Brain Injury Survivor Network

Introduction To The Brain Injury Survivor Network ....

2009-08-01T02:54:00.001-07:00

I had a simple accident which resulted in brain injury thirteen years ago since 2009. In December 1995, while surfing at Peregian Beach in Queensland, Australia, I fell off a boogie-board in metre of water and hit my head on the sand. I ended up in the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane where I was in a coma for four weeks. It took six months in hospital before I was able to walk, talk and function in a reasonably normal manner. I am now the ‘The Recycled/Restored Man ...... in a new Season of Life’.

In my new Season of Life since my accident, I am here to build people up ...... to inspire people ..... to work with them and what they have already and not what they have lost. I do this primarily via the Internet to over a thousand people around the world. Some group identities have many Cyberspace members as well. A number of years ago I began the Brain Injury Survivor Network.

I now see great value in people:

* No matter who they are
* What skin colour they are
* What race they are
* What they have done or not done

This is because I have and live out a Christian Spirituality (versus Christian Religion). The focus of this Spirituality is on Community vs. Corporation. It is a focus on people vs. seeing it as conformity to set framework of a religious corporation with rational beliefs and set rituals.

I think of my fellow brain injury survivor friends as part of my extended brain injury survivor family ..... whether I have met them or not.

In our Western Culture, it is highly individualized, being very competitive and corporate. We generally do not give value for people who cannot achieve. When you have brain injury, you certainly cannot achieve. It can become very isolating and can lead to a lot of disconnection from other people. I discuss this topic more fully in the section ‘Personal Stories Of Brain Injured People’ where I met Takalah Tan in Singapore.

With the development of the Worldwide Web, we can easily be in contact with other survivors. The purpose of this Blog Site ….. the ‘BRAIN INJURY SURVIVOR NETWORK’ is about HOPE and RESTORATION.

Hope: that by following the fundamentals of the Sustainable Life, you will again be a valued member of the community again. Such a life has the ability to be continually and maintained everyday. From my personal belief and experience there three important components in recovering from a brain injury and maintaining an ongoing life. These are: Structure, Social Network and Spirituality.

The focus is: ' ..... Beyond Being a Brain Injury Survivor into Being a Brain Injury Thriver ....'

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Join this network now at this e-mail address: aitkken@gmail.com.

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Top 50 Ways to Make Someones Monday

2009-08-01T02:52:00.001-07:00

Posted by: Scott Stratten on Monday, June 30th, 2008

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Refuse to believe that life is only enjoyable on the weekend!

I need your help! Currently there are 44 for this “Top 50 list”, please add yours to the comment section. You’re awesome! The following list is about simple, painless ways to be a Daymaker for different people. Feel free to submit more in the comment section.

See the Blog Site: http://top50waystomakesomeonesmonday.blogspot.com/

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Brain Injury Survivor Travels Around the World

2009-08-01T02:48:00.000-07:00

...... Ken Aitken ..... The Restored Man ......
..... To illustrate in Real Practical Ways that there

is Real Restoration after even a very

Severe Brain Injury After Thirteen Years ....

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The New Travel Blog For Ken and Harriet Aitken

Are You A Brain Injury Survivor or a Brain Injury Thriver?
I had a severe brain injury falling off a boogie-board in shallow water in the surf at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia in December 1995 .... as simple as that. This was over twelve years ago.
Even though I have had a severe brain injury … I have moved from seeing myself and others as brain injury survivors to seeing the possibility of being brain injury thrivers. The outworking of this life is told in my recent story ‘The Rosewater Story' at this Website.
I went through a real transformation of life whereby:
TRANSFORMATION OF LIFE DIRECTION: With my brain injury, I went from being:

1.Outer Physical Gardener (Outer Sustainability) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2. Inner Life Gardener (Inner Sustainability)

1. Outer Sustainability: In a gardening and agriculture sense ….. can certain practices be maintained….. is what you doing now preparing the way ahead for new life? It was a very difficult business in which to make money, mainly due to the very non-standard and the seasonal nature of the work. My former life was not sustainable ….. my creativity in my business couldn’t be standardised vs. a successful business needs to be like a biscuit cutter …. Making a few $$ off large numbers of components.
This side of the accident since I was hospital from 8th December 1996 to now, I have really discovered people in a big way. I have really come to value people, no matter who they are, what they do or say. I have developed a passion to build inner community with many people around the world especially by e-mail. As I am on a permanently paid holiday through my life-long Income Protection, I have time to spend with people in a way I never could do in my busy business.

2. Inner Sustainability: In an ongoing personal sense …. Can your life be maintained to? ….. is what you doing now preparing the way ahead for new life? I have also discovered the significance of the Inner and Outer Life. Sustainability I have come to see, has to be a wholistic view on life of Inner, Middle and Outer Persons. Problems come because things do not change from the Outside to Inside but from the Inside to the Outside.

An International Perspective: With the freedom of life we have and having no mortgage on our five acres of land plus house we built from recycled materials in 1981 for minimal money, Harriet and I have been travelling overseas every two years to see the world. In between we have been seeing parts of Australia which is a very large country. We are also a member of Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific and because they are linked with Interval International, we have available free accommodation in 3 star apartments around the world. These are free of cost.

