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August 14-16, 2017 | Toronto, Canada
BRAIN DISORDERS AND DEMENTIA CARE
4
th
International Conference on
Neurosurg, an open access journal
ISSN: 2471-9633
B
rain Injury is an invisible and silent epidemic with 2.8
M Americans affected annually. It is the leading cause
of death and disability in the World. Yet, it is far too often
misunderstoodandundiagnosedbydoctors, leaving survivors
and their family members to tread through murky waters
while trying to understand why their life has been turned
upside down. I believe that better education and awareness
through advocacy is the front line of defense in this battle
that so many of us struggle through daily. After a slip on the
ice in February of 2014 my life has never been the same. I
live with constant dizzy and balance problems, cognitive
deficits, and short- term memory issues. I easily fatigued
after doing simple tasks that I used to take for granted such
as washing the dishes or carrying in the groceries. I was easily
confused by anything with touch buttons and some days still
don’t understand how to use the microwave or pay-at-the-
pump gas stations. While friends and family drifted away,
doctors kept telling me that I would be fine in a few more
weeks (even after months of no improvement), and some
even accused me of not trying hard enough to get better. It
took me two and a half years to finally find a doctor who had
a better understanding of how my eyes and brain weren’t
communicating with each other properly and was able to
help me with simple eye exercises. I’m a strong, independent
woman now and it took me this long advocating for my
health, imagine what it takes for those who are less able to
voice their mounting concerns. Through my presentation,
I hope to help the healthcare professionals understand
what it’s really liked to live with a brain injury, and help
the scientific community understand why more research is
needed in hopes of finding better ways of prevention and
treatment. I will take attendees through my journey showing
them the struggles and triumphs in hopes that hearing from
a survivor may help them in their practice and/or research.
e:
amyzellemrtbi@gmail.comOvercoming life with a traumatic brain injury
Amy Zellmer
Brain Injury Association of America, USA
Neurosurg 2017, 2:2
DOI: 10.21767/2471-9633-C1-006