“‘In common with many who have a brain injury, I initially lost my confidence and felt very vulnerable, as if a protective layer of skin had been stripped away.’ Mayam D’Abo”
“Coping strategies….help them function better in the world and everyday life. The survivor’s progress may be influenced by parental or familial support…..The point is, are they encouraged or discouraged at home? Do their closest supporters prod them to persevere and keep fighting to attain the most optimal level of functioning and performance in their everyday life? Unfortunately, discouragement on the home front looms large within the brain-injured community.”
*Yes, you definitely lose your confidence with a brain injury. You feel like you have it all together but you don’t. You think you understand things correctly; until you realize you have misunderstood or been misperceived. All you can do is the best you can. Maybe the burden is on us to realize so many people will be ignorant. Apathetic. Unempathetic. All we can ask for is love and try to be loving ourselves.
*Coping strategies- these are integral. I like to write things down immediately if I need to remember it….knowing abbreviations helps. Some use word-association strategies. I also like to organize things and know exactly where something goes. If it’s not where it belongs, forget about it. Repetition also helps my memory. Constant repetition transfers information from the short-term memory (poor) to the long-term memory (better). Sometimes I have problems with comprehension. There are so many great tv shows and movies, except plots would be hard to understand. News programs and sports, sign me up.
*The last tidbit is huge. Home or family support. Are your closest family behind you in all you do? Are they your biggest cheerleaders? They know your life is tough. They should know it will not get easier. Sure, you will develop coping strategies over time. Is your significant other, your children, your parents, and friends there for you? Alone is very hard in a complex world.
From time to time as I’m editing the manuscript, I will post paragraphs or thoughts that may be significant; a foreshadowing of content to come:
“‘Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.’” Mary Wollstonecraft Shelby
“Brain injuries do present various challenges to the broken, their lives complicated by this grievous medical condition. Approximately 1.7 million Americans acquire a traumatic brain injury (TBI) per year. Close to 1,365,000 people nationwide are treated for TBI’s and released annually. 5.4 million people in the nation live with a disability associated with TBI.” (www.TreatNow.org)
“Many tips are available for spouses, family members, and children of the brain-injured. Children are impacted but more accepting and often empathetic with their injured parent. We will look at what some of the impairments look like…..A lot of things take too much energy, and the fact that it takes them exponentially longer to execute day to day tasks leaves them little time to do something that would drain them cognitively in any way. Without public knowledge, they will be further handicapped. This book was written to let you know their great need for help and understanding.”
*So, change is a given. How do we deal with it? Be careful in what you do.
*The lack of support among brain injury is staggering. I wish there was more out there for the public to help them understand. The brain-injury survivors do not act like they do by choice; it is the result of their pre-existing condition. Depending on the moment would be how they deal with things and cope.
Finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel….a long, long way off. Great meeting this afternoon with my publicist/editor, Jenn Fitzgerald, and her friend, Courtney. Courtney is coordinating media exposure and an online presence pre-publication as we attempt to get word out and create interest in “The Book of James: The Brain Injury, Life, and Legacy of James Clary, Jr.”
Great meeting today with my new publisher. Sat several hours with Jenn Fitzgerald and we went over stuff. We were talking how to go about fine-tuning things and discussed next steps. Making every attempt for the books to go viral. It’s not what you know lol it’s who you know. She is plugged into so many connections. We chatted with her website-designer friend who has some good ideas for LettuceWrite, including the logo and format. Then when I went to dinner, I brainstormed ideas for an author’s page we’ll discuss tomorrow. I’m so blessed.
Had dinner this evening with my author friend, Jen Fitzgerald. Her writings and book projects, especially book covers, are amazing. Check an assortment of her work out at Amazon. She is going to be my publisher, publicist, and marketing coordinator. Some of the goals and ideas Jen has for The Book of James are out of this world.
Editing ‘The Book of James’ for the 25th time. Still so many errors. Blessed my church friend, Andria, is beginning to read it and helping me edit.
Had a good discussion on the final night of my trip with Miss Terrion from Comfort Suites. So interested in ‘Till Death do us Part’ (wish I would’ve had a copy to give her) and ‘The Book of James.’ She’s excited about what’s to come.
Krystilet, the lively ticket agent at Delta in New Orleans, was very curious about my projects. We talked about the books and opportunities in Louisiana. She represented the finest in airline staff and made special accommodations for me. Lovely to make new friends.
So glad for my time in Louisiana. Loved the time away and chance to think and write undistracted. Time went so fast between all the book promotion opportunities and presentations and everything. Interesting the way things work out. The family I stayed with also impacted by brain injury, their dear father. For now until the upcoming book comes out, Google brain injury characteristics for a sneak peek of it.
Thank you, John and Maria
Thankful for a breakfast meeting with Dr. Carter last Saturday a week ago. Wonderful discussion. Had been so long. Encouraged me in the direction of the book.
A triply good day yesterday. Breakfast meeting with my advisor and counselor, Dr. Beck Carter. Such a good friend. Hadn’t had an appointment with him in a while. Good to catch him up on my progress with the book. Fortunately gave me a break on his weekend rates. Then I laid The Book of James aside and did a little writing on my upcoming book project. Tentatively, it’s titled ‘Loved: A Story of Survival.’ However, I might change it to ‘Betrayed.’ The plot was mentioned by my friend, Rosabel. How through the tragedy and aftermath of divorce and other unfortunate circumstances (like death or other loss), the Lord has held us closely. So it is both interesting and a blessing as Jesus is helping me think of the words and book development. So something else to occupy my spare time lol. As you can see, it will be a corollary to its former work, The Book of James. Then I was happy to conclude the year by talking to and texting Dr. Benny Carter, Jr. So many good ideas. So 2022 ended with a bang (a lot of fireworks were going off) on a happy note; and 2023 begins with a heavy schedule. Happy New Year and happy to be alive.