I believe there are three kinds of people in the world. I compare these people to how they would look at trees in a forest. They are:

1. There are those who see and count the physical trees in the forest .... all they see in the world is the physical things of life.

2. There are who those who see, observe and work with the spaces inbetween the physical trees in the forest .... all they see in the world is the spiritual and abstract things of life.

3. There are who those who count the physical trees in the forest but they also see, observe and work with the spaces inbetween the physical trees in the forest .... they see that you cannot have the spaces inbetween the physical trees without the actual trees .... they endeavour to live whole lives.

Harriet and I are of the third kind of people. When we go travelling, we see and value the physical realities that we are seeing but also the culture behind what we are seeing. We have a great love of history eg. when we were in France in May 2007, we spent a week in Paris, we hired a car and drove throughout Brittany for a week then we drove down through the Loire Valley for another week. See two of the places we saw: Josselin and Perros Guirec.

See my new Travel Blog at: http://travelblogkenandharriet.blogspot.com/

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1 comments:
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March 18, 2008 2:07 PM
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My Personal Story ..... The Hidden Disability

2009-08-01T02:46:00.001-07:00

Brain injury results in a sudden change of life .....

The one thing we all have in common is a brain injury. We didn’t ask for it but it came into all our lives in a sudden way from many different causes. The result was a sudden change of life. Brain injury affects people in similar ways for anyone around the world. The purpose of this Blog Site is to share HOPE for restoration from a brain injury. It is my personal story and in sharing it with you with, I would like to encourage you in your own personal journey out of brain injury. I am more occupied with the effects of a brain injury thirteen years on from my accident. What do we do with life now, this side of our injury?

For me, I had a severe brain injury falling off a boogie-board in shallow water in the surf at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia in December 1995 .... as simple as that. This was over thirteen years ago where I was:

In a coma for four weeks from early December 1995 to early January 1996. I felt like a three year old child in the first week after I woke up from the coma with no control over my actions
In hospital for six months
Had to learn to walk, talk, eat solid food all over again
I had to learn everything over again .... how dress myself etc.
Get my brain back together from a very scrambled state since December 1995
I lost a lot of intuitive ability to feel what other people are saying ..... although that has come back now.

I am not the same man as before my accident. You always work from what you have and not from what you have lost. At the moment these are my continuing problems:

I cannot drive thirteen years out from accident .... but I have learnt to drive on the Internet .... to go around the world in few minutes and see hundreds of people at the same time.
My balance is still a bit out at the moment .... I have to be very careful walking over uneven ground or being on rocky ground
I cannot ride a bicycle now ….. Used to ride for kilometres when I had one when I was younger. I now fall off a bicycle from a lack of balance
I have to be careful in walking up narrow paths
I have to come down backwards still on steep steps at home whilst holding onto the banister
My mind was slowed right down …. It is hard to take initiative for one’s life and make clear decisions. The result of this for me, is that my wife Harriet had to learn to manage all the finances on a day to day basis as we ran a small landscape design and construction business up to then and I did most of that. That has finished now as the whole business revolved around my creative design talents

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The Context Of My Brain-injury: For twenty years, I ran a small Landscape Design and Construction Company doing very creative, individual designer gardens for wealthy residential clients around Brisbane. I was more an artistic sort of person, a lateral thinker ..... more artist than businessman. I thought of a landscape as would a sculptor in a solid medium, but I saw it as a three-dimensional piece of space which people walked through. This space changed with time as it grew and changed with the time of day: shadows vs. sun patterns, boulders, colour, plants, trees, earth-forms, solid structures and water. These were the ingredients in a subtle flow of landscape design and construction. Rather an intangible product to sell and run a business with!! Out of this stage I built a structure for my life:

My marriage with Harriet (33 years now from 1975)
Business and the house plus we had a family. See my personal experiences website: www.kenaitken.net. See the following posts as an overview of the house and garden:

I ran a small business in upmarket landscape design and construction for wealthy clients around Brisbane. It was called ‘New Earth Systems P/L’. It was a very difficult business in which to make a profit which depended on whether I had costed it properly. Each project was very non-standard and there was a seasonal nature of the work. Every project was a “one off”’. My former life was not sustainable ….. my creativity in my business couldn’t be standardised

That all changed overnight when I had a simple accident which resulted in severe consequences. This was over eleven years ago in December 1995. I went through a real transformation of life whereby:

TRANSFORMATION OF LIFE DIRECTION:

With my brain injury, I went from being:

1. Physical Gardener (Outer Sustainability) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2. Inner Life Gardener (Inner Sustainability)

1. Outer Sustainability:..... can certain practices be maintained ….. is what you doing now preparing the way ahead for a new garden which will growing successfully in twenty years time. I ran a small business in upmarket landscape design and construction for wealthy clients around Brisbane. It was called ‘New Earth Systems P/L’. It was a very difficult business in which to make a profit which depended on whether I had costed it properly. Each project was very non-standard and there was a seasonal nature of the work. Every project was a “one off”’. My former life was not sustainable ….. my creativity in my business couldn’t be standardised.

Since my accident, I have come to value people. I have developed a passion to build inner community with many people around the world especially by e-mail. As I am on a permanently paid holiday through my life-long Income Protection, I have time to spend with people in a way I never could do in my busy business.

