Tbijourney's Weblog

Walking to Raise Awareness about Brain Injuries

tbijourney — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:52:31 +0000

On Oct. 16, 2010, I am walking to raise awareness and donations about an epidemic that is all around us – Brain Injuries.

It Can Happen IN AN INSTANT…A car accident, a fall, a sports injury, a stroke, an aneurysm, a brain tumor…and the lives of everyone involved are changed forever.

1.7 million Americans sustain a brain injury each year which means an estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with a brain injury. Every 21 seconds an infant, teenager, or adult sustains a traumatic brain injury. Studies show that there are more people living with a brain injury than any other disease or disability combined.

The consequences of Brain Injuries are life altering – physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral difficulties that last a lifetime. Many of our soldiers are returning home from war with Brain Injuries.

On Oct. 16, I am walking to raise awareness and donations to help these survivors. If you wish to help and support this epidemic, you can donate on line using a web site we have created at the Brain Injury Association of New Jsersey. Click here for my personal Fundraising Page. The web site is secure and will provide you with an online donation receipt.

Thank you – anyone interested in walking or biking can check out the Brain Injury Association of NJ’s Web site – www.bianj.org

Army Wives and TBIs

tbijourney — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:32:23 +0000

Army Wives is a great TV show on the Lifetime Channel on Sunday nights. This is the fourth season. The show is about Army wives – how their lives are impacted by their spouses deploying and just general life on an army base. The last two weeks have focused on one of the lead characters who returned home from deployment with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). So far the episodes have been a great opportunity to raise awareness to this horrific disability/disease. I hope the show continues to raise awareness to what our soldiers are faced with as well as many others trying to live with these affects. Please check out the show and learn more about brain injuries.

Brain Injury Awareness Month

tbijourney — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:04:37 +0000

MARCH IS BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH – The theme this year is sports and concussions – two of my favorite passions .

A nationwide education and advocacy campaign is being launched in March with radio, print and public service announcements. Our goal is to introduce legislation to train coaches and protect youth athletes.

A concussion is a brain injury. The Brain Injury Association believes coaches of every school athletic team and every extracurricular athletic activity should be trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of brain injury, including concussions and second impact syndrome. They also believe young athletes who appear to have sustained a concussion should have written authorization by a health care professional before returning to play.

A concussion is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or from a blow to the body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth. Most concussions occur without a loss of consciousness and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a lack of proper diagnosis and management of concussion may result in a serious long-term consequences, or risk of coma or death. Signs and symptoms may be noticeable immediately, or it may take days or weeks before they are present.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur in the United State each year. Of that estimate U.S. emergency departments treat approximately 135,000 sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions, among children ages 5 to 18.

Currently, there are at least 5.3 million Americans living with a disability because of a brain injury and the estimated lifetime costs of brain injury (including direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity) totaled $60 billion in 2000. Every 23 seconds a traumatic brain injury occurs, and in the next year, an average of 1.4 million Americans will sustain a traumatic brain injury.

It is important we protect our young athletes and even non-athletes J

Parents – make sure your kids are protected as sports are getting more intense these days and the pressure to have kids go back into the game sooner than their bodies and brains are ready. I love sports; however, I know the lasting affects of a brain injury – I don’t want anyone to have to live with these symptoms.

I’m heading to Washington, DC next week to raise these issues to our legislators. March 17^th is Brain Injury Awareness Day at the Capital.

If you wish material to support this education and awareness efforts, click on the Brain Injury Association of Americas web site http://www.biausa.org/biam.htm or you can contact the Brain Injury Association of America at 703.761.0750, ext. 622.

Reaching My Goal

tbijourney — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:18:15 +0000

Thanks to the generous giving of friends and family, I was able to reach my personal goal and even pass it by raising over $1,800 in support of brain injury survivors.

Anyone who would like to continue to donate, we are always ready to accept donations. You can access my web site at www.tbijourney.org. Even a couple of dollars will help brain injury survivors and their families.

We are always looking for new ways to raise money and awareness. If you have any suggestions, please contact me through my web site. Thanks

Close to Reaching My Goal

tbijourney — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:59:08 +0000

I am $500 away from reaching my goal of raising awareness and donations for brain injury survivors. I keep trying to find new ways to raise money especially in today’s environment where many of my friends and families have lost their jobs and/or struggling with finances.

