Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group

After 10 years, Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group ends

2011-12-14T05:05:00.003-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group

2012 brings the end of an era.
After ten years, Lifelines ends.

Please call Kimberly at 214-289-0286 or email at aikmank@gmail.com with any questions.

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group does not support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: December 12, 2011

2011-12-08T09:22:00.004-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group

The December meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 12th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.

It's time for our holiday social!

This year we'll be meeting at Qdoba in West Village, in Uptown.

The address is

Qdoba Mexican Grill

3519 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204
p: 214-443-0430

The map is on their website at: http://www.qdoba.com/Locations.aspx
Enter 75204 for the zip code.

For public transportation, bus 51 runs from Cityplace Station on the Redline.

As a holiday treat, the first two people to arrive get the following FREE (see Kimberly for coupon):

Two handcrafted burritos
One additional ingredient per burrito
Two cups of tortilla soup
One order of chips and salsa

Please call Kimberly at 214-289-0286 or email at aikmank@gmail.com to let us know if you'll be there.

Happy Holidays!

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: November 14, 2011

2011-10-29T18:56:00.003-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The November meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 14th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Robert Weiner, PhD, CST-D will present information about the Interactive Metronome.

Dr. Weiner is a clinical psychologist with 26 years clinical experience and has several specialties including medical and health psychology, pain and stress management, and treatment of anxiety and phobias. Dr. Weiner received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Texas Tech University in 1983. He has maintained a private practice since 1987 and currently practices in Dallas, Texas. Before entering private practice, he served as the director of behavioral medicine psychology at the Texas Back Institute in Plano, Texas.

Dr. Weiner's website is here.

The Interactive Metronome therapy has over ten years of extensive research from George Washington University Medical School and other universities, and is a patented, interactive training system that measures and improves a person’s rhythm and timing. Since the brain learns and builds pathways through repetition of precise activities, keeping the beat along with the Interactive Metronome “trains the brain” to plan, sequence and process information more effectively.

Anyone with challenges in with stroke and brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, ADHD, cognitive and developmental disorders, as well as those interested in improving academic and sports performance can benefit from the Interactive Metronome. More information can be found here.

This is the last educational meeting of Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group. Only two people have attended the last two meetings, so if I don't receive at least 10 replies of attendance, this meeting will be cancelled.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Parking costs $2.00. There is no attendant in the booth at night so we are not able to use our free parking passes.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: October 10, 2011

2011-10-03T16:44:00.005-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The October meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 10th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Samantha Elandary, MA, CCC-SLP, the CEO of the Parkinson Voice Project (formerly Texas Voice Project), will give a presentation about her organization.

Please note that you do not have to have Parkinson's to benefit from this therapy, provided free of charge if you qualify. This therapy is for other neurological disorders as well.

Executive Director and Co-Founder of Parkinson Voice, Samantha Elandary graduated from the University of North Texas with her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders and English and her master’s degree in speech-language pathology. She worked for six years in a Dallas hospital where she treated speech and swallowing disorders in patients with neurological diseases. She developed a special interest in treating Parkinson’s patients and was fascinated that this population could make tremendous improvements if provided intensive therapy.

In 1998, Samantha became frustrated when she realized that some patients were not receiving the care they needed due to insurance limitations. She left the hospital and started on her quest to provide every person with Parkinson’s the opportunity to receive voice treatment regardless of whether or not they had the means to pay. She provided voice treatment out of her home and created “The LOUD Crowd,” a maintenance program which allows patients the opportunity to receive on-going vocal practice and encouragement through weekly speech groups, a singing program and other engaging activities. In 2005, with the support of her mentor, Jim West, and the National Parkinson Foundation, Samantha started Texas Voice Project for Parkinson Disease. The program is run entirely off of donations and a “Pay It Forward” system.

The Parkinson Project website is http://www.parkinsonvoiceproject.org/about.html

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

Next meeting: September 12, 2011

2011-08-31T09:19:00.006-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The September meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 12th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Tonight's meeting will join music and art therapy: "A Little Night Music" and "Collage as Metaphor."

Lynda Gail Jones, longtime member of Lifelines, introduced us to collage in July 2010. Since that topic was such a big hit, we are returning to it - and adding a twist. We will learn about listening, how music can influence emotion, and share the tunes that we find helpful. While enjoying different musical compositions, we will create collages and then share how we felt during the creation. The pictures will bring the music to life!

What is Collage?

The term collage originates from the French word coller, which means “to glue.” The collage is a form of the visual arts and is created by gathering many different pieces or chunks of things. After you’ve gathered a variety of pieces you can then assemble the pieces into one, collective piece of art. This usually achieved by placing the individual pieces and gluing them onto a canvas or piece of paper, for instance, essentially creating a unique piece of artwork.

How is this helpful to brain injury survivors?
Collage allows expression of self and perhaps what you are not able to verbalize, you can still express through collage. It also provides eye hand coordination, spacial orientation and physical exercise for an affected limb.

Why combine this with Listening?

When we listen to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" or Mozart's "A Little Night Music," we are aware of the composers' emotions because of the way the music ebbs and flows. We can understand our own emotions better when certain songs are playing and we can use music to activate right brain or left brain thinking.

Listening is active while hearing is passive. Dr. Alfred Tomatis, a French ear, nose and throat doctor, created the Tomatis Method, the original "listening program."

The Tomatis Method uses “modified music to stimulate the rich interconnections between the ear and the nervous system to integrate aspects of human development and behaviour.”2 Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect, explains that “his [Tomatis] use of…Mozart’s music has allowed the damaged and defensive self to be reborn as curious and trusting, eager to explore and engage the outside world.” 3 Dr. Tomatis believed that “The voice can only reproduce what the ear can hear.” His research found that the ear and larynx were connected neurologically.4 This means that speech quality is determined by how well the ear listens.5

Read more about the Tomatis Method.

While we won't be using the Tomatis Method at the meeting, we will explore listening, how music makes us feel and how it helps with expression, whether verbal or artistic.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you. If you have a favourite tune, be sure to bring it with you and we will use it!

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Parking costs $2.00. There is no attendant in the booth at night so we are not able to use our free parking passes.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Footnotes:

2 Thompson, B., & Andrews, S. (2000). An Historical Commentary on the

Physiological Effects of Music: Tomatis, Mozart and Neuropsychology.

Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science, 35, 174-188

3 Campbell, D. (1997). The Mozart Effect. New York, NY. Avon Books.

4 Thompson, B., & Andrews, S.

5 Thompson, B., & Andrews, S.

General Overview

2011-08-08T08:14:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

2nd Mondays of the month, 6:30 - 8 PM

Fogelson Building

Classroom A

We celebrate our 10th year anniversary in June 2011!!!

Lifelines functions primarily as an educational forum. We also hold group discussions every few months.

Mission Statement Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group strives to address the various issues that arise during the rehabilitation/recovery period through support, information and education. The group serves to educate its members about brain injury, how to improve brain health and the possibility of recovering brain function. Lifelines also provides an open forum where survivors, caregivers and health care professionals may meet and share their experiences. This exchange allows the group to address quality of life issues.

Philosophy Every individual, whether brain injured or not, has suffered some type of affliction. The emphasis for healing and recovery is not to focus on what has happened but instead to focus on what a person can accomplish in the aftermath of tragedy. What is most important is how a person responds to life's challenges. We are survivors. We are not victims.

Purpose "For human beings adaptation to change cannot take place through instincts. It has to take place through something called awareness, motivation, free will and the ability to anticipate the future." Self-Healing: A Personal History, René DuBos from The Healing Brain, A Scientific Reader, Edited by Ornstein/Swencionis

Goals • To assist patients during the rehabilitation/recovery phase of brain injury by providing education about the brain, brain health and the possibility of recovering brain function. • To identify the “silent epidemic” of brain injury and offer a forum for patients and their caregivers to feel supported and find direction during this period of adjustment. • To allow for exchange of thoughts, ideas and experiences.

Calendar - 2011 meeting dates

January 10 - Are You Smarter Than You Think?

February 14 - Sherry Aikman, artist, Arts & Crafts, Making Valentines

March 14 - Brain Injury Awareness Month - How to be your own patient advocate

April 11 - Charlotte Barner, M.Ed., Imagine the Possibilities

May 9 - Jerry Morle, minister - Group discussion on Spiritual Health

June 13 - 10 year anniversary CELEBRATION catered event in Classroom A, Fogelson Building

July 11 - Genie Bodenhamer-Davis and Richard Davis, founders of UNT Neurofeedback Program - Neurofeedback and its application to brain injury

August 8 - Meeting cancelled, heat advisory

September 12 - TBA

October 10 - Susan Elandary, Executive Director for The Texas Voice Project

November 14 - Dr. Robert Weiner, The Interactive Metronome

December 13 - Holiday Social at Qdoba, West Village, Lemmon and McKinney Ave

For the purposes of our group, the most important thing to realize is that the mechanism by which the brain was injured (automobile accident, fall, stroke, ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery, congenital) is most significant during the acute phase of care - hospitalization - and post acute - first stages of rehabilitation. When it comes time to address the physical and cognitive deficits in the recovery/rehabilitation/remediation phase, there are enough similarities between the brain insults that allow survivors to meet under an umbrella group.

Our group members have experienced traumatic brain injury, mild traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury such as ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery and stroke and congenital brain injury. Caregivers, other family members (adults only), friends, and health care professionals also attend the meetings.

The challenges faced by survivors depend on what type of brain injury has occurred, so we have a range in physical and cognitive abilities. We usually have an average of 15 people attending presentations.

Past speakers include Dr. Harold Crasilneck presenting the effects of hypnotherapy, Drs. Gray Atkins, Jonathan Walker, Marvin Sams and Sara Hunt Harper discussing neurofeedback (EEG Biofeedback techniques), Tracy Sellers introducing Brain Gym, Betty Erickson (daughter of Milton Erickson) giving a "reality check" with emotionally healthy ways to approach life, Dr. Fran Assaf presenting CranioSacral Therapy, The Center for Brain Health talking about rehabilitation, Dr. Steve Lomber detailing how the brain overcomes injury, Roger Stainbrook and Elijah Hawken discussing the benefits of acupuncture, Dr. John-Claude Krusz discussing neuropharmocology, Jane Shook, M.S., SLP exploring sensory integration and the Interactive Metronome and Dr. Richard Fulbright presenting two lectures - one about neuropsychological testing and the other about psychosocial outcomes following traumatic brain injury.

Note: Additional information is listed under the 2007 posts.

For more information and/questions about the group, please contact Kimberly at aikmank@gmail.com. Please note that meetings are for adults only - we do not have the facilities to accommodate children.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: August 8, 2011 - CANCELLED

2011-08-01T18:02:00.006-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The August meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 8th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.

Since the January meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather, and we don't want to let good topics go to waste, our August meeting revives

"Are you Smarter than you Think?"

Doing well on IQ tests is no real determinant of how successful you will be or even of how smart you actually are. There is more to intellect than logical, verbal, numerical, and spatial ability. Other, more “hidden” types of intelligence, which are difficult to quantify or qualify, are no less essential to our being able to solve problems and otherwise negotiate the challenges life throws at us.

What is intelligence? In its purest sense, intelligence is understood to be the cognitive ability to understand events or information, then process this information rationally in order to respond appropriately to what is happening around us.

Text from Clare Gordon’s Are You Smarter Than You Think?

Join Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group on August 8th to find out if you ARE smarter than you think.

We will be testing our abilities (with some tests similar to standard neuropsychological ones, so if you are curious as to what these tests look like, here’s your chance to experience them) and then exploring ways to improve our mental functioning. We’ll look at Conceptual Intelligence, Personal Intelligence and Creative Intelligence.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember: The parking booths are no longer staffed in the evening and the exit requires machine payment. We have a couple more months worth of parking stickers, but they didn't work in the machines at the March and April meetings. Please bring a couple of dollars for parking.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: July 11, 2011

2011-07-06T15:45:00.005-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The July meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 11th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We are honoured to have Dr. Genie Bodenhamer-Davis and Richard Davis, neurofeedback gurus, presenting "Neurofeedback and its application to brain injury."