2. Inner Sustainability: …. Can your life be maintained? ….. is what you doing now preparing the way ahead for new life? Inner sustainability flows from having a wholistic way of life where problems are dealt with by personal accountability. Inner determination then flows outwards.
I have also discovered the significance of the Inner and Outer Life. Sustainability I have come to see, has to be of Inner, Middle and Outer Persons. Problems come because things do not change from the Outside to Inside but from the Inside to the Outside.

Inner Life Gardens ..... Everyone of us has a private space in our lives that we carefully guard. I call it ‘The Garden of Life’. A garden is a personal space you can go out into and to enjoy the peace, the cool air, the shadows of trees, the sun shining with translucent light through tree leaves and palm fronds, the perfume of beautiful blossoms.

No one else comes there except yourself and your family and close friends. They are invited out there with you after you have let them into your house. Strangers who come are intruders and will be dwelt with by the police.

It is the same with relationships. You have enter someone’s inner life with their consent. You do this by understanding the persons inherent value and by listening intently to what they say. You are as it were gently knocking on the door of their inner house. If that person trusts you, they will then invite you into the inner garden of their life demonstrating that they accept the value you offer them. Then you can talk with them. They will open their door of their inner life at a later time if you knock. To keep that process going is a Sustainable Relationship. If I act suspiciously or try and crash the door with a sledge hammer, I will not be let in. That is what I call an Unsustainable Relationship.

Some Inner Life Gardens are very ordered whereas others are very weedy as people do not understand their value so anything goes. There are definite values and principles of life which really work. I say ‘Go through open doors, not closed doors …. Otherwise you will get a very sore forehead. …. Look not at closed doors of the past but look to find new doors of opportunity. That is why I have become an Inner Life Gardener (Inner Sustainability) to hundreds of people around the world to encourage them.

Even though I have had a severe brain injury … I have moved from seeing myself and others as brain injury survivors to seeing the possibility of being brain injury thrivers. The outworking of this life is told in my recent story ‘The Rosewater Story' at this Website.
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Personal Stories Of Brain Injured People ..... No. 2

2009-08-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

Peter Mulroy who lives on McLeay Island in Moreton Bay out from Brisbane, Australia as at 31.07.09

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Back a few years ago in January 2002, Peter was driving along McLeay Island and saw three men attacking and stabbing with a knife, a man and a woman. He stopped and got out to see what was going on and one of the men swung a wooden pickaxe handle at him and knocked to the ground and left him for dead. The men left the scene and disappeared.

He lay on the ground until he was found. His skull was very smashed. He was flown by medical helicopter to a Brisbane hospital. He was in a coma for three weeks. The senior brain surgeon warned his family that he would unlikely never recover. However his mother didn’t accept this and stayed by his bed for there for three and half months but determined that he would survive. With 48 years of age, he had inherited his mothers determination.

He three brain surgeries and was permanently blind in one eye and confined to a wheelchair for seven months. He had been a former trainer with Skillshare for twelve years and a radio announcer. He had now lost his speech and swallowing was dangerous.

After 3.50 months, he returned to his beloved island home .... this proved a dangerous decision. Depressed and alone, he drank and smoked heavily and weight loss and hopelessness affected him. His precious mother came through and rescued him from those dark hours.

In one day she came and took him to her hometown of Newcastle to look after him. However, the battle was not yet won and on top of his alcohol and nicotine addiction, he became addicted to prescribed medications. Determined to survive and accept all the help offered to him, he chose to step away from all addictions. This decision and the help of his mum, saved his life.

In September 2002, he began a course of recovery with the Brain Injury Service (BIS). He experienced the wonderful professional care of the staff of which he will be forever grateful.

After fourteen months he graduated from BIS just as graduated from his wheelchair and walking stick. Headstart came next. Headstart is a group in Newcastle who are linked together as a post recovery group of social activities and friendships. He was invited to join. Supportive staff drew him into social activities and many friendships. As part of Headstart, he wrote these articles below for the Newslink magazine ..... starting with his own story.

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Just click on the files below and they will come up to screen size.

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Recently, Harriet and I went to personally visit Peter on McLeay Island. We drove down to Redland Bay area and caught a passenger ferry over to the island. This section of my personal experiences website: http://www.kenaitken.net records in photographs the events of the day.

See http://www.kenaitken.net/?page_id=2538

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A Tip on Reading Blog Sites ....

2008-09-20T22:50:00.001-07:00

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A tip on reading blogs: After you have read the main blog writing, remember to read all the separate posts .... they do not automatically come up the main blog writing. To view photographs with a larger screen size, just click on the particular photograph and will come up a larger screen size. You can the save them if you wish by clicking 'Save Image As' in your mouse dialogue box.

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THE CAB RIDE ... are you part of a community of abundance?

2008-09-20T22:13:00.001-07:00

29.09.05

Dear Brain Injury Survivor, Associate or Carer around the world,

Are you part of a community of abundance?

I am sending this e-mail broadcast to you all around the world on a group basis

... those who in the BRAIN INJURY SURVIVOR NETWORK ..... a few hundred people. No matter what has happened to you, life is about choices. Life is 10% what happened to you and 90 % what you do about it. You may fit one of these three categories:

You have had a brain injury in the past
You work with someone who has brain injury now
You work with a brain injury group

I see in the fact that you are part of this e-mail network group that you all have a desire to make a difference in life for yourself and others .... especially those with an acquired brain injury (abi) or traumatic brain injury (tbi) as it is called from country to country. The whole topic of how we value other people has a call for us to be part of communities of abundance ..... of giving value other people .... no matter who they are.

