Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Convenes Second Annual Brain Injury Conference

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1 Issue 4 Jan. Mar. 0 Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Convenes Second Annual Brain Injury Conference Nationally and internationally recognized leaders in brain injury and rehabilitation research will meet at the 0 Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference to discuss new advancements for military and civilian patients. The second annual Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference: Building on the Legacy of Coma to Community will be held February 3-5 at the historic Dolce Hayes Mansion in San José, California. The event will feature research findings produced through the TBI Model Systems of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the Veterans Administration, medical centers, universities, and community agencies. The Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is thrilled to hold this event for the second year in a row, said Stephanie Kolakowsky-Hayner, conference chair and Director of Rehabilitation Research at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Conference participants will have a multitude of opportunities to network and learn about innovative advancements in brain injury treatment. The event will appeal to physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, administrators, researchers, advocates, individuals with brain injury, and family members/caregivers. The conference will provide concurrent sessions highlighting return to work and community, medical complexity, innovative treatment approaches, advocacy, and military and veteran issues. Keynote presenters include Chris Nowinski, Co-founder and President of the Sports Legacy Institute; Alan Brightman, Vice President of Global Accessibility at YAHOO!; George Visger, TBI advocate and former defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers; and Dr. Shane McNamee of the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center. The Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference is planned in collaboration with a host of community-based service providers, including the Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Rehabilitation, and the Brain Injury Association of California. The event is also endorsed by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Brain Injury Association of America, and the International Brain Injury Association. With over 500 attendees, we completely sold out last year, said Kolakowsky- Hayner. Given the demand for the important information that this event offers, we plan to accommodate even more participants for our 0 conference. Caregivers and individuals with brain injury qualify for a 50% discount on conference registration. To encourage more consumer participation, a limited number of scholarships will be available for individuals with brain injury and their family members/caregivers. Please contact Jerry Wright at jerry.wright@hhs.sccgov.org for additional information. Sessions that individuals with brain injury and caregivers may be particularly interested are highlighted in blue in the next column. The Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference will take place February 3-5 at the Dolce Hayes Mansion in, CA. Advances in regenerative cell therapy for the treatment of brain injury PEAT: Turning your Smartphone into an intelligent assistant to help increase independence Redefining Normal : An Advocacy Project to Promote Acceptance and Inclusion So You Think You Can Drive? Caregivers: Overlooked Support Recreation Therapy Can Help! Supplemental Security Income Disability Benefits: A return to work and dignity Utilizing Kenpo Martial Arts for Improvement After Brain Injury Hyperbaric Oxygen in Neurorehabilitation The Role of Advocacy in the Disability Community Peer Support Programs: An integral part of the rehabilitation continuum Improving functional vision for safety and independence Please visit to learn more and register! Talking Heads Newsletter

2 Bay Area Brain Injury Taskforce (BABIT) What is BABIT? The Bay Area Brain Injury Task Force (BABIT) is a collaboration of government, healthcare, law enforcement, legislative, higher education, for-profit and non-profit organizations that are focused on increasing awareness about resources available to people with brain injuries. Through mutual collaboration and community education BABIT strives to be a central catalyst in policy development at the local and state levels through education and networking with family members, communities, and elected officials. What are BABIT activities? BABIT is responsible for the content and production of Talking Heads! Educational opportunities include the Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference, TBI Matters (a community educational series), Disability Awareness Days, and others! For More Information For more information, or to find