Make plans to attend this very special presentation!!!

Dr. Genie Bodenhamer-Davis, Ph.D., CRC, BCIA-EEG, is a Licensed Psychologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work & Addictions. She also serves as the Director of the DRSWA Neurotherapy Lab. Her specialization areas are EEG biofeedback, psychosocial and spiritual aspects of rehabilitation, and health psychology.

Dr. Bodenhamer-Davis teaches Psychosocial and Developmental Aspects of Disability and coordinates the graduate practicum and internship in Rehabilitation Counseling. She is currently coordinator of the rehabilitation counseling Master's program.

Richard E. Davis, M.S., LPC, BCN, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Denton, TX. He has a Master’s degree in Counseling and Human Development from the University of North Texas (UNT) with a concentration in biofeedback, and he is Board Certified in Neurofeedback by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance.

He is a former Treasurer and Board Member for the Biofeedback Society of Texas; and is a former two-term Treasurer and now President-Elect of the International Society of Neurofeedback and Research (ISNR), Treasurer for the ISNR Research Foundation, and a former Board Member of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback Neurofeedback Division.

What is neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback is a rapidly growing treatment for attention, behavior, and learning disorders. Research has shown it to be as effective as stimulant medication, without the side effects. Also known as EEG biofeedback or brainwave biofeedback, this technique follows a learning or operant conditioning model, rather than a pharmacological one. It can be used as an adjunct to medication or as a gradual replacement for it, depending upon the circumstance of an individual case. All forms of biofeedback involve training people to regulate their own physiology. Much like physical therapy is used to strengthen muscles and extend their range of motion, brainwave biofeedback uses a series of instrument assisted training sessions over several weeks or months to help a person gain greater control and flexibility in the neuroelectrical aspects of their brain functions. This control then permits improvement in their mental and behavioral functions. The neurotherapist acts as a teacher and coach, setting successively higher goals of performance as the trainee progresses.

text courtesy of Richard Davis's website http://www.neurotherapyassociatestx.com/services/neurofeedback/

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom is to the left off the elevators.

The parking booths are no longer staffed in the evening and the exit requires machine payment. We have a couple more months worth of parking stickers, but they didn't work in the machines at the March and April meetings. Please bring a couple of dollars for parking.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: June 13, 2011

2011-06-06T12:26:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The June meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 13th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Let's recognize our official 10 year anniversary date by having a CELEBRATION!!!

The first meeting of Lifelines took place at Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant in June 2001. As a comment to the staying power of Lifelines, let's consider that Ninfa's has gone out of business yet Lifelines remains.

Come celebrate our historical 10 year mark with good food and company.

Build Your Own Burrito/Taco or Salad Bar from Freebirds.

http://freebirds.com/food/menu/burritos/

Choice of two tortilla flavors, rice and favorite bean option
Grilled Chicken, steak and roasted vegetables
FREEBIRDS Fixin’s: (Sour Cream, Guacamole, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes & Pico de Gallo)
Famous Sauces: (Mild Tomatillo, Spicy Tomatillo & Bad*ss BBQ)
Burrito Rollin’ Training

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know how much food to order.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom is to the left off the elevators.

The parking booths are no longer staffed in the evening and the exit requires machine payment. We have a couple more months worth of parking stickers, but they didn't work in the machines at the March and April meetings. Please bring a couple of dollars for parking.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

General Overview

2011-05-03T12:40:00.005-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

2nd Mondays of the month, 6:30 - 8 PM

Fogelson Building

Classroom A

We celebrate our 10th year anniversary in June 2011!!!

Lifelines functions primarily as an educational forum. We also hold group discussions every few months.

Calendar - 2011 meeting dates

January 10 - Are You Smarter Than You Think?

February 14 - Sherry Aikman, artist, Arts & Crafts, Making Valentines

March 14 - Brain Injury Awareness Month - How to be your own patient advocate

April 11 - Charlotte Barner, M.Ed., Imagine the Possibilities

May 9 - Jerry Morle, minister - Group discussion on Spiritual Health

June 13 - 10 year anniversary CELEBRATION catered event in Classroom A, Fogelson Building

July 11 - Genie Bodenhamer-Davis and Richard Davis, founders of UNT Neurofeedback Program - Neurofeedback and its application to brain injury

August 8 - TBA

September 12 - TBA

October 10 - Susan Elandary, Executive Director for The Texas Voice Project

November 14 - TBA

December 13 - Holiday Social at Qdoba, West Village, Lemmon and McKinney Ave

For the purposes of our group, the most important thing to realize is that the mechanism by which the brain was injured (automobile accident, fall, stroke, ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery, congenital) is most significant during the acute phase of care - hospitalization - and post acute - first stages of rehabilitation. When it comes time to address the physical and cognitive deficits in the recovery/rehabilitation/remediation phase, there are enough similarities between the brain insults that allow survivors to meet under an umbrella group.

Our group members have experienced traumatic brain injury, mild traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury such as ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery and stroke and congenital brain injury. Caregivers, other family members (adults only), friends, and health care professionals also attend the meetings.

The challenges faced by survivors depend on what type of brain injury has occurred, so we have a range in physical and cognitive abilities. We usually have an average of 15 people attending presentations.

Past speakers include Dr. Harold Crasilneck presenting the effects of hypnotherapy, Drs. Gray Atkins, Jonathan Walker, Marvin Sams and Sara Hunt Harper discussing neurofeedback (EEG Biofeedback techniques), Tracy Sellers introducing Brain Gym, Betty Erickson (daughter of Milton Erickson) giving a "reality check" with emotionally healthy ways to approach life, Dr. Fran Assaf presenting CranioSacral Therapy, The Center for Brain Health talking about rehabilitation, Dr. Steve Lomber detailing how the brain overcomes injury, Roger Stainbrook and Elijah Hawken discussing the benefits of acupuncture, Dr. John-Claude Krusz discussing neuropharmocology, Jane Shook, M.S., SLP exploring sensory integration and the Interactive Metronome and Dr. Richard Fulbright presenting two lectures - one about neuropsychological testing and the other about psychosocial outcomes following traumatic brain injury.

Note: Additional information is listed under the 2007 posts.

For more information and/questions about the group, please contact Kimberly at aikmank@gmail.com. Please note that meetings are for adults only - we do not have the facilities to accommodate children.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

Next meeting: May 9, 2011

2011-05-03T12:19:00.005-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The May meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 9th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Jerry Morle, Minister, returns to lead our conversation: The Value of a Journey.

Jerry led a discussion about faith in August 2010. After drawing one of our largest crowds in 2010, we're thrilled to welcome Jerry again. Ordained a Teacher in the Church of Jesus Christ in 1987, Jerry began in earnest to study and teach the scriptures in the local congregation in Michigan. He was ordained a Minister in the Church in September of 2009 at the Fort Worth branch.

The Value of a Journey

What is a Journey?

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines "journey" as both a noun and a verb. In action, journey means to travel over or through. As a noun, a journey is a trip or the traveling from one place to another.

We're all on a journey - maybe even multiple journeys - of life, love, and laughter. The journey becomes what we make of it.

How is your journey going?

Note that the discussion is open to everyone and is not based on a particular religion.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom is to the left off the elevators.

The parking booths are no longer staffed in the evening and the exit requires machine payment. We have a couple more months worth of parking stickers, but they didn't work in the machines at the March and April meetings. Please bring a couple of dollars for parking.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: April 11, 2011

2011-03-29T14:12:00.004-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The April meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 11th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We are thrilled to have Charlotte Barner, M.Ed, come and lead us in a group discussion: "Imagine the Possibilities - Putting Thoughts to Action."

What better way to continue to celebrate our name change from Brain Injury Support to Group to Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery group than having a conversation about possibilities?
Charlotte gave such a wonderful presentation in October about how to "Imagine the Possibilities" and we are thrilled to have her show us how to "Put Thoughts to Action."

Charlotte Barner is a doctoral candidate in Human & Organizational Learning from The George Washington University. Her master of education in Curriculum Design & Instructional Technologies is with honors from George Mason University; and her undergraduate degree in Business & Human Resources Administration is from Barry University.

Charlotte has over 20 years of experience in the area of human and organizational learning and development. Prior to joining SMU, she held senior corporate leadership positions responsible for creating and implementing development strategies and systems. Most recently, she established and lead Organizational Effectiveness for one of North America's top sales and marketing companies with clients such as AT&T, Best Buy, Disney, HP, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart, as well as the major movie and gaming producers.

Her philosophy and passion is that the journey of learning and development--from the individual to the organizational level--can be filled with positive possibilities that result in a life of well-being.

Group discussion - "Imagine the possibilities - putting thoughts to action."

Together, we will explore how our perceptions about ourselves influence our ability to envision future possibilities. We will be hearing about real life stories of individuals who discovered what they thought was “impossible” was really “possible!”

A fun tool we will use is called “Visual Explorer”—a set of several hundred images, chosen for their ability to support constructive conversations in a wide variety of situations. The images are deliberately diverse and global in subject, context, and aesthetics, sampling the spectra of the human condition.

We will also explore techniques for mindfulness and practical ways to turn thoughts into positive action.

As with all meetings, you can participate as much or as little as you like. Charlotte will also share her experience caring for her father who survived a brain tumor early in life and a stroke in his later years.

Before the meeting, think about how you would answer the following questions.

1. Think about a time in your life, any time. What did you discover that you could “do” or “be” that you first thought was impossible, but was actually possible?

2. Imagine a time in your future. What are you “doing” or “being” that you want to imagine is possible?

3. How did you accomplish these things, e.g. what thought did you put to action?

Preview of Visual Explorer

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom is to the left off the elevators.

The parking booths are no longer staffed in the evening and the exit requires machine payment. We have a couple more months worth of parking stickers, but they didn't work in the machines at the March meeting. Please bring a couple of dollars for parking.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: March 14, 2011

2011-03-08T11:57:00.002-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The March meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 14th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

In celebration of Brain Injury Awareness Month, we will discuss ways to be our own patient advocates.

After my ruptured brain aneurysm, stroke and brain surgery almost 11 years ago, I found myself facing the silent epidemic of brain injury. Without reliable information from doctors and other brain injury professionals, I was told to "go home and watch television" as my rehab. I started Lifelines in order to help other survivors avoid falling through the cracks and to illustrate the idea that brain function can be restored.

11 years later, I've had another ruptured brain aneurysm and brain surgery. I again risk falling through the cracks. This, even after 11 years of experience advocating for myself and others.

The bad news is that the brain injury rehabilitation model has not improved in the last decade.

The good news is that you can make sure you get the services you need.

How?

Here are some scenarios we'll discuss at the March meeting:

1. The neurosurgeon tells you for a week that you'll be discharged to in patient rehab. One morning, his assistant tells you that you'll be going to in patient rehab later that day. That afternoon, the nurse comes in your room and says you're being discharged home - immediately.

What do you do?

2. The out patient rehab clinic doesn't call you for a week. After three phone calls, you finally get a call back. The scheduler says you can start on March 16th, one month after you've been discharged from the hospital.

What do you do?

3. The home health service doesn't call back for two and a half weeks after the initial evaluation. When you call them, you are told that your insurance company doesn't reimburse enough to make it profitable to provide services to you.

What do you do?

Join us for the March meeting where we'll explore these scenarios and more, talk about how to advocate for ourselves, and explore patient advocacy resources.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Please note that parking is only free for a few more months! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting. Future cost is $2.00 per meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: February 14, 2011

2011-02-13T18:20:00.005-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The February meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 14th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We will introduce the concept of "Art as therapy" with a hands-on arts and craft session. Sherry Aikman, an artist with 30 years of experience, will teach us the joyous craft card making - just in time for Valentine's Day!

