Are there any new posts on here?
The community has been fairly quiet, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a response if you post something.
Sharon from ModSupport
Good morning/afternoon Sharon,
Thank you for your reply and letting me know this. I will ‘keep an eye’ on the Site at various times to check for posts/responses. I have a TBI and live alone in a small house in a Rural area. This can, at times, be challenging but manageable. I try to remain positive and reach out to others when I become doubtful about the future with this impairment… Thank you,
Hey @Cbcowboy,
You ask about newer posts. This community was one of our more active communities. We needed to change our server and in the changeover we had some major issues. We had a chat feature which was the primary method many members in TBI utilised, but in the changeover we lost access to that chat platform and the members lost contact with the site. We have since reinstated a chat facility, but those members have not returned. But as Sharon states “that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a response if you post something.”
Merl
Thank you for your reply…
Cowboy, I wondered the same thing, could never figure out chat module so don’t miss it. Are you a vet? I had a brain tumor and bleed, I’ve been going to rehab for a couple of years now through video. There is no end date, but I’m afraid of having another meltdown caused by hearing voices. I take a antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer… So my brain bleed is considered a tbi and was in hospitals for 2 years. What is your story?
If I don’t answer I can’t figure it out or I forget to check but hopefully it reminds me.
I was in a high-speed ATV crash in 2020; I was busted up pretty badly. In a coma for a few weeks, then physical rehab for a couple of months, learning how to walk/talk again. I live alone in a Rural area and readjusting to this type of environment was/is difficult. Many medications/appointments later and I am still alive. I, too had a brain bleed .
Sorry to hear that. Was alcohol involved, a few brain injuries are alcohol induced. One patient at the rehab I was at had anoxia from an overdose of alcohol. Most were MVAs, one guy had a brain abcess and few had strokes, they had aphasia, It was a vet’s hospital but none were involved in combat…lol Was called BIRU Brain Injury Rehab Unit in Palo Alto.
Mike,
Yes, alcohol was involved; I actually quit drinking alcohol because of it. Next month will be 5 years. I was working away from home at an Oil Refinery (Suncor) in the years leading up to the ‘accident’. 14 days at work and 7 days at home. The money was good, as I was in Supervision. The 7 days off were generally lived ‘in a hurry’. I am still living in the house I bought 25 years ago in Rural Alberta. I ride a Side by Side machine now and for the last 3-4 years, roll bars, seatbelts and sober. Life is definitely a lot slower and… more practiced.
Hello Sharon/ModSupport,
Yes, I have been conversing with a fellow - Mike - on this site. All good. Thank you…
Hi @Cbcowboy
What can we help you out with? I’ll make sure to check back in later
Also, let me just say, that’s a huge change that you made in your life and you deserve congratulations! Quitting drinking is an accomplishment
Sharon from Modsupport
Sharon,
I am currently about 300 miles north of my residence, with my Smoky Lake Lions Club. 6 of us are in Fort McMurray, Alberta-where I used to work-volunteering at a Casino event; our Club receives a portion of the profits for 2 days of assistance. Hotel/food supplied. This is my second year doing this and I have been an active Lions member since my accident almost 5 years ago. I find that the experience gives me much needed cognitive/social skills…
We have been getting much-needed rain here in northern Alberta, due to the prevalent Wildfires that have been burning ‘out of control’ in Canada’s western Provinces for the past month. The conditions have been so dry. In any event, thanks for replying back to me and letting me know that the site is monitored.
Have a good day, everybody there,
Sharon/gang from ModSupport,
As I asked before, I was/am looking for TBI peer support Zoom groups. When I was initially discharged from Physical Rehab almost 5 years ago, I was involved with ABIN (Alberta Brain Injury Network) and we ‘patients’ were involved in monthly Zoom meetings that were always something to look forward to. They have since been discontinued, and there was no forwarding info. I am not organized enough to restart these types of meetings on my own, as it takes me almost 30 minutes to get an email off to you guys/gals… I would just like to discuss medications with people who know the effects of various types/strengths. Currently, I take Gabapentin; I just went from 500 mg 3 times per day to 600 mg 2 times a day… with Doctors’ approval, of course. So, from 1500 mgs/day to 1200 mgs/day overall. I find the higher dosages, on a daily basis, make me sleepy and according to my research, are responsible for my weight gain?
I can actually talk to you about the gabapentin. It’s not uncommon for there to be some sleepiness per week or so after switching to a higher dosage, but that should smooth out. If it doesn’t, I would encourage you to reach back out to your doctor and let them know that you are very sleepy with the gabapentin increase
Sharon
Larry,
https://www.disabilities-r-us.com/ is a chatroom that encompasses all injuries. There hasn’t been a dedicated tbi chat room (tbichat), since the nineties. Are you on a retirement program thru Canada? I get a VA stipend and SS disability insurance through the US gov. That is if luck holds out and the country doesn’t dissolve…lol
Sharon,
Thank you for the reply… but this time my Gabapentin dosage change was not an increase overall. I went from 1500 mgs/day in 3 doses of 500 mgs to 1200 mgs/day in 2 doses of 600 mgs. My peripheral neuropathy from my TBI is very troublesome and my Doctor and I have been trying various strengths/dosages for a few years (3) now. Before my accident, I never so much as took an aspirin.
That’s really interesting