Anyone who has an opportunty to donate and help me reach my goal can access my web site at www.tbijourney.org. Even a couple of dollars will help brain injury survivors and their families.

Finding Ways to Raise Awareness

tbijourney — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:50:49 +0000

I’m looking for new ways to help raise awareness about brain injuries. It is the signature disability of our military wars and there are 5.3 million Americans living with the effects.

We are having a Walk for Thought/Cycle for Safety event in New Jersey on Oct. 17; however, we don’t seem to get the press and the turnout that other events like Breast Cancer and Parkinson’s does each year.

Anyone that has ideas or can help us raise awareness and donations, please contact me through questions@tbijourney.org

Thanks – Brain Injury Survivors and their families need someone to speak for them as they are unable to do this themselves.

How to Raise Donations for Brain Injury Survivors

tbijourney — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:30:49 +0000

I’m trying to raise money to help brain injury survivors by walking on Oct. 17, 2009. We are walking at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville, NJ and Paramus, NJ to help raise awareness to this serious disease and disability that affects 1.5 million Americans each year.

If you are interested in supporting this cause, please check out my web site at www.tbijourney.org – it will link you to a secure web site where you can donate and help me reach my goal and hopefully exceed it.

Thanks

Help to Raise Awareness for Brain Injury Survivors

tbijourney — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:15:00 +0000

On Oct. 17, 2009, I am walking at Saddle River County Park in Paramus, NJ to help raise awareness for anyone living with the effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).

Did you know that each year 1.5 million Americans sustain a brain injury? That equates to almost one every 21 seconds and an estimated 5.3 million Americans living with the effects of a brain injury.

I need everyone’s help in reaching my goal of raising $1,500. If you’d like to donate, please check out the following site to learn more about brain injuries and donate to help survivors - www.tbijourney.org

Brain Injury & Flashes of Light

tbijourney — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:41:37 +0000

Recently I developed flashes of light in my left eye. For almost three months and five different healthcare professionals, I still don’t know what is causing these flashes of light. Each doctor claims to not know why I’m getting these flashes of light. Typically, flashes in your eye means the retina is tearing – I’ve seen a retina specialist and they have determined that my retina is fine – which is GREAT – the challenge now is finding a doctor to listen and who is willing to help me determine what is wrong. I’ve had an MRI, MRA, CatScan and a series of eye tests which all have turned up with negative results and no answers to what is causing the problem. The frustration with being a Brain Injury Survivor is many doctors don’t try to figure out what is wrong and will blame it on the brain and the old injury. I’m sure there is a connection; however, doctors shouldn’t so easily dismiss the symptoms and want to help brain injury survivors receive the necessary treatment. I find it unacceptable when a doctor tells me that “I’ll just have to get use to living with the flashes”, or they have no idea and then dismiss me. Only to be left alone in finding why I still have flashes and what kind of specialist would be able to help identify what is happening. There has to be a reason as to why the flashes started and a solution. The flashes occur when I actively do something like take a shower, blow dry my hair or even when I’m engaged in a conversation. I can have 50 to 100 flashes a day which can be very distracting when trying to talk with someone or try to do something. The multiple flashes then cause pain in the eye and surrounding area and then pain throughout the head. So far, I’ve seen my primary care physician, ophthalmologist, retina specialist, neuro-optomotrist, and a neurologist and now I’m heading to a neuro-opthamologist. This has been a long journey of pain, dizziness, disorientation, frustration and many other symptoms as the flashes have created problems for the brain injury. Many of my original brain injury symptoms have returned making me feel like I’ve had a set back from the growth I’ve obtained over the many years of recovery.

tbijourney — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:08:23 +0000

Elisa, thanks for your question. There have been two opportunities that I’m aware of for brain injury organizations to share their stories – one was at the Capital in Washington, DC today, March 17 and the other was in Trenton, NJ – the state capital of New Jersey on March 13. Individuals can always help create awareness by helping to spread the word about brain injuries. Here is a web site that provides some tools such as a green magnet to be displayed on cars, refrigerators, etc. http://www.bianj.org/individual-awareness