Sometimes you encounter a struggle you never saw coming.
Sometimes in life, you encounter a struggle you never saw coming.
Kelsey had a Brain Injury from 6 concussions in a month or two
That turned into a subdural hematoma.
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Her brain was bleeding for two weeks before she walked herself into the hospital and immediately was rushed to brain surgery. Her brain shifted 11 millimeters and there was bleeding in the brain lobe that controls emotions and walking.
Follow Kelsey on Instagram: KelseyBoyer
Emotional healing
Five months later she was back snowboarding. But her emotional healing had a long journey ahead. Kelsey would have an argument with herself in my mind related to the decisions she was making. Before her injury, Kelsey was a very happy and content person, but after the brain injuries, she would have tantrums and mood swings. Triggers would cause emotions to overwhelm her.
Kelsey learned how to test her own patience and overcome emotional triggers
Ways to overcome emotional triggers:
- Talked about the triggers with close family members.
- Positive self-talk inside your mind.
- Distract yourself with a happy TV Show or music.
- Relax with a quiet outdoor hike or a bubble bath.
- Start mental therapy- or reading, writing, or art on your own.
- Find what helps you, but make sure you take action and do things to help the triggers not ignore their existence.
Create a new mindset and learn how you can remember and organize with your new brain.
Once you have a brain injury be mindful of yourself and create a new mindset.
Both Kelsey and myself enjoy the power and benefit of yoga. Both Kelsey and I have learned the power and increase in memory from writing down every event in a planner. After your brain injury, you can become more organized and remember things better than friends who never went through the experience if you take the steps to emotionally as well as physical healing. Recreate the nerve pathways in your brain.
Reopen nerve pathways
As recently as 1990 researchers began to study the basal ganglia’s relation to the formation of habits in your brain. The Basal Ganglia stores habit even while the rest of the brain is sleeping. The process in which the brain converts a sequence of actions into an automatic routine is how habits are formed and that is the job or the Basal Ganglia. The Basal Ganglia’s connection to most brain injury survivors is an under-researched field, but it is my belief and was my brain injury experience if you have a TBI the brain can reopen nerve pathways that closed at the time of the injury and the Basal Ganglia will recreate those habits you had before your injury if you set on an action to reopen those pathways with a ton more organized work and rehab than insurance covers.
Exercises that I did at home beyond outpatient therapy to reopen my nerve pathways the first 6 months after my accident( every day to 3 times a week)
- Reading- a chapter worth every day
- Writing- in a journal every day
- Math-Algebra 1- do a lesson every 3 days
- Lumosity- every day
- Right-hand strengthener – every day
- Pick up coins and place them in a jar- 3-4 days a week
- Physical workout with a trainer- 3 days a week ( I did PT at therapy 5 days a week on top)
- Yoga- 20 minutes 3 days a week (ten minutes exercise, 10 minutes Shavasana)
- Full body massage (every single day for 3 months
Beyond that activities like going to the grocery store are big events. For the first four months, I wasn’t cleared to drive, then I could drive with another family member in the car, then I could go to the grocery store a mile away, but I would forget by the time I got there why I was there.
To recover from a TBI as I had, I would be working exercising 8-10 hours a day intermittent with 30 min naps every 3 hours. During that time I would hang out with friends, and going on a hike up a mountain would be part of the work, so I was very happy. My friends would go to work for 8-hours a day, and I would rehab from my brain injury for the same amount of time. It takes a lot of time to create any luck in your life. It takes years to go to the Olympics, start a company, raise your children, create a new life after your brain injury. We are all on the adventure of this crazy journey called life.
People create their own luck.
Kelsey wants to raise awareness for helmet safety and educate the youth who are doing action sports on the safety involved.
Kesley is creating a 2.0 life she loves. I am creating a very happy Jamie 2.0 as well. We are all creating our lives no matter who you are, so if you have a brain injury thrust into your life create the 2.0 version of yourself you would like to create.
Create the life you want
Jamie “MoCrazy” Crane-Mauzy
Talk Show Host- Life Gets MoCrazy on the Brain Injury Radio Network
Full-time student at Westminster College, SLC, Utah
Motivational Public Speaker