out how to get your organization involved, please contact Jerry Wright at jerry.wright@hhs.sccgov.org How to contact your BABIT agencies: Brain Injury Association of California Bakersfield (66) CA State Department of Rehabilitation (408) Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Palo Alto (650) x667 Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff (888) Rehab Without Walls (866) walls.com Police Department (408) State University (408) Santa Clara County Crisis Intervention Program (408) (408) Santa Clara County Sherriff's Dept. (408) Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Rehabilitation Research Center (408) Services for Brain Injury (408) Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (408) TTY: (866) Video Phone: (408) Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System Palo Alto (650) Via Services Santa Clara (408) BABIT Partner Spotlight: Rehab Without Walls provides innovative home and community rehabilitation to individuals with complex neurological rehabilitation needs. Clinical teams are assembled based upon the person s needs and can include: Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Clinical Social Work, Neuropsychology and Clinical Coordination. Therapy services are typically intensive, similar to services delivered in an inpatient rehabilitation facility, and therapies take place in the person s home and community wherever their life happens. Rehab Without Walls is a national company with teams throughout California, northern Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Utah, parts of Idaho, Texas and Michigan. Previously a division of Gentiva Health Services, Rehab Without Walls is now part of the ResCare family of services. For more information, please visit: Talking Heads Newsletter

3 Bay Area Peer Support Groups and Agencies Alameda County East Bay Brain Injury Support Group Support group for survivors of TBI Rockridge Library 5366 College Ave., Oakland, CA 9468 Schedule is posted on Call for times and further information. Dr. Pamela Paradowski (50) Life Skills Group and Caregiver Support Group Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Herrick Campus 00 Dwight Way Berkeley, CA Life Skills: nd & 4th Thursdays at 6:30-8:00pm, by invitation. There is also an Advanced Life Skills Group. Caregiver Support: At 6:30-8:00pm, please call for dates. Drop ins are welcome. Please contact Mike Weber (50) for more information. Stroke Support Group Support group for individuals with Stroke Next to Washington Hospital at 500 Mowry Avenue, Suite #4 Fremont, CA Meets the 4th Tuesday of every month from :00-:30pm For more information call Doug: (50) Contra Costa County Brain Tumor Group Meets the nd and 4th Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30pm, Drop ins are welcome. The San Francisco/East Bay Wellness Community 376 McNutt Avenue Walnut Creek, CA Please contact Judy Blazin for more information: (95) Contra Costa County (cont.) Head Injury Support Group Support group for both survivors and caregivers San Ramon Regional Center 600 Norris Canyon, Blackhawk Room San Ramon, CA Meets every 4th Wednesday (except November and December) from 7:30-9:00pm, caregivers welcome. Please call JoAnn Swift in advance: (95) Fresno County Brain Injury Support Group for Survivors & Families Meets the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6:00-8:00pm Leon S. Peters Rehab Center 6th Floor Dayroom, Community Regional Health Center Fresno, CA 937 Contact Jeff DiMarco: (559) Stroke Support Group Meets the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 6:00-7:30pm Leon S. Peters Rehab Center 6th Floor Dayroom, Community Regional Health Center Fresno, CA 937 Contact Sheila: (559) If your group isn t listed here, and you would like it to be, please Jerry Wright at jerry.wright@hhs.sccgov.org with your group s information (meeting place, times, etc.) Marin County Support Group Class Open to survivors, caregivers, and family members Meets every Tuesday at 5:30pm Marin Center for Independent Living 70 Fourth St San Rafael, CA Contact: Larry for more information (45) Monterey County Brain Injury Peer Support Group Meets the nd and 4th Thursday of every month from 3:30-5:00pm Harden Foundation 636 Ercia Street, Salinas, CA Please contact Irene Garcia for more information: (83) x Marin Brain Injury Network Education Class: Every Tuesday, 3:00-4:30pm Please sign up, $0 ABI Survivor Support Group: Every Tuesday, 5:00-6:30pm Please sign up, Free. Caregiver Support Group: 3rd Saturday of every month, 0:30am-:00pm, No RSVP, Free. All are facilitated by Dr. Moran, a neuropsychologist specializing in ABI. Marin Brain Injury Network 3 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, CA Please call (45) or patricia@mbin.org Sacramento County Minimal Brain Injury Support Group Meets the st Thursday at 6:30-8:30pm Please call first. Easter Seals Society 305 Hurley Way Sacramento, CA Contact: (96) <Continued on the next page> 3 Talking Heads Newsletter