I trust you can relate to what I say from hereon. I find that life is a strange thing at times .... sometimes it is hidden and sometimes it is very open. That hiddeness of life is very powerful thing and ultimately it is the inner power of spirituality which motivates us in life .... or the lack of it. We all have a spirituality …… whether we know it not. There are two dimensions of Spirituality, a Horizontal Spirituality on the horizontal plane of life and a Vertical Spirituality ….. Horizontal Spirituality gives us directions on our relationship with the Earth and all other living creatures whereas a Vertical Spirituality gives our relationship with an infinite-personal Creator God. Life didn’t happen by chance (even though some people do believe that absolutely).

Spirituality is implicit (inwardly self evident and undefined). It refers to how an individual lives meaningfully with the ultimate questions of life, his or her response to the deepest truths of the universe as he or she apprehends these. It answers such queries as:

Who are we as a people?
What is the meaning of life?
What values should I live by?
It is not a rational experience of the mind ….. of just a belief in something but is a dynamic quality of life which interacts with everything you do. It is very practical in way it affects your work, family and social network and the whole of life.

I focus today in this broadcast on the importance of spirituality in restoration from a brain injury plus maintaining an ongoing life for anyone. Can you get back to me about the thoughts in this broadcast?

Regards,

Ken Aitken (B.Sc.)

PS: The photo attached above is one of Harriet and I from our one day visit to Pompeii in our four week holiday to Italy in mid March and April this year.

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THE CAB RIDE .... are you part of a community of abundance?

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door.

This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked. Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. "Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated". "Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice". I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighbourhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now." We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing," I said. "You have to make a living," she answered. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you." I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware --- beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT 'YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT ~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL. You won't get any big surprise in 10 days if you send it to ten people. But, you might help make the world a little kinder and more compassionate by sending it on.

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REFLECTIONS ON THE STORY ABOVE:

I trust this e-mail broadcast causes you to reflect on your life at the moment .... in terms of now and how you are living it and its final purpose in the end. My purpose today is to share with you a very valuable principle of life: that is to treat other people as you would want to treated .... as a valuable person. You get back in life manifold over, what you give away. When you plant and sow into people's lives, love and care, you get back friendship and positive relationships which multiply far beyond you. Life is like a garden, you only get up what seeds you plant. It is this aspect of creating friendships, which particularly many brain injured people have real ongoing trouble with. This principle of sowing and reaping is true for all aspects of life. As in gardening or farming, you plant seeds for the harvest you wish gain. If you don't plant, you don't reap.

The story above (THE CAB RIDE) is a wonderful story of the value we place on other people. The story illustrates how to treat other people according to their situation .... to go with the flow. Often in a brain injury situation, we can be very inflexible with how people relate us. We may have one way of doing things and we think that approach applies to all people. The opposite position of caring for other people is caring only about ourselves ie. being very self focussed. With that approach we will not get much done in this life.

In Australia where I come from, in the late 1800's, horses and bullock teams were used to haul massive loads to distant places. Australia is only a young country, being settled only after 1788. It was found that one bullock by itself could pull two tonne but two bullocks together could pull twenty three tonnes. So it is with as human beings. Working in with others and valuing their contributions, we have a far greater effect.

When I had my brain injury nearly ten years ago, I finished being in hospital for six months. As you may have read in previous e-mail broadcasts, I had a severe brain injury after falling off a boogi-board in shallow water in the surf at Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia ..... as simple as that. I was:

· In a coma for four weeks from early December 1995 to early January 1996. I felt like a three year old child in the first week after I woke up from the coma with no control over my actions

· In hospital for six months

· Had to learn to walk, talk, eat solid food all over again

· I had to learn everything over again .... how dress myself etc.

· Get my brain back together from a very scrambled state since December 1995

· I lost a lot of intuitive ability to feel what other people are saying ..... although that is coming back now

Today, I am The Recycled Man. Ten years on, I wouldn't doing a fraction of what am doing now without principle of being synergistically linked to others. This occurred in the following ways:

Harriet my Wife: First and foremost is my wife Harriet who would drive every day to see me ..... for six months .... even while I was in a four week coma. Harriet drove from Chambers Flat from where we live, to Woolloongabba at the Princess Alexander Hospital. Finding a park outside the hospital and walking in made a journey of at least an hour. That was a journey of 30 kms. each way. After the visit she had the long journey home again. This generous support which I received, was a very important part of my recovery. Many other patients are not so fortunate
My Family: In 2005 (now ten years on) it has become very close again like a little community in and of itself, all members working for the common good. This is because we all share in a common, a sustainable life of structure, spirituality and social network. I have two children .... Claire and Anthony .... they have been very supportive of me.
Money from Friends: As soon as my injury occurred in December 1995, friends who I hadn't heard from for years, phoned Harriet from down south even in other states to see how I was. People began to send notes of encouragement to her with cheques of money: A$100.00, $250.00, $500.00 and a $1000.00 in one case
Support from Friends: I not only had excellent support from my wife but many, many friends throughout my hospitalisation where nearly 100 ++ people came to see me over six months. Some people I hadn't seen for fifteen years. My mind was not very good then but some friends would sit and read for hours beside my bed
Support from My Local Church: Whilst in hospital I had excellent support through the church Harriet and I are part of then. It is a real community and family based church of 3,500 people at Mt. Gravatt called Garden City Christian Church. It was a very caring group of people ...... many people came to see me from there over six months. Every week one of the twelve pastors from the church came to visit me in hospital and brought a great deal of encouragement to me. Many members still take an active interest in me and my progress. Friends from many other churches would come and visit me as well.

