survivor/

This is what an invisible injury looks like.

The term “traumatic brain injury” wasn’t something I ever thought too much about pre-accident. It was something that happened to people in stories in the news, it was something that happened to people in the movies. It never occurred that it was something that could happen to me. And then it did. ----

HOPE TBI Co-OP and Exchange

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Come visit us at the HOPE TBI Co-op and Exchange. Currently serving The United States and US Territories.

Please do NOT list items for sale here! We are a Co-Op/Exchange Group Only (no monies exchanged)!!!

Remember to Bookmark this Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HOPETBICoOpExchange/

This group is to list durable medical equipment, supplies, technology, machinery, prosthetics, etc. that you are ‘gifting” for FREE to someone in need.

You may also post a request if you are needing something as well. Please only request item(s) if unable to acquire by any other means. No acquiring items just to sell them.

THIS GROUP IS NOT OPEN TO VENDORS.

[Disclaimer: This group does not support or endorse the exchange of medications or supplements in any form. Please see your medical providers for those needs. This Group or its Owners/Moderators are not responsible for any transactions, equipment, or product exchanges with another member]

    Gifted Items/Needed items can be, but are not limited to: vehicles, hospital beds, wheelchairs, braces, ventilator equipment, oxygen concentrators, traction equipment, personal care aids, books, Posey Lifts, adaptive equipment, Manuals/information, Bathing Supplies, mobility aids, etc – and other items useful to a person with a disability or injury. The sharing opportunities are endless.

We realize that Insurance does not always cover all the needs a person has after experiencing a devastating and catastrophic medical emergency. We also realize not everyone has insurance. We understand being financially strapped, destitute, or handicapped after a life changing medical event.

Being a member of this Group does not imply nor guarantee that you will have your needs met or provided, but merely an additional opportunity to network with those who may be able to help directly or indirectly.

This Group will also allow you the opportunity to share your fundraising pages or place to post your public funding request page links (like Go Fund Me Page, PostHope page, Pay It Forward Page, YouCaring page, Give Forward, Donors Choose, etc). Be prepared to be vetted for authenticity.

It is strongly advised that if you meet anyone offline, that you do so in a public and safe location.

Our 2 Newest HOPEsters – Debbie and Kris

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#MoreThanMyBrainInjury

We want to introduce a Survivor story and a Caregiver story.  The battle for survival and quality of life continues with these two powerful stories.  

 

Debbie Webb – “The year was 1990, I was practicing barrel racing and the horse I was riding slipped onto her side.  Upon impact with the ground, I was immediately unconscious.”  Check out her story here: 

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Kris Ruckle-Mahon – “My role went from being a parent to a caregiver on April 11, 2007, something I was not financially prepared for. I was fortunate though, to have a great work and family support system to help us through it.”  Check out her story here:

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Our Newest HOPEster Chasity

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Grab a cup of tea or coffee and snuggle in for a read of the Survivor story about Chasity Christian. A survivor of many traumas and how love is carried in different forms – from our newest HOPEster.

#MoreThanMyBrainInjury

Chasity Lee Christian – Survivor

New Page Added – Clinical Neuroendocrinologists

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Hello HOPEsters. We are thrilled to be able to share with you a list we have tirelessly compiled of “clinically practicing” Neuroendocrinologists who provide direct patient care.

This is not an all inclusive list and does not include Neuroendocrinologists that are  “researchers or lecturers” only.

Let us know of any others that are not on the list and we would be glad to add them.

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Also check out our Neuroendocrinology page as well, if you haven’t already done so.

How You Can Help As a HOPEster

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You may be asking yourself how you can help. How can you make an impact to continue to bring awareness and support self-advocacy? How can you become a HOPEster?

Maybe you don’t have a Brain Injury and have never experienced a Polytrauma. Maybe you came upon this Website while searching for something else. Perhaps you are curious about the content, or know someone who has had a Concussion, Brain Injury or a disability.

Whether you are here accidentally or purposefully we hope you have found information and resources in this Site that have been helpful, useful, or educational to you. If this page is your first stop – please explore the rest of our pages as we offer a lot of value for your visit. We provide all these services for FREE to the community at large.

Maybe you are a survivor, a caregiver, a healthcare provider who understands all to well the content here and could even add to the stories here with your own.