4 Bay Area Peer Support Groups and Agencies (cont.) Sacramento County (cont) TBI Survivors (Moderate-Severe) Meets every Thursday at 6:30-8:30pm 305 Hurley Way Sacramento, CA Contact: (96) Meets every Thursday at 6:30-8:30pm 305 Hurley Way Sacramento, CA Contact: (96) San Francisco County Survivor Socialization Group 07 Skyline Blvd San Francisco, CA 943 Monday 0:00am-4:00pm (lunch included) Tuesday and Thursdays at :00-5:00pm Please contact Terry Twitchell for information on program fees: (45) x558 Family Member Support Group (Parents and Caregivers) Janet Pomeroy Center 07 Skyline Boulevard San Francisco, CA 943 Contact Terry Twitchell for date, time, and location: (45) x558. Head Injury Support Group TBI survivors/peer run Meets every Wednesday at :00- :30pm Independent Living Resource Center 649 Mission Street, Third Floor San Francisco, CA, 9405 Please contact in advance: Maria Richardson (45) San Francisco County (cont) San Francisco General Hospital BASIC Support Group Group for survivors and caregivers SF General Hospital, Building 30, Medical Library 00 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 940 Meets the first Thursday of every month from 4:00-5:00pm Please contact Tara Croane for more information: (45) San Francisco TBI Network Support All TBI survivors Meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 3:00-4:30pm St. Mary's Medical Center 450 Stanyan Street Room #3 East (Conference Room) San Francisco, CA 947 Please contact Tony Cruz at: (45) San Mateo County Peer Support Group Meets every Monday & Friday from :30-3:00pm Center for Independence for the Disabled 55 S. El Camino Real, 4th Floor San Mateo, CA 9440 Please contact Kim or Jacob (650) Santa Clara County Head Injury Recreation and Leisure Network (H.I.R.L.N) Monthly social events for adults with disabilities and head injuries Mayfair Community Center 039 Krammerer Ave, CA 956 Please contact Liz Best for dates and times: (408) or Santa Clara County (cont) Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Support Group Camden Community Center 3369 Union Avenue,, CA Meets the nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 6:30-8:00pm Drop ins are welcome. Please call Robert Medel for more information: (408) or contact robert Peer Support Group Silicon Valley Independent Living Center 0 North First Street, CA Peer support group every Thursday. Need to register as a client of SVILC. Contact Chau Mai for more information: (408) Support Group TBI clients-full spectrum, family members, caregivers and interested public members concerning TBI awareness. Open to the public at no cost. 60 Daggett Drive,, CA Meets every Wednesday from 5:30-7:30pm Contact Ben Page or Rosa Mora with any questions: (408) V.I.P. (Very Important Patient) Support Group Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Cafeteria Conference Room, nd Flr 75 S. Bascom Ave., CA 958 4th Wednesdays 6:00 7:30pm Call Robert Medel at (408) or contact robert medel@hss.sccgov.org Talking Heads Newsletter 4

5 Bay Area Peer Support Groups and Agencies (cont.) Santa Cruz County Brain Injury Peer Support Group Support group for survivors of TBI. Meets the nd Wednesday of each month from 3:00pm-4:30 pm. Morning group meets the 4th Wednesday of each month at 0:00- :30am. Dept of Rehabilitation 350 4st Ave, Ste 0 Capitola, CA 9500 Please call (83) Head Injury Peer & Family Support Group Santa Cruz, CA Please call Crystal Cardenas- Loutsenhiser for dates, times, and locations: (83) Caregiver Resource Centers Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center/Family Caregiver Alliance 80 Montogomery Street, Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 9404 Phone: (45) or (800) Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center 344 Salinas Street, Ste 05 RoomE Salinas, CA 9390 Phone: (83) Santa Cruz Office: 537 Pacific Ave, Ste 300 Santa Cruz, CA Phone (83) Valley Caregiver Resource Center 3485 N. Clark, Ste 0 Fresno, CA 9376 Phone: (559) or (800) Additional Online Resources Brain Injury Association of America Brain Injury Association of California Brain Injury Connection braininjuryconnection.org Brain Injury Network braininjurynetwork.org BrainLine TBI: The Journey Home traumaticbraininjuryatoz.org Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conference National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Traumatic Brain Injury Interventions Resource Options for Back on Track (ROBOT) Please note: This newsletter is intended to be a resource for those interested in traumatic brain injuries (TBI). It does not represent an endorsement of the organizations represented nor an affirmation of the information contained therein. So there. Online Forums Please note that online forums are often not monitored by professionals. Please consult a physician regarding any medical concerns or recommendations. American Veterans with Brain Injuries Forum and live chat: Veterans only on Thursdays Brain Injury Chat Room Brain Injury Forum braininjuryforum.com Brain Talk Forum twitter.com/braintalk00 Family Caregiver Alliance Online support group for caregivers TBI Message Board Talking Heads Thanks You, Paul! Special thanks to the Rehabilitation Research Center (and especially superstar Paul Carufel) for checking support group and agency information. 5 Talking Heads Newsletter