A social network enables you to get out of yourself and your problems being the centre of your attention. A social network then provides a structural part of life to affirm your progress apart from you trying to assess it yourself.

This support of patients, is vital in the whole of life. You rarely get much done by just yourself in life. I call it the synergistic effect. The ability to be able to work in relation to others is a great benefit in life. Healing is not just an independent thing but is a relationship thing. I further say this in another way by saying that human beings are relational, not mechanical.

The Value of Other People: comes as consequence when we have a spirituality of life. There is a seen physical world and an unseen spiritual dimension to life. There are many success principles which come from this unseen dimension of life. One of these is the value we place on other people .... not for we see them as, what they achieve in life but as value placed on them which comes from that spiritual dimension. If you see and only place value on the seen physical world, you will have a pragmatic view on life, only seeing the seen physical world. You end up in a medical sense with a medical model which only sees someone in the here and now. I see this view as very limited in its outlook as it finally denies or ignores a major part and dynamic dimension of life. This spiritual dimension of life is where restoration from brain injury comes from in a full and ongoing sense. I have met some survivors who see they are still suffering from a brain injury 20 - 30 years on. They may be suffering in a real sense but I also see another aspect to this. I would see that it isn't their former brain injury but their very unsustainable way of life that they are having trouble with.

Spirituality leads to a Great Value placed on Other People: Value placed on other people leads to a community or social network. You begin to affirm people for who they are and not they look like, what they do or how they act. Spirituality is like the pond of life. When you toss a stone into a pond of water, the ripples begin to outwards to touch the very outer edges of the pond. Spirituality is like that .... it affects everything in life in a very wholistic way. Spirituality leads to a Social Network and this leads to a need for Structure in life. Like the Body without a backbone, so is life without structure ... Gives order, direction, aims and achievable goals. Structure in life then provides a physical means of delivering the value placed on other people in a social network context.

Regards,

Ken Aitken (B.Sc.)

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Do You See the Gift in Your Accident?

2008-09-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

15.11.07

Dear Brain Injury Survivor, Associate or Carer around the world

Over some time, I have been receiving an e-mail broadcast from Scott Stratten in Canada. He has been sending out motivational movies to many people around the world. Most of his movies and newsletters to you are about enjoying life now, and looking at things in a different way.

See his website at: http://www.scottstratten.com/ His approach is in a business / working context which may not apply to us now since we had a brain injury. However, it is still relevant for those who have had a brain injury.

Do you have a positive view of life? .... is an absolutely important question if you are looking for restoration from your brain injury. I ask .... Do You See the Gift in Your Accident? Scott’s e-mail broadcast is copied out below.

If you enjoyed it, please sign-up below for the free ‘Work Your Life’ or the free weekly newsletter from other recommended people that contains motivational thoughts plus new motivational free movies when they come out.

Regards,

Ken Aitken (B.Sc.)

___________________________________

Hi Ken,

For years now I've been sending out motivational movies to my subscribers, and they all mean a great deal to me.

Well, today I get to share a new one with you that has to be one of my favourite of all-time:

It's the Seven Wonders movie at

http://www.SevenWondersOfYourWorldMovie.com

Not only did the movie evoke many emotions for me, it also made me feel good knowing that a close personal friend of mine brought it to the world. It was done by Dave Boufford. There aren't many people in this world that are more positive than I am, but he is one!

Heck, his nickname (and website!) is Mr. Positive.

So please do yourself and others you pass it on to a favour and take a short few minutes and enjoy http://www.SevenWondersOfYourWorldMovie.com

Don't forget to subscribe to his newsletter at the end as well, it's one of the few ezines I still subscribe to.

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Legalised Murder Rethinking Life sustaining Measures

2008-09-19T01:26:00.005-07:00

http://legalisedmurder.blogspot.com/

What is The Value of People?

2008-09-19T01:26:00.003-07:00

24.10.07

Dear Brain Injury Survivor, Associate or Carer around the world,

What is The Value of People? Here is a paper via Meriel Stanger in Australia called ‘Legalised Murder’ regarding new laws possibly coming into Queensland which is one state of seven in Australia. We only have twenty million people over here compare to many, many more people in some countries around the world. These laws already exist in some other countries. I then give a reflection on what Meriel has said.

Regards,

Ken Aitken

Legalised Murder - Rethinking Life-sustaining Measures

Imagine the scenario – you are a 35 year old woman, mother of two young daughters (7 & 12), who is severely injured in an accident with an extremely poor prognosis. That was me. I suffered a severe head injury; I spent four months in a coma and spent 12 months in hospital leaving me with quadriplegia, partial blindness and use of only one hand but with an enormous will to live. Luckily I had not signed an Advanced Health Directive (known as a Living Will) when I was 25, which I would have done not knowing the wonderful life I could lead. These Advanced Health Directives, I call Legalised Murder.

