Last weekend marked the close of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina Italy. Thousands of athletes bid farewell to all the glory of the past two weeks and returned to normal life. I have enjoyed watching many of these thrilling events. Competition and comradery are...
Ok, let’s be realistic. We’re living in some turbulent times! I try to find the balance between being informed and being overwhelmed. It seems like a simple response to every situation should be “Just learn to get along. How about a...
I watched the snow falling, covering the ground in a thick white quilt. I wiped away tears as I stared at the thick, white cast covering most of my right leg. I’d be spending Christmas in the hospital. It started on the morning of December...
The statistics given to couples following a brain injury are horrible and terrifying. They are told that upwards of 90% of marriages end in divorce after a spouse sustains a brain injury. I say—boldly—90%...
Maybe it’s Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas” that gets your adrenaline going and your shopping list done. Brenda Lee singing “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” is the motivation I need to do my decorating. Of course, there’s the slow sipping of my eggnog...
I would have to say that nine times out of ten when I’m introduced to someone, they will say: “you look very familiar”. This is always followed by: where do you work? Where do you live? Are you related to ...etc. I tell people I’m a twin, which is true so they...
I see it coming, the month of September. Why do I hold my breath when I reach to turn the calendar forward to the next page? I think it’s because September is a lot like my storage closet under the stairs. If I could open it slowly, one day at a time, I could breathe...
On Friday, July 26, the world watched as the Olympic Games were officially opened in Paris, France. Two hundred and six countries are taking part. For the first time ever, the ceremonies took place outdoors. Ninety boats formed a parade down the Seine transporting...
UBC researchers and community stakeholders have published a paper on the Priorities for Quality of Life After Brain Injury and an informative infographic. It is known that individuals who have sustained a brain injury may experience changes to their quality of...
Last week anxious travelers watched as WestJet mechanics negotiated on a tentative deal. It resulted in 1,078 flights being canceled and over 100,000 frustrated customers stranded in cities across Canada. Have you ever experienced airport anxiety? We all know it’s...
We will take a moment this month to wish Happy Mother’s Day to the person who fills that role in our lives. It is a role that is always changing. We find ourselves flexing and stretching through the years to straddle the demands of home and work. Throw a Traumatic...
~By Debra Erickson May 16, 2008, I was heading up our city’s Bike to Work Week. While cycling home from my office that day, I was hit by a truck. The vehicle fled the scene and left me unconscious at the side of the road. That split second forever altered my life. Two...
Debra’s Journey: Introduction Brainstreams is pleased to introduce Debra Erickson, the newest writer in our Between the Lines series committed to sharing the stories of brain injury survivors. Debra Erickson was the victim of a hit and run in May 2008 and sustained a...
In 2006, Michael Coss and his family were traveling the Coquihalla highway when their van left the road. Michael sustained a traumatic brain injury. Michael was fortunate to have tremendous family support and to fall under the care of Dr. Jean-Francois Chevalier in...
Allan Boss, a CBC radio producer living in Alberta, credits music and guitar playing to aiding in his recovery following a brain injury. Music has been found to have a variety of beneficial effects on brain injury recovery in several ways, including emotional and...