If you would like to offer HOPE (Help One Person Excel) by:

Giving a gift to keep this site running and helping its services remain FREE

Help us continue to bring awareness; or just support the cause

BECOME A HOPESTER

Check out our page HOW YOU CAN HELP

Michelle and Joe Patnesky – Parents of Hailee

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Check out the story about a mom fighting for the life and proper care of her daughter who was hit by a car January 2021.

When doctors and therapists don’t have faith, sometimes a family’s love and prayers can work miracles.

Michelle Patnesky, the mom of 17 year old Hailee, takes us on a journey with her family as they traverse the system to advocate for their daughter who has sustained a severe brain injury and remains in the hospital.

https://hopetbi.com/michelle-patnesky-caregiver/

Help me welcome our newest HOPE’sters!

Introducing Vera Quijano – Survivor

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Check out our newest story submission. at HOPE TBI www.hopetbi.com

Vera Quijano, a dance and yoga Instructor, who is now dancing to the beat of a different drum after sustaining a Traumatic Brain Injury after surviving a vehicle accident, where she was hit by a drunk driver.

Check out her video interview here:https://hopetbi.com/vera-quijano-survivor/

Also check out a song she wrote about her journey called “Post Concussionist” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKLVx5em_fo

At HOPE TBI we welcome Vera as our latest HOPE’ster!!!

That Mother

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I just want to say to all you Mothers’s, Step-mothers, Foster Mom’s, and Guardians fulfilling a role as a “mother” figure…..

I see you.

I see your love, your sacrifice, your devotion, your fierce advocacy, your struggle, your effort, your laughter, your tears, your disappointment, your celebrations, your resentment, your anger, your amazement, your exhaustion, your selflessness, and your commitment.


I just want to say to all you Mother’s, Step-mothers, Foster Mom’s, and Guardians fulfilling a role as a “mother” figure….

I hear you.

I hear your cheers, your jeers, your concerns, your focused topics, your questions, your accolades, your encouragements, your motivational speeches, your yelling, your frustration, your grief, your joy, your coaching, your mediation, your compassion, and your ongoing effort at communication.


I just want to say to all you Mother’s, Step-mothers, Foster Mom’s, and Guardians fulfilling a role as a “mother” figure….

Just Be You.

Be the best version of yourself each day, be that disheveled mess, be that organized detailed version of yourself, be true to your values, be that parent that can admit their mistakes, be that parent that lives by example, be a stay at home parent, be a working parent, be a disabled parent, be a retired parent, be scattered, be focused, be hard to understand, be easy to get along with, be the parent that lacks humor, or be the parent that can make your child laugh. Just be YOU.


You are who your child(ren) will remember long after they have grown and you are their influencers for good or evil, love or hate, bravery or fear, joy or sadness, loved or abandoned, condemned or celebrated. You are the beginning of their imprint on the world.


Thank you for being just who you are and adding to the fabric of our world with your ability to be THAT MOTHER.


Happy Mother’s Day!


~Written by Caren Robinson 2021

HOPEster Movement

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Join the HOPEster Movement!

Are you passionate, idealistic, and believe in the inherent goodness of others and our collective responsibility to each other as human beings?

Then you are a HOPE’ster!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hopester/

#HOPEster #hope_tbi #ImaHOPEster

Brain Injury Awareness Month

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Brain Injury Awareness Month
Join the  #MoreThanMyBrainInjury 
Campaign this March

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) leads the nation in observing Brain Injury Awareness Month by conducting an awareness campaign in March each year.

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) theme for the 2021 to 2023 campaign is More Than My Brain Injury.

National Brain Injury Information Center

#hope_tbi

Reviews and Testimonials

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Hello HOPEster’s,

I wanted to reach out and share our latest and greatest page with all of you.  It is our Reviews and Testimonials page.

If you are seeing this message in your email you have subscribed to our email notification list.  That means you care enough about our content to want to be notified when we post something new.

If you are coming on this Blog post by scanning our Site, please take time to also leave your review and feedback after exploring a bit.

We would be thrilled and grateful if you would take a few moments to type up a review or feedback about our website and submit it in the comment section of our new page.

You can reach our page here:

https://hopetbi.com/reviews-and-testimonials/

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reviewstestimonials

Be A HOPEster!

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WHAT IS A HOPEster?

A HOPEster is anyone who is interested in helping one person succeed to be independent – even if the person they are currently helping is themselves (specifically related to Polytrauma and Traumatic Brain Injury – though can apply to anything other than these two things as well).

