Traumatic-Brain-Injury Books

I know Larry personally and have heard him tell the amazing story of he and his wife. It's incredible to see his story now in print! He and his wife are class acts and very personable.

Their concern for others with brain injuries is very obvious and the thing that impresses me the most is that I know they have a very keen and sincere empathy for brain injury survivors...

--
Best Regards,
Curtis Arnold
[...]Author of "How You can Profit from Credit Cards"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0132353776 (FT Press, 2008)
Coauthor of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Person-to-Person Lending"
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Person-Person-Lending/dp/1592578829
(Penguin, 2009)

This book was just what I needed to help me understand what my son is going through and how I may be better able to help him. Thank you so much Larry & Beth!! It's only been 8 months but he's doing great and I love the lists the book uses to help keep things organized and remembered. I also love your website! For anyone who is going through TBI or any form of brain injury this book is a must.

You're having a pretty typical day: work is progressing as usual, you make casual conversation here and there, you begin to look forward to your favorite TV shows later that evening...

All of a sudden, you feel a sharp, flashing sensation, you become dizzy & disoriented, and the next thing you know you're waking up in a hospital bed surrounded by friends & family. Over the next few days, doctors and nurses check on your regularly, assuring you that you're improving nicely, that you'll be going home soon, and that you're going to be just fine...

But you're not fine at all. Soon you begin having difficulty reading simple sentences & phrases. Key facts and information - such as your husband's birthday or your anniversary - escape your memory. Cooking a meal for yourself becomes nearly impossible. You even have trouble seeing things in your peripheral vision...

Welcome to the world of over 5 million people in the United States with a long-term or lifelong need for help related to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). From stroke victims to war veterans to athletes recovering from multiple concussions, TBI survivors often look as normal as their healthy counterparts, but their lives are anything but, and in Brain Injury Survivor's Guide Larry & Beth Jameson provide detailed insight into exactly what makes their daily experiences such a challenge.

Make no mistake, though: their informative self-help guide does not serve as a de facto pity party designed to remind TBI survivors of just how discouraged they should feel about their conditions. Rather, as survivors themselves, the Jamesons do a commendable job of infusing hope, optimism, and courage into the hearts and minds of the numerous individuals whose lives have been thusly affected. With the constant reminder that their lives will never be what they once were, the Jamesons successfully provide TBI survivors with helpful tips and useful advice regarding the adoption of new daily routines, which will greatly assist in the survivors' acclimation to their new quality of life.

The Jamesons even include a detailed list of professional organizations & associations that support TBI survivors with helpful programs and other useful opportunities. Coupled with their comprehensive suggestions for memory improvement and overcoming cognitive & behavioral difficulties, Brain Injury Survivor's Guide is a well-balanced, invaluable resource sure to benefit dozens - if not thousands - of individuals who may feel that they have nowhere to turn. Essential reading for those affected by TBI, as well as those who know someone that is or may be.

The Jameson's have provided readers with an easy to read guide for anyone who has gone through this challenge. I highly recommend this book for victim's and their families. It is a great read.

We know these people, or at least we thought we did. Now we understand a lot more about them and appreciate them even more. Larry & Beth have opened up a world that is really scary to many people and they opened it up in such a revealing way. Our hats off to them. This is the first book that I'm seen my wife read cover to cover and be really interested in. If you are close to or know anyone who has suffered from TBI, then get this book. It will tell you a lot. This should be a handout in every trauma facility.

The imagery of some of our country's most remote locations is so vividly described you feel as though you are right there as Debra treks to far-flung places as a school psychologist. I was dismayed, no horrified, by the dramatic dissimilarity between what the law demands for education of our children vs. the lip service actually provided. The techniques that Debra used to help America's troubled children learn should be read and implemented by educators everywhere. And then the heartbreak as the realization dawned for Debra that her Traumatic Brain Injury would force her to leave the profession she loved. This is an extraordinary book that exposes the dark side of education and shows how our children are still being "left behind". It is also a book about the challenges for victims suffering with Traumatic Brain Injury, a look at how hard it is to "connect the dots" when the pathways have been destroyed. Debra triumphs over every obstacle with perseverance and courage. An absolute must-read that you won't be able to put down!

