The Brain Injury Association of America has announced Brain Injury Awareness Day as Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at our Nation’s Capitol in Washington DC.

This event is hosted by: Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D NJ) and Congressman Don Bacon (R-Neb.), co-chairs of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force.

It is FREE to attend, everyone is welcome, and no registration is required.

Although BIAA and brain injury advocates work with Congress thoughout the year, Brain Injury Awareness Day is important because it is the one day dedicated to educating your elected officials about brain injury and how vital federal funding is to continue the Federal TBI State Grant Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TBI Programs, and brain injury research conducted by the TBI Model Systems.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) will be hosting a TBI stakeholder meeting on Monday, March 3rd. Please note you do have to RSVP for this meeting. ACL will also be hosting a brown bag lunch meeting on Wednesday, March 4th on Capitol Hill.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
10am-2pm Brain Injury Awareness Fair
Rayburn Foyer, First floor, Rayburn House Office building.
2:30-4:00pm
Brain Injury Briefing
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2168 (Gold Room)
5:00-7:00pm
Reception celebrating Brain Injury Awareness Month
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2168 (Gold Room)

The very first Brain Injury Awareness Day on Capitol Hill was held in 2002, and is is hosted by the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force co-chaired by Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Thomas J. Rooney (R-Fla.). It is put on in partnership with the Brain Injury Association of America. I will be meeting with my Senators while I am in DC and asking them to join the Task Force!

How YOU can help — even if you’re not able to attend in-person in Washington DC:

1. Find your local Senator and Representatives:
– To find your Senator you can visit www.senate.gov and click on your state
– To find your Representative you visit www.house.gov and enter your zip code in the upper right hand corner
2. Send them a letter requesting they join the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. Use this letter as a template (change out the RED highlighted areas). CLICK HERE FOR PDF
3. Include this form for them to join the Task Force. CLICK HERE FOR PDF.
4. Schedule a meeting with them while you’re in DC (if you’re attending).

Please contact Amy Colberg, Director of Government Affairs, at acolberg@biausa.org if you would like assistance with scheduling meetings with your elected officials during Brain Injury Awareness Day on Capitol Hill.

additional resources for BIA Day can be found here:
https://www.biausa.org/public-affairs/public-awareness/brain-injury-awareness

This year will be my sixth time attending BIA Day, and I wanted to offer my fellow survivors who are planning to attend some tips on planning out your day!

Map Your Route
Whether you’re arriving by Metro, Taxi, or car, it is important to do your research and know where you’re going. Make note of which building you need to be at, and program the addresses into your GPS using the “walk” option, or print out maps and highlight your path. NOTE: You will need to go through security screening to enter any of the buildings at the Capitol. You can not bring in food or beverages, and your bags will be scanned and/or checked by hand. Please be prepared, and feel free to tell security you have a brain injury and may need some assistance from them.

Plan Your Schedule In Advance
Understand how much energy you’re willing to exert and plan accordingly. If you can only give yourself and hour or so, I highly suggest you put your energy towards the Awareness Fair. You will be able to meet with vendors who support brain injury awareness, you’ll meet fellow survivors, interact with the Brain Injury Association of America, and pick up some free swag to take home with you! The Congressional Briefing can get a bit long, and can be over stimulating to listen to, however, you will learn a lot and get updates on what is happening across the country with brain injury awareness, detection, and prevention. The Reception is a fun time to hang out with the new people you have just met, as well as eat some tasty treats.

Wear Comfortable Shoes
It’s important to understand that there is a lot of walking involved when you’re at the Capitol. You will walk from your car, Taxi, or Metro stop to the building, and also between the buildings. Distance is deceiving when you look at a map, so it’s good to be prepared for a lot of walking!

Stay Hydrated & Eat A Snack
Eat a healthy breakfast before heading out. Hydration is critical to brain health, so bring a water bottle and fill it up once you’re through security. There is also a cafeteria located inside the building where you can purchase beverages as well as a meal or snacks.

Bring A Notebook & Pen & Tote Bag
You will likely meet a lot of wonderful new people, and you’ll want to grab their business card and/or make notes. You will be taking in a lot of new information, and I suggest writing things down so you don’t forget, and make notations of things you want to follow up on. A tote bag will come in handy to carry around the free swag that you pick up (pens, etc).