A HOPEster is someone willing to share information, offer support (whether that be emotional, mental, physical, or just by sharing awareness information), and encourages advocacy (self-advocacy, medical advocacy, advocacy awareness).

A HOPEster is someone that thinks outside the box, is passionate, idealistic, and believes in the inherent goodness of others and our collective responsibility to each other as human beings.proud-to-be-a-hopester

https://hopetbi.com/awareness-matters/hope-tbi-awareness/

Be a HOPEster

HOPE TBI H.O.P.E TBI , , , , ,

A HOPEster is anyone who is interested in helping one person succeed to be independent – even if the person they are currently helping is themselves (specifically related to Polytrauma and Traumatic Brian Injury – though can apply to anything other than these two things as well).  

A HOPEster is someone willing to share information, offer support (whether that be emotional, mental, physical, or just by sharing awareness information), and encourages advocacy (self-advocacy, medical advocacy, advocacy awareness).

A HOPEster is someone that thinks outside the box, is passionate, idealistic, and believes in the inherent goodness of others and our collective responsibility to each other as human beings.

 

Proud to be a HOPE'ster!

(right click on picture to save to your device or share link in above web browser)

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

Reviews and Testimonials

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

HOPE TBI – Bring Awareness Campaign

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Hello There HOPE’sters.  We are thrilled to announce 2 awareness ads for this website for you to share in emails, in your social encounters both online and offline.

Below each video is a description of what the video is about and why it was created.

Feel free to click the “SHARE” button in the top of which video you like the best, to choose the sharing option you prefer.  SHARE SHARE SHARE….help us bring awareness to others.

This one was created with the thought in mind of how we can overcome anything with the right attitude, with awareness/education, and with proper support.  Support can come in the form of friends, family, providers, and even our own children.  It is important to remember to find our smile, to love, to laugh, and to embrace life and live it to it’s fullest – in spite of our seeming limitations and new realities.  That, in the end, we will be okay – because we have each other – we will overcome!

(of course bubbles always represented to me, a time of innocence, frivolity, and life’s possibilities – you never get too old for bubbles)

 

This one was created first and the song’s theme is “I will fight for you”.

I created this website with the idea of healing and fighting for myself and my recovery by learning and documenting as much as I could about my injuries…and then documenting what I had learned from my own experiences, documented research, and subjective interpretations.  I created the website with the desire of helping to fight for others with similar injuries (polytrauma or traumatic brain injuries) and help bring Awareness to as many people as possible.  I want it to be a global reach that says:

“Hey, you are not alone out there in your recovery.  You are not alone as a caregiver or a provider – you are not alone with the questions you have, the symptoms you feel, and the life you are struggling to make work for yourself or others”.    

I want this video to be something that is remembered.  Whether you hear the words “I will fight for you” as a song to yourself in your own mind to help you keep going – because your life is truly worth living; or as a representation of your desire to support and advocate for others….that you will fight for them, no matter what; or as a reminder that this site is a place you can come to share, get information, and feel like you are in a place that cares and understands.

The blooming flowers in the video are Cherry Blossom Trees.  This has been symbolic for me for quite some time now.  See our page under CHERRY BLOSSOM TREE PICS.

 

(any ideas or comments welcome – please post them below or email us through our Contact page)

Site Owner – Caren Robinson

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Hello there. I am a polytrauma and TBI survivor. I acquired mine from a wreck (head on collision) where my seatbelt failed and I was ejected (see Frequently Asked Questions page for more details).

I for a long time, felt it wasn’t important to “show” a picture of who I was.  I have gotten lots of requests for this though. I realize people want to see a “real” person. I wanted and still want… the site to be something that could be relatable regardless of what a person looks like….because after all…TBI is often invisible. So are most bodily trauma’s once the bones heal. Yet this is NOT the end of the healing process.

 This website is a growing passion for me with the more I advocate for myself, learn about myself, and learn about others experiences. This website is an outlet for my continued healing, rehabilitation processes, and a way to share what I have learned with others.  Helping One Person Excel I truly believe…begins with who I see in the mirror each day – Me.

To Be Independent is always the goal….yet that comes with a lot of dimensions and levels of intricate obstacles.  I hope that you find something in the pages of this site that help you, or someone you know.

If you’d like to share your story, or offer a guest blogging post …that would be amazing. Your story matters. Are you a Survivor, Caregiver,  Family Member, Healthcare Provider, Friend, Employer, Co-worker?  Whether the person is living or deceased…their story still matters.

