Brainstorming With Brooke

The Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA )is a great start, but it's implementation is remarkably flawed in a way I never imagined before I became disabled.  Restrooms designated as  ADA  are often far too small to fit a wheelchair. I don't need a wheelchair,  but I do need a grab bar on my right. Public  ADA  restrooms often have grab bars on one side but not the other. It can't be that much more expensive to install them on both sides so that the stall would be accessible to more people who need them.  We are all familiar with the buttons that open doors automatically when you push them. I use them often but find them remarkably absent in places where they would be most needed, including restaurants, physician's clinics or stores. Absent the push plate, I'm unlikely to be able to open a heavy door myself. I'm also navigating walking with a cane on my right side. I even go to several places specifically designed to serve handicapp...

 I haven’t  posted in awhile, so this will be long.    Spring was busy, and summer has been too with travel, kids and rock climbing: * I recently traveled cross country and saw people who have seen me since my accident but don’t see me daily or even yearly.  I work hard every day in my recovery, but it’s sometimes hard to see my own progress. I previously used a wheelchair exclusively and now walk with a hiking stick from REI. I went from not being alone for even an hour to spending nights alone. But, is easy to lose sight of how far I’ve come over the last decade. People who see me infrequently tend to comment on how much improvement they see. This happened a few weeks ago when I saw people who have seen me roughly once a year in the ten years since my accident.  I see the trajectory, but they see bigger leaps that I don't give myself credit for. It’s hard to see your own improvement over the last decade.   My birthday was last week. This is 49, so it...

  Brooke Taylor   9:41 AM (3 minutes ago) to me I’m a little late on this post given the subject matter.  I’ve always been a person focused on the calendar or numbers of personal significance to me. There are obvious ones that you remember like birthdays of immediate family and social security numbers. For me, that also includes the date I started working at my law firm: August 19, 2002.  Other examples are my bar number and social security number.  Those dates and numbers were significant well before my accident. I recalled them easily both before and after my accident. Maybe that's because they were stored in long term memory.  Information in long term memory is more likely to be preserved. 4/24/2016 held no significance to me until it became the date of my accident. This year marks ten years of my recovery. This anniversary reminds me that I have made more progress than people thought possible in those earliest days. I firmly believe that I can continue ...

 March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. This is relevant to me as someone living with a brain injury. Every year an estimated 2.8 million Americans sustain a brain injury. That number is far higher than most people would expect. 5 million people are living with a permanent brain injury disability. That's one in 65 Americans!   Each brain injury manifests differently.  Some people have no physical challenges but cognitive ones. Some present cognitive challenges but no physical ones (sometimes referred to as invisible brain injuries). Both my cognitive and physical abilities were impacted by my brain injury. I could publish 100 posts about my TBI or brain injury more broadly, but this graphic really captures it for me.  There will always be a gulf between pre- brain injury me and post -brain injury me, but I work to close that gulf every single day. I Never Give Up! #braininjuryawarenessmonth

  Kicking off 2026!! Here we go.  Over the new year we traveled to Coronado, California .  It was a wonderful trip and time spent with my children.  It was also a reminder that traveling as a disabled person brings with it planning and oftentimes significant challenges. First, there is navigating the airport. This can be a hassle for everyone, especially during the holidays due to more people traveling.  Because I wear a metal brace on one leg and cannot raise both arms overhead, I must have an individual screening. In and of itself, this isn’t a terrible thing: I understand and appreciate the need for good security at airports.  I travel with some frequency, so I’m familiar with the TSA protocols.  First, I tell the TSA agents at the beginning of the line that I’ll need the screening. That person summons an agent designated to screen me. The screening agent does a full body sweep over my clothes and then swabs the bottom of my braces, sho...

  If it seems like AI is everywhere these days, that's because its use has become so widespread.  AI’s reach in the TBI realm is no less extensive: hence the length of this post. Assessment time immediately following the injury is critical. When a patient is admitted with a potential TBI, AI can automatically classify the injury severity and flag abnormalities on CT scans within seconds in the emergency room. This results in reducing the number of missed bleeds. AI has been shown to catch subtle findings radiologists may miss looking at CT or MRIs, especially under pressure. AI can analyze:           A.  Eye movement tracking, speech pattern changes, and identify whether a brain injury has                     occurred even when CT scans are normal (common in mild TBI).           B. AI can be used in predicting outcomes: ...

I love music, especially live music. Just in the last twelve months, I’ve seen nine concerts.   I love singing along to songs that I love alongside a crowd that loves them too.   One of the cognitive techniques I use to remember new things is association.   For example, if I’m looking at a picture of a bowl of ice cream with a cherry, it is easier to remember that than if it were an image of ice cream with peanut butter because no one associates ice cream with peanut butter, but many do associate an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top.   I associate music with certain periods of my life: high school; college; music I studied and listened to in law school, and even music I played for my kids at bedtime.   So it makes sense that I enjoy seeing music live that I associate with these happy memories. What is the relevance of music to brain injury? I engaged in music therapy after my brain injury. As it turns out, music has a strong an...

