Would you like to join in supporting the Brain Injury Association of Maryland's outreach initiatives like
#5ThoughtsFridays
?
We are launching a new
Special Summer Membership
Campaign
:
- Individuals with Brain Injuries: FREE
- General Membership (including Families) : only $35
- Professional Membership: only $95
There is No Brain Injury Association of Maryland
without Members.
That means there is no Brain Injury Association of Maryland
without YOU.
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#5ThoughtsFriday is Powered By
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#5Thoughts Friday
07/10/2020
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Here are the 5 things we thought were
worth sharing with you this week:
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"Tom Gallup Lives in Olney with his wife Suzanne. Together they care for their son Andrew in their home and moderate a nationwide Brain Injury Caregiver Support Group.
This article, with its accompanying pictures, is Part II of the article we first shared with you in #5Thoughts on June 19th
and is a frank and truthful telling of Tom's experience.
It may prove too intense for some of our readers.
We are placing a trigger warning on the article not to discourage reading it, but merely to let our readers know about some of the graphic depictions of Andrew's injuries may be triggering to some.
We are extremely grateful for Tom's generosity and willingness to share his family's story and invite others to share their own experiences in future guest articles.
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During the three months our son was in Shepherd Rehab Hospital, we were able to participate in a Support Group for Caregivers of Brain Injury Survivors. Those attending were all new to Brain Injury and all going through the same trauma we were. We found it to be a relief to hear that we weren’t alone in the emotional turmoil that you go through as you first come to acknowledge your loved one may never be the same and that your life was about to change – perhaps forever.
When we got settled back in our home in Maryland, we were referred by the Brain Injury Association to a local Support Group that met one weekday evening per month. Although the meeting time was inconvenient for us, we attended a few of the gatherings. However, our son seemed to be so much worse off than the other survivors. Andrew has remained unable to speak or walk. He has periods of awareness most days but much of the time he is not very alert. He cannot move on his own. He needs round-the-clock care with special attention to turning when in bed and weight shifts when in his wheelchair. Honestly, we became a little discouraged when hearing that many TBI survivors from the group had less severe challenges.
At about four years post-injury, Stefani O’Dea and Catherine Mello were visiting our home and brainstorming some ideas. We all agreed that a Caregivers Support Group that met in Zoom would be ideal for those who couldn’t get to inconvenient meetings or who didn’t have a meeting reasonably close by. With the help of some other caregivers of severe TBI survivors we knew, my wife Suzanne and I had the first online meeting in January 2019. Since then, the meeting has attracted participants from all over the country – from New Hampshire to California. Attendance isn’t overwhelming – we typically see 10 to 12 Caregivers coming in, but the benefits are remarkable.
CLICK HERE to read more about the Gallup Family's ongoing journey.
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COME JOIN US ONLINE AT TODAY's
Group Check-In Chat
from Noon to 1pm.
Please
CLICK HERE to sign up using our online registration.
Once we receive your registration, we will send you the link.
We hope to "see" you there!
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We are witnessing mandated social isolation and social distancing on an epic scale. As part of BIAMD's interest in serving Maryland's Brain Injury Community, we are starting what we call "Check-In Chats".
We would like to "check in" with anyone looking to share their experiences and challenges with either an individual or in a social group setting.
Even though we can't meet in person, there are many ways open to us, and, if you are interested, we would like to hear from you about your needs and how we can help you feel more connected.
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With better data comes a better understanding of the overall prevalence of brain injuries resulting from intimate partner violence. This, in turn, could help ensure that federal resources are allocated to he appropriate areas and used as efficiently and effectively as possible to address this public health issue.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three adults have experienced domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence includes physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression. Victims of intimate partner violence may
experience brain injury, resulting from blows to the head or strangulation. To address this issue, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and theDepartment of Justice (DOJ) provide grants to state and local entities that work with victims.
GAO identified 12 non-federal initiatives that provide education, screen for, or treat brain injuries resulting from intimate partner violence. All 12 developed and distributed education and training materials to domestic violence shelter staff, victims, health care providers, and others. Six of the 12 initiatives used screening
tools to identify potential brain injuries among intimate partner violence victims, and two included a treatment component.