I’m glad I had my accident 12 years ago when euthanasia was illegal. Sure before my accident I would have said ‘put me down’ if I was ever injured badly but I’m so happy I survived and right now I wouldn’t have changed a thing in my life. It frightens me with these Advance Health Directives, or the ‘Living Will’ as it is popularly known, being legally binding. ‘Living Will’ is such a misnomer – it should be renamed ‘Dying Will’. I know I can’t prevent such an option but I would like it to be clear and understood that a decision made when one is 25 years old is quite different to the one you would make when you’re 65 years old or older. I feel that as a 25 year old you lack the maturity and appreciation of life. Car insurance companies are of the same opinion.

All life is precious. It is against the law to commit suicide or murder. Speaking on behalf of all the disabled, given a choice, we don’t want to be devalued and have an ‘upright’ decide our quality of life. I know of one particular person who has quite severe physical disabilities and is unable to communicate in the traditional sense. His biggest fear is to be placed into hospital, not be understood and have someone decide that his life is futile. What is being done to safeguard these people? There is a push in Queensland to have this law passed. Read my story at:'The Hidden Disability'.

What criterion is to be used when a life is considered futile? I know from reading my hospital records I was not given a lot of hope to survive. I was artificially ventilated and artificially fed through a nasal gastric tube and given every opportunity to survive against all odds. Where has the Hippocratic Oath gone? I have grave concern for future accidents and births if future legislation does not continue to safeguard the rights of people with disability to live.

In reading through an Issues Paper reviewing the legislation governing withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining measures, I found it disappointing that not one person on the reference group was disabled or had anything to do a person with a disability or a disability service. I find that rather surprising when you look at the percentage of people with disability throughout the population of Queensland, the reference group is hardly a good cross-section of the general public of Queensland. It appears the reference group was mostly made up of academics.

People with disability deserve to have their voices heard. I refer to the recent movie Million Dollar Baby where the lead role was made out to be a hero when he put an injured young woman out of her ‘misery’ because he thought her life wouldn’t be worth living. Sadly this is how many people see life with a disability.

I question what is meant by Personal Matter when the issues mentioned are about where one lives, what education one has, what one eats and how they dress? Does that mean someone who was educated to Year 10, vegetarian, living on the wrong side of the tracks and unfashionably dressed is a candidate for euthanasia? They are human beings for goodness sake. I have been told I am unfashionable but I wear clothing that I can manage and I am also very conscious of my diet as my health is of utmost importance to me.

I was considered in a Persistent Vegetative State (from hospital records) and yet I was quite aware of things around me, I just was unable to react. I did notice when people around me were caring. Just because one is in not reacting in the traditional sense, doesn’t signify the ‘will to die’. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) used by the hospitals in Australia is very limiting. On admission to hospital my GCS was 4 and 2.5 months later it came to a 6. The Glasgow Coma Scale is scored between 3 and 15, 3 being the worst and 15 being the best. It is composed of 3 parameters: Best Eye Response, Best Verbal Response and Best Motor Response, as given below;

Best Eye Response (4)

1. No eye opening

2. Eye opening to pain

3. Eye opening to verbal command

4. Eyes open spontaneously

Best Verbal Response (5)

1. No verbal response

2. Incomprehensible sounds

3. Inappropriate words

4. Confused

5. Orientated

Best Motor Responses (6)

1. No motor response

2. Extension to pain

3 Flexion to pain

4. Withdrawal from pain

5. Localising pain

6. Obeys commands

Note that the phase Glasgow Coma Scale of 11 is essentially meaningless and it is important to break the figure down into its components, such as E3V3M5 = GCS 11

A Coma Score of 13 or higher correlates with mild brain injury, 9 to 12 is a moderate injury and 8 or less is a severe brain injury.’

Teasdale G., Jennett B., LANCET (ii) 81-83 1974.

I think we have had a classic example presented to us with the Terry Schiavo case in Florida. How that poor defenceless woman was murdered was horrendous – you would be arrested if that was being done to a dog. I think there are more safeguards for animals than humans. Can anyone appreciate the agony involved with dying of dehydration, starvation or suffocation, while people watched on?

At the time of my accident I was separated from my husband and he had taken work in South Africa. My defacto partner took my accident on board and thankfully at no time was I wanted dead no matter how futile my situation or future seemed. Don’t discount the ‘human spirit’.

Scenario A to consider – Trevor is a 40 year old man who is married with two young children. He is a high school physical education teacher and also competes in marathons. Trevor has been training for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He and his wife have discussed each of their wishes should either be involved in an accident which would require invasive medical treatment to recover. They pledged to each other that they would ensure that the other would never have to incur what they perceived to be unacceptable indignity of being on life-sustaining measures if there was only a limited prospect of making a full recovery.

Trevor’s family is involved in a car accident. Most of the family escapes serious injury but Trevor sustains severe head injuries and is placed on life-support. Trevor’s wife Amanda is advised of his condition – he has suffered significant brain damage, cannot currently breathe on his own and he will need to be on life-support until his condition stabilisers and staff can more accurately assess his prognosis. At this stage, however, the prospect of Trevor ever being able to live independently again is extremely remote. This sounds very familiar.