I celebrated my birthday on Thursday. Some people don’t like their birthdays because it is a reminder they are getting older. Kids always enjoy celebrating birthdays, but somewhere along the way, the switch seems to flip for many.  I’ve always loved celebrating my birthday and even more so now because it wasn’t clear that I would get to celebrate with my family and friends after I suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of an accident .So, having breakfast and dinner with my kids followed by cake and a movie made for a wonderful day. The celebration will spill over into the next two weeks with some friends and family. What do birthday celebrations have to do with a  brain injury ? Brain injuries don’t all present in the same way. I am fortunate that mine did not impact my long-term memory . Though my TBI left me with some occasional  short term memory deficits , my pre-accident memory is completely intact. I remember not only important dates (birthdays of family...

 Summer in Seattle provides a great opportunity to enjoy the sunny weather while we have it.  It’s not easy for me to engage in every outdoor activity due to my disability, but this summer, I’m  challenging myself to engage in sports that are keeping me active and pushing me to develop new skills and muscles: rock climbing and kayaking Both activities are offered by a nonprofit organization called Outdoors for All.  https://outdoorsforall.org/ Though I never climbed or kayaked before my accident, I’m finding it very rewarding to challenge myself in these new physical ways despite my disability.  My participation requires not only physical exertion but also concentration to ensure I’m safe. When I’m rock climbing, I need to listen carefully to the instructor about how to safely ascend and the same goes for the descent down. I’ve found that after each activity, I’m (a) sore, (b) starving, (c) exhausted.  In both of these activities, the hardest part can ...

A s we age, people often need reminders. I’ve been a consummate list maker since I was very young. I have always planned my days in lists, sometimes going beyond the average to do lists  adding specific timeframes. Because my traumatic brain injury has resulted in short term memory deficits, I need ways to keep track of things.  Thankfully, technology has come a long way since the paper lists I made as a child. I make a lot of lists on my phone in the notes app.  I also keep notes on my Alexa. In my bedroom, where I have an Alexa, I’ll say, “Alexa Create a list called Things to do Thursday.”  Then you can add things to the list verbally and look at the list on your Alexa app.  I also rely very heavily on my calendar. As soon as something is scheduled, it goes  on the calendar. I look at the calendar first thing in the morning and throughout the day. Apart from technology, I also use memory strategies.  Chunking is one strategy. If you are trying to rem...

  It’s graduation season, and this one is extra special for me because there is a graduate in my family. My daughter is graduating from high school. It’s so exciting to see my oldest child end one chapter and move on to a new one. You might be wondering what this has to do with brain injury. In my mind, events like graduations are like markers in my recovery. Every step, whether it is physical, or cognitive, takes effort and time. Like a graduation, it doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye or without a long-term commitment to the goal. On the physical side, I went from a wheelchair to a crutch and now walk only with a hiking pole. On the cognitive front, I am working to compensate for the losses to my short-term memory and other challenges that resulted from my traumatic brain injury. Instead of focusing on what I’ve lost, I focus on the hard work I need to invest to advance my recovery. I’m willing to put in the hard work, but the progress comes incrementally and not without fru...

Attending events at venues like a stadium makes me more conscious of how much more work remains to be done to make large scale events and venues accessible. I’m very fortunate to be able to walk, but it is still a challenge to navigate a stadium setting. While the venue was ADA compliant, I think the vast majority of stadiums could be more thoughtful in their approach. On Sunday, when the game concluded, one of the staff impatiently told me that I needed to exit quickly because the game was over.  T he reality is that I couldn’t exit quickly because there were places with no rails.  Even with rails I’m not as fast as the average person and never will be. What’s more, I need someone to walk with me for safety reasons. I’m not talking about stadium staff, I'm referencing someone at the event who accompanied me.       Some venues have a really good understanding of my needs and have dedicated ushers to walk you to your seat before the show and help you out aft...

This post  isn’t 100% TBI related, but it’s timely because of Mother’s Day. Like many, my TBI was life changing.  Mine was also life threatening. It was far from a given that I would survive my injuries.  All moms love their kids, of course, but Mother’s Day is especially significant for me because it was not always sure that I would be here for that holiday.  I’m so thankful that I am.  We celebrated with brunch and an MLB game. More about accessibility in my next post. Attending events at venues like a stadium makes me more conscious of how much more work remains to be done to make large scale events and venues accessible. I’m very fortunate to be able to walk, but it is still a challenge to navigate a stadium setting. While the venue was ADA compliant, I think the vast majority of stadiums could be more thoughtful in their approach. On Sunday, when the game concluded, one of the staff impatiently told me that I needed to exit quickly because the game was ove...