On Christmas Day of 2007, I was favored with a gift I shall always treasure... the first draft of A Matter of Panache. An author can never know the manner in which her words will affect a reader. In my case this story's effect on me was so profound that two months later I was standing on a frozen lake in Alaska, experiencing for myself the crisp, cold silence of the Arctic winter that she describes in part I of the book.

And I've returned two more times since then.

But that is not the only impact this book had on me.

I've yet to meet Debra Sanders in person and yet, after reading the book, I am left with the sense that the first two words of Chapter One personify not just her story, but her. Panache begins with the words, "Open up."

Open Up. It seems to me that this imperative, this plea, this lament resounds through the life of this gifted, loving and devoted educational professional who fights for justice, patience and understanding for her students--and ultimately for herself.

Open Up. As a psychologist, an educator and as a writer, Debra Sanders expands awareness, diminishes fear, and instills self-confidence, not only in children, but in everyone. In short, she empowers. Even people like myself who sometimes require a crow bar to open up! This book just makes you feel... and think. A powerful combination.

The premise of Panache is fascinating. It begins with a woman who leads a fiercely independent, self-reliant yet nurturing existence. I mean, how many radiant young women move to a remote, wilderness area on the Bering Sea to be a school psychologist living and learning from and with Yupik and Inupiat Eskimo children? And how many veterans of the Alaskan Arctic relocate to the canyon lands of southeastern Utah in order to continue to learn from and advocate for the Navajo, Ute and Mormon children who live there?

And when, through a paradoxical twist of fate, Debra is forced to confront something within herself that changes everything--a traumatic brain injury that presents her with challenges greater than any she ever faced in dealing with the psychological issues of her students--how many would have chosen the road she ultimately travels to understand her own story so that she can continue her fight to make sure that truly no child is left behind.

Debra's story is visceral and visual. It is big, broad, wonderful and wild, yet intimate, tender and warm. In reading Panache, I felt as if I had stood on the precipice with Debra, confronted demons and desk jockeys, retreated into darkness and desolation, felt her pain, loneliness, frustration, exceeding joy, and emerged transformed... soaring.

I made the mistake of starting Panache just before dinner. I ended up scrounging through leftovers that evening. Panache became my companion for the next couple of weeks and, throughout my reading, I kept saying to myself, "I never had a teacher who truly inspired me. You would have. I wish you'd been my teacher." When I finished the book, I realized... indeed Debra Sanders has been my teacher and she has inspired me.

What a wonderful gift to have received that Christmas morning. Don't wait for Christmas. Inspiration and empowerment are right there in print. There is no question that for me, I will buy the final version the minute the doors open up on November 18th--which I understand is when A Matter of Panache will be available to the public.

Put a high-achieving woman behind the wheel, add lack of sleep and end up with a recipe for a roller coaster ride known as a "Mild" Traumatic Brain Injury.

Before her accident, Debra spent her career providing students and fellow educators with new and innovative ways to learn and grow and get beyond their limitations. Ironically, a car accident gave her a life altering set of physical and mental limitations of her own.

This book will make you laugh and cry. It takes the reader on a mental and physical journey of a highly intelligent woman, who experiences physical and emotional loss and pain. You see through her eyes the recognition that the special "panache" which helped her in her career was lost in the accident. With her recognition comes the chance for her to create a new and different life, regaining that "panache" in a different way.

I really enjoyed this book and I believe it is a great read for anyone, especially:
~ Someone who has suffered a brain injury
~ Family members, caregivers, and support team members of those who have suffered brain injuries
~ Educators that aid and serve students with disabilities
~ Safe driving advocates
~ Those that support our brave soldiers who are now returning home - especially those who feel that their loved one isn't quite the same
You will get a glimpse of some of the oddities that come when a brain no longer functions in a "normal" manner.

This was generously edited by my husband so you can understand my thoughts, because I too am on the brain injury roller-coaster.