The public is of the opinion that you are ‘better off dead than disabled’, I know these case studies are hypothetical (or at least, I hope they are) but he is a fit young man who has many reasons to live. Perhaps his wife was counting the cost financially, I’m sure he would think differently if it were her, or is that how the medical world is thinking and they are looking for a legal way out. I can’t do the things I used to; my life has changed not ended. Through perseverance, love and encouragement I have become as independent as possible, graciously rely on the help of others and contribute to society.

Scenario B to consider – Anne is a 40 year old woman who has been admitted to hospital for a minor procedure. An adverse event occurs regarding her anaesthetic and Anne suffers severe and irreversible brain damage. Although she is not clinically dead, there is only minimal core brain activity. Her breathing is laboured and it is likely she will have to be put on a respirator (and certainly other life-sustaining measures) to survive.

Anne’s family is told that she has no prospect of recovery and that life-sustaining measures should not be provided to her. Anne’s family do not agree with this approach and insist that life-sustaining measures to be given as needed. I agree with the family. Who does this doctor think he or she is? Saying it would have to go to court, when treatment could be being done, makes it really difficult to understand the rationale behind it. Again I think it is all to do with money not humanity.

What I’m also curious about is many of the situations are an emergency so I wonder the wisdom in waiting for a person of authority to be found to render a decision. With all the advances in medicine makes me wonder about all these cost-cutting decisions being made about life and death situations.

Please allow doctors to be doctors and work by the Hippocratic Oath which they undertook on graduation. This includes the ambulance people. Don’t allow them to become Legalised Murderers. Allow them to shine.

This situation could happen to any one of you, at anytime

Questions

1. Scenario A

Trevor is a 40 year old man who is married with two young children. He is a high school physical education teacher and also competes in marathons. Trevor has been training for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He and his wife have discussed each of their wishes should either be involved in an accident which would require invasive medical treatment to recover. They pledged to each other that they would ensure that the other would never have to incur what they perceived to be unacceptable indignity of being on life-sustaining measures if there was only a limited prospect of making a full recovery.

Q1. Should his life support be turned off?

2. Scenario B

Anne is a 40 year old woman who has been admitted to hospital for a minor procedure. An adverse event occurs regarding her anaesthetic and Anne suffers severe and irreversible brain damage. Although she is not clinically dead, there is only minimal core brain activity. Her breathing is laboured and it is likely she will have to be put on a respirator (and certainly other life-sustaining measures) to survive.

Q2. You are the doctor speaking privately to her family what would you say?

Q3.Should our doctors/medical services be responsible for our medical future – if so, how?

Q4. Should we be responsible for our own medical future? - if so how?

Q5. Is our medical system governed by money? Where are the humanitarian goals gone?

I have also added it to my Brain Injury Survivor Network Blog:

http://braininjurysurvivornetwork.blogspot.com/

I wrote: Individual Stories of Brain Injury Thrivers:

In the new theme ‘Beyond Being a Brain Injury Survivor into being a Brain Injury Thriver’, I have initially used my own experience in the last few years as an example of this direction. I have done this because:

It is one I know well and I haven’t had much personal contact with many other survivors as I live a long way out of Brisbane, Australia in the countryside …. I live on a five acre property 35 kms out from Brisbane ….. see the website: http://kenandharrietshouse.blogspot.com/. I catch public transport or my wife drives me around. See my story on this blog site: The outworking of this life is told in my recent story ‘The Rosewater Story' at this Blog Site.

· In the last year I have a new digital camera whereby you can take 1000 photos (2 GB Chip) on a tiny chip. I have two other spare chips. If you don’t like several photos, you take the photos backwards and delete what you like and then come home and download them straight to your computer. You can then downsize them into a small size (Photographs can take up a lot of memory), attach them to e-mails and send them to someone around the world on the Internet. You can alternatively copy them across in to a Word file as text then print them as a Portable Document file (pdf) See the instructions at this blog site on recommended website links for the free ‘pdf’ writer at www.pdf995.com.

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Starting Over: A Survivor's Guide

2008-09-19T01:26:00.002-07:00

01.11.07

Dear Brain Injury Survivor, Associate or Carer around the world,

I received an e-mail from Anthony Aquan-Assee in Toronto, Canada. The e-mail was regarding his new book at his website site: http://www.anthonyaquan-assee.com His new book is called, "Starting Over: A Survivor's Guide" It is a tool kit written to help other survivors cope with their challenges.

Read his fascinating story of his accident and recover from a severe brain injury on his website and purchase his new book through his website.

Regards,

Ken Aitken

__________________________________

8 Gifts That Don’t Cost A Cent

2008-09-19T01:26:00.001-07:00

23.11.07
Dear Reader of the Brain Injury Survivor Network e-mail broadcast around the world,

If you wish to change the world with others around you, begin with these eight gifts that don’t cost a cent.

Regards,

Ken Aitken

8 Gifts That Don’t Cost A Cent

The Gift of Listening

But you must really listen.

No interrupting, no day dreaming,

no planning your response. Just listening

The Gift of Affection

Be generous with appropriate hugs,

kisses, pats on the back, and handholds.

Let these small actions demonstrate the

Love you have for your family and friends.

The Gift of Laughter

Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories

Your gift will say “I love to laugh with you”.

