Gray Matters

You deserve personal joy and blessings!

I want you to do me a favor and look into your internal mirror and see how you responded to my opening, stating what you’re entitled to.  Did you hurry on to read what came next?  Did you think to yourself,? - whatever!  Did you feel an emptiness inside?  Were you critical of yourself in some way (like saying “Yeah, right!” and roll your eyes)?

This is for all, if you have a brain injury or not.  Are you your own ally or foe?  My point is, how do we treat ourselves?  This is so important, because we have to deal with ourselves 24-7!!!  We can be our worst foe.  I write this to you because this I know (Had to throw a rhyme in there ).  Look in the mirror and see your greater potential.  You are that lion!  Go ahead, no one will hear you, GGGGrrrrrr!

:D

I’m just trying to aim you toward some peace inside yourself, in this crazy world.

Am looking for a non-profit that could be a Fiscal Sponsor for Gray Matters Mentoring.  This will be a client first program.  We were going to go through a local organization, but it turns out that their mission is not to give services for brain injury survivors.  My question is who is giving services to brain injury survivors?????

I can either team up with an organization who is already a nonprofit or become a nonprofit organization myself.  I’d prefer to coast on someone else’s back.   I am a survivor myself!  —>>>  OK, I NO LONGER USE THAT AS AN EXCUSE TO NOT GET THINGS DONE, THOUGH!!!!!!!

If anyone knows of a nonprofit, local or not, that’s mission is rehabilitation of brain injury survivors, please let me know!  Thank you.  I can be reached here, through the blog or braininjuryadvocacy@roadrunner.com.

I want to let you know something really exciting. I connected with this lady that lives down the street from me and I gave her a copy of my book to read.   She suffers from Parkinsons and she was really impressed.  Well, turns out she used to be one of the producers on the Oprah show!!!

Her and I went out to dinner and she told me that she would see to it that the current producers of the show would get a copy of my book, with her recommendation.   She says she can’t guarantee me anything, but for sure they will get my book!  It’s been exciting just thinking about it and I wanted to share this news with you.

Mentoring provides very effective, personalized healing work for survivors of brain injury.  I am proud that we are putting  this program into action!!! The San Diego Brain Injury Foundation is interested in having this program be a part of their organization.

I have been developing a mentoring program for survivors of brain injury.  In the program, we will match up survivors who have walked the path of having sustained a brain injury for some time (mentors) with people who have more newly acquired a brain injury (mentees).

As a team, the mentor, mentee and program director will develop goals and objectives (Individualized Mentoring Plan) that the mentee wants to pursue in his or her personal rehab.  The mentor will use this plan as a map to work with the mentee.  They will reposrt in on their progress at least once a month.  In this way, we will measure our progress.

I will report back when we have more details on our progress.  Please be in touch with Heidi at braininjuryadvocacy@roadrunner.com if you are interested in participating either as a mentee or a mentor.  We’d love to have you on board!

The San Diego Brain Injury Foundation presents the 3rd Annual Walk for Thought on Saturday, March 20th.  Heidi will be presenting and selling her book at this event.

Being arrested and held in custody can be a nerve-wracking experience for anyone; it can be dangerous for a survivor of a brain injury. In this article, Albert Finklestein will be used as an example. He was recently mistakenly arrested, was fired up and had much to say regarding the topic at the Gray Matters Brain Injury Support Group.

Finkelstein says “You are arrested and are being punished as you are guilty. You are confined in an uncomfortable setting (i.e. no food or water, uncomfortable temperature in the room). They take away medications (this is a scary risk factor and can even be life-threatening!). There is no communication and you are perceived as dangerous. Interactions can lead to confrontation, even violence. This can lead to further mistaken incarceration, even further strokes!” Risks for any person brought in custody become magnified for a person with a brain injury; it is disorienting for anyone, it is extremely disorienting for a brain injury survivor.