Debra Sanders writes beautifully and compellingly of her life as a school psycholigist both before and after she experiences a life-changing traumatic brain injury. As shes brings to life the richness and complexity of children with special needs, we sense the depth and breadth of her professionalism and dedication. We fall in love with her through her experiences only to suffer with her as she experiences a traumatic brain injury which leaves her ability to write beautifully intact while significantly challenging her ability to think and function in other areas of her life. First we root for her children. Then we root for her. Finally, we are left touched by her love, charm, insight, and courage in sharing her life story with us, including the challenges of a never-ending disability. This is a beautifully deep must-read book.

"A Matter of Panache" is a spellbinding and powerful story of the extraordinary deeds of a dedicated educational psychologist.

Debra Sanders leads us on amazing odyssey from the Alaskan Yukon, to the canyon lands of Utah, through the delirium of a brain injury, and the exasperating back-channels of unethical bureaucracy within our public school system.

Debra battles irrepressibly against unacceptable mediocrity, for the rights of children. She pulls back the curtain for us to witness heartrending cases of abuse, families struggling with Asperger's syndrome, attention deficits, behavioral challenges, learning disabilities, brain injuries, and other physical, cognitive and/or emotional problems.

This is a rare and courageous expose about the limitations of special education today, plus is a window into the disturbing experience of traumatic brain injury.

Yet in the end Panache is an uplifting tale of hope for our civilization.

A lifetime of unique adventure and generosity,
now shared for the benefit of all of us,
and it's a terrific read!

I ran into this book while browsing for something to read in the Cincinatti airport several months ago. It couldn't have been more appropriate for me. A little over a year ago my brother sustained a TBI while in a cycling competition in NC. The struggles that Elizabeth faced are no doubt ones that he is experiencing today, and he continues to have complications that reveal once again how much of an up-and-down journey his recovery will be. This book helped me feel less alone as I dealt with feelings of fear, hope, sadness and frustration. The complexity of the injury and its implications are really difficult to grasp. I was thankful to have found a narrative to help me cope. One day, I hope my brother will be able to read it as well.

I just finished your book "My Lost Summer, and I enjoyed it, and
> > learned from it. I was a lot older when I got my TBI in a car accident, 50 (I'm now 68)I think anyone would like the book, but especially those who have TBI or those that care for them
Don

I thoroughly enjoyed reading My Lost Summer. I could not put it down and read the entire book in one day. The book pulled me into the life of the author and I truly felt that I understood what she had been through. It helped me understand better what someone who has suffered severe head trauma deals with during recovery. It was interesting how the diary that was kept during the time of her recovery compared to the recollections of the author. Elizabeth drew me in with the pain that she delt with when she returned to school and how her friends related to her differently. I would highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fascinating to hear what happens to a person - and his/her family - during recovery from a coma. This is especially interesting because I know Elizabeth as an everyday person, not as "the coma survivor." I especially appreciated her noting the difference in personality after the coma - a lack of awareness of "appropriateness." I have no doubt that traumatic experiences have profound impacts on personality - for better AND for worse.

The author gives a very personal account of what she and her family went through as she recovered from her accident - the day to day uncertainty about the outcome and the road to full recovery. Many families will benefit from having such a book available.

I am a brain injury survivor so it's great to read a book from the survivor's point of view. This book had a lot of legal issues, but it was well written and very honest.

An extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman. This book is about Ms. Cynthia Paddock Doroghazi personal journey of a "miracle" recovery from a coma, due to brain injury; only to transit to a vegetative state. After two years of intense therapy Cynthia recovered to a fully functional person and returned to school to finally complete her master's degree at SAS.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in brain injury recovery; a truly inspiring book.

Searching for the Open Door is the author's inspirational story of how she survived TBI and conquered her own disability. The book is also a must read for anyone who wants to understand health care system and how hospital negligence can result in serious patient injury. Buy this book.

This is an inspiring story about not giving up when all seems lost as well as a lesson on the realities of the health care industry. The medical industry has great powers to save and improve our quality of life when we get sick but the process is full of pitfalls that we can end up in when sloppiness and unaccountability linger in the system. This is a must read for anyone that is going to have a serious medical operation or is trying to cope with a situation created by a tragedy during a medical procedure.

There are many lessons packed into this short story. The author's last chapter, which describes the development of her personal religious beliefs is an added plus, which you can accept or reject without losing the important lessons the book has to offer.

