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

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

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

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

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

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: September 12, 2011

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.

Read more: http://www.arttherapyblog.com/art-therapy-ideas/get-creative-with-collages/#ixzz0sAU1lg2c

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

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&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

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.