Experience-Based

How experience-based approach can be helpful

My daughter Sarah and I are Cognitive Functioning Brain Injury (CFBI) survivors with over 60 years combined experience, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), acquired brain injury (ABI), and multiple brain injuries. This experience also includes providing support for my daughter Sarah’s brain injury, helping her through the devastating symptoms, and persevering through personal and professional life challenges.

Sarah told me recently that my help and support have been instrumental during her years of struggle and recovery. She thinks that my own brain injury experience gave me the insight and understanding to help her. So, basically, this webspace is all about experience-based mentoring and support for brain injury survivors and their caregivers, with a cognitive functioning focus.

There is much knowledge and experience to share, especially about the many devastating brain injury symptoms. There is much to share about seizures, the functional shifts in the brain, and the impact of hormonal, chemical, and biological changes. There is also much to share about those devastating seizures. Sarah had many episodes of grand mal seizures and a variety of a-typical seizures. All this was the result of her hemorrhagic stroke at age 12 and 5 Gamma-Knife surgeries over the following 20 years. Those Gamma-Knife radiation sessions created additional injuries to her brain, but were necessary to treat her birth defect of Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM), in order to prevent additional hemorrhagic strokes. She recently had a Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) implant in order to manage those various types of seizures, and while it helped, her seizures days are not completely over.

An experience-based approach to self-help offers unique and invaluable benefits, particularly for those navigating complex challenges. By drawing from real-life experiences, this approach fosters a deep sense of connection and relatability, helping individuals feel understood and less isolated in their struggles. It provides practical, tried-and-tested strategies that address the nuanced realities often overlooked by generalized advice. This authenticity inspires hope and trust, showing that recovery and growth are achievable. Moreover, experience-based guidance often highlights common pitfalls, unspoken truths, and overlooked resources, empowering individuals to approach their journey with greater clarity, confidence, and resilience.