Feel free to ask me questions in comments below or in email at hopetbi4ever@gmail.com I will answer as honestly and as directly as possible.

Cinco De Mayo 2016 : Caren Robinson

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Cinco De Mayo (May 5th) is the date that is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Much like Cinco De Mayo….my recovery and rehabilitation processes have had numerous UNLIKELY VICTORIES!

So it is ironic, and while tragic – also beautiful that my proposed final surgery on my shoulder/scapula/Acromion process was on May 5, 2016. This was the surgery that would also give me MY independence…..from an orthopedic (arm/shoulder) perspective anyway.

Now…to just wait until my follow-up appointment on June 1st to clear me for the Physical Therapy Regimen (exciting stuff).

I continue to be in awe of Regions Hospital and Health Partners system of patient focused care there in St. Paul, Minnesota. Perhaps because my providers there have been so instrumental in being so responsive and progressive in numerous aspects of my care, and continue to be.

On May 5th I underwent the final surgery on my shoulder (hopefully forever) to plate my Acromion Fracture which had gapped and was not healing. This was an unprecedented surgery for my orthopedic surgeon who has a niche in that field specializing in scapula injuries. He stated that the type of plating and procedure during this surgery for the Acromion Reconstruction nonunion fracture he had not done before, and that this repair was in the top 1-2% of complexities despite having an International referral practice for such injuries.

So I want to take the time to thank the folks involved in my care and surgery while in MN this time around. I tried to take diligent notes. If I missed someone, it was not intentional and I appreciate you just as much.

It all begins with how you are welcomed. When you walk into Regions there is ALWAYS someone there to welcome you and ask if they can help. It makes you feel like they are actually glad you are there…..it’s a great feeling when you are full of anxiety about your visit. It kind of preps you to just go with the flow…so to speak.

To Lonnie and her coworker (nurse that brought me back to preop from waiting room); Aneshtesiologist Dr. Mike Scmid and his nurse Anesthetist Marlene; Pre-op nurses Beckie, and Jackie…..and let’s not forget Lynette F who FINALLY got the IV started successfully; Amelia (who cleaned the surgery site); the Orthopedic Fellow (or Nurse don’t remember) Kyle you guys are all amazing and helped me relax before taking that final plunge to the Operating Room.

To my Trauma team in the Operating Room, including Dr. Peter Cole, THANK YOU for making me better and keeping me alive. I know I am a difficult and complex case. You never gave up on me or dismissed me, or made me feel embarrassed about anything. You are amazing and that is not even a strong enough word to describe your abilities and how much I am truly appreciative.

On the floor the first Nurse I had was named Mike. He had dark beautiful hair and a gentle spirit. He was very attentive along with his PCA Sandra “Sandy” and Bretta the respiratory therapist. I also want to thank Aron for my first meal after surviving surgery. You are a gem. I want to thank Annie for the Aromatherapy and appreciate her professionalism when I did not want her as my nurse due to my January experience with her. I didn’t immediately remember her name…but did her face and voice. Upon reviewing my notes I realized why she was familiar. I want to thank the Charge Nurse of the floor who was a patient listener and got me another Nurse who was awesome to deal with; I want to thank Katie from the lab; and Chian from transport (super nice person who has a relatively thankless job); I also want to thank Amanda, Tim, and Chris from Xray; Dr. Spilseth the Intern who checked in on me in my room; Thank you to Rachel my nurse and her PCA Uniqua; Jennifer from admitting who had the questions about insurance; Kjirsten the Social worker; Brent and Vic from OT and Meghan and Jenny from PT; a thank you to Kidist as well.

I had many wonderful nurses. The list of names was hard to keep track of….I do want to also thank Diana as well along with her PCA Logann (who ran ice packs for me and I am sure was tired of coming in my room); Logann, Dianna, and Patty who replaced Dianna on her shift. I appreciated the rounding from Dr. Hole. I also want to thank Leah and her nurse trainee Sarah and Logann again (yep got me again !); Scott from RT – thank you for checking on my pulse ox and CPAP; Tim and Jessica who did my CT Scan, and Aric from transport…vroom vroom; thank you to my Nurses Netti who took my vitals and said my nurse and pca (Shelly and Lisa) left (without giving a bedside report); thank you to Ketih and Karen; Lynn Charge Nurse and Night Charge Nurse Melissa;

Thank you also to Shelly my nurse and Lisa her PCA (who kept getting Shelly and later Shelly would say that Lisa never got her once and was apologetic) who were late getting me my post op pain meds by over an hour and taught me how much resilience I really have in this tired body.

Thank you to my nurse Melissa and PCA Jonase (spelling might be wrong on this one)…Thank you to Mai, Kaitlyn Schoeck 2nd year Resident and Jocelyn who worked tirelessly to get together all my take home paperwork; Thank you to Marcus Mittelsteadt 2nd year Resident, and the unforgettable Germaine from transport (what a selfless and patient soul) to medical records, and then to the Hotel Bus waiting for us upon departure from Regions after all was said and done.

A special thank you also to Tina Most and the CARE Team as well. 

Dr. Cole, thank you for visiting me in my hospital room on Mother’s Day (and a Sunday no less and your weekend off).  It meant more than you know.  You sat down and explained everything.  You rock!  You are an Orthopedic Genius.  Blessings Abound for you and yours I am sure.

Source: Cinco De Mayo 2016 : Caren Robinson

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

https://hopetbi.com/reviews-and-testimonials/

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Time and Time Again

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Well.  Do we have a LOT to catch up on.  No I haven’t dropped off the face of the Earth somewhere.  Though some days I do feel quite invisible…but that is another post entirely.  Trying to keep things real and authentic here and in my mind I have written each update a million times and nothing I felt I could say here matched what was in my head.  So tonight, I was just like….well…to heck with it – just be out there with it.

We miraculously by the skin of out teeth made it to MN.  We still have not been properly or fully reimbursed for our January, February, or March trip.  This has been financially debilitating to us, however, that is not what I want this blog to be focused on.

What I do want to keep the focus on – is the progress and new medical developments that I have encountered, am learning about, and am hoping may help one of you out there in some way.  Perhaps someone you even know or have known or will know at some point and time.

So I admittedly have been depressed.  On February 5, 2016 I had a PT appt at home.  I then had a PCP appt after that.  Well, my husband was helping me get dressed, like he has done so many times before.  I laid my arm on his arm so he could help get my shirt on me and we heard the loudest POP or CRACK I have heard from a body part.  It instantly shot pain up the side of my neck and to my ear.  Then strings of pain across my R chest and into my back some.  It was dreadful.  I couldn’t put my arm down and the pain was IMMENSE.  At my PCP’s office she checked me out and reasoned with me that since it “felt” palpably okay that it was most likely recovery pain.  I told her it didn’t feel right.  I had even called MN that same day on the way to her office to leave a message for Dr. Cole (my orthopedic surgeon). It was on a Friday and since we were going to be in MN on that next week my PCP opted not to xray it.

Well we went…and bottom line is that POP was a BONE being FRACTURED…..a horrible sound I might add.  I had apparently fractured my Acromion process (top of my shoulder).  Now based on what Dr. Cole explained this was rare (from what we read with our online research – only like 7%- (of course this is rare I thought). He had an xray and CT done.  I will say that I have come to realize that xrays have not been incredibly diagnostic for me all along. For some they are better and some they aren’t – me well not so much.

So what did that mean.  Well it was aligned for now and I had to do absolutely nothing with it until my next appointment in March to hopefully give it time to heal.  Start the protocol all over as if I had just gotten out of surgery.  I will say the pain was horrible….but different than shattered pain.  I would also say that I am being very well acquainted with a multitude of pain experiences and each have their own level of challenges and differences.  How I moved before the scapula surgery that would give me some relief here and there did NOT work for this fracture.  I was petrified for it to get separated.  If it did get misaligned that would mean potential surgery…This time on the Acromion.  We were super super cautious and eventually the neck pain, chest pain and such receeded back into the center of the top of my shoulder to remind me just how broken it was OUCH.  But hey… progress is progress. Oh and PT and OT got put on hold.  NO Chance of geting that misaligned.

It was a LONNNNNNNNG several weeks.  We saw Dr. Cole again on March 16th and this is where we learned  That gosh darn fracture hadn’t healed yet and was separated a bit…not by much and he debated just going in to get it repaired and plated while I was there, however it did show bone growth, even though still quite painful and limiting.  My head of course was swimming with information and questions that I didin’t seem to be able to get out the way I wanted – so I just listened – not really getting it yet.  He decided to cancel the April appointment and then set an appointment for May 2016 to give the body time to do what it appeared to be doing ever so slowly – trying to heal itself.  That meant however, no weight bearing at all with my right arm though I could begin again with PT conservatively.