6 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Minimal BI SFGH Basic MBI Group Brain Tumor SG Capitola SG Alameda Lifeskills Salinas SG Fresno Stroke San Rafael 8 9 SF TBI Network TBI Surv Mode/Sev 0 Marin BIN Caregiver SG 3 4 Fremont Stroke Fresno BISG MBI Group San Rafael 5 Brain Tumor SG Capitola SG San Ramon HISG VIP Group 6 Alameda Lifeskills Salinas SG TBI Surv Mode/Sev Group information on pages 3-5. Event info on page 9. San Rafael Talking Heads tip: You are advised to call before attending a meeting. J A N U A R Y 0 Talking Heads Newsletter 6

7 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Group information on pages 3-5. Event info on page 9. SF ILRC Group Minimal BI SFGH Basic Braille Boot Camp 8 Brain Tumor SG Capitola SG Braille Boot Camp 9 Alameda Lifeskills Salinas BIPSG Braille Boot Camp 0 SBI s 7th Annual Bocce Ball Tournament 3 4 MBI Grp 5 6 SF TBI Network TBI Surv Mode/Sev 7 8 Marin BIN Caregiver SG 9 Brain Injury Movie Premiere 0 Fresno Stroke SG HIRLN Pizza/Movie Brain Tumor SG Capitola SG San Ramon HISG VIP Group 3 Alameda Lifeskills TBI Surv Mode/Sev SCVBI Conference 4 SCVBI Conference 5 SCVBI Conference Fremont Stroke SG Fresno BISG MBI Grp Monthly Social SVILC Legal Clinic 9 Talking Heads tip: You are advised to call before attending a meeting. F E B R U A R Y 0 7 Talking Heads Newsletter

8 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Group information on pages 3-5. Event info on page 9. Talking Heads tip: You are advised to call before attending a meeting. Thursday Minimal BI SFGH Basic Friday MBI Group Brain Tumor SG Capitola SG 8 Alameda Lifeskills Salinas SG Fresno Stroke SG HIRLN Karaoke SF TBI Network 3 7 Fremont Stroke Fresno BISG MBI Group Monthly Social 8 Brain Tumor SG Capitola SG San Ramon SG VIP Alameda Lifeskills Salinas SG TBI Surv Mod/Se 9 30 Saturday Marin BIN Caregiver SG 4 3 Walk For Thought M A R C H 0 Talking Heads Newsletter 8

9 Event Minder: SVILC to host Workers' Rights Clinic SVILC and the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center are proud to offer a FREE legal advice clinic on Workers' Rights and Workers' Comp. Please call KGACLC to schedule an appointment for the clinic on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 0 or June 0 from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at SVILC. Call 7 and give the Relay Operator this number (408) or mrodriguez@scu.edu. For more information or to download a flyer, go to SVILC to host Braille Boot Camp Introduction to Reading Braille, taught by Gaeir Dietrich of the High Tech Center Training Unit (HTCTU) of the California Community Colleges, is a three full day intensive training designed to teach sighted participants to read and write Grade One (uncontracted) Braille and read Grade Two (contracted braille) Braille. Our goal is to promote braille literacy, provide initial training to those working with braille users, and inspire further study of the braille code. Please consider Braille Boot Camp if you are a parent or family member of a child with a visual impairment, if you work with a braille reader in school, if you create alternate format materials, or if you re just curious about braille! Come join us and find out how this training came to affectionately be known as Braille Boot Camp! WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 9:00-4:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 8, 9:00-4:30 p.m., Thursday, February 9, 9:00-3:00 p.m. Or a one-day option: Can t attend all three days? We understand. Attend one day only, Tuesday, February 7, for an introduction to the braille alphabet. For more information or to register, please contact Kathy Romero at SVILC: KathyR@svilc.org or ext. 6 We regret child care will not be provided. Space is limited; please RSVP by Tuesday, January 3, 0. HIRLN Activities for Early 0 Recreation is the main focus of HIRLN. This provides an avenue for people to gain self-confidence, decrease isolation, increase physical activity, create friendships, and increase quality of life. HIRLN Pizza and a Movie Night. February, 6-9:30pm Luigi s Pizza and Cinelux theatres in Campbell. $0. HIRLN Karaoke Night. March 0, 6:30-8:00pm Mayfair Community Center. $5. Monthly Social. January 3, February 8, March 7, 6:30-8:00pm Mayfair Community Center. $5.. Tuesdays from January 0 to March 3, 3:30-5:00pm 300 Bowl. $0/8.. Mondays from January 3 to March 9, 5:30-6:30pm Mayfair Community Center. $0/8. Legislative Update from the Brain Injury Association of California SB 53 In January, 0, the Brain Injury Association of California (BIACAL) will put forth a bill that seeks to increase access to treatment for