TBI Voices

Themes of Brain Injury: Lethan Part One As we start our interviews with Lethan we are revisiting themes of brain injury.  Lethan has a very unique way of telling about his brain injury in order to share with those who are survivors themselves. We started http://tbivoices.com with Lethan Candlish’s performance of “Who Am..
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Phone Call About the Accident: Lethan Part Two As we have talked to the mom’s and spouses, we have consistently heard the story of the shock, the unreality of the phone call about the accident or the knock on the door.  Lethan’s mother’s story was what originally drew me to “Who Am..
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Pre-Brain Injury Self: Lethan Part Three In Lethan part three we continue our discussion about the effects of brain injury, Lethan’s  pre-brain injury self and his memories or lack there of the accident.   “Who Am I, Again?” begins with Lethan waving au revoir to his French teacher in the rear view mirror, leaving..
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Before Traumatic Brain Injury: Lethan Part Four Lethan talks about who he was before traumatic brain injury in part four.  He uses his story  “Who Am I, Again” to explain his thoughts.     Lethan sets his own stage in “Who Am I, Again?”: I was 17 years old, a senior..
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Brain Injury The Unmaking of Cool: Lethan Part Five The unmaking of cool. Adults and non-conformists often ridicule the almost universal desire to be cool – to fit in – to be attractive to peers and members of the opposite sex.  Yet, this desire is at the core of our human..
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Neurobehavioral Extremes: Lethan Part Six Probably the scariest things for a family after severe TBI, are the  neurobehavioral extremes, wild mood swings and temper outbursts.  While a teenager returning home to his parents is not nearly as dangerous a situation as when a man returns home to his wife, the nature and..
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Community Support After Brain Injury: Lethan Part Seven There is a term often used to describe one of the key variables in outcome after brain injury: community support after brain injury. Recovery from TBI is not a finite milepost, not achieved by passing neuropsychological tests.  Recovery is measured by the degree..
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Relearning to Walk: Lethan Part Eight Lethan’s story “Who Am I, Again?” not only officially launched http://tbivoices.com it also helped to frame the inquiry of other stories.  I have now listened and watched 15 support groups respond to Lethan’s story, and the part that resonates the best is his dramatization of..
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Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Lethan Part Nine The first time I heard Lethan perform “Who Am I, Again?”, I was struck by the example that he could do it, as a severe traumatic brain injury survivor, more than the words of his story.  I heard him do the show three months later,..
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Caregiver of Severe Brain Injury: Lethan Part Ten Lethan part ten gives Lethan a chance to offer advice to caregiver of severe brain injury. Once again we refer to is story of “Who Am I, Again?” One of the most dramatic elements of “Who Am I, Again?” is the countdown to..
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