Pace Yourself & Be Prepared For Overstimulation
Get LOTS of rest the night before. This is going to be a busy day with lots of people, walking, and interaction. Bring with you any comfort items you may need such as sunglasses and earplugs. Take breaks and pace yourself, you’re under no obligation to see it all and do everything on the schedule!

HAVE FUN!

Here is a recap of the first BIA Day I attended in March, 2015 on Huffington Post: CLICK HERE

Thank you to Drs. Brice Jackson and Daniel Lane, from Mid-Atlantic Brain and Neurological Rehabilitation, for being a local event sponsor for #NOTINVISIBLE at Baltimore, MD and Fairfax, VA.

Located in Silver Springs, MD, Dr. Jackson is a board certified Functional Neurologist, as well as certified in brain injury rehabilitation and vestibular rehabilitation. He has success with post-concussion syndrome, traumatic brain injury, developmental disorders in children, dizziness and vertigo, stroke, and chronic pain.

Their clinic uses a brain-based approach to rehabilitation. They do not focus on compensatory strategies, instead they use an advanced evaluation and examination equipment in an attempt to find the parts of the brain that are dtysfunctioning, and then structure a therapeutic strategy to address those underlying deficits. 

When I asked Dr. Jackson what brought him to working with brain injury patients, he answered, “As a young adult, I was diagnosed with a chronic auto-immune disease. My prognosis included surgeries, a lifetime of medications, and regular cancer screenings. I was fortunate to find other practitioners who focused on recovery as opposed to coping, and that led me to become a Chiropractic Physician … which then led me to Functional Neurology.”

His message to all brain injury survivors is this: “The majesty of the human brain is that it is changeable. It is a process called plasticity. No matter how much time has passed since your brain injury, your brain is still plastic — capable of learning, efficiency, and growth. For a suffering patient, that means you are capable of healing, not just coping.:

For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit: www.MABNR.com

Follow MABNR on Instagram: @midatlanticbrain

and on Facebook @midatlanticbrainandneurologicalrehabilitation

Again, thank you Drs. Jackson and Lane for your support of the #NOTINVISIBLE awareness campaign — this project is not possible without supporters like yourself!

The Brain Health Magazine is officially on Kickstarter!!

Pre-order your print subscription by backing the project at $25 for a one-year or $50 for a two-year subscription (print available in US only for now). We also have a “professional subscription” for provider and professionals who would like 4 copies of the magazine delivered to their clinic/office!

If you’re not familiar with Kickstarter, it is a crowdfunding platform to bring a project or product to consumers — in this case it’s a magazine! I have successfully published all three of my books through this platform, and appreciate each and every backer who helps support my mission!

The Brain Health Magazine is a resource for living your best life after brain injury. It is for survivors, caregivers, anyone interested in their brain health, as well as professionals and providers. It is a bi-monthly publication that will always be FREE for digital download to readers all over the world!

Thank you for your continued support of my advocacy work, and I hope you enjoy this magazine as much as I have enjoyed creating it!

Pre-order your print subscription on Kickstarter: 
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brainhealthmag/the-brain-health-magazine

Thank you to Dr. Lizzie McNally, owner of MidCoast Chiropractic Neurology, for being a local event sponsor for our #NOTINVISIBLE event at MidCoast, Maine.

Located in Brunswick, ME Dr. McNally specializes in working with patients who have post-TBI/concussion symptoms, vestibular disorders, and childhood developmental disorders.

As a doctoral student at Palmer College, she found Neurology to be of specific interest, so while attending to her education full time, she began additional studies in this specialized area with The Carrick Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation.

She always knew she wanted to be a practitioner, however, there were a few significant personal experiences that guided her to becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic and Functional Neurologist. While growing up she suffered multiple concussions and was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Type 3. These personal experiences provided her with the first-hand understanding from the perspective of a patient. They were significant influencing factors in her desire to further sub-specialize in post-concussion rehabilitation and developmental disorders. 

Dr. McNally explains that her clinic is completely patient-centered, “Everything on the clinical side, beginning with the new patient examination, is one-on-one with me. This allows for more dynamic patient care that is constantly evolving as the patient responds to treatment.” She typically sees patients for a high frequency of four days a week, over a two or three week period. However, each patient is unique, and some may require longer or shorter sessions.