According to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), Art Therapy is the therapeutic use of art making, by people who experience illness, trauma, or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal development. Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others, cope with symptoms, stress, and the traumatic experiences, enhance cognitive abilities, and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art. (AATA, 2002)

Art making is a nonverbal tool that can be used to enhance communication about emotional and internal conflicts. It provides the opportunity to listen with one’s eyes. The common tendency of individuals to tune out what they prefer not to hear makes visual images powerful tools…(Landgarten, 1981)

Some benefits include increased stamina and tolerance to various environmental barriers, increased dexterity and hand-eye coordination, improved initiation of sequential events, increased on-task duration and reduction of agitation.

text from "Alternate therapies in the treatment of brain injury and neurobehavioral disorders" by Gregory Jay Murray

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Please note that parking is only free for a few more months! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting. Future cost is $2.00 per meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: January 10, 2011

2011-01-05T18:04:00.008-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The January meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 10th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.

Happy New Year and welcome to the future! It's a new decade and our 10th anniversary season. WOW. To celebrate, we'll re-visit some of our most popular topics and speakers. In addition, Robert Whitaker, author of Anatomy of an Epidemic, will be here in the fall. (If you'd like to make a contribution towards his travel costs, please contact me).

Let’s start 2011 off with a BANG by asking the following question…

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN YOU THINK?

Text from Clare Gordon’s Are You Smarter Than You Think?

Join Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group on January 10th to find out if you ARE smarter than you think. We will be testing our abilities (with some tests similar to standard neuropsychological ones, so if you are curious as to what these tests look like, here’s your chance to experience them) and then exploring ways to improve our mental functioning. We’ll look at Conceptual Intelligence, Personal Intelligence and Creative Intelligence.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231
*note room change back to Classroom A

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

General Overview

2010-12-20T21:19:00.006-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

2nd Mondays of the month, 6:30 - 8 PM

Fogelson Building

Classroom A

We celebrate our 10th year anniversary in June 2011!!!

Lifelines functions primarily as an educational forum. We also hold group discussions every few months.

Calendar - 2011 meeting dates

January 10 - Are You Smarter Than You Think?

February 14 - Sherry Aikman, artist, Arts & Crafts, Making Valentines

March 14 - Brain Injury Awareness Month - How to be your own patient advocate

April 11 - Charlotte Barner, M.Ed., Imagine the Possibilities

May 9 - Jerry Morle, minister - Group discussion on Spiritual Health

June 13 - 10 year anniversary TBA

July 11 - Genie Bodenhamer-Davis and Richard Davis, founders of UNT Neurofeedback Program

August 8 - TBA

September 12 - Robert Whitaker, author of Anatomy of an Epidemic

October 10 - TBA

November 14 - TBA

December 13 - Holiday Social at Qdoba, West Village, Lemmon and McKinney Ave

For the purposes of our group, the most important thing to realize is that the mechanism by which the brain was injured (automobile accident, fall, stroke, ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery, congenital) is most significant during the acute phase of care - hospitalization - and post acute - first stages of rehabilitation. When it comes time to address the physical and cognitive deficits in the recovery/rehabilitation/remediation phase, there are enough similarities between the brain insults that allow survivors to meet under an umbrella group.

Our group members have experienced traumatic brain injury, mild traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury such as ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery and stroke and congenital brain injury. Caregivers, other family members (adults only), friends, and health care professionals also attend the meetings.

The challenges faced by survivors depend on what type of brain injury has occurred, so we have a range in physical and cognitive abilities. We usually have an average of 15 people attending presentations.

Past speakers include Dr. Harold Crasilneck presenting the effects of hypnotherapy, Drs. Gray Atkins, Jonathan Walker, Marvin Sams and Sara Hunt Harper discussing neurofeedback (EEG Biofeedback techniques), Tracy Sellers introducing Brain Gym, Betty Erickson (daughter of Milton Erickson) giving a "reality check" with emotionally healthy ways to approach life, Dr. Fran Assaf presenting CranioSacral Therapy, The Center for Brain Health talking about rehabilitation, Dr. Steve Lomber detailing how the brain overcomes injury, Roger Stainbrook and Elijah Hawken discussing the benefits of acupuncture, Dr. John-Claude Krusz discussing neuropharmocology, Jane Shook, M.S., SLP exploring sensory integration and the Interactive Metronome and Dr. Richard Fulbright presenting two lectures - one about neuropsychological testing and the other about psychosocial outcomes following traumatic brain injury.

Note: Additional information is listed under the 2007 posts. For Fun Things to Do, click on June 2007; for Free Things to Do, click on May 2007; for Resource Information, click on May 2007; for information on different therapies/remediating brain injury, click on August 2007.

For more information and/questions about the group, please contact Kimberly at aikmank@gmail.com. Please note that meetings are for adults only - we do not have the facilities to accommodate children.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

2010-12-16T13:49:00.005-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

As the official Dallas group for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, we support

The TAYLOR MANGHAM 1st Annual Memorial Run/Walk for Brain Aneurysm Awareness

and encourage you to do so as well.

January 22, 2011, 11:00 am @ The Parks at Town Center
1100 Bear Creek Parkway, Keller TX.

Registration will be from 9:30-10:45 am and the walk/run will start at 11:00am.

Make a Difference – Every donation matters every dollar counts. Taylor Mangham, a vivacious
young man with a smile that brightened the hearts of many, passed away January 19, 2010 of a brain aneurysm unexpectedly at the young age of 15.

Join us to celebrate the memory of Taylor and bring awareness to brain aneurysms. All proceeds benefit The Brain Aneurysm Foundation and all donations qualify as a tax deductible contribution. The Brain Aneurysm Foundation is the world’s only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to providing critical awareness, education, support and research funding to reduce the incidence of brain aneurysm ruptures.

Visit online at http://bafound.org for more information.

Event Registration Fee: All Ages: $20.00
Registration fee includes a T‐shirt if registered before January 7, 2011

Register online http://bafound.donorpages.com/taylorwalk/

Corporate Sponsor: Space provided during the event to showcase your business.
Company name printed on all material showing sponsorship including t‐shirts.

All media advertising will include sponsors.

Sponsor a drink station: Spaces provided throughout the course to showcase
your business while handing out water, oranges, bananas, or other energy
related items.

To become a Corporate or Drink Station sponsor, please call:
817‐368‐3603 or 817‐832‐2573.

Next meeting: December 13, 2010

2010-12-06T21:19:00.002-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The December meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 13th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.

It's time for our holiday social!

This year we'll be meeting at Qdoba in West Village, in Uptown.

Qdoba has generously offered free chips, salsa, and the most delicious queso in the Metroplex.

The address is

Qdoba Mexican Grill

3519 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204
p: 214-443-0430

The map is on their website at: http://www.qdoba.com/Locations.aspx
Enter 75204 for the zip code.

For public transportation, bus 51 runs from Cityplace Station on the Redline.

Please call Kimberly at 214-289-0286 or email at aikmank@gmail.com to let us know if you'll be there.

Happy Holidays! See you in 2011 for our 10th year anniversary season.

Next meeting: November 8, 2010

2010-10-28T14:39:00.008-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The November meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 8th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.

We are thrilled to have Jane Shook, a speech and language pathologist specializing in sensory integration and processing, present "The Interactive Metronome."

This therapy modality has over ten years of extensive research from George Washington University Medical School and other universities, and is a patented, interactive training system that measures and improves a person’s rhythm and timing. Since the brain learns and builds pathways through repetition of precise activities, keeping the beat along with the Interactive Metronome “trains the brain” to plan, sequence and process information more effectively.

Anyone with challenges in the areas listed above can benefit from the Interactive Metronome, including those with stroke and brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, ADHD, cognitive and developmental disorders, as well as those interested in improving academic and sports performance.

Jane Shook heads The Center for Therapeutic Strategies.

"CTS is a first-of-its-kind consulting service that provides an overall treatment plan with referrals to other professionals and educational options. Jane also serves her clients with cutting-edge speech and language therapy modalities using a sensory integration approach. The order of addressing sensory processing issues is unique to each individual. The order you present each strategy is critical to the effectiveness of the outcome.

Each client will be walked through a process of gathering information to create an individualized approach to best serve each person according to the needs and resources of the family. CTS devises a Roadmap of the primary goals with the most effective treatment strategies to reach that goal at each stage of the treatment journey. Jane will follow her plan for the client through the various stages to obtain the highest potential possible." text from CTS website

More on The Interactive Metronome.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: October 11, 2010

2010-10-05T12:51:00.004-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The October meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 11th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We are thrilled to have Charlotte Barner, M.Ed, lead us in a group discussion - "Imagine the Possibilities."

What better way to continue to celebrate our name change from Brain Injury Support to Group to Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery group than having a conversation about possibilities?

Charlotte Barner is a doctoral candidate in Human & Organizational Learning from The George Washington University. Her master of education in Curriculum Design & Instructional Technologies is with honors from George Mason University; and her undergraduate degree in Business & Human Resources Administration is from Barry University.

Charlotte has over 20 years of experience in the area of human and organizational learning and development. Prior to joining SMU, she held senior corporate leadership positions responsible for creating and implementing development strategies and systems. Most recently, she established and lead Organizational Effectiveness for one of North America's top sales and marketing companies with clients such as AT&T, Best Buy, Disney, HP, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart, as well as the major movie and gaming producers.

Her philosophy and passion is that the journey of learning and development--from the individual to the organizational level--can be filled with positive possibilities that result in a life of well-being.

Group discussion - "Imagine the possibilities."

Together, we will explore how our perceptions about ourselves influence our ability to envision future possibilities. We will be hearing about real life stories of individuals who discovered what they thought was “impossible” was really “possible!”

A fun tool we will use is called “Visual Explorer”—a set of several hundred images, chosen for their ability to support constructive conversations in a wide variety of situations. The images are deliberately diverse and global in subject, context, and aesthetics, sampling the spectra of the human condition.

As with all meetings, you can participate as much or as little as you like. Charlotte will also share her experience caring for her father who survived a brain tumor early in life and a stroke in his later years.

Before the meeting, think about how you would answer the following two questions.

1. Think about a time in your life, any time. What did you discover that you could “do” or “be” that you first thought was impossible, but was actually possible?

2. Imagine a time in your future. What are you “doing” or “being” that you want to imagine is possible?

Preview of Visual Explorer

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

DART paratransit news

2010-09-30T17:17:00.006-05:00

Thanks to Myrna Gorchoff for sending this announcement:

DART looks to privatize paratransit bus service
12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 21, 2010
By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER / The Dallas Morning News
mlindenberger@dallasnews.com

Dallas Area Rapid Transit could soon make the biggest changes in at least a decade to its heavily used paratransit service and hopes to save the cash-strapped agency millions of dollars annually.

The transit agency is poised to privatize the service, now used by about 10,000 physically challenged customers, and would begin using taxicabs, limousines and other local independent contractors to pick up and drop off its customers.

"This is how this is being done across the nation," said Victor Burke, executive vice president of operations for DART.

Burke said DART has been considering making changes to the service for two years. But it's the cost-savings that are adding the most urgency now – and DART has plenty of incentive to trim costs.

Its board of directors will vote Sept. 28 on a 2011 budget and a 20-year financial plan that seeks to trim some $8 billion in anticipated spending by 2030.

Against that backdrop, officials are scrutinizing the approximately $30 million a year the agency spends on the service.

Most of that money goes to a firm called Veolia, which DART pays about $20 million a year to provide 415 full-time drivers.

In addition, DART employs more than 40 supervisors and dispatchers who field calls for the rides. It also pays for the vehicles, office space, driver uniforms, drug screening and nearly every other cost associated with providing 750,000 paratransit trips last year.

The proposal to privatize the service could offload responsibility for replacing DART's fleet of small buses, as well.

The DART board of directors must still approve the proposal, and some members have raised concerns about the proposal to outsource the dispatching service.

Ray Noah of Richardson, who has served on the board since DART's founding in 1983, urged Burke to move carefully.

He reminded him that before DART brought the dispatching function in house more than a decade ago, taxi companies and others had routinely defrauded the agency.