Rosemary Wescott

Ms. Doroghazi's book is outstanding. When she tells her story in person, one gets the sense that here is a strong and savvy individual who survived a difficult experience. However, to read her story in its entirety, as presented in this book, conveys how truly extraordinary her life has been. Written from the hand of the person who lived to tell it, this story is deeply personal - it draws the reader into her world with emotional clarity unmatched in fiction and in all but a few other true life stories. This book can give hope to people facing their own ordeals, as well as insight to those who have no appreciation for how life can change in an instant.

Caregivers Tale is a fascinating and terrifying account of how quickly and often life can go out of control once traumatic brain injury enters the picture. Marie Gass was meticulous in communicating with friends and family after her husband Don's injury. This and her own practice of writing out history as it happens allowed her to assemble an amazingly detailed account of what happened to her life when Don's recovery took it over. The story is well written and very personal. It will be a great help to anyone caring for a loved one under these circumstances.

A "must read" for any caregiver. The detailed case study takes the reader inside the caregiver/spouse's head. Experience the confusion, the pathos, the exhaustion, the hopes and dashed hopes, and the tedium of a life completely changed by an unfortunate incident.

The excellent writing style, the clarity, the humor and pathos, and the very practical issues presented make this a very valuable book. Interspersed are original verses (one of which, Living With Brain Injury, was published in NorthwestCaregiver newsletter).

I laughed and cried and relived my own caregiving experiences. Marie created a protective dome to shield her from hurt. In my case, I called it the "frozen face". I could feel when my patience was stretched almost to the breaking point and my face would stop showing emotion and become a stoic mask.

This would also be a valuable read for those who are uncertain how to help or relate to couples going through "chronic crisis" situations. Her reaction to "canned consolations" is eye opening. Positive suggestions are given for how friends can help instead of withdrawing.

This caregiver's personal life with its art expression, the warm closeness of being a couple with her husband, the freedom to do what and when she wishes, and the joy of just "being" and not constantly "on duty, on call" was lost. I believe that one who hasn't experienced this reality first hand can't really understand or relate to the full-time caregiver role. Living Marie's experience through her perceptions, thoughts, and insights so clearly expressed is an invaluable teaching aid which should be required reading for nursing students, social work students, and all practitioners in the healthcare field.

I highly recommend this book.

Esther Halvorson-Hill, Professor Emeritus
Oregon Health & Science University
Dean of Nursing, Southern Oregon University

I have fallen in love with your story! I find it hard not to pick up during the day, then I have a hard time putting it down. If I just say I'll read a paragraph more, next thing I have polished off 5 more pages and I'm late with something. I especially appreciate your sense of humor. I know in this crazy brain damaged world, it's important to not fall into the "poor us" abyss.

The similarities in our stories are the fall, complications as the body tries to survive, the outpouring of help in the beginning. The whole range of emotions from devastation to hope to Oh my God why me.

In all honesty I loved your book and yet there were times when I was scared of your book. Sometimes I needed to put it down for a few days, to give myself time to deal with the realization that my partner, although alive, may be lost to me forever. You hit the nail right on the head when you said, Progress is not always permanent. Your story made me laugh, cry, and hope for a better tomorrow.

I recommend your book--you have a wonderful way with words and it helps the rest of us to finally have the words to say what is going on inside. I want to most of all thank you for helping me heal by reading this book. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for that the most.

Linda Schumann
Caregiver to TBI husband, beginning Year Three

I found it hard to put this book down. It's so well written that it just draws you right in. I think it would benefit anyone who's involved in care giving. It's told from the caregiver's point of view and you feel like you're there going through each crisis as it happens. It made me realize that a trauma changes not only the victim's life, but also the lives of the family. It made see things from a totally different perspective. The first part of the book concerns the accident and it's consequences. The author conveys a real sense of the couple's personalities. You come to know and care for them through the love and friendship they share. The second part of the book deals with the following years, and living with the results of the injury. The author has been caring for her husband for seven years. She's very honest about her frustration and feelings. I think it's most encouraging for other caregivers experiencing the same emotional roller coaster to know that they are not alone, and they are having normal reactions to extraordinary situations. Anyhow, I was so impressed I bought another copy to give to a friend of mine who's her Mother's caregiver, and have recommended this book to several others.

