Proper Nutrition = Better Recovery

After my accident eating well was a struggle. I often forgot to buy groceries, prepare food, or even drink water. My physical body was trying to recover from my TBI AND deal with poor nutrition and dehydration. I knew I needed to change my behavior, but it was hard. I set a goal to get in better shape and gain some muscle. If I was going to reach this goal I needed to eat a balanced diet, have meals prepared so I didn't skip them, and drink plenty of water.
  I researched what I needed to eat in order to gain muscle and I made a plan to cook several meals at once so I would have food ready to eat in the refrigerator.
  I cook lots of vegetables, ground turkey, and sweet potatoes. These have become my staple foods. I always have several Tupperware containers full of these foods in the fridge. This has made eating well much easier and I have noticed an increase in my energy and my mood has been stable. I prepare meals twice a week.

                                                               






I'm also drinking Golden Milk twice a day. This is an ancient beverage made of milk and turmeric paste. The drink is supposed to help elevate inflammation and helps digestion. Here is a link to more information and the recipe. Golden Milk recipe

My Spiritual Journey

Hanging out with my friends from Fusion (community of young adult Christians)

My faith has played a very important role in my recovery. After my accident I was more open to accepting God into my life. Focusing on my faith has provided me with a feeling of security. I sense a greater power watching over me and I believe my life has purpose. I believe my accident is part of God's larger plan. My goal is to keep exploring the meaning and purpose of this plan and strive to glorify God in the process. Sometimes TBI survivors focus so hard on recovering physically they forget to explore the spiritual. I hope this post acts as friendly reminder to take care of your body and SOUL.

TBI help might be for you..  http://www.vcurrtc.org/studies/facebook/. TBI jobs

Chess = Weights for the brain

I did some research on the role chess plays in TBI recovery. I didn't find much. My personal experience with chess has revealed many benefits. I feel TBI survivors should at lest try to engage in a "brain" game as part of their recovery program. It's helped me in a variety of ways. Check out the video below for all details.

TBI and loneliness.

Traumatic Brain Injuries don't just cause physical damage. The injury also has the potential to change the way survivors relate to people. After my injury, I experienced many "friends" fade away from my life. My personality had changed and we no longer shared the connection we had built over the years. I found myself feeling very alone and still struggle with this emotion. Feeling different from the majority of society can alienate an individual. Struggling to find the right words when trying to have a conversation with someone I find attractive is sometimes embarrassing and makes me wonder if I will ever feel confident and attractive. The TBI has also impacted my impulse control and I often say or do things that I regret. Having a safe place to discuss my reality is important and one of my motivations for creating this blog was to create such a space. In the video below I speak with Karen Keating from CarePartners TBI group about the importance of TBI support groups. This is just one short clip from a series of interviews I did with Karen. There will be more in the future.  

One woman's recovery from a severe traumatic brain injury

Fitness and TBI

There has been lots of research done about the benefits of exercise for TBI survivors. I've always tried to stay in shape, but now I'm adding some self defense and boxing training to my personal fitness program. This type of training keeps me in great shape, helps me practice managing my emotions, increases my personal sense of safety, and produces endorphins that put me in a good mood. Don't neglect this important part of your recovery. Find a way to challenge yourself, I promise you will experience emotional and physical benefits.  I created the fun video below compiled of a couple of my boxing workouts. Check it out.

Here is an article discussing the benefits of exercise for TBI survivors.
Great Article of the benefits of exercise for TBI survivors

The Invisible Injury.

 I had the chance to speak with TBI survivor Tanner Johnson recently. Tanner suffered a TBI during an operation on a broken arm. His brain was not receiving enough oxygen and he went into a coma for two days. Most people think you get traumatic brain injuries from hitting your head, etc. This is not always the case. TBI's are "invisible" injuries and this can make understanding the behavior of TBI survivors difficult.  If TBI survivors had missing limbs or some other visible injury, this cue would help explain why they do things a little differently. Without these obvious cues, TBI survivors can come across as just being "weird" and instead of having compassion for TBI survivors there is often judgement. .  

 

It's important for me to stay busy and creative.
Ceramics is a great way for me to express myself creatively. It helps me manage stress and allows me to work with my body and mind. I also like to produce a product I can use or sell. I feel blessed having my own studio space, wheel, and kiln. Allowing time to be creative is a huge part of my recovery and I encourage all TBI survivors to make time for art in your life.

Another form of creative expression I enjoy is bboy dancing. This is something I discovered after my accident. Before my TBI I was intimidated by the idea of dancing in public. Now expressing myself through dance has become a very important part of the way I connect with society. Dance allows me to communicate things that are hard to convey with speech or writing. I refuse to be trapped within my body and bboy dancing helps set me free. Check out some of my moves in the video below :)