"It was a major embarrassment for DART," Noah said. "And we don't want that to happen again."

Still, the momentum for the change is strong, especially given the tough financial picture confronting DART. The financial plan to be voted on next week assumes that the changes will be made, though no request for proposals by private firms will be sought until DART board members vote to explicitly approve the change, spokesman Morgan Lyons said.

That could happen as soon as later this year, he said. Veolia's contract is scheduled to expire in 2011, though it could be extended until 2012.

Savings aside, the switch would mean big changes for the riders who depend on the service, though many details remain to be worked out. Whether the fares, for instance, would change under a private model isn't yet clear. Currently paratransit trips cost $3, and personal caregivers can accompany the customer for free.

The winning firm, Burke said, will likely be located out of town and could serve as dispatcher for this kind of service in other cities. It would contract in turn with hundreds of part- and full-time drivers in North Texas, each of whom would agree to be available on-call to provide rides for DART customers.

Like a taxi company, those drivers would either bring their own disabled-accessible vehicles or agree to lease the vehicles from the new firm.

About 70 percent would work full time for the new firm, and the rest could be independent contractors who use their own taxis or limousines to pick up disabled passengers when called.

Instead of a small bus with a DART logo, the customers could be greeted by a regular taxi whose driver has only an indirect relationship with DART.

That carries risks for DART and its passengers, said Harold Oliver, an Austin-based consultant for Veolia.

"You might assume that human nature is such that a driver who is using their own vehicle will always change the tires when they are needed, replace the oil every 3,000 miles and fix the brakes as soon as they squeal. But that doesn't always happen."

DART, he said, would be among the first transit agencies in the nation to surrender so much control of its dispatching, maintenance and service delivery to a private firm.

Burke said the agency would keep some oversight, and probably will keep about 30 of its 40 or so dispatchers and supervisors to monitor service, even if it privatizes the service.

General Overview

2010-09-22T11:44:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

2nd Mondays of the month, 6:30 - 8 PM

Fogelson Building

Haggar Hall

We celebrate our 10th year anniversary in June 2011!!!

Lifelines functions primarily as an educational forum. We also hold group discussions every few months.

Mission Statement Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group strives to address the various issues that arise during the rehabilitation/recovery period through support, information and education. The group serves to educate its members about brain injury, how to improve brain health and the possibility of recovering brain function. Lifelines also provides an open forum where survivors, caregivers and health care professionals may meet and share their experiences. This exchange allows the group to address quality of life issues.

Calendar - 2010 meeting dates

January 11 - Sara Hunt Harper, Ph.D. - Animal Therapy (meeting will include live animals)

February 8 - Miller Henry Service Group - Applying for Social Security Benefits

March 8 - Jane Shook, M.S., CCC, SLP - Sensory Integration and The Listening Program

April 12 - Kurt Johnson, Founder, American Power Yoga - Introduction to Yoga

May 10 - Karen Sacks, RN - Stroke Awareness Month - New Treatment for Stroke

June 14 - 9th year anniversary - Discussion - Where we've been and where we're going

July 12 - Lynda Gail Jones, member, health care professional - Collage as therapy

August 9 - Jerry Morle, minister - Group discussion on Spiritual Health

September 13 - Dr. Jonathan Walker - Neurofeedback for brain injury

October 11 - Discussion group, Lifelines as a Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group. What does it mean?

November 8 - Jane Shook, M.S., CCC, SLP - Sensory Integration and The Interactive Metronome

December 13 - Holiday Social at Qdoba, West Village, Lemmon and McKinney Ave

For the purposes of our group, the most important thing to realize is that the mechanism by which the brain was injured (automobile accident, fall, stroke, ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery, congenital) is most significant during the acute phase of care - hospitalization - and post acute - first stages of rehabilitation. When it comes time to address the physical and cognitive deficits in the recovery/rehabilitation/remediation phase, there are enough similarities between the brain insults that allow survivors to meet under an umbrella group.

Our group members have experienced traumatic brain injury, mild traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury such as ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery and stroke and congenital brain injury. Caregivers, other family members (adults only), friends, and health care professionals also attend the meetings.

The challenges faced by survivors depend on what type of brain injury has occurred, so we have a range in physical and cognitive abilities. We usually have an average of 15 people attending presentations.

Past speakers include Dr. Harold Crasilneck presenting the effects of hypnotherapy, Drs. Gray Atkins, Jonathan Walker, Marvin Sams and Sara Hunt Harper discussing neurofeedback (EEG Biofeedback techniques), Tracy Sellers introducing Brain Gym, Betty Erickson (daughter of Milton Erickson) giving a "reality check" with emotionally healthy ways to approach life, Dr. Fran Assaf presenting CranioSacral Therapy, Dr. Steve Lomber detailing how the brain overcomes injury, Roger Stainbrook and Elijah Hawken discussing the benefits of acupuncture, Dr. John-Claude Krusz discussing neuropharmocology, and Dr. Richard Fulbright presenting two lectures - one about neuropsychological testing and the other about psychosocial outcomes following traumatic brain injury.

Note: Additional information is listed under the 2007 posts. For Fun Things to Do, click on June 2007; for Free Things to Do, click on May 2007; for Resource Information, click on May 2007; for information on different therapies/remediating brain injury, click on August 2007.

For more information and/questions about the group, please contact Kimberly at aikmank@gmail.com. Please note that meetings are for adults only - we do not have the facilities to accommodate children.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

2010-09-03T20:32:00.004-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

Our 10 year anniversary is approaching and to celebrate we are changing our name to better reflect the mission of our group.

Thank you to everyone who voted,

with a special thanks to Dr. Eric Smernoff, Karen Sacks, R.N., Tammy Gersch and Pat Black for providing the new name!!!

Next meeting: September 13, 2010

2010-08-31T12:36:00.007-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Wellness and Recovery Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The September meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 13th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We are thrilled and honoured to have Dr. Jonathan Walker, neurologist and neurofeedback guru, as our speaker.

As we near our 10th year anniversary and celebrate with a name change, it is with great pleasure that I announce Dr. Jonathan Walker as the next speaker. He is, in my experience, one of the few neurologists in the Dallas area who understands brain injury and incorporates healing practises in his work. Dr. Walker is in private practice, and more information can be found here.

Here's my explanation of neurofeedback:

Imagine an orchestra. A Beethoven symphony will only be pleasing if all the instruments are playing at the same speed and rhythm. There are many instruments, located in different groupings around the stage and each instrument follows the orchestral score – notes on the page – to create a complete sound.

Effective brain function is like an orchestra. The brain has different lobes, or instruments if you will, and cannot “harmonize” unless the regions are “playing together.” There are different frequencies, or waves, within the brain. As Dr. Walker will explain, brain injury survivors usually have a lot of delta (sleep) and theta (slow) brainwaves. Neurofeedback allows one to train down delta and theta - and the brain "wakes up."

For anyone interested in a science fiction account of neurofeedback (it's based on operant conditioning), try B.F. Skinner's Walden Two.

For good information about neurofeedback, try A Symphony in the Brain by Jim Robbins.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: August 9, 2010

2010-07-29T17:22:00.003-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The August meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 9th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Jerry Morle, Minister, will lead us in a discussion of Faith.

Jerry has a diverse background: a BS in Medical Technology from Michigan Technological University and research technician in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Michigan and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in Ann Arbor. He held the Procurement Coordinator position with the Michigan HHMI office in 1990. After 10 years in that position, he took a sabbatical from HHMI, and worked briefly as a mortgage broker and Seafood marketer. Jerry moved to Dallas and re-joined HHMI in 2002.

Ordained a Teacher in the Church of Jesus Christ in 1987, Jerry began in earnest to study and teach the scriptures in the local congregation in Michigan. He was ordained a Minister in the Church in September of 2009 at the Fort Worth branch.

What is Faith?
What is the value of Faith?
How do we use Faith?

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Faith:

Main Entry: ¹faith
pronunciation: \ˈfāth\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural faiths \ˈfāths, sometimes ˈfāthz\

Etymology: Middle English feith, from Anglo-French feid, fei, from Latin fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust — more at bide

Date: 13th century

1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs

synonyms see belief

— on faith : without question on faith>

Note that the discussion is open to everyone and is not based on a particular religion.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: July 12, 2010

2010-06-28T12:04:00.006-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The July meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 12th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Lynda Gail Jones will lead us in a session of: Collage as a form of art therapy.

Lynda Gail Jones, longtime member of Lifelines, is also a Housing Recovery Specialist in the Mental Health Field. She works with clients who are challenged by Bipolar, Schizophrenia, and Major Depressive Disorder. Some of these clients have also had brain injuries, substance abuse issues, and criminal histories that complicate their lives. Her role is to assist them in stabilizing both housing and mental health through psychosocial rehabilitation skills training.

Lynda Gail is also a brain injury survivor. Now age 63, her first brain was in September 1992 when she was rear-ended. While in the hospital, she started her adventure with collage and ceramics. The arts helped her process things during recovery.

She is an alumni of the Richland College Adult Brain Injury Survivor Program (TRI). From there she mainstreamed into college and earned by Bachelors of Science in Rehabilitation Studies with a minor in Emergency Management focusing on Special Populations. In April 2007 and again in January 2010 she re-injured her brain in car accidents; she was rear-ended by other drivers. She acknowledges the continued brain injury presents a challenge for her daily life.

Lynda Gail and her husband celebrate their 45th anniversary in August 2010. They have three children and nine grandchildren.

Thank you, Lynda Gail for sharing the collage therapy that helped you so much!!!

What is Collage?

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: June 14, 2010

2010-06-07T18:35:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The June meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 14th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

9th year anniversary - A celebration of where we've been and where we're going.

It's hard to believe we've been meeting for nine years! Please join us for a group discussion. To help facilitate discussion, please consider the following:

Name and age
Where are you in terms of recovery (years out)?
What deficits do you have?
What type of rehabilitation have you been through?
What are you doing now? (employment, any volunteer work)
What difficulties do you face on a daily basis?
What has been the most frustrating aspect of your recovery?
What have you learned about the brain / brain injury and how did you learn it?
What have you found to be most useful in your own recovery? (treatment, research, books or articles; please bring these with you to share with the group)
What topics would you be interested in for future support group meetings?
How do you feel about the world?
What do you do for fun?

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you. Also note that we are in Haggar Hall.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

General Overview

2010-05-20T05:13:00.001-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

2nd Mondays of the month, 6:30 - 8 PM

Fogelson Building

Haggar Hall

We celebrate our 9th year anniversary in June!!!

Lifelines functions primarily as an educational forum. We also hold group discussions every few months.

Calendar - 2010 meeting dates

January 11 - Sara Hunt Harper, Ph.D. - Animal Therapy (meeting will include live animals)

February 8 - Miller Henry Service Group - Applying for Social Security Benefits

March 8 - Jane Shook, M.S., CCC, SLP - Sensory Integration and The Listening Program

April 12 - Kurt Johnson, Founder, American Power Yoga - Introduction to Yoga

May 10 - Karen Sacks, RN - Stroke Awareness Month - New Treatment for Stroke

June 14 - 9th year anniversary - Discussion - Where we've been and where we're going

July 12 - Lynda Gail Jones, member, health care professional - Collage as therapy

August 9 - Jerry Morle, minister - Group discussion on Spiritual Health

September 13 - Dr. Jonathan Walker - Neurofeedback for brain injury

October 11 - Discussion group, TBA

November 8 - Jane Shook, M.S., CCC, SLP - Sensory Integration and The Interactive Metronome

December 13 - Holiday Social at Cafe Express, Mockingbird Station

For the purposes of our group, the most important thing to realize is that the mechanism by which the brain was injured (automobile accident, fall, stroke, ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery, congenital) is most significant during the acute phase of care - hospitalization - and post acute - first stages of rehabilitation. When it comes time to address the physical and cognitive deficits in the recovery/rehabilitation/remediation phase, there are enough similarities between the brain insults that allow survivors to meet under an umbrella group.