Her message to patients everyone is: “I want to make sure all brain injury survivors know that their injuries are NOT invisible to providers that have the proper training and understanding of the complexities of the nervous system and its functions. Your injuries do not define you — with the right support and rehabilitation you CAN regain your health and life!”

Connect with Dr. McNally:
www.midcoastbrain.com
www.facebook.com/midcoastbrain
For more information call: 207.406.4874 or email: info@midcoastbrain.com

 

I invite YOU to be a part of my Book Club!!!

I have read SO many amazing books in the TBI realm — from fiction to memoirs to practical guides written by clinicians — and I want to share them with you and invite intelligent discussion around each book.

Each month I will announce the book we will be reading — and don’t worry if you have trouble reading — you will still be able to get a lot out of the group discussion!!

We will have a guided weekly discussion in a closed FB group specifically about the book/author and how it relates to your own situation.

At the end of each month, we will have a FB Live interview with the AUTHOR (I am super excited about this!!) where you will have the opportunity to submit questions you would like answered!

Everyone is welcome to join: survivors, caregivers, providers, or anyone interested in learning more about TBI!!

All you have to do is sign up with the form below!!

Happy Reading!!!

Thank you to Dr. David Clark, owner of Triangle TBI Concussion Center, for being a local event sponsor for #NOTINVISIBLE at Raleigh, NC.

Located in Durham, NC, Dr. Clark is board certified in Brain Injury and Rehabilitation (FABBIR) as well as a board certified Functional Neurologist. He is also an assistant profession of Clinical Neuroscience and Clinical Neurochemistry and Nutrition.

He specializes in treating both the metabolic malfunctions and circuit malfunctions caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI). “What makes me different is the attention to BOTH the metabolic factors AND the neurological circuit malfunctions in TBI. When I do brain-based rehab for my TBI patients, I use a neuroplasticity approach — frequent visits over a short period of time (typically 4-5 days) for maximum results,” stated Dr. Clark.

He also added, “You are not alone and you don’t have to ‘live with it’, however, at this point you can’t get better by yourself”

When I asked Dr. Clark what brought him to working with brain injury patients, he answered, “My mother bought a set of World Book Encyclopedias when I was seven. After that, I was hooked on understanding the how’s and why’s of everything. This thread carried all the way through my education degree, my Doctor of Chiropractic, Chiropractic Neurology, and Functional Neurology training. But it wasn’t until Dr. Ted Carrick made me aware that a huge number of people with brain injuries were NOT getting the help that they needed that I grasped how big of a problem brain injuries are. I wanted to help these patients get better.”

For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit: www.TriangleTBIConcussionDoctor.com

Follow Dr. Clark on Instagram and Twitter: @drdavidclark

and on Facebook @triangletbiconcussion

Check out his informative videos on Youtube: www.youtube.com/TriangleTBIConcussionCenter

Again, thank you Dr. Clark for your support of the #NOTINVISIBLE awareness campaign — this project is not possible without supporters like yourself!

Thank you to Dr. Jonathan Chung, owner of Keystone Chiropractic, for being a local event sponsor for #NOTINVISIBLE at my Delray Beach, Florida event.

Located in Wellington, Florida, Dr. Chung takes great pride in helping patients who are suffering from post-concussion syndrome with daily headaches, TMJD, and dizziness.

Dr. Chung is uniquely trained in both gentle NUCCA craniocervical chiropractic technique and functional neurology. His goal is to create lasting neuroplastic changes in a patient’s brain so that they can maintain improvement over a long period of time. 

“I always knew that I wanted to help people, even as a young kid. Service to others is, and always will be, a core principle that I live by. Having the ability to help sick people get well without relying on medication is something that I am grateful to have the opportunity to do every day,” stated Dr. Chung.

He added, “A brain injury can make it seem like life will never be the same again, but even an injured brain is capable of remarkable change and adaptability when given the right direction.”

At his clinic, Dr. Chung can work with both local and non-local patients through one or two week intensive neuroplasticity programs.

To schedule a consultation call or email the office: 561.247.0044  frontdesk@chiropractorwellington.com

Follow Dr. Chung on Instagram and Twitter: @drjonathanchung

Read his latest thoughts on brain health and rehab on his blog: www.chiropractorwellington.com/blog

Again, thank you Dr. Chung for your support of the #NOTINVISIBLE awareness campaign — this project is not possible without supporters like yourself!