HEADSTRONG

HeadStrong Summer/Fall 2011 Newsletter

Aaron — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:58:11 +0000

Click To Open HeadStrong Newsletter, Right-Click And Save-As To Download

King5 News Piece on Pedestrian Safety

Aaron — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:52:10 +0000

SEATTLE — A Seattle mother is fighting to further improve a dangerous crosswalk where her son was nearly killed.

Desiree Douglass has become an advocate for safety ever since her son, Dominick May-Douglass, was hit by a driver at the intersection of 41st and Stone Way N in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood in 2005. Dominick was legally using the crosswalk on his way home from school when the driver hit him.

Click Here For King5 Full Story and Video

UW TBI Model System Seeking Participants for The AIMS Study

Aaron — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:21:55 +0000

Dr. Bell and The University of Washington’s TBI Model System are currently recruiting participants who have had a TBI and are experiencing irritability for the Amantadine Study (“AIMS”):

“The AIMS Study”

A Multi-center, Parallel-Group, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Amantadine Hydrochloride in the Treatment of Chronic TBI Irritability and Aggression: A Replication Study

Principal Investigator: Kathleen Bell, MD

Researchers at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington are seeking volunteers for a research study. The purpose of the study is to see if amantadine is effective in treating irritability in patients with Traumatic Brain Injury.

There will be no cost to participants for the study medication or any of the office visits, tests or procedures associated with the study. Volunteers will receive compensation for each of the 3 study clinic visits to support their travel to and from each clinic visit.

Volunteers will be asked to take either amantadine or a placebo (sugar pill) twice a day for 60 days. At day 60, all the volunteers will begin taking amantadine twice a day for one more month. We also enroll an ‘observer’ in the study, defined as someone the subject has contact with at least five times per week.

Possible volunteers are:

Ø      People between the ages of 18-75 who have had a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) more than 6 months ago.

Ø      At least moderately irritable (easily annoyed or upset, poor temper control, may have verbal or physical outbursts).

Participation in the study will last for 90 days, and will involve:

Ø      3 in-person clinic visits at the University of Washington Medical Center lasting about 2 hours each.

Ø      10 telephone calls from study staff to check on how the volunteer is doing with the medicine. These calls will last about 20 minutes.

Ø      Participants will receive $25 for each clinic visit.

Participation in this study is voluntary. For questions about the AIMS, or to be considered for this study, please contact Leslie Kempthorne at (206) 543-0219 or 1-800-246-6968. OR
C lick here to send us your information and Leslie will contact you.

Trauma Mamas Dinner

Aaron — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:39:40 +0000

Fathers, mothers, grandparents, and any family member providing care to recovering Traumatic Brain Injury survivors are welcome. These dinners are filled with honest sharing about the realities of caring for our loved ones. We share the things we are finding that work for recovery. We laugh a lot. We find strength in the shared experiences and support of knowing we’re not alone.

Click Here To RSVP

Coming up on Wednesday, August 24 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM at the Shanghai Garden in Seattle

Guest Presenter:

Jan G. Zager is a lawyer who focuses on the legal rights of children and young adults.A graduate of Bryn Mawr College and Stanford Law School, she was the Legal Director of Student Advocacy, Inc. in suburban New York City and also had a private practice in special education, child welfare and at-risk youth law before her move to the Seattle area. An adoptive parent, she knows from personal experience the challenges (and blessings) of raising non-cookie cutter kids and the havoc being different can wreak on learning and self-esteem. She has taught in the education schools of Mercy College (New York) and Antioch University (Seattle) and has lectured widely on school and youth-related issues. She spent two years in clinical pastoral education training at the University of Washington Medical Center working as a chaplain on multi-disciplinary teams in psychiatry and palliative care.

Location:

Shanghai Garden – Seattle

524 Sixth Ave S

Seattle, WA 98104

Dr. Jill Taylor to speak in Seattle in November

Aaron — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:37:25 +0000

Insight Lectures presents:

Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. My Stroke of Insight

Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 7 – 9 pm

Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle WA

Tickets: $30, $45 and $60. 10% discount on any ticket for senior, student, or groups of six or more. www.benaroyahall.org or call 206-215-4747

Brain scientist, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, author of My Stroke of Insight speaks of her brain trauma and unique journey to wellness in a jaw dropping, intellectually stimulating and awe-inspiring fashion. Along with valuable stroke awareness, Dr. Jill’s audiences are inspired by her profound insights to change the way we think and feel, thus change our lives for the better.

In Oprah’s final show, she said: “Dr. Taylor sent me a sign that I have hanging in my makeup room. It says, ‘Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.’ Thank you, Dr. Taylor, for that simple but powerful lesson. All life is energy and we are transmitting it at every moment. We are all little beaming signals like radio frequencies, and the world is responding in kind.”

Dr. Jill was chosen as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, has appeared on Oprah, and she has one of the most viewed TED Talks to date. Sony Pictures and Imagine Entertainment are working on a feature film adaptation of My Stroke of Insight with Director Ron Howard.

Details: Insight Lectures, 530-265-9255, www.insightlecture.com

Seattle BrainWorks Newsletter

Aaron — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:31:40 +0000

Seattle BrainWorks July Newsletter (Right Click and Save As to Download)

HeadStrong South Has A Heartwarming, Gut-Busting First Picnic

Aaron — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:24:11 +0000

On Sunday, July 31, families, caregivers and professionals joined together for HeadStrong South’s first-ever picnic! Families like the Christiansens and Pritchards pooled together their efforts with professionals such as Ron Stone and Bryn Swanson to reach a network of young TBI survivors in the South Puget Sound area. HeadStrong Board Member and Lead Mentor Aaron Parker attended and spoke briefly, and returned very impressed by the big, wonderful group at Titlow Park in Tacoma.

After an afternoon of hot dogs, frisbee-tossing and endless conversation, we can only speculate upon the great future of HeadStrong South. If you were lucky enough to be there, expect to be contacted soon as your opinion will be key in determining the next steps along HS South’s path. If you missed out this time, stay tuned or even contact us directly (info@headstrongforlife.org) to find out what’s next!

Lost & Found: What Brain Injury Survivors Want You To Know

Aaron — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:26:42 +0000

Lost and Found: What Brain Injury Survivors Want You To Know

I need a lot more rest than I used to. I’m not being lazy. I get physical fatigue as well as a “brain fatigue.” It is very difficult and tiring for my brain to think, process, and organize. Fatigue makes it even harder to think.

My stamina fluctuates, even though I may look good or “all better” on the outside. Cognition is a fragile function for a brain injury survivor. Some days are better than others. Pushing too hard usually leads to setbacks, sometimes to illness.

Brain injury rehabilitation takes a very long time; it is usually measured in years. It continues long after formal rehabilitation has ended. Please resist expecting me to be who I was, even though I look better.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE at Brainline.org

YAWTBI Support Group Meeting Next Week

Aaron — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:19:46 +0000

Only eight more days until the Wednesday, August 10th meeting of the Young Adults With TBI Support Group. Courtesy of Silas James, the group’s excellent moderator:

What is the YAWTBI Support Group?

Where To Find The YAWTBI Support Group?

18 Life-Changing Android Apps for People with Brain Injury

Aaron — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:51:41 +0000

Android apps for simplifying everyday life with brain injury

Almost everyday, we hear of new smartphone applications (“apps”) developed for just about everything — from staying organized to hearing better in noisy environments. It’s hard to keep up.

The BrainLine team sifted through many resources to collect this list of Android apps that could be useful to people with a brain injury — and their families and caregivers.

Click Here to visit the full article at Brainline.