Additionally, eight of the 12 initiatives received HHS or DOJ grant funding, although agency officials told us the funding had no specific requirements to address brain injuries resulting from intimate
partner violence.
CLICK HERE to read more about this important intiative and the study addressing it.
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The novel coronavirus pandemic could lead to a wave of brain damage in infected patients, warned British researchers in a new study released Wednesday.
Experts at the University College London (UCL) were the latest to describe that Covid-19 could cause neurological complications including stroke, nerve damage, and potentially fatal brain inflammation -- even if the patients didn't show severe respiratory symptoms associated with the disease.
"We should be vigilant and look out for these complications in people who have had Covid-19," said joint senior author Dr. Michael Zandi in a UCL press release, warning that it remains to be seen "whether we will see an epidemic on a large scale of brain damage linked to the pandemic."
CLICK HERE to read more about this cutting edge research study on the link between COVID-19 and brain injury.
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ONLINE Brain Injury Support Groups
Severe Brain Injury Caregiver Group
Zoom Room Internet Conference
2
nd
and 4
th
Sunday of the month, 7:30 p – 8:45p
Tom Gallup 301-502-8420
BIAMD Check In Chats
Every Friday at Noon
To register for a Check-In-Chat please visit
Young Stroke Group
The first and third Fridays of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET.
Rockville Brain Injury Support Group
2
nd
Thursday, 6:30p – 7:30p
Tom Wilkinson 240-493-8472
Anne Arundel County Brain Injury Support Group
3rd Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Debbie Cottrill (410) 320-8948
Brain Injury Support Group
1st Monday, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Candice Rebuck (410) 448-6303
Caregivers Support Group
4th Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Gwen Alexander (410) 448-6311
Stroke Support Group
Meets monthly 10:00 a.m. – Noon
Brandy Breaux (410) 448-6821
Call for the monthly calendar
Online stroke support and information resources
The John “Jack” Godfrey Brain Injury Support Group
2nd Tuesday, 6:00p – 7:00p
Dawn Moreland (301) 618-2364
Brentrell Spencer (301) 618-2134
BIADC Support Group
3rd Wednesday, 5:30p – 7:30p
Gemma Rosas (NRH) (202)-877-1192
Joan Joyce (NRH) (202) 877-1420
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2) What We are Reading This Week and Know You Will Find Enlightening and Important
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Anxiety is a powerful force. It makes us question ourselves and our decisions, causes us to worry about the future, and fills our days with dread and emotional turbulence. Based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), this book is designed to help you break the cycle of worry.
Worry convinces us there's danger, and then tricks us into getting into fight, flight, or freeze mode—even when there is no danger. The techniques in this book, rather than encouraging you to avoid or try to resist anxiety, shows you how to see the trick that underlies your anxious thoughts, and how avoidance can backfire and make anxiety worse.
If you’re ready to start observing your anxious feelings with distance and clarity—rather than getting tricked once again—this book will show you how.
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1)
Quote We Are Contemplating...
“The darkness inside your head is something your imagination fills with stories that have nothing to do with the real darkness around you.
”
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Have you ever clicked on the pictures posted at the end of every #5ThoughtsFridays? Try it. You might learn something fun!
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HAVE A WONDERFUL
WEEKEND.
(THANK YOU FOR PRACTICING "SAFER AT HOME", SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND WEARING YOUR MASKS IN PUBLIC SPACES.)
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Did you enjoy #5ThoughtsFriday? If so, please forward this email to a friend!
Please let us know your requests and suggestions by emailing us at
info@biamd.org
.
Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Let us know! Just send a tweet to
@biamd1
and put
#5ThoughtsFriday
in there so we can find it.
This blog is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement of treatments, individuals, or programs which appear herein. Any external links on the website are provided for the visitor’s convenience; once you click on any of these links you are leaving BIAMD's #5ThoughtsFriday blog post. BIAMD has no control over and is not responsible for the nature, content, and availability of those sites.
Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful weekend.
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