Our group members have experienced traumatic brain injury, mild traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury such as ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery and stroke and congenital brain injury. Caregivers, other family members (adults only), friends, and health care professionals also attend the meetings.

The challenges faced by survivors depend on what type of brain injury has occurred, so we have a range in physical and cognitive abilities. We usually have an average of 15 people attending presentations.

Past speakers include Dr. Harold Crasilneck presenting the effects of hypnotherapy, Drs. Gray Atkins, Jonathan Walker, Marvin Sams and Sara Hunt Harper discussing neurofeedback (EEG Biofeedback techniques), Tracy Sellers introducing Brain Gym, Betty Erickson (daughter of Milton Erickson) giving a "reality check" with emotionally healthy ways to approach life, Dr. Fran Assaf presenting CranioSacral Therapy, Dr. Steve Lomber detailing how the brain overcomes injury, Roger Stainbrook and Elijah Hawken discussing the benefits of acupuncture, Dr. John-Claude Krusz discussing neuropharmocology, and Dr. Richard Fulbright presenting two lectures - one about neuropsychological testing and the other about psychosocial outcomes following traumatic brain injury.

Note: Additional information is listed under the 2007 posts. For Fun Things to Do, click on June 2007; for Free Things to Do, click on May 2007; for Resource Information, click on May 2007; for information on different therapies/remediating brain injury, click on August 2007.

For more information and/questions about the group, please contact Kimberly at aikmank@gmail.com. Please note that meetings are for adults only - we do not have the facilities to accommodate children.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: May 10, 2010

2010-05-02T13:31:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The May meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 10th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Stroke Prevention - Latest Medical Recommendations and Emerging Treatments

Karen Sacks, RN, NP helps facilitate Lifelines, and will share her knowledge and experience with us. She has 31 years of nursing experience. She has been the Coordinator for the Stroke Program at Presbyterian of Dallas since 2002 and has Adult/Geriatric Certification. In the past, she was the nurse practitioner on the Sub Acute Unit and Skilled Nursing Unit at Presbyterian.

She has a Bachelors degree in Social Work (1974) and Nursing (1979), a Masters in Nursing (1985) and completed her post graduate nurse practitioner training in 1995.

Thank you, Karen, for everything you do for our group and for sharing your expertise with us!!!

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you. Also note that for this meeting we are in Classroom A, not Haggar Hall.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Upcoming events

2010-04-11T19:31:00.005-05:00

Center for Therapeutic Strategies

is pleased to present a workshop on:

Sensory Integration Dysfunction and Learning Disabilities

Friday, April 16th

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

by Elizabeth "Betty" McBride, OTR, SIPT Certified, Trained in CranioSacral, Lymph Drainage, Visceral Manipulation, and Myofacial Release

Mrs. McBride will explain how sensory processing affects self-regulation, a skill needed for learning and understanding information. She will also address symptoms of sensory processing dysfunction (SPD) and cutting edge treatment options that reorganize the way the body integrates sensory information by resetting the inner ear’s vestibular system.

Attendees will learn practical and therapeutic strategies to create calm, focused attention needed for learning, working, and social relationships. Mrs. McBride will give guidelines for when to seek sensory integration therapy by an Occupational or Physical Therapist.

Who Will Benefit from this Workshop?

Mrs. McBride will address how Sensory Processing Dysfunction (SPD) affects the following conditions:

ADD/ ADHD
Auditory Processing Disorders
Dyslexia & other Learning Disabilities
Autism, Asperger’s & other Developmental Delays
Neuro-Behavioral disorders

Ways to Register: Call (972) 233-9019 or Email us at jane_slp@swbell.net

Cost:

Cost of the workshop is $20.00 per person or $35.00 per couple. Payment is due at the door in the form of cash, check, Visa or Mastercard.

Note:

Seating is limited. Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible to ensure your spot will be reserved.

Location:
Center for Therapeutic Strategies
6330 LBJ Freeway #136

Dallas, TX 75240

Directions:

From LBJ Freeway, take the Preston Road Exit to the South, service road heading EAST. Pass Hughes Road. Turn RIGHT into Concourse Office Park.

___________________________________________________

Stroke therapy conference May 8th at Baylor University Medical Center

On May 8th, Baylor University Medical Center hosts the conference "Latest Advances in Ischemic and Hemorraghic Stroke Therapy" on the 17th floor of Roberts Hospital, 3500 Gaston Avenue. The conference is divided into two separate educational tracks: "Advanced Stroke" and "Core Stroke" topics. Advanced registration ends April 23rd . As the first Certified Primary Stroke Center in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Neuroscience Center at Baylor recognizes that emerging research goes hand in hand with clinical treatment. Physicians from Baylor and the Mayo Clinic will speak on topics such as Case Discussion/Panel Debate - Clipping vs. Coiling of Intracranial Aneurysms, Imaging the Acute Stroke Patient - Basic Techniques to Advanced Concepts, and Communication with Families in the Setting of Serious Brain Injuries.

Dr. Kennith F. Layton, Program Co-Chair and Director of Interventional Neuroradiology at Baylor, states, "Ultimately, our goal for this conference is to improve the outcomes of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients from the time of diagnosis through hospital discharge. It is our hope that health care providers attending this conference will become better equipped to treat stroke patients when they return to their daily practice."

For more information about the conference, click here.

Next meeting: April 12, 2010

2010-04-04T14:18:00.003-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The April meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 12th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We are honoured to have Kurt Johnsen, founder of American Power Yoga, as our speaker.

Kurt Johnsen has spent a lifetime studying health and happiness and specializes in optimal performance. He is the founder of American Power Yoga and is the official yoga instructor of the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboy’s Cheerleaders. He created and hosted 40 episodes of the nationally televised Yoga for Life. His latest DVD, the Dallas Cowboy’s Cheerleader’s Body Slimming Yoga was awarded “Best Yoga for All Levels” in Fitness Magazine February 2010. He has over 7,500 teaching hours and has trained over 100 American Power Yoga instructors. He is a master (5^th degree black belt) in Tibetan Kung Fu and is well versed in ju jitsu, tai chi, chi gung, herbology and acupuncture.

Remember to wear comfortable clothes that you can move in, as Kurt will be demonstrating some poses you might be interested in learning.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you. Also note that we have moved into a bigger space - Haggar Hall (across from Classroom A).

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: March 8, 2010

2010-02-25T18:29:00.005-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The March meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 8th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Jane Shook, M.S., CCC, SLP will teach us how to LISTEN UP!

Jane is the owner of the Center for Therapeutic Strategies, a consultation and therapy firm, which evaluates, treats, and advises individuals and families, who have sensory processing disorders to determine and prioritize the best treatment modes at a given time.

Jane is a speech language pathologist with over 30 years experience working with children and adults with processing and other learning disabilities using a sensory integration model. She is past-president of SI Challenge, a not-for-profit agency that served individuals with processing disorders at the level of the family through camping and education. She is a popular consultant and conference speaker for parents and professionals on topics related to sensory and language processing. Jane is the mother of two grown children with four grandchildren.

You can contact her at jane_slp@swbell.net or (972) 233 - 9019. Her website is www.janeshook.com.

Listen Up! is a sixty minute workshop on improving listening skills for better learning and relationships. This information gives more specific details regarding auditory processing and behavioral outcomes and is designed for individuals who have sensory processing disorder, regardless of their etiology.

Participants will:

Learn basic anatomy and function of the inner ear and how it integrates with internal body states
Learn the significance of the auditory processing system within the development schema
Identify listening and language processing components foundational to oral and written language, pragmatic and social language
Identify the impact of sequencing and timing on social intelligence, behavior, attention, focus, processing speed, and working memory
Identify the impact of auditory processing disorders on behavior and relationships
Identify common cognitive problems of listening disorders
Identify common behavioral problems of listening disorders
Learn strategies for increasing organized listening through changing the external environment and personal strategies for changing an individuals internal physiological state by applying sensory input
Learn about how listening programs can be used for neuro-auditory and cognitive retraining

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Community Announcements

2010-01-27T17:31:00.012-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

Community Announcements

***Assistant Dogs of Texas (ADOT) rescues shelter dogs and custom trains them for people with disabilities for little to no cost to the clients.

If you know someone who could use help in these areas, please contact us.

PH: 972-617-3136 Email: info@ADOTcares.org

For more information on ADOT, please visit our website at www.ADOTcares.org.

***From Miller Henry Service Group:

The attorney we refer long term disability and care benefits claims to is Bernard Guerrini. He specializes in this area of law.

His website is www.erisaltd.com. Mr. Guerrrini will be a great resource/contact for any folks who may dealing with such claims through employer coverage and insurance policies.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: February 8, 2010

2010-01-27T17:10:00.003-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The February meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 8th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

The Miller Henry Service Group, Inc. will present an Overview of the Social Security Process. The Miller Henry Service Group was formed to answer the need for personalized service. They believe everyone is entitled to prompt service, accurate answers and fair treatment.

The group was founded by a former Social Security Supervisor and Claims Representative with more than 30 years of government service. The staff has extensive experience in the following fields: resolving congressional inquiries, licensed degree social work, medical information and process management, insurance and claims processing.

Their expertise:

Filing Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits
Social Security Retirement Insurance Benefits
Supplemental Security Income
Medicare
Auxiliary Claims
Other Benefit Programs

Miller Henry Service Group

11255 Garland Road Suite 1302

Dallas, Texas 75218

Phone: 214 324 2491

Fax: 214 319 8792

Please contact Sharon Birmingham at srbirmingham@yahoo.com with any questions.

text from MHSG brochure

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you. Also note that we have moved into a bigger space - Haggar Hall (across from Classroom A).

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: January 11, 2010

2010-01-01T10:54:00.005-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The January meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 11th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We will introduce the concept of "Animal Therapy" with a hands-on (this means live animals) session. Sara Hunt Harper, R.N., M.S., Ph.D, opened her therapy practice, Stress Management Center, in Plano Texas in 1983, in order to help people improve their quality of life.

Sit, Stay, Heal!

Did you know that animals have been used as healers for centuries? In the 1700s, animals were used to treat the mentally ill. And the fact that animals elicit the relaxation response in humans has been demonstrated in biofeedback literature for years.

While most of the research on animal assisted therapy has been on animals as pets and animals in an inpatient setting, Dr. Sara Hunt Harper successfully uses an outpatient setting.

With over nine years of using therapy pets, Dr. Harper knows the benefits of such therapy. She uses her dogs and cats to make therapeutic interventions with individuals and families, and to teach relaxation skills.

“Most of us,” says Dr. Harper, “are aware that animals are used to assist people who are visually or hearing impaired, and we’ve heard much about rescue dogs assisting where natural or other disasters occur. But few people know that animals are also used in psychotherapy.”

Dr. Harper’s dogs, Brie Ana Marie and Pat, are both Certified Therapy Dogs. Elliot James and Katherine Elise are Cats-in-Training. “It’s hard enough,” she says, “for people to come in for therapy. Having pets integrated into the surroundings makes people more relaxed.”

During the years Dr. Harper has used pet therapy, she’s seen the following results in her practice:

Reduction in the need for pain medication.

Increase in feeling of well-being and social interaction.

Decrease in levels of anxiety.

text from Dr. Harper's website http://sarahuntharper.com/index.html

Find out more about Dr. Harper at http://sarahuntharper.com/about.html

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you. Also note that we have moved into a bigger space - Haggar Hall (across from Classroom A).

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

General Overview

2009-11-15T15:24:00.008-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

2nd Mondays of the month, 6:30 - 8 PM

Fogelson Building

Haggar Hall

We celebrate our 9th year anniversary in June 2010!!!

Lifelines functions primarily as an educational forum. We also hold group discussions every few months.