So in May we find out whether I stay for a bit to plate this bad boy and fix it for good, or whether nature has taken its time, but actually healed it properly.  That appointment feels like its lightyears away.

There is actually some awesomely good news in all of this though.  There is a LOT less pain in my scapula.  Like it is miraculous how much he helped me with those January surgeries so I have utter faith in this man – even if I do have to have another surgery I know….like truly know he will make it better.

I am still quite limited but that will just take time and lots of therapy to get my strength back up.  We don’t know how much of the nerve damage will remain, continue to affect things, and all that stuff.  Time will tell.  I will say that it just flooded me like

REALLY MORE BROKEN STUFF!!!!  It was a lot to absorb and focus on in a positive way.  After a while, even though I know things were feeling different in some ways and better…..they were worse in other ways and status quo in yet other ways.  Also fighting with Insurance to get basic quality of life and such should not be a constant fight and battle.  This just adds to the stress and I truly believe slows the healing process because now you are always focused on that next ball getting dropped by them….it’s distracting, annoying, and is something that needs reformed for sure. That’s my soapbox on that though.

So here we go.  Working hard to stay afloat.  Not just financially but in the dynamics of our relationships with each other in the house.  The trips are hard on my body and my brain.  I think I am going to end up with the back pain for life.  The headaches are crazy consistently unrelenting and so mch a part of me now that I don’t remember when I last never had one.

I feel so flooded and overwhelmed after I get home fro travelling that  I literally crash out and sleep like I haven’t had sleep in days.  Going each way usually takes me a few days to play catch up with my already seemingly dulled self.  There is so MUCH stimulation that I was never aware that I was aware of before.  Travelling def makes a difference.  I have totally decided that travelling by train is much less intense than by Plane.  Still tons of people and still tons of noise and activity, but we get our own room which helps quite a bit with trying to get a grip…..and it is way more economical.

We keep moving forward….making impossible choices….going with the flow Time and time again. The future uncertain, but glad that I am still here to have a future to be uncertain about…..

So sorry for the delayed update – more posts to come…..just been battling exhaustion, pain, fatigue, and a good dose of BLAH!

Article – Time and Time Again by Caren Robinson

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

https://hopetbi.com/reviews-and-testimonials/

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Scalpel At The Cross

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This is how amazing my Orthopedic Surgeon from MN and his team’s are. He is the one who jus completed two surgeries on my scapula and reconstructed it with a bone graft.

They truly care about their patients; and I am a growing strong advocate of their work and care as a whole both State Side and Away….

Minnesota technology team helps St. Paul surgeon’s Peru mission

 

This is the charity Dr. Cole and his wife started:

Scalpel-Logo
Scalpel at the Cross

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

https://hopetbi.com/reviews-and-testimonials/

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

Two Surgeries Completed January 2016

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Hello. In MN January 11-24, 2016. It has taken me this long to get my energy up enough to type an update…..

I apologize that it has taken me so long to come to give all of you an update since my surgeries. I also must apologize for any horrible writing or spelling…I am still on the mend. First I want to sayis HALLELUJAH i AM ALIVE!!!

This has been quite the experience and it will continue to be. More posts will follow this one, however for this one I want to address some special folks. I tried to keep track the best I could with my notes. I truly apologize if I miss your name.

Specifically to My Primary Care Physician and her office staff; my Counselor, Mercy Medical Angels (especially Steve Craven), Barry and Caryn Mehler (dear Friends), Mary Herndon-Williams (sister from another mother), Priscilla Benavides and her husband (an old soul friend), Karleen Robinson (my mother-in-law), Carly Kissinger ( a teacher),  and Samantha Rogers (Trauma Survivor), and the Rabbi from Ahavas Israel in Grand Rapids, MI; and Unity Center for Spiritual Growth in Ada, MI; United Airlines and its many wonderful staff and crew, Gerald R Ford Airport out of Grand Rapids, MI to Chicago O’Hare (in nowhere else but Chicago, IL) to Minneapolis St. Paul. Minnesota and those of you who pushed my wheelchair – THANK YOU FOR GETTING ME THERE SAFELY. Without your help and support my arrival would not have been possible. To the gentlemen in 1st class who gave up your seat for me because I looked so uncomfortable in coach from Chicago to St. Paul – mere words are not enough to give you my deepest gratitude. You are a gem.