persons with brain injury. Treatment for brain injury has developed a highly specialized continuum of treatment over the last 30 years, yet health insurers do not allow uniform or appropriate access to this specialized continuum of treatment. Health insurers have driven the length of stay down from 990 to now at an average rate of 8% each year, but the disease itself has not changed. Non treatment results in unnecessary levels of tremendous disability, job loss, medical insurance loss, medical indigence, homelessness, and family system destruction. Each dollar spent in proper rehabilitation saves multiple dollars in lifetime savings. The state should not tolerate this cost shifting by health insurance companies to its tax roles. The Brain Injury Association of California wants to ensure that people who sustain brain injury in California are properly treated to their maximum recovery for their good and the good of the financial well-being of our state. SB 53 was first introduced in February 0 but deemed a two-year bill due to bill limitations imposed on our legislators. SB 53 is currently being analyzed by the Senate Health Committee and it is likely that some revisions will be made before the first hearing in early January. Because SB 53 is a two-year bill, this bill must be off the Senate floor by January 3st In the coming weeks, much work will be done to secure supporters from both the Senate and the Assembly. In addition, BIACAL will seek support from individuals and ask that they contact their legislators and flood their offices with letters, s, phone calls, faxes, and inperson visits and ask for their vote as this bill moves through the legislative process. BIA- CAL also encourages individuals to sign up for Grasshop, the advocacy tool that allows BIA- CAL to communicate with constituents through Action Alerts and other electronic messages. For more information about SB 53, please visit the BIACAL website at and click on the Legislative link on the left side of the home page. Individuals wanting to sign up for Grasshop can do so from this page as well. Contact Liz Best for more information, (408) or liz.best@sanjoseca.gov 9 Talking Heads Newsletter

10 Personal Stories: Half Baked, Leslie Lambert So what do you do with the woman that liked music, sports, loved her job, loved her husband and family, was very happy and laughed a lot? What changed all that? It changes your life, it changes your outlook, and it changes how you re going to live the rest of your life. It s hard to recall how this all happened. It s hard to understand, how to move things along. You are not told what to expect, you don t know what to do, how to proceed, and what you need to do to continue with your life. On a lovely Friday evening last January 0, my husband Terry and I had moved into our new house in Mountain View, and had begun unloading boxes putting things in order and making plans for the coming year. Finally it was Friday evening, the busy week from work was behind us and we planned on having our favorite flour tacos and Spanish rice for dinner. We were doing our usual Friday night phone calls, Terry and I had talked to one of my sisters, and his sister, and my mom, making plans for the weekend. The heater was on, the dinner was almost ready, Terry said I should go outside and get some air and look at the beautiful evening sky, the stars were bright and the air was crisp. Unfortunately, I did not return back into the house to enjoy the rest of our evening. Apparently I had fallen outside and Terry found me unconscious at the front of the house, I had fallen and hit my head. What a great way to meet all of our new neighbors, Everyone was present, including the fire department, the police officers and the EMTs. Terry said I was transferred to Stanford Hospital and was in intensive care with a cerebral hemorrhage. I was at Stanford for a week and then I was transferred by ambulance again to Kaiser Santa Teresa. I do not recall much of the few weeks prior to this Friday or after. There are some bits and pieces of being at the hospital, but not much, I was at Santa Teresa for another weeks. And they were determining whether I should go to rehabilitation in Vallejo or let me go home. Their decision was made to let me go home as long as I had 4-hour care. At that time Terry had made the decision that he would take time off from work and stay at home with me to take care of me. As weeks went by, I began to recall some of the past and those who were a part of my life. At the hospital and my first couple of weeks at home, I could not remember our new house, family members (Mom, Sisters names, Nieces and Nephews). I understand that I called Terry Wednesday on a regular basis. Why Wednesday? I have no idea, but glad that I have recalled his name and when we were married. When learning from the neurologist what had happened a couple months after the fall, we were told that the swelling had gone down, there was no more blood pooled, and the