“Brain injury survivors are more sensitized to perceived threats to themselves. This can affect their behavior and then police see their behavior and see them as a threat. This can somersault and create more and more chaos. This is due to a lack of understanding in the police department about a brain injury survivor’s experience. They have no reference points in order to understand a person with brain injury’s personal experience.

There are said to be psychological resources within the police department or in the jails. Though according to Albert, they are lacking and not available when the need arises. Because the psychological resources are not available, police officers should have a minimal level of understanding of brain injury survivors sensitivities and needs. They should recognize the dynamics of a person’s situation in jail, for a person with brain injury. There should be a sensitivity training or additional psychological resources available.

Albert said that he didn’t see any accommodations in the jail for people with disabilities. He thinks that there is a need for jail settings to be inspected to assure they are keeping up with ADA standards.
A bare minimal raising of awareness needs to occur, so procedures can be modified. People with brain injuries and all people with disabilities need a standard of care. Under the present conditions, a person can die. We are trying to avoid that.

At the October Gray Matters Support Group, we had a very interesting meeting that touched on some hot topics. One of our members (who shall remain nameless) had a terrible experience as he was wrongly arrested. He told his story and it led a lively conversation regarding some very important topics.

Some of these issues are:

* The need for an ID for Brain Injury Survivors (many are mistakenly interpreted as DUI - off gait, slurred speech, memory problems…).

* Congressmen should be asked to make a law for police officers to consider the impact of a person’s disability, before assuming them drunk.

* Police take pharmaceutical drugs away from people placed in jail. Nurses should discern if the drugs are needed.  This can be a potential disaster!
* Officers were noted by several people at the meeting to treat people horrendously (& they are paid by our tax dollars).

* There is a need to educate the local police about brain injury.

* We need for an attorney that acts as a brain injury advocate.

I encourage feedback on this.

It’s been quite some time
I’ve been traveling on this route,
No one ever told me
What it was all about,
I’ve been probed to my core,
Sometimes I wonder
What it’s all for,

I’m affected on the inside
Morning, noon and night,
My friends and family
Say it will be all right.
But what do they know?
They’ve never been down this road,
All they know
Are the impressions that I’ve showed.

Oh Lord,
Help me.
No one ever told me
How complex all of these difficulties would be.
There are no signs pointing the way,
How can people say it’ll be Ok?

They may know of my problems with memory,
But they couldn’t possibly know
How widespread it affects me!
What about my sense of disorientation
And the disappearance of my dreams?
How come no one ever told me about these things?

There are potholes along the road,
My abilities have seemed to corrode,
No one ever paved this road for me,
I trip over obstacles I can’t even see,

Sometimes,
I feel the doctors are only guessing,
I think
Some may need
More knowledge and skill
To be assessing!

I don’t want the doctor
To paint the picture
What my outcome will be…
He may be having a bad day,
I believe much more in me!

I may be making it up as I go,
But I best accommodate for myself,
This I know.
I trust in my instincts,
Get a little help along the way,

Trauma to the brain,
Neurological traffic,
…Blocks do let up
Along the unpaved road.

Symptoms abounding:
Behavioral,
Emotional,
Sense of self,
Psychosocial,
Cognitive,

Untying knots,
Braiding myself back together,
Rehabilitation.

Therapy -
Knowledge rebounds in the aftermath,
Recognizing new parts of myself,
Healing is in flow,
Internalizing,
Developing,
I’m traveling down that road.

A little known fact….

The first testicular guard “Cup” was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974.

It took 100 years for men to realize that the brain is also important.

GRAY MATTERS

Circle with others
Take stressers off yourself
Your needs can be understood
You are not in on this alone
Get to know each other
Even have some fun!

Third Thursday of each month

September 24
October 15
November 19

5:30 - 7 PMDel Mar Library – Community Room
1309 Camino del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014Any questions, please contact Heidi:Heidi Lerner - Peer Support Specialist (760) 579-3895

braininjuryadvocacy@roadrunner.com

Look forward to seeing you there!

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