Military Personal Stories & Blogs

We feature stories from people who have sustained a brain injury and who are doing their best to put their lives back together. We also hear from caregivers who share their experiences as they take care of the person they love and try to find the best in every day.

Latest Personal Story

Jack Jones’s urn and memorial with prints of his left foot and left hand
October 1, 2022

“During pregnancy, a mother celebrates the journey with family and friends — think baby names, baby showers, nurseries, tiny clothes … smiles from strangers and proud hands on an ever-expanding belly. The journey of being pregnant is both personal and public. So, what should be one of the most magical experiences shared with family, friends, and colleagues becomes one of private emotional and physical trauma in a closed room, an experience that is then often not acknowledged nor spoken about. The mother returns home still looking pregnant, her hormones still acting as if she is pregnant, but her arms and heart are empty.”

Latest Blog Post

David and his wife, wearing "Wild African Trek" vests, smile in front of a hippopotamus
February 2, 2023

If there’s one thing that is all but guaranteed after a brain injury, it’s uncertainty. So much of what we face as survivors is unique to the brain injury community. Brain injury is often — but not always — invisible to others and no two brain injuries are alike. The challenges I face are often different from those other survivors face. Often invisible, and always unpredictable, brain injury is a unique confluence of challenges.

David A. Grant blogs about life after brain injury

Our Blogs

BrainLine is incredibly lucky to collaborate with a group of outstanding bloggers willing to share their ups and downs, insights, and honest moments of both despair and hope.

Head Space and Timing

Duane France, Combat Veteran & Clinical Mental Health Counselor
Duane France, Combat Veteran & Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Retired Army Noncommissioned Officer and clinical mental health counselor, Duane France, helps those who may be struggling with PTSD, TBI, depression and anxiety.

Latest Post:

Harmony Through Caregiving: Finding the Balance and Blend

Stacey Shade-Ware smiling at the camera
Stacey Shade-Ware, veteran caregiver

My husband proudly served for nearly 25 years, deploying more than he’d care to recount. After a couple TBI's and a PTSD diagnosis, now we take life one day at time.

Latest Post:

From Blowing Down Doors to Healing Minds and Bodies: A Navy SEAL’s Journey to Mindfulness

Jon Macaskill meditating, kneeling, in his Navy uniform
Jon Macaskill, Retired Navy SEAL Commander

I retired from the Navy with the rank of commander after 24 years, 17 as a SEAL. To deal my PTSD I tried counseling and several prescriptions. Meditation is what really saved me.

Latest Post:

Healing From Trauma

Headshot of Tamar Rodney, PhD, PMHNP-BC, CNE
Tamar Rodney, PhD, PMHNP-BC, CNE

Dr. Rodney breaks down complex terms and issues to help you better understand what you might be feeling or experiencing.

Latest Post: