Brain Health Awareness

By Nancy Rynes, author of Awakenings from the Light 

Today is my Brain Health Awareness Day. Two years ago today (Jan 3) I was struck by a texting driver and sustained a severe brain injury.
Why should you care, and why protect your brain?
Even after two years of focusing on a recovery, my brain functioning is still not what it was before the accident. I want people to understand that traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussions are serious and can have long-lasting consequences. Here are a few ways I'm affected:
  • I still cannot work full time. 
  • My brain shuts down after about 4-5 hours of any kind of "work" in a given day (painting, writing, etc.). 
  • I am mentally unable to do the same type of technical work that I did before the accident. 
  • I still need an inhuman amount of sleep (10+ hours a night). 
  • I get mentally tired very easily and occasionally still have troubles with speaking. 
  • Being in busy or noisy environments (concert, conference, party, restaurant, club, etc) is still quite problematic.
  • Memory problems continue to plague me, although this is slowly getting better.
  • And more...

While I have made peace with the ways my life has changed, and can see the positive in my new life, I want you to understand that brain injuries can and do have serious, long-lasting consequences. After an injury, there is no guarantee that your brain will ever be the same. And brain injuries can also put you at increased risk for dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease.

Please take your brain health seriously. If nothing else, wear a helmet when you participate in sports that could cause a concussion (bicycling, skiing, boarding, climbing, etc.), and get immediate medical help for any suspected brain injury.




If you have had a TBI or concussion, or are caring for someone who has, please check out this site:  BrainLine.org



Posted by Nancy Rynes, author of Awakenings from the Light ( http://NancyRynes.com )

All content copyright Nancy Rynes, 2015