When we arrived. An enormous thank you to Yellow Cab, Embassy Suites, UBER, SuperShuttle, the hospital shuttles, delivery folks, and the beautiful people of St. Paul who made a very scary and lonely time not so scary and not so painful for my husband and myself.  Thank you Unity in the Heart Church in St Paul, MN.

THE GOOD STUFF – MEDICALLY LAIDEN

To my EMG team and Dr. Olson at Regions hospital, the Radiology Department, the lab, Medical Records and the Welcome staff – thank you for being quick and efficient and accommodating.

Veronica the bone specialist and Dr. Pegrow from Infectious Diseases – you guys are amazing and taught us a lot. Thank you Charge Nurses and Patient Relations and for the Alternative Medicine that compliments the Allopathic side of things. This made a world of difference for me and helped manage my fear, anxiety, and pain..

For my miraculous Dream Team with Health Partners, Regions Hospital, my Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Peter Cole (our dedicated man of God and Science)  who made all this possible for so many like me AND ME, Tricia Corbo, Jenny, Tina Most, his two fellows Dr. Hesse and Dr. Diskin, the Anesthetist and the Nurse Anesthetist and all the office and team members whose names I didn’t write down, don’t remember or I don’t know in the office, this process and in the Operating Room – thank you for helping fix me and for keeping me alive to face another day. Your hands are truly the extension of the hands of God himself and I value and am grateful for each and every one of you.

For the floor staff thank you to Dr. Campbell (you were a sheer delight), Dr Brenner (miss that beautiful long hair 🙂 ty for your compassion), Dr. Mehta (kind eyes and soft smile); Brigid PT and Lena OT and lets not forget the folks that make the Doctor’s work look flawless and managed my pain and care in a more extended way – my NURSES Alena, Stella, Annabelle, Megan, Jessie, Abbey, Kasie, Niki Z (or2),Rachel, Rin, Rose, Leann, Brian and Kristy – Annie I forgive you for missing my meds for the whole night….it was a good lesson for me not to miss my scheduled doses – even good comes from mistakes…..forgive yourself and move on.

Also my Nursing Assistants they call PCA’s in MN: Fey, Hanna, Sandi Nettle, Laura, Dominique, Lisa, Mollie, Crystal, Lindsay, Nalee and any others I may have missed while sleeping or being to groggy to write. You were my hands when I couldn’t and my extended family while away.

To my husband Rick Robinson and soulmate and best friend – thank you for braving the trip, this uncertain future, and for sacrificing so much of yourself and your time, and your sleep for me. I know it takes so much from you and you deserve more than I could ever begin to repay you. I love you and value every moment with you. Thank you for believing in me and not doubting me all along through this whole shabang.

To my family who waited for me at home, for my darling children, for those who lovingly cared for my children while Rick and I were gone…..Thank you and I appreciate the support , love, and prayers.

I am home dear ones I am home! I am so eternally grateful and not last or least, but thank you Heavenly Father for granting me purpose in this world and allowing me to carry on another day to tell this story and continue to recover.

Follow up appointments in MN with Dr. Cole on February 10, 2016, then at 6 week mark – then 3 months, 6 months, 9, months, and 12 months. We are grateful for these opportunities to watch miracles abound and grow.

Two Surgeries Completed January 2016 – Determined We Are

The Good Samaritans

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good samaritan purple

THE GOOD SAMARITANS

Never Give Up Hope

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Pain Clinic

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Today I have my first appointment with a Pain Clinic.  I am not even sure what to expect.  However, will let you know how it goes.

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

Please take the time to make a comment, share your thoughts, and tell us what impacted you the most and what brought you here:

Reviews and Testimonials

Your input is important to the development and growth of this website, and we like to know what is going on out there in your thoughts.

Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.

My Blog

HOPE TBI H.O.P.E TBI , , , , , ,

This Website is a gift of love.  To myself, to my husband, to my mom, my children, and all those that have been touched by trauma in any form.  To those who have cared for me or tended to me in any way, I continue to learn something from each person I come into contact with.  Even those I may not readily remember.

When I came home from the hospital….my body was home, but not all of me….not really.  I am getting to learn the “new” me, while remembering the me I used to be. Welcome to a glimpse into the world of having a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) among other things.  The steps in this tumultuous journey I will share with you in these pages, as time goes on.  Thank you for reading this blog.  Welcome.  Come on in, stay a while.

Thank you for visiting the HOPE TBI Website.

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Thank you for visiting us! We look forward to hearing from you.