'A Rollercoaster Ride With Brain Injury (For Loved Ones)' is a result of my partner's serious motorcycle accident. When I realized how difficult it was to get information on brain injuries or on how family members can help their brain-injured loved ones, I knew there was a need for something to be written. There seemed to be very little that was readily available for those close to the injured person in learning how to deal with the monumental changes in both the injured person's life and those of his family and friends.
When we are faced with a tragedy such as this, it is difficult to know where to go for answers. Unable to find what I felt I needed, I eventually located the hospital library. I spoke with the librarian and although he said the library was for the use of the hospital staff, he kindly offered to e-mail me several web sites containing information on brain injuries. These were invaluable and were initially my main sources for obtaining information. The web sites are listed at the end of this section.
During this difficult time, I found it was also sometimes difficult to get any extensive information from the doctors or the nurses. This was partly because at the beginning very little seemed to be known about the severity of his injury or what the results of the injury would be. I also quickly discovered that what information I was given appeared to be designed to not build up any hopes on my part. Further, I became aware that the more questions I asked, the more variety of answers I received with each person appearing to have a different opinion on both his injury as well as his recovery prognosis.
By writing this book about our situation, I hope to help others in a similar situation realize they are not alone. There will be progress and although it appears to be slow - brain injury progress is often two steps forward and one step back, it will happen. Often the steps are small and changes are sometimes only noticed after a big change has taken place. Moderate brain injury recovery is somewhat like lying awake in the middle of the night feeling like morning will never come - it always does and so also shall there be progress with a moderate brain injury.
There were other reasons why I decided to write this book. One of these was to assist family members to hopefully be able to understand and know what is involved in being a caregiver. This is difficult since no two head injuries are alike so no two cases will be the same. One of the reasons for this is dependent upon where the head injury occurred, (i.e.: is it a frontal lobe injury, or ...?) Also the personality of the injured person appears to make somewhat of a difference. As a result no two caregivers will experience the exact same problems. There does, however, appear to be some basic similarities.
Go to: http://www.progressofabraininjury.blogspot.com to read more. Book can be purchased at: www.trafford.com/10510 Amazon - ISBN: 978-1-4251-6964-0 or by e-mail: writesylvia@shaw.ca
Writing, Excerpts and Publications
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