As the parent of a child with a Traumatic Brain Injury, I have found this book to be invaluable. It has answered so many questions that were very difficult to find the answers to elsewhere. Dr. Schoenbrodt has done a magnificent job of pulling together information written by different professionals such as a medical doctor, a psychologist, special educators, etc. In this extremely informative book, Dr. Schoenbrodt presents ten different chapters: 1)What is Traumatic Brain Injury?; 2)Rehabilitation and Medical Concerns; 3)Coping as a Family; 4)Helping Your Child Adjust; 5)How TBI Affects Learning and Thinking; 6)How TBI Affects Speech and Language; 7)How TBI Affects Behavior; 8)Strategies for Managing Your Child's Behavior; 9)The Educational Needs of Children with TBI; 10) Legal Issues for Families of Children with TBI. There is also a wonderful resource guide which includes a state-by-state listing of organizations for families that have experienced TBI and a list of informative websites. The material provided is given in a clear, concise, and well-written manner. There are many medical terms used but there is also a glossary explaining them. It is not too difficult for the lay person to read, and yet has much to offer the professional. This book has been more help to me than I can ever express. I live in a very rural area and no one seemed to have much information on TBI. As I read the book, every so often I would come across something and say to myself, "Aha! So that's why my son does this or acts this way." There are also many suggestions to help parents and the child recover emotionally and to manage everyday living. I would highly recommend this book to any member of a family that has suffered TBI, and I would also recommend it to any professional seeking more information on the subject. Thank you, Dr. Schoenbrodt!

Wonderful book .Probably the most useful book specifically about TBI in children that I have read.Well Done.If you are looking for a book specifically dealing with TBI in children then look no further

As a parent of a son with TBI, I have battled schools to find a teacher, administrator, specialist... anyone who understands the confusion and disorganisation in my son's brain. This book, among other things, clearly states the stages of brain rehabilitation, lists possible symptoms, explains in layman's terms how things can appear one way one day, and differently the next. I can speak intelligently to untrained educators using quotes from this book to explain abberrant and unexpected behavior as exhibited by my son. And believe me, the teachers are UNTRAINED in TBI. Ask me, I am a teacher! Everything I have learned about TBI, I taught myself after my son fell and damaged his brain - and this book is the best place to start that I can recommend.

This is an excellent book for beginning therapists as well as those who have been in the field for several years. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with these authors over the last few months and have found them to be an excellent example of dedicated speech therapists who are willing to go the extra mile for their clients who are higher functioning. The acitivites in this book are functional and easy to adapt to individual clients and their needs. I guarantee that you will find this book useful in planning the most effective and functional therapy for you clients. Enjoy!!

I work at a outpatient head injury rehab facility and deal mainly with higher level cognition such as attention, problem solving, and memory. It is very difficult to find materials and I used to make up my own. This book has allowed me to free up alot of the time I used producing my own materials. It is a terrific book and a great asset. One other therapist in my facility has bought the book and our student affiliate has taken great interest in it. Great job at making such a useful tool!

As a graduate student, I have found this book to be a valuable resource. I have used it in many different practicum settings, and find the activities and exercises easy to use as well as effective. In addition, the appendix on 'therapy documentation, transition, and discharge' has been very helpful as I learn more about the paperwork that accompanies the field of speech-language pathology.

Agree with above. The book is excellent. It captures the essence of traumatic brain injuries. In its brilliantly edited 771 pages, it provides a comprehensive, yet captivating perusal of this essential topic.

I purchased this book for a needed couse for my PhD in Clinical Psychology. The book provided an indepth look at Traumatic Brain Injury from causes, to differentiation in type to treatment. Highly recommended.

What a beautifully written book. Many blessings to Miss Jarvis. Her courage and determination through her journey of a brain injury is absolutely incredible. I have witnessed first hand the continuous upheavel a TBI can bring to a family. I wish this book had been around at that horrendous time in my life.
Thank you Miss Jarvis for sharing your story.

When professionals are confronted with patients or family members who are overwhelmed by the results of a traumatic brain injury, there needs to be more information shared than can be during an office visit. This manual provides excellent hand-outs which are reproducible and information which the family members can refer back to over the course of the week.