Calendar - 2010 meeting dates

January 11 - Sara Hunt Harper, Ph.D. - Animal Therapy (meeting will include live animals)

February 8 - Miller Henry Service Group - Applying for Social Security Benefits

March 8 - Jane Shook, M.S., CCC, SLP - Sensory Integration and The Listening Program

April 12 - Kurt Johnson, Founder, American Power Yoga - Introduction to Yoga

May 10 - Karen Sacks, RN - Stroke Awareness Month - New Treatment for Stroke

June 14 - 9th year anniversary - Discussion - Where we've been and where we're going

July 12 - Lynda Gail Jones, member, health care professional - Collage as therapy

August 9 - Jerry Morle, minister - Group discussion on Spiritual Health

September 13 - Dr. Jonathan Walker - Neurofeedback for brain injury

October 11 - Discussion group, TBA

November 8 - Jane Shook, M.S., CCC, SLP - Sensory Integration and The Interactive Metronome

December 13 - Holiday Social at Cafe Express, Mockingbird Station

For the purposes of our group, the most important thing to realize is that the mechanism by which the brain was injured (automobile accident, fall, stroke, ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery, congenital) is most significant during the acute phase of care - hospitalization - and post acute - first stages of rehabilitation. When it comes time to address the physical and cognitive deficits in the recovery/rehabilitation/remediation phase, there are enough similarities between the brain insults that allow survivors to meet under an umbrella group.

Our group members have experienced traumatic brain injury, mild traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury such as ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery and stroke and congenital brain injury. Caregivers, other family members (adults only), friends, and health care professionals also attend the meetings.

The challenges faced by survivors depend on what type of brain injury has occurred, so we have a range in physical and cognitive abilities. We usually have an average of 15 people attending presentations.

Past speakers include Dr. Harold Crasilneck presenting the effects of hypnotherapy, Drs. Gray Atkins, Jonathan Walker, Marvin Sams and Sara Hunt Harper discussing neurofeedback (EEG Biofeedback techniques), Tracy Sellers introducing Brain Gym, Betty Erickson (daughter of Milton Erickson) giving a "reality check" with emotionally healthy ways to approach life, Dr. Fran Assaf presenting CranioSacral Therapy, Dr. Steve Lomber detailing how the brain overcomes injury, Roger Stainbrook and Elijah Hawken discussing the benefits of acupuncture, Dr. John-Claude Krusz discussing neuropharmocology, and Dr. Richard Fulbright presenting two lectures - one about neuropsychological testing and the other about psychosocial outcomes following traumatic brain injury.

Note: Additional information is listed under the 2007 posts. For Fun Things to Do, click on June 2007; for Free Things to Do, click on May 2007; for Resource Information, click on May 2007; for information on different therapies/remediating brain injury, click on August 2007.

For more information and/questions about the group, please contact Kimberly at aikmank@gmail.com. Please note that meetings are for adults only - we do not have the facilities to accommodate children.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: November 9, 2009

2009-11-04T20:52:00.002-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The November meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 9th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We will introduce the concept of "Art as therapy" with a hands-on arts and craft session. Sherry Aikman, an artist with 30 years of experience, will teach us the joyous craft of ornament making - just in time for the holidays!

According to the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), Art Therapy is the therapeutic use of art making, by people who experience illness, trauma, or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal development. Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others, cope with symptoms, stress, and the traumatic experiences, enhance cognitive abilities, and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art. (AATA, 2002)

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: October 12, 2009

2009-10-04T19:26:00.003-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

The October meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 12th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We will be having a group discussion about "Turning Weaknesses into Strengths".

All human situations are powerfully influenced by individual perceptions of a situation. The affirmation for this meeting - I accept my strengths and weaknesses - is a way of getting individuals to perceive their new life situation in an affirming and accepting light. We cannot change the fact that we have a brain injury, but we can change how we think about it. People who study the effects of the mind on healing are learning that attitude is very important to healing. Unresolved conflict, internalized anger and fear can combine to suppress the immune system. Stress keeps us sick, while dealing openly with emotions is healthy and wise.

Remember that emotions aren't right or wrong - they just are. The purpose of the group meeting is to find positive ways to look at what may now be perceived as a negative experience.

Questions to consider:

1. How can you put yourself in a learning environment where your abilities are affirmed rather than denied?

2. What activities, groups, or individuals help you affirm your self-worth?

3. Reflect back on the positive changes that have taken place since your brain injury. Think back to how you were one to three weeks post brain injury. Is that different from now? Can you give yourself credit for the progress you have made?

4. Are you being realistic about what you can do and what you can't do? Are you allowing others to do things for you that you might be able to do yourself?

Brain injury survivors can turn weaknesses into strengths by honestly assessing their progress and by challenging themselves to set realistic goals that move them forward toward more independence. Even a small step forward boosts self-worth and gives people the motivation to try a little harder for the next step. Remember that a little frustration is good, because it mobilizes you to take that next step.

Text courtesy of The National Stroke Association's Discovery Circles manual.

You are invited to participate as much or as little as you are comfortable with. If you have a specific example you would like to talk about, we will spend some time during the meeting in a collective brainstorming session and come up with ways to turn specific weaknesses into strengths.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

8200 Walnut Hill Lane

Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Call for action - patient advocacy issue

2009-09-19T10:25:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group

Hello.

Kimberly here, facilitator of Lifelines. I am writing today to ask for your support with a patient advocacy issue.

During our September meeting, we discussed the brochures distributed by the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF), a national organization based in Boston. The attendees of that meeting approved the letter pasted at the end of this introduction. Please review the letter, as well as one of the brochures mentioned (http://www.bafound.org/info/pubs/BAF_Brain_Aneurysm_Basics.pdf).

If you are in agreement with the letter, I would appreciate a reply email (aikmank@gmail.com) that relays your support and desire for change. I will collect all the responses, send them to the BAF and ask that change be made. This is equivalent to collecting a petition with signatures.

Please feel free to distribute this request to other interested parties. The goal is to collect hundreds of "signatures."

Let's make the world a better place for brain injury survivors!

___________________________

We are the members of Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group in Dallas, Texas. Because of the number of brain aneurysm survivors in our group, we also function as the Dallas support group for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF). We write to you today in order to express our concern about the recent marketing material distributed by the BAF with the hope that the rhetoric may be improved.

As brain injury survivors and caregivers, we are aware there are many types of brain injury, which include brain aneurysm rupture, brain surgery, stroke, motor vehicle accidents, bicycle accidents, falls, gunshot wounds, congenital conditions, etc. Surviving these incidents, which in the majority of cases means triumphing over death, and struggling to restore our quality of life in the aftermath, gives us leave to make the following points:

1. We object to the use of fear of death as a motivator to encourage treatment for unruptured aneurysms.

2. We feel that the interview with Amanda Horan Kennedy is misleading as to reality faced by a brain injury survivor and does not accurately reflect the probable result of brain injury that follows brain surgery.

3. We request that the marketing material also include mention of brain injury and resources available to survivors.

4. We request that the materials also provide guidance as to how people can talk to their doctors and insurance companies in order to obtain an accurate diagnosis; many unruptured aneurysms are left undiagnosed and untreated due to a lack of education in the medical community. In addition, there is a lack of awareness regarding the symptoms of ruptured brain aneurysms that should also be addressed.

We suggest the following changes:

a. Instead of "Save your life" - "Improve the quality of your life"
b. Instead of "40% of all people will die" - "Only 60% will live"
c. Clarify that ruptured brain aneurysms account for 3-5% of all new *hemorrhagic* strokes

We welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with you. Our facilitator, Kimberly Aikman, may be reached via email at aikmank@gmail.com or by calling 214-289-0286.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

General Overview

2009-09-17T11:50:00.003-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

2nd Mondays of the month, 6:30 - 8 PM

Fogelson Building, Classroom A

Now in our eighth year, Lifelines functions primarily as an educational forum. We also hold group discussions every few months.

Mission Statement Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group strives to address the various issues that arise during the rehabilitation/recovery period through support, information and education. The group provides an open forum where survivors, caregivers and healthcare professionals may meet and share their experiences. The group also serves to educate its members about brain injury and how to improve brain health. This exchange allows the group to address quality of life issues.

Calendar - 2009 meeting dates

January 12 - Matt Kramer, Voice mapping
February 9 - Dr. Ray Mailloux, caregiver, sharing his experience
March 9 - Let's talk about you - the caregiver
April 13 - Discussion group - Brain injury and personal relationships
May 11 - Mind-Body Skills
June 8 - How to turn down the noise in your life
July 13 - Brain Food
August 10 - Jim Goodman, Karl Heller and Horace Irwin - Survivors speak
September 14 - Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month - An exercise in patient advocacy
October 12 - Discussion group - Turning Weaknesses into Strengths
November 9 - Sherry Aikman, artist - Arts and Crafts, Holiday ornament making
December 14 - Holiday Social at Cafe Express, Mockingbird Station

For the purposes of our group, the most important thing to realize is that the mechanism by which the brain was injured (automobile accident, fall, stroke, ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery, congenital) is most significant during the acute phase of care - hospitalization - and post acute - first stages of rehabilitation. When it comes time to address the physical and cognitive deficits in the recovery/rehabilitation/remediation phase, there are enough similarities between the brain insults that allow survivors to meet under an umbrella group.

Our group members have experienced traumatic brain injury, mild traumatic brain injury, acquired brain injury such as ruptured brain aneurysm/brain surgery and stroke and congenital brain injury. Caregivers, other family members (adults only), friends, and health care professionals also attend the meetings.

The challenges faced by survivors depend on what type of brain injury has occurred, so we have a range in physical and cognitive abilities. We usually have an average of 15 people attending presentations.

Past speakers include Dr. Harold Crasilneck presenting the effects of hypnotherapy, Drs. Gray Atkins, Jonathan Walker, Marvin Sams and Sara Hunt Harper discussing neurofeedback (EEG Biofeedback techniques), Tracy Sellers introducing Brain Gym, Betty Erickson (daughter of Milton Erickson) giving a "reality check" with emotionally healthy ways to approach life, Dr. Fran Assaf presenting CranioSacral Therapy, Dr. Steve Lomber detailing how the brain overcomes injury, Roger Stainbrook and Elijah Hawken discussing the benefits of acupuncture, Dr. John-Claude Krusz discussing neuropharmocology, and Dr. Richard Fulbright presenting two lectures - one about neuropsychological testing and the other about psychosocial outcomes following traumatic brain injury.

Note: Additional information is listed under the 2007 posts. For Fun Things to Do, click on June 2007; for Free Things to Do, click on May 2007; for Resource Information, click on May 2007; for information on different therapies/remediating brain injury, click on August 2007.

For more information and/questions about the group, please contact Kimberly at aikmank@gmail.com. Please note that meetings are for adults only - we do not have the facilities to accommodate children.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: September 14, 2009

2009-09-07T19:53:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The September meeting is scheduled for Monday the 14th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month - an exercise in patient advocacy.

Tonight we will hear from brain aneurysm survivors AND also talk about patient advocacy. Since this is a vast subject, we will focus on the following:

There are a number of national organizations that represent individual conditions of brain dysfunction, e.g. National Stroke Association, Brain Aneurysm Foundation, Brain Injury Association. It could be argued that instead of focusing on the individual condition, many brain injury survivors would be better served by using a "global" approach. For example, many brain aneurysm and other stroke survivors are not told they have a brain injury, and this can contribute to recovery frustrations.

A common theme that many health care organizations adopt, probably without being fully cognizant of the practise, is the use of fear of death as a motivator. For those of us who have actually faced death, been returned to life and spent some time in therapy to rid ourselves of the post traumatic stress associated with having survived such an experience, this negative motivator no longer has a place in our lives. We have found joy in living.

But how do we as patients teach those who are supposedly advocating on our behalf? During tonight's meeting, we will take a look at two brochures published by the Brain Aneurysm Foundation - and brainstorm about how to turn the negative aspects (fear of death as a motivator) into positive (joy of life). Our goal is to create an alternative marketing plan to send to the Foundation. Please take some time to review the brochures and write down your initial reaction to the handouts.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: August 10, 2009

2009-08-03T18:03:00.005-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The August meeting is scheduled for Monday the 10th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Survivors speak: talking and listening.

Jim Goodman, Karl Heller and Horace Irwin will each share their unique experience with us.

