October, 2015 Meeting

The October meeting was small, but very productive.  We had one conference call with Kim--she was out of state this month.

We did talk about 'Stir' and that led to talking about making adjustments to life when things suddenly change.  I really hope that more people read this book and that it opens a dialog with families about sudden changes in life and how we deal with it.  I do think that I came to this book with a very different experience than, say, my mother.  She had a whole different experience as the single parent dealing with the 'professionals' and a young child with challenges.

We also discussed ways to increase visibility in the community, as well as increase membership.  Unfortunately, we know that there are still people who keep hydrocephalus a secret or who feel alone in their experience.  It is far more common than they may have been led to believe.  One thing all of us do is remind folks that we meet on the third Saturday of each month from 12:45pm - 3:00 pm in the Casey Conference Room.  No reservations are required and kids are welcome to attend.

We are, as always, also looking for more 'stuff' to include in our booth at Brain Awareness Week's open house, usually held in March.  The date and time are to be announced.  But, again, as always, I'm planning the next one even before the present one is under way! 

CTE also came up as a topic of discussion, as it often does.  Hydrocephalus never seems to be part of the CTE discussion, in a general sense.  But it is often discussed at our meetings, because one way of acquiring the condition is through traumatic brain injury (TBI).  With the recent deaths of some high school students in Washington state and the definitive report on the cause of former NFL player, Adrian Robinson, Jr., it was bound to be discussed by us again.

Looking forward to the November meeting.  Hoping to see both new and familiar faces.

'Stir': A great read!!

I spent last night reading one of the best books I've read in ages!  'Stir', by Jessica Fechtor (author of the 'Sweet Amandine' blog) is a great book, but those of us in the world of TBIs and other great brain journeys, can identify with her memoir about suddenly going from one life to another, unexpectedly.

I started it last night at 9pm and didn't look at the clock again until 1 am!!  I swore I'd read just a chapter more when I got up this morning, but four chapters later I was rushing to get out the door on time.

I immediately emailed members of the group about it.  Everyone needs to read this, whether they are new to the experience, a seasoned veteran or anyone around us--friends, family, etc.  Can't say enough about this.