My Brain Injury

    

Written by Bret K.

       Hello, my name is Bret and I have a traumatic brain injury. I acquired my injury when I was 20 years old. A traumatic brain injury happens when the brain is injured due to an outside force. Half of all traumatic brain injuries result from motor vehicle accidents. My injury is no exception.

     Before my accident I was working full time at a machine shop. I loved playing baseball, and was even on my school's team. I was attending a community college and planning to become a police officer. I was very independent and had an active social life. I had even lived in another state with friends, but recently moved back home prior to my accident.

     My accident occurred very early one morning, at about 4:30 a.m. I was driving one person to their house after a night of drinking with a group of friends. I was not wearing a seatbelt. I was ejected from the vehicle after it flipped multiple times. My friend was still inside, with his seatbelt on, which saved him from getting a traumatic brain injury. I wasn't as lucky.  I was in a comatose state for a couple of months following the accident. When I awoke, I knew my parents, but everyone else was a stranger to me. The doctors told my parents that I was going to be a vegetable for the rest of my life. I am able to be here telling you my story because of the hard work and faith that my family and friends had in me. My injury occurred on the left side of my brain, leaving my right side of my body semi-paralyzed. I have little to no control of my right arm and right leg.

   My life now is not a pot of gold, but is definitely worth more than any words can explain. I am able to work through Special Tree and even have more than one job title. I have a few friends that continue to visit and remain in contact with me, which I am very grateful for. I am still pretty independent. Although I currently live in a group home and require some staff assistance, I am planning to move to an apartment in the near future. I am improving everyday. I get to walk with a walker two times a week, it was very difficult at first, but I am not willing to give up. I am currently working on my social and communication skills with my peers and staff to be able to find a life partner and supportive friends.

     Although partying may be fun, do not drink and drive.  If you drink and drive the thing that happened to me could happen to you, or even worse you could die.

   
    

Underage Drink?

          

Written by Bret K.

                Do you drink under age? If yes, you should stop. I know some people that drank under age and they decided to drive.  This caused them to get into a serious car accident. They ended up getting a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). There are also many affects that consuming alcohol has on an under developed brain.

            Many bad things can happen to you if you drink under age. While the brain is still developing alcohol can have lasting affects. When alcohol is consumed the brain’s central nervous system is affected and makes you think, speak, and move at a slower rate than normal. Alcohol consumption at young ages may interrupt key processes of brain development. A study performed by Brown and colleagues shows that alcohol dependent 15 and 16 year olds have greater difficulty remembering words and geometric shapes after a tem minute interval than teens without the dependency. The cerebral cortex is also slowed down by the consumption of alcohol. The frontal lobes of the brain are important for forming ideas, making decisions, and using self control. Alcohol consumption can permanently damage the frontal lobes of the brain. The part of the brain that forms memories is called the hippocampus, it is shown that in alcohol dependant teens the hippocampus is smaller than in normal teens that do not consume alcoholic beverages. The part of the brain that controls automatic actions, like your heartbeat and breathing, is called the medulla. This portion of the brain can be seriously affected by the consumption of alcohol, possibly leading to hypothermia (dangerous low body temperature) in the right conditions. The last thing I want to talk about is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus of the brain controls blood pressure, hunger, heart rate, temperature, and thirst. When alcohol is consumed, blood pressure, hunger, urination, and thirst are increased. While the body’s heart rate and temperature is decreased.

            Under age drinking can pose a very dangerous situation for anybody involved. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of sexual assault such as rape.  Teens that involve themselves with under age drinking are much more likely to have unprotected sex with multiple partners. This can lead to unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.

            Teen suicide has been increasing due to under age alcoholism. Due to alcohol affecting the brain in the ways listed above, teens are facing greater levels of depression and anxiety. There is an alarming rate of 37% of females in the 8^th grade who drink heavily reporting attempts of suicide. Alcohol related suicide is the third leading cause of death for ages 14-25.

            Early drinking and alcohol abuse may be linked to personality characteristics. Persons who are more likely to become dependant on alcohol tend to seek out new experiences and sensations. They also have strong tendencies to act impulsively before alcohol consumption. Environmental factors are also prevalent to early alcoholism. Having alcoholism in the family to begin with is a major factor in adolescent alcoholism. There is easier access to alcohol, greater acceptance of alcohol use, and a lack of parental monitoring.

            There are many long lasting affects of early alcohol consumption. Teens that began drinking prior to age 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol dependant than others who wait until the legal age. Once an alcoholic pattern has begun, social factors such as peer pressure play a large role in relapse for teens.

            For those of you that drink under age you should think about all of the negatives that can happen before you take your next drink. You can still attend parties, but you don’t have to drink to have fun.

Labor Day

  

Written by Bret K.

      Labor Day is approaching, it is the first Monday of September. Labor Day is a national holiday because it celebrates the economic and social contributions of the American society. This year it falls on September 3rd.

     The first state to declare Labor Day as a holiday was Oregon in 1887. As time went on, more states began to recognize the holiday until 1894 when Labor Day became a federal holiday. Labor Day was passed following the Pullman Strike where many union workers were killed by the United States military and the United States Marshalls. In fear of further conflict, after the reconsiliation of President Cleveland and the leader of the labor movement, Congress unanimously signed Labor Day into law as a national holiday just six short days after the end of the strike.

      First celebrations of Labor Day included  a street parade and a festival to display the strength and devotion of the trade and labor organizations. Later, speeches made by prominant men and women were introduced in celebration of Labor Day. Today's celebration has a different feel. It is regarded as a day to rest and party. Different ways to celebrate Labor Day include attending a picnic, barbeque, public art event, fireworks display, or participating in water sports. Many families take this weekend as a chance to travel one last time before school resumes from summer recess.

     Labor Day is looked at as being the end of summer by most Americans. It is also looked at as the beginning of college and NFL football. NCAA teams often play their first games the week prior to Labor Day, with the NFL generally playing their's the week after.  

     This year Labor Day is September 3rd, so try and figure out what your plans are for this year. Whether its having a barbeque, attending a college footbal game, or just relaxing for the day you should enjoy whatever you choose to do for this holiday.