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Life after brain injury is, if anything, surreal. Just when you think you’ve mastered life as a survivor, something else happens, something you never saw coming. The silver lining is that one of the skills that can be mastered after brain injury is simply the ability to roll with things, to not get flustered, and to understand at a deep level that it’s just part of the journey and that, in the end, all will be okay.
Those who know me well know that I am a big fan of peer support for brain injury survivors. While there is a lot of information to be gained from the medical community, the subtle and at times not so subtle nuances that come with living the brain injury life can’t be taught from books. As a TBI survivor, my own lived experience is my greatest asset in my advocacy work. It’s the sharing of this lived experience that creates strong bonds and lifelong friendships within the survivor community.
Disorders of consciousness after severe brain injury exist on a continuum—from coma to unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (vegetative state) to minimally conscious state (MCS) and post‑traumatic confusional state.
In this video, Joseph Giacino, PhD, explains how clinicians approach decisions about withdrawing life‑sustaining treatment for people with disorders of consciousness after severe brain injury—and why these decisions are often made too early.
In this video, Brian Edlow, MD, explains how families and clinicians work together to make decisions about life‑sustaining treatment for people with disorders of consciousness.
In this video, Joseph Giacino, PhD, challenges common misconceptions about recovery after severe brain injury and prolonged disorders of consciousness.
In this video, Brian Edlow, MD, discusses what current research can—and cannot—tell us about predicting recovery after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
In this video, Joseph Giacino, PhD, explains why integrated care across the ICU and rehabilitation settings is essential for improving outcomes for people with disorders of consciousness.
In this video, Beth Hansen, PT, DPT, explains how rehabilitation teams assess pain, stress, and tolerance during therapy for people with disorders of consciousness.
In this video, Beth Hansen, PT, DPT, explains how rehabilitation teams support communication as patients begin to emerge from a disorder of consciousness.
In this video, Beth Hansen, PT, DPT, explains the vital role families play in helping communication emerge for people recovering from a disorder of consciousness.
In this video, Caitlin Hebb, MT‑BC, explains how neurologic music therapy supports recovery for people with disorders of consciousness by stimulating arousal, awareness, speech, and movement.
In this video, Gail Strom, mother of Hannah, shares her personal experience navigating the emotional ups and downs of a loved one’s recovery from a disorder of consciousness.
In this video, Joseph Giacino, PhD, explains how specialized inpatient rehabilitation helped uncover the cause of Hannah’s slow language recovery after a disorder of consciousness.
In this video, Joseph Giacino, PhD, explains why many people with disorders of consciousness struggle to access specialized inpatient rehabilitation—despite having significant potential for recovery.
In this video, Beth Hansen, PT, DPT, explains what families should look for when choosing an inpatient rehabilitation program for someone with a disorder of consciousness.
Recovering from Disorders of Consciousness follows the powerful true story of Hannah Strom, a young woman who survived a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spent weeks in a disorder of consciousness. Through her journey — and the experiences of patients, families, and clinicians — this video explores how consciousness can slowly return, why early prognoses are often uncertain, and how specialized inpatient rehabilitation can change outcomes after severe brain injury.
Life after brain injury remains a bit surreal. One might think that after fifteen years, I would have mastered the subtle nuances of this second life, but not even close. Occasionally, I am reminded that I live on a different plane than the neuro normals of the world but I've found ways to adapt and celebrate.
What is neurofatigue? How does it affect people with brain injury (TBI)? Find out what it is, what it feels like, and what you can do to help mitigate symptoms and start to feel better.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, my 16th as a brain injury survivor. Looking back, until my life became defined by brain injury, I had never heard of Brain Injury Awareness Month. For several years after my injury, the goal was simple: I wanted to be the person I was prior to my injury. I wanted to be “the old me.” But what if I told you I could be better than my old self in ways I never saw coming?