Jim Goodman will speak of his experience as a lifetime survivor - now 65, he is a few years past a stroke that left him with Wernicke's aphasia to overcome. Even more remarkable is the fact that Jim began having heart attacks at age 37 that continued through his life. Come learn about the lifestyle choices that might have contributed, how Jim survived and how he truly appreciates every day of living he is blessed with.

Horace Irwin experienced Broca's aphasia and he will talk about his experience as well as provide some information about the condition.

Karl Heller rounds out the trio and will speak of the aphasia he experienced as a result of a car accident.

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: July 13, 2009

2009-07-08T17:42:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The July meeting is scheduled for Monday the 13th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We will learn about Brain Food.

"You are what you eat" - isn't that we all learned as children? Just a few decades ago we were instructed to eat according to the Food Pyramid.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Obesity, heart disease and diabetes plague our society. With so much new information, what's the best way to maintain a healthy, brain enriching diet?

According to Gemma Reece, author of Brain Food, "diet affects the brain chemicals that influence your mood, behaviour, thought processes, learning ability, and reactions." Tonight we will learn about what foods are best for the brain and why. We will identify the nutrients the brain needs for optimal functioning, what foods to get them from and even share recipes for easy, nutrient-rich meals.

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: June 8, 2009

2009-06-03T15:20:00.004-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The June meeting is scheduled for Monday the 8th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We will explore "How to Turn Down the Noise in Your Life."

Often times, guidance on how to manage life with brain injury can be found in the unlikeliest of places - in this case, Redbook magazine. We will be discussing the following article (paste the following web address in your browser):

http://women.webmd.com/features/turn-down-noise-in-your-life

The subtitle for the article is "Learn to manage the distractions that sap your concentration - so you can find your focus and your peace of mind."

If you are a "seasoned" survivor, you might have already figured out that time management skills, mind-body skills, etc. are tools that help the general population and are not just brain injury specific. Everybody needs help with focus, concentration and de-stressing. Sometimes the advice given in the popular or "pop culture" magazines seems like it's come right out of a neurocognitive rehabilitation session. Have you thumbed through Oprah, Real Simple, Wired or Scientific American Mind? Chances are you'll make some great discoveries that will help improve the quality of your life!

Perhaps we could even start a magazine swap - bring your last month's magazines to the next meeting and we'll see what happens!

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: May 11, 2009

2009-05-06T21:31:00.002-05:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The May meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 11th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Our discussion will be on how mind-body skills can be used to help in the recovery process from brain injury.

What are mind-body skills?

Mind-body skills include guided imagery, visualization, and meditation. Concentration skills can be practised as one becomes more conscious of his/her environment. Feeling state imagery helps one relax by imagining a safe and relaxing place; end state imagery encourages one to visualize success at an upcoming task, e.g. speaking in front of a crowd or even a trip to the grocery store. Mind-body skills include stress management techniques and exercises to foster self-awareness. It is important to engage in mind-body skills in order to shift focus from a hectic life to being present in the moment.

Discussion includes sharing aspects of daily experiences, issues that are important to you, and exploring insights that you have about yourself. If you have found any mind-body skills to be particular helpful and want to share with the group, you are most welcome!

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: April 13, 2009

2009-04-04T07:44:00.002-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The April meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 13th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Our discussion will be on how brain injury can affect personal relationships and group participation is invited. Included in the discussion is right hemisphere brain injury and we will explore strategies one might use to activate the right brain and thus improve personal relationships.

What is right hemisphere brain damage?

Right hemisphere brain damage is damage to the right side of the brain. The brain is made up of two sides, or hemispheres. Each hemisphere is responsible for different body functions and skills. In most people, the left side of the brain contains the person's language centers. The right side controls cognitive functioning (thinking skills) which influences social communication (pragmatics): problems understanding nonverbal cues and following the rules of communication (e.g., saying inappropriate things, not using facial expressions, talking at the wrong time).

Damage to the right hemisphere of the brain leads to cognitive-communication problems, such as impaired memory, attention problems and poor reasoning. In many cases, the person with right brain damage is not aware of the problems that he is she is experiencing (anosognosia).

text from the American Speech Language Association web site

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: March 9, 2009

2009-03-04T18:06:00.002-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The March meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 9th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

We will focus on the role of the caregiver and group participation is invited.

Topics for review include: Communication issues, Thirteen Classic Fallacies (from Straight Thinking by Stuart Chase), Dealing with Deficits, Basic Listening Skills AND
Relieving stress - we will review skills that might prove helpful when dealing with stress.

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Next meeting: February 9, 2009

2009-02-05T15:18:00.003-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The February meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 9th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Dr. Ray Mailloux, one of our members, will speak about his experience as a caregiver. As a doctor of Family Medicine, Dr. Mailloux can share some insights that the average lay person might not be aware of.

Dr. and Mrs. Mailloux, originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, immigrated to Sherman, Texas in 1978. They have been married 43 years and have three daughters. Dr. Mailloux had his own Family Medicine Practice from 1978 - 2001 and has been semi-retired and filling in at various clinic locations since 2001. Sandy has been a patent librarian, hospital lab tech, homemaker/wife/mother, medical office manager and investor (she was referenced in the Washington Post in 1998!).

Thank you to the Mailloux's for sharing their lives and story with us!!!

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.

Information from National Family Caregivers Association

2009-01-19T09:52:00.001-06:00

A message from the
National Family Caregivers Association

Encouraging Family Caregivers to Speak Up

January 2009 E-LETTER
TO NFCA ONLINE MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

This month find information on:

Make This the Year You Speak Up!

Value of Family Caregiving Hits $375 Billion

AARP Foundation Helps Families "Prepare to Care"

Teva Neuroscience Launches Spanish Parkinson's Disease Patient and

Caregiver Web Site

Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Clinical Trials and Research Programs

Now Available Online: NFCA's Communicating Effectively With Healthcare Professionals TeleClass

CCAN Volunteers Initiate Family Caregiver Postage Stamp Campaign

Make This the Year You Speak Up!

With the inauguration of a new president who has expressed his commitment to substantive healthcare reform, family caregivers have an opportunity like none before: to make our voice heard as the healthcare reform debate takes shape. The Obama-Biden administration is looking for ideas and feedback as it begins the long process of reshaping America's healthcare system. Let's not miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Go to http://m1e.net/c?93235626-ULg2IvKMnkPuU%403904006-DqSLCXgzLSLNo to find out how you can be a part of the discussion.

Value of Family Caregiving Hits $375 Billion

The economic value of family caregiving in the U.S. reached $375 billion in 2007, according to a new report by AARP's Public Policy Institute. The report finds that in 2007, the value of family caregiving was 7 percent higher than the estimated value of $350 billion in 2006. "Valuing the Invaluable, The Economic Value of Family Caregiving, 2008 Update" also estimates that 34 million Americans provide more than 20 hours of care per week to another adult, making family caregiving a cornerstone of U.S. health and long-term care.

The AARP report notes that family caregivers of those 50 and older spent an average of $5,531 out-of-pocket in 2007 to care for their loved ones. That spending was often coupled with lost workdays, wages, health insurance and retirement savings. The AARP report makes several recommendations to assist family caregivers, including adopting "family-friendly" workplace policies; assessing caregivers' needs and providing them with needed supports; expanding funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program and the Lifespan Respite Care Act; and supporting family caregivers in chronic care coordination programs and care transitions.

The full report is available at:
http://m1e.net/c?93235626-/8Kp6NkmZZX7E%403904007-XoBncaPQPy8bg

AARP Foundation Helps Families "Prepare to Care"

The AARP Foundation has a publication called "Prepare to Care: A Planning Guide for Families" that provides helpful advice on everything from creating a caregiving plan to finding and obtaining basic resources. Whether you have just begun caregiving or you have been a family caregiver for years, you will find the publication's many checklists straightforward and useful. To download your copy of "Prepare to Care," go to www.aarp.org/foundation/preparetocare.

Teva Neuroscience Launches Spanish Parkinson's Disease Patient and Caregiver Web Site

Teva Neuroscience, Inc. has launched a Spanish version of their patient and caregiver resource Web site to provide important information and resources to members of the Hispanic community, living in the U.S., who are affected by Parkinson's disease (PD), an age-related degenerative disorder of the brain.

The Spanish Web site is a comprehensive resource that provides important information to help patients and families with the physical and emotional effects of PD. Spanish-speaking visitors will be able to access a wide range of information and resources, including: basic disease information and treatment options; signs and symptoms of the disease; tips on living well through a combination of treatment, activities, and support; downloadable worksheets and links to various other resources; and caregiver information. Visitors will also have access to a downloadable version of the recently released "Hacia adelante" resource guide. The easy-to-use guide is a useful tool that helps people affected by PD understand more about the disease, learn how to live well despite the diagnosis, and research various treatment options. Go to: www.azilect.com/espanol.

--
Upcoming Clinical Trials and Research Programs

The following information is provided as a public service. NFCA has no connection to the clinical trials and research programs publicized below and no endorsement is implied.

Worldwide Parkinson's Disease Trial Seeks Participants

Worldwide, a team of researchers is evaluating an investigational medicine for the changes in thought, behavior, and judgment that can occur with Parkinson's disease. About 280 people will participate in this study at approximately 65 research centers around the world. Participants will be asked to make seven visits to the study center. It is possible that at the end of the initial treatment period, participants may have the opportunity to receive extended treatment with the active investigational drug. The clinical study is now enrolling qualified participants. To learn more, please visit www.ParkinsonsBodyMind.com or call 866/565-0262 today.

Global Multiple Sclerosis Trial: Volunteers Needed

While great progress has been made toward developing treatments for people living with MS, a need still exists for more effective treatments that may slow the progression of the disease. Researchers currently are seeking adults who are living with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to participate in two global clinical research studies: CARE-MSSM I for adults 18-50 who have not yet begun therapy for MS other than corticosteroid treatment, and CARE-MSSM II for adults 18-55 who have experienced relapses (flare-ups) on an approved therapy to treat MS. The CARE-MS studies are designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of alemtuzumab, the investigational drug, as compared to Rebif® (interferon beta-1a), a current FDA-approved treatment. All study-required medications and procedures are provided at no cost. To learn more, call 866/790-MS-CARE (U.S. only) or visit www.CARE-MS.com.

Caregivers Wanted for Online Support Program for Stroke Families

Kent State University is conducting an NIH-funded research program designed to help female caregivers and male stroke survivors who face difficult challenges following a stroke. In this program, family caregivers will get online access to critical support, information, and education that will help to facilitate the stroke survivor's physical and emotional recovery and reduce the family caregiver's feelings of strain or burden. The program is especially targeted to caregivers and stroke survivors who feel depressed or anxious. All couples who participate will receive cash incentives up to $140. Couples must have their own computer and Internet service provider if they reside outside of Ohio. For more information, call 866/300-6657.
--

NFCA's Communicating Effectively TeleClass Available on the Web

Thanks to everyone who helped make NFCA's two-part TeleClass a huge success. If you were unable to participate during the live presentations, it's not too late to learn from them now. Both presentations have been archived and are available on NFCA's Web site.

The classes were designed to educate family caregivers on how to communicate more effectively with healthcare professionals. Learn how to: understand your role on your loved one's healthcare team; prepare for doctor office visits; develop strategies to establish rapport/collaborate with your loved one's healthcare providers; compose assertive messages for communicating in healthcare situations; and be prepared for and cope with an emergency room visit.

Don't miss out on this wonderful educational opportunity. Go to www.thefamilycaregiver.org and click on "Listen to Our Communicating Effectively Teleclass Programs."

NFCA is very grateful to Medtronic Foundation, Forest Laboratories, Inc., and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation for their support of this educational program. Additional support was provided by Intel's Digital Health Group, AGIS, Eisai Inc., Evercare, and MetLife Foundation.