     People note anniversaries of all kinds. Of course birthdays are anniversaries. So too are wedding anniversaries. And, in Judaism, we mark the anniversary of a loved one's death (called a yarzheit).        Today is the 9th anniversary of the accident that caused my traumatic brain injury. Some people might get upset or depressed on such anniversary. But I look at it through a different lens. I'm thankful. Thankful that I survived; thankful that I'm thriving; thankful to be present for my amazing children and surrounded by loved ones and friends. So, on this anniversary, and those that follow, I choose to be thankful for how far I've come since April 24, 2016, and looking ahead to meeting new goals for the next anniversary.

            B efore the month is over (time does seem to go faster the older you get), it seems worth noting that March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month. I wish it was a Hallmark holiday like Boss’s Day(isn’t every day Boss’s day?), but for me and the 2.8 million Americans that suffer a TBI each year ( ref ),  it  is not a holiday but instead a journey and a lifelong one at that. Though TBIs have similarities, each TBI is distinct and impacts the patient differently. TBIs can be the result of car accidents; sports injuries resulting in mild concussions to a permanent severe brain injury.      Beyond the impact on the patient is the impact on the family and community of the patient (work; religious; friends; etc,) Suffering a TBI is not like stitches or a broken bone. For many, including me, the “after” won’t ever be like the “ before.”  For me, it’s a matter of accepting that reality and putting1000% into reclaimi...

 JDAIM      February is JDAIM (Jewish Disability Awareness Inclusion Month).      I fit squarely in the target group for this month as a Jew with a disability.  Of course it's nice to think that everyone should want to be kind to people with disabilities in February or every other month and regardless of their faith.      In Judaism, the Hebrew phrase" B'tzelem Elohim" comes from the Torah. In Genesis 1:27 it is explained that all people are created in God's image. If everyone is created in God's image, then we each should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of our differences.      T here are all types of disabilities and all types of accommodations that synagogues can offer those who come to worship that carry through the teaching of B'tzelem Elohim. Wheelchair accessibility is obvious. It would probably be easy to find someone to sign the service in ASL for deaf congregants. For those with vision challen...

    I'm really late with this post.      For about fifteen years I have been hosting a gingerbread holiday party at my house. It started out as about ten people including a few kids and adults decorating homemade gingerbread houses. These homemade houses require nine cups of flour, two cups of molasses and are baked over the course of a full day in stainless steel molds that I have had for over a decade. Over time, the party has grown to about seventy guests, mainly because the kids have more friends and their families are invited as well as my friends and their families. We still bake a few houses in the stainless steel molds, but I admit that I buy the rest pre-assembled. At the party, the kids decorate their houses(I’m pretty sure that as much candy goes on the houses as in their mouths.) For many people who suffer a traumatic brain injury one of the resulting impacts is perseveration. Generally speaking, perseverating manifests as the...

 Trips are always good subjects for posts. They are fun in general, but travel with a disability and a traumatic brain injury adds another layer of complexity beyond the already daunting task of traveling with three children spanning eight years in age. in January, we headed to Whistler in Canada for Martin Luther King weekend. I got to ski and snowshoe in Whistler.  I've skied adaptively many times since my accident. This was my first time snowshoeing. My TBI impacts ski in two fundamental aspects.   From a physical perspective, I can't walk without a brace and hiking stick.  As a result, I'm not clipping boots into skis as a person without a disability would. Instead, I use something called a sit-ski.  It is exactly what it sounds like:      People with TBIs often have difficulty regulating their body temperatures.  A lot of people are cold when they ski; that's not uncommon.  I wear thermals; a sweater; mittens with handwarmers; ...

     Before I get too in the weeds about traumatic brain injuries and their resulting impacts(the subject of this blog), I should say something about how I incurred mine.       I was in a car accident. But, it wasn’t an ordinary car accident. I was hit by an ambulance driving to work on a Sunday. I went through a green light. The ambulance went through a red light with no lights and no sirens. Lesson learned: don’t go to work on a Sunday if you can avoid it. I wasn’t on a phone. At the time, I had a BlackBerry. Even though everyone else had abandoned them in favor of iPhone: I had not.  I'm showing my age.  Somea e familiar with a BlackBerry device: BlackBerry     In order  to complete a message, using the QWERTY keyboard of a BlackBerry, you needed to use both thumbs simultaneously, which you obviously cannot do while driving.       The impact of the ambulance was severe enough that they dispatched another ...

 I never intended planned--of course--to incur nor live with a traumatic brain injury(TBI).No one does.  Since I am lucky to have survived, my attitude is to work hard to reclaim as much of my pre-injury life as possible and even to embark on new experiences that I didn't before (mostly because I barely had time to breathe between working and raising children.)  While I  can't run the San Francisco marathon like I did many years ago, I can and have walked a half marathon with a cane; use a treadmill; ride horseback. I have done all three after my accident. (I rode horseback as a child but had not been on a horse for twenty years prior to my accident. Now I ride every week.  It is true that the way I do these activities does not look like someone without a disability does them.  But that doesn't make them any less of an accomplishment. Many able-bodied people never ride a horse nor ski. These activities are challenging for me in differing ways. Both are imme...