brainstem was now normal. She said there was a scar on the Leslie and Terry Lambert left side and that I might not get 00% recovery, but we will know more within 6 months. We ve been beyond the 6 months and closing in on the year anniversary. We re still waiting to find out about that hundred percent recovery. A very important thing that we found out from the neurologist is that I continued to have the dizziness problem along with the major headaches, but what we did is get an appointment with physical therapy to have an Epley Maneuver for the Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, which helped me considerably over the past months (and would have been great to have found out about a couple years ago, because perhaps my dizziness wouldn t have been so persistent). Over the months I am off all medication and the only thing I take is vitamin supplements. For the last several months, I ve been occupied with doctors appointments and speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and other kinds of appointments that are similar. I found that speech is quite a bit of work and extremely timeconsuming for me and very challenging. My very first appointment for speech was in March and as of today I continue to have regular weekly appointments. I began setting aside a couple hours every morning, when my mind is fresh to work on word finding, language, memory and other tasks. It was like being in kindergarten and grade school all over again I had to remember the alphabet, numbers, reading, and writing and trying to start to speak. I ve made good progress, although at times I feel like I m perhaps still in high school. I just seem to connect with the same words that perhaps I used to use when I was much younger. It will take some time, but I continue to be persistent to get myself all back together. <Continued on the next page> Talking Heads Newsletter 0

11 Leslie Lambert (continued): It truly was like starting over again. My Mom bought me a Spectrum Phonics book for Grade K, I struggled with that for sometime. Every day I would review with Terry where I was having problems remembering what the items and words were, he would help me by gesturing and help me understand using only the first letter of the word. Terry purchased a MacBook Pro at the Apple Store. They were great, totally over my head, but I am making an effort to work through it. Terry took me for a couple one-on-one sessions to learn more things. Having the computer helped me find the Brain Injury Association of America and I began to find out more about brain injuries and what I was going through. I watched Understanding Brain Injury with Judy Fortin, a former CNN anchor and Lee Woodruff, the wife of Bob Woodruff of ABC news, this helped me considerably. It allowed me the opportunity to start researching and having a better understanding, I made online contacts, learned about local support groups, and learned so much more and understood more about cognitive language, memory and language skills. I found it very helpful to be involved in a support group... This has been a big help for me to better understand what I am going through. I found it very helpful to be involved in a support group and I started working on two research studies. This has been a big help for me to better understand what I am going through. The most informative connection that I have made was through Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. I e- mailed them in May regarding a research program on traumatic brain injury measuring the quality of life. Paul Carufel and I met and he has been so informative and understanding and has offered me an opportunity to share with you what I have gone through and what I have achieved, I so much appreciate that opportunity. I also left a phone message with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center to see if I could also participate in a research study walking program; what a fantastic opportunity that is been for me. Kim Bellon and Ketra Toda have been wonderful, I have learned so much and they have helped me get out of my house and around town with exercise. I was able to find some reprieve from fatigue. Terry has been an unbelievable and wonderful husband in the last year, he needs a vacation. He has been my one and only care facilitator, chef, chauffeur, tutor and overall wonderful husband in front. I know he enjoyed when I got out of the house, when I got to get around and walk and to be out in the neighborhood by myself. In late May, I was able to drive a car again; it was a timely event for him and for me too. Terry no longer needed to drive and attend every doctors and speech appointments; I wanted to do this by myself. I found it necessary to keep a note pad for daily activities, chores, and routines. It is important to do one task and not have numerous things going at the same time. I began to keep notes and reminders on a scratchpad. I kept notes from the phone calls that I received or that I made. For