CCAN Volunteers Initiate Family Caregiver Postage Stamp Campaign

NFCA's CCAN state volunteers want to see the United States honor our approximately 52 million family caregivers with a U.S. Family Caregiver Postage Stamp. To that end, Virginia CCAN Representative Terry Vasquez, who is spearheading the initiative, and other CCAN volunteers are collecting thousands of signatures to send directly to the Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee of the U.S. Postal Service. And they need your help.

Visit NFCA's Web site at www.thefamilycaregiver.org and click on the U.S. Postage Stamp button on our home page to submit a letter to the Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee. On behalf of all family caregivers, we thank you in advance for your support of this effort.

Happy New Year!

We wish you and your family a healthy and peaceful 2009. Make this the year you Speak Up for your loved one AND yourself.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-LETTER ALONG TO YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS and ENCOURAGE ALL THE FAMILY CAREGIVERS YOU KNOW TO JOIN THE NFCA COMMUNITY OF CAREGIVERS. THERE IS NO COST! Just click here: www.thefamilycaregiver.org

------------------------------

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National Family Caregivers Association - 10400 Connecticut
Avenue, Suite 500, Kensington, MD 20895

1-800-896-3650

To unsubscribe/change profile: http://www.mailermailer.com/x?u=93235626m-533f427e
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National Family Caregivers Association
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Information on Memory and Trauma

2009-01-19T09:46:00.002-06:00

Matt Kramer, our speaker in January, sent the following information on memory.

http://www.integrative-healthcare.org/mt/archives/2007/04/understanding_a.html

Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies

April 27, 2007
www.homestudycredits.com
Learn How to Unlock Tissue Memory

The unexpressed trauma of past experiences stored in the musculature and connective tissue of our bodies creates tension, blocks circulation and can ultimately lead to pain and disease. Learn what you can do as a massage therapist to unlock and free clients of these tissue memories.

by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.

Many scholars believe that pain and trauma are incidents prevented from being completed. These can be single damaging events such as a car accident, continuous bombardments requiring emotional defenses, or over-training of isolated muscles that lock the body into a recognized pattern. Traumas can be considered anything that keep us locked in a physical, emotional, behavioral or mental habit. Recovery from trauma is the process of the body finding balance and freeing itself from constraints. All too often, the recovery process is halted, preventing the traumatic occurrence from completing.

There are many reasons traumatic incidents cannot be completed, creating stagnation and causing a cascade of physiological protective mechanisms to separate the trauma from affecting everyday functioning. Because our bodies and emotions can only safely handle a limited amount of stress, trauma results whenever an experience exceeds our abilities to handle and cope with its consequences. The energy of the trauma is stored in our bodies’ tissues (primarily muscles and fascia) until it can be released. This stored trauma typically leads to pain and progressively erodes a body’s health.

Feelings
Emotions are the vehicles the body relies on to find balance after a trauma. Feelings represent the accumulation of incomplete events and the body’s attempt to complete them. By strengthening our inner resources, we are capable of processing these feelings, releasing stored traumas, and increasing our ability to handle stress with greater ease.

Protection
When trauma occurs, our bodies activate a protective mechanism. A stressor that is too much for a person to handle overloads the nervous system, stopping the trauma from processing. This overload halts the body in its instinctive fight or flight response, causing the traumatic energy to be stored in the surrounding muscles, organs and connective tissue. Whenever we store trauma in our tissue, our brain disconnects from that part of the body to block the experience, preventing the recall of the traumatic memory. Any area of our body that our brain is disconnected from won’t be able stay healthy or heal itself. The predictable effect of stored trauma is degeneration and disease.

Memory Beyond the Brain
There is ample scientific evidence proving memory storage in locations other than the brain abound. Three examples of the body containing extraordinary memory capabilities are:

1. Immune system response is enhanced by memory T-cells maintaining information about previous attacks by specific foreign antigens.

2. Muscle memory improves the ability of top class sports people and musicians to perform optimally even under extreme pressure.

3. Genetic research has demonstrated that the matrix composing our body’s cells (DNA) possess a complex information storage system.

When considering the vastness of our body’s intelligence, it is no wonder that our muscles and fascia are capable of holding memories.

Unlocking Memories
Three things are necessary for the body to release stored trauma:

1. The inner resources to handle the experience that were not in place when the experience originally occurred.

2. Space for the traumatic energy to go when released. Being full of tension and stress does not allow space for the stored trauma to move into.

3. Reconnection of the brain with the area of the body where the trauma is stored.

Combining bodywork with verbal therapy can successfully bring a trauma to completion. Many types of verbal therapy are ideal for the development of a person’s inner resources for handling a traumatic experience. Certain bodywork styles effectively reduce stress and tension levels making room for release as well as function to reconnect the brain with the stored trauma.

Bodyworkers play a key role in bridging locked memories with the physical body. The techniques known as myofascial release or myofascial unwinding are hands-on methods for initiating traumatic memory release. Myofascial work locates and physically frees the restrictions in muscle and surrounding fascial tissue that house traumatic memories. As a skilled therapist holds and unwinds these tissue tensions, memories may surface and release, causing the body to spontaneously "replay" body movements associated with the memory of the trauma. This release initiates relaxation, unlocking the frozen components of the nervous system. Such a shift marks the reconnection of the brain with the tissue housing the trauma, allowing transformation and healing to ensue.

Seeking Support
Bodyworkers utilizing myofascial release techniques practice within the illuminating space between physical and emotional health. While developing the emotional resources to cope with a traumatic experience is best reserved for those specifically trained in verbal therapy, bodyworkers can effectively fill the gap of total health in traumatic recovery. As psychological counseling is beyond the scope of practice for most massage therapists, it is recommended to practice release techniques with a client who has sought, or is currently seeking support from a mental health professional. Meeting all three of the components necessary for unlocking and healing from stored trauma combines the work between client, mental health professional and bodyworker. With this holistic approach, traumatic events can go to completion, allowing the body to once again find balance.

Recommended Study:
Myofascial Release
Advanced Anatomy and Physiology

References:

Grant, Keith Eric, PhD, NCTMB, Mind and Body, Massage Today, July 2003.

www.alchemyinstitute.com, The Alchemy of Healing: An Exploration of the Meaning of Illness, David Quigley, the Alchemy Institute of Healing Arts, 2006.

www.anniebrook.com, The Physiology of Shock and Trauma, Annie Brook MA, LPC, Annie Brook, 2001.

www.cranialsacraltherapy.org.uk, Tissue Memory and Trauma, David Ellis, November 2005.

www.fnd.org, Writings on the Great Unwinding, Marvin Solit, DO, The Foundation for New Directions, February 2005.

www.integrative-healthcare.org, The Therapeutic Relationship in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Natural Wellness, July 2005.

www.positivehealth.com, Biodynamic Massage: A Truly Therapeutic Massage, Denise McCrohan, Positive Health Publications Ltd., 2002.

www.satyamag.com, Releasing Muscle-Bound Memories, David Drier, Stealth Technologies Inc., November 2001.

© Copyright 2007. Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies. All rights reserved. 1-800-364-5722

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2. http://saveyourself.ca/articles/tissue-memory.php

The Body Remembers
How your body can store emotional experience in your tissues, and experience them again during massage therapy
by Paul Ingraham, Registered Massage Therapist (Vancouver)

This document expresses my opinion only, and does not replace medical advice. More …

Recently, a woman came to me with a question: “Why do I start crying when I go like this?” And she tipped her chin up into the air.

“Do you feel like crying right now?”

“Yes, but I can control it. If I stay here, though, it will get stronger until I have to cry.”

What on earth is going on here?

This is an unusually vivid and specific case of body memory or somatized emotion, a phenomenon well known to many massage therapists and mental health care professionals. Even more exotic examples come up occasionally, but the experience is stranger than the explanation.

Even after many years of scientific data (and new age propaganda), most people still tend to believe that thoughts and feelings are abstract and have little or nothing to do with the physical body. The only widely accepted example of emotions affect the body is that stress aggravates or even causes a variety of conditions, especially heart disease. But the mind-body connection it goes much deeper than that.

When you feel an emotion, you feel it all over: every cell in your body is involved

Emotions are a physical as well as a mental experience. An emotion is a set of physiological changes of all kinds, within a specific mental context. For instance, guilt is characterized by constriction of peripheral blood vessels and cooling, and increased blood pressure and muscle tone. A set of neurological and hormonal events also takes place, releasing a cocktail of molecules into the bloodstream that change the behaviour of every cell in your body. When you feel guilty, you feel guilty all over: your toe cells are affected just as much as your brain cells.

Muscle tissue in particular is involved in emotional experience. It constitutes a large and complex sensory organ (see The Sixth Sense), as well as an organ of action. A strong emotion can permanently alter the constitution of muscle tissue. Later on, stressing those tissues, or placing them in a position that physically recalls the circumstances of the original emotion, essentially recreates the sensation. In this way, emotions can become “carved in flesh,” a kind of memory — much the way a smell can evoke strong memories, a physical position can evoke them too, and strong emotions along with them.

You can think of body memory as “long term memory.” If you have a fierce, passing craving for a chocolate bar or a wave of sadness as you’re watching the news, it probably doesn’t get stored in your muscles. The stuff that gets stored tends to be either chronic or intense. In other words, the important stuff: major themes and the crises.

Emotion stored in muscles is ancient history

My client was demonstrating a very immediate recovery of emotional experience from her tissues. Whatever it was, it was ancient history. If the original emotion was felt during a crisis, she would have remembered it. The alternative is that it had to be accumulating for a long time.

We all have emotional experiences, usually sadness and anger, stored like memories in our tissues, and it is usually not so obvious. In fact, most people are not aware of it at all: it all just blends into aches and pains, and feels like weariness or anxiety.

Fortunately, it’s a fairly simple matter to create a safe opportunity to dissipate body memory, and getting rid of it can literally feel like a weight off your back. Just one more reason why people love massage therapy for reasons they can’t explain to their doctor.

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Next meeting: January 12, 2009

2009-01-04T14:02:00.002-06:00

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

The January meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 12th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).

Matt Kramer will present information on Voice Mapping and Sound Healing, a type of biofeedback therapy.

Matt Kramer is a professional mediator, facilitator and trainer. Since 1994, he's performed over 500 mediations including workplace conflicts, business, family, divorce and custody disputes, small claims and litigated civil disputes and victim/offender restitution. Currently, Matt is also a practitioner of Voice Mapping and will be speaking about this therapy at our meeting. Please visit his website at http://www.mkvoicemap.com/ and bring any questions you have.

To give you an idea about what Matt will be talking about, here's a brief excerpt from his website:

"In a Voice Mapping session, you will record short "voice maps" on family, relatives and significant people in your life, about circumstances (such as car accidents and traumatic childhood events), and about health and other chronic conditions that are limiting your capacity to live a full, emotionally healthy life. Words are not recorded, only a combination of the present and missing frequencies in your voice. The missing frequencies are a consequence of the buried memories connected to the subject of your recording."

"The frequencies derived from your recording are then broadcast back to you. These frequencies stimulate and balance the relevant memory/muscle connection. During the balancing, you may experience a powerful emotional release or realize a significant insights into stress your experienced. If that connection is storing a memory connected to stress and trauma, that memory is causing an imbalance or distortion in the body’s energy field. That imbalance is contributing to the challenges you may be facing. In the biofeedback process, you may recall forgotten memories, strong emotional feelings, and/or critical insights that can help you break free of rigid thinking, unresolved grief and anger and other buried emotions that keep you stuck in repetitive behavior patterns."

More information may be found at http://www.mkvoicemap.com/

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.

Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the

Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Classroom A
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

Map:http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=&daddr=8200+Walnut+Hill+LN+Dallas,+TX+75231&iwstate1=dir:to&oi=manybox&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=16&cd=1&resnum=1

When turning into the campus from eastbound Walnut Hill, the best route to take may be the driveway prior to the light for the main entrance. The driveway curves away from the main entrance (direction towards North Central Expressway) and the entry to the parking lot is on the left (gated entry). The Fogelson Building has a small dome on top and is next to the Margot Perot Center.

Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Classroom A is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.