words that I couldn t recall, tried to remember what to do that day, started to keep a draft or lists of the things that I would need to do every morning, afternoon and evening, the things that I needed to do to keep my life moving forward. In the past week, I found something that has helped me with processing and perhaps can help others. When I was asked to write this, I thought what a perfect opportunity for me to share with others the situation I went through and see if there was anything that I ve done that can help someone that has the same condition. I hope I have, and I wanted to add that while trying to formulate in my head and then put down on a computer or write in a notebook was a challenge. I discovered something that might help a lot of people in the same condition. I contacted the Apple Store and asked if they had software called Dragon Dictate. Then I found out that this has been phenomenal and helped me considerably by just being able to talk to my computer and have it put all of that online. As I am nearing the year anniversary of my injury, I have started back at work part time in my position as the Planning Manager for the Town of Portola Valley. This is a challenge, my recovery is unknown at this time and we are uncertain if I will be able to return to work full time. This decision will be made shortly and it is something that I want to ensure myself and the Town on the best approach to take. My neurologist has indicated that I ve made great progress and will keep making improvements, but it can be a very prolonged process to full recovery. My neurological psychologist has indicated that I am significantly impaired, with the temporal lobe on the left side and I am easily fatigued. My primary physician has indicated that I have significant chronic changes on the brain from injury called encephalomalacia, saying that unfortunately that will not get better, saying that I may still have improvement in function by time. <Continued on Page > Do you have a personal story about TBI that you want to share? If so, please Jerry Wright at jerry.wright@hhs.sccgov.org We would love to feature your story. Talking Heads Newsletter

12 Leslie Lambert (continued): And very important to keep in mind to take breaks, that it s a marathon, it s not a sprint and take everything in moderation. My cognitive main problems are working memory, word retrieval, reading comprehension, multitasking and auditory comprehension of complex information. How the heck does a Planning Manager keep up her work with this going on? So as I look forward to the future, I know that I sustained a head injury last January and that has affected how I process information for daily functions. I m beginning to realize that it s not so important for me to be back at the same job as the Planning Manager for the Town of Portola Valley, but it is important for me to look in the future and see what I can do to help others that also have had brain injuries or similar conditions. I m not quite sure what that is, but I think something is to come along my way. Progress is by leaps and bounds sometimes and then by small increments other times. Something that I was told is that it is really worth the effort and the frustration and that the recovery goes on for years and you can just get better and better. Be grateful and have a positive attitude and remember to have fun and lots of laughter. You have your own journey to make and a gift to give. Your life is different...you are a different person. Take Care, Leslie A. Lambert lambertleslie@gmail.com Brain Injury Association of California to have a Walk for Thought event in Join us for the Walk For Thought on March 3, 0 at Almaden Lake Park in. Team needs you! The Brain Injury Association of California (BIACAL) is having a Walk For Thought Event in Almaden Lake Park in. Show your support for BIACAL and for local brain injury agencies! This year s hosting agencies are the Rehabilitation Research Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Services for Brain Injury, and the Head Injury Recreation and Leisure Network. Find out how to get involved by going to and clicking on the Walk for Thought logo Talking Heads is Going Green! Wouldn t it be great if Talking Heads was in full color? And you got it seconds after it became available? It is totally possible! Just contact us and tell us that you would rather receive Talking Heads by . Send your delivery request to: paul.carufel@hhs.sccgov.org Don f forget, we are always looking for your stories, comments, criticisms, events or good jokes. Please send your submissions to: jerry.wright@hhs.sccgov.org Talking Heads Issue 4 In a Flash Santa Clara Valley Brain Injury Conf. Bay Area Brain Injury Taskforce BABIT Spotlight: Rehab Without Walls 3 Support Group Information 6 Calendars 9 Event Minder 9 Legislative Update 0 Personal Story: Leslie Lambert Walk for Thought Available online at: This QR code links to an electronic copy. Thanks! Talking Heads Newsletter