The Gift of a Written Note

It can be a simple “Thanks for the help”

note

or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten

note may

be remembered for a lifetime

and may change a life

The Gift of a Compliment

A simple and sincere “You look great in red”,

“You did a super job” or “That was a wonderful meal”

Can make anyone’s day

The Gift of a Favour

Every day, go out of the way

to do something kind

The Gift of a Solitude

There are times when we want nothing better

Then to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times

And give the gift of solitude to others.

The Gift of a Cheerful Disposition

The easiest way to make others feel good

Is to make others feel good.

___________________________________

Are you guilty of receiving these gifts?

But never giving?

Turn your guilt to happiness.

Give these gifts today

____________________________________

The Train of Life

2008-09-19T01:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader of the Brain Injury Survivor Network e-mail broadcast around the world, Over some time, I have been receiving an e-mail broadcast from Scott Stratten in Canada. He has been sending out motivational movies to many people around the world. Most of his movies and newsletters to you are about enjoying life now, and looking at things in a different way.

See his website at: http://www.scottstratten.com/ His approach is in a business / working context which may not apply to those who are not working.

Do you have a positive view of life? .... this is an absolutely important question if you are looking for maintaining a healthy life style. I ask, are you on "The Train of Life"? Scott’s e-mail broadcast is copied out below.

Regards,

Ken Aitken

___________________________________________

To: Ken Aitken
Subject: Hi Ken, been waiting a while to show you this

Hi Ken,

I've been waiting a while with excitement and finally the newest

motivational movie is ready for you to see.

You're the first in the world to see this one called "The Train of

Life" http://www.TheTrainOfLifeMovie.com

Based on a timeless story, this three-minute dose of motivational

is a wonderful way to start of your day. Please pass it on to others that you're thinking about today.

Sincerely,

Scott Stratten

www.ThankGoodnessItsMonday.com

________________________________

The Train of Life
By Anonymous

Some folks ride the train of life Looking out the rear,
Watching miles of life roll by, And marking every year.

They sit in sad remembrance, Of wasted days gone by,
And curse their life for what it was, And hang their head and cry.

But I don't concern myself with that, I took a different vent,
I look forward to what life holds, And not what has been spent.

So strap me to the engine, As securely as I can be,
I want to be out in the front, To see what I can see.

I want to feel the winds of change, Blowing in my face,
I want to see what life unfolds, As I move from place to place.

I want to see what's coming up, Not looking at the past,
Life's too short for yesterdays, It moves along too fast.

So if the ride gets bumpy, While you are looking back,
Go up front, and you may find, Your life has jumped the track.

It's all right to remember, That's part of history,
But up front's where it's happening, There's so much mystery.

The enjoyment of living, Is not where we have been,
It's looking ever forward, To another year and ten.

It's searching all the byways, Never should you refrain,
For if you want to live your life, You've gotta drive the train.

All Aboard Everybody...

STAY POSITIVE!
"Mr. Positive"
Dave Boufford

PS Please share this newsletter with your friends, family and

co-workers ... everyone deserves a little inspiration.

"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men."

--Goethe

_________________________________________________________

The Sustainable Life

2008-09-07T13:27:00.001-07:00

The Sustainable Life:

The whole focus of the BRAIN-INJURY SURVIVOR NETWORK is about HOPE ….. hope for restoration and becoming again a valued member of the community. This is by experiencing the sustainable life. Such a life has the ability to be continually maintained everyday. It is the belief and personal experience of those who facilitate this network that there are three important components in recovering from a brain injury and and experiencing life in an ongoing way. These are: Structure, Social Network and Spirituality. Each of these components act like legs on a tripod which sits on large rock near the ocean. When the storms and waves of life come (as in brain injury), if the legs are strong, the waves will go over you but you will sit firmly on the rock of life. If one of the legs is weak, the tripod topples over into an Unsustainable Life experience.

The components of a Sustainable life are:

1. Structure .... Like the Body without a backbone, so is life without structure. It gives order, direction, aims and achievable objectives i.e. overall purpose.

2. Spirituality ..... gives ultimate significance .... The window of light and life ….. like a large glass window at eye level …. Is the inner room of your life which will provide plenty of light and understanding. It answers such questions as: Who are we as people?, What is the meaning of life?, Are we significant?, What values should I live by?, what gives identity and destiny

3. Social Network .... The people around us: the synergistic effect … multiplication and complementary effect of effort: Family & friends, Clubs and Organisations, Associations, Churches, General Community

These Sustainable Life Solutions will continue to work for you in the years to come. Inherent in this framework is an understanding of our uniqueness as a created being, sustained by a loving Creator. Having a clear identity enables you to become people focussed rather than self focussed. See details on the Sustainable Life here at this Website.

_________________________________

ABI Fact Sheets

2008-09-07T13:26:00.001-07:00

Please click on the link below to be taken to a comprehensive listing of Fact Sheets from the Brain Injury Association of Queensland. Please note that this link will open in a new window.

http://braininjury.org.au/portal/content/view/18/182/

Library Review

2008-09-07T13:25:00.001-07:00

The Brain Injury Association of Queensland (BIAQ) in Australia is indicative of the books available on Brain Injury from other Brain Injury Associations around the world. The library covers many areas including:

Alcohol and drugs
Alzheimer’s Disease
Behaviour
Carers
Children’s books
Community integration
Depression
Epilepsy
Grief and loss
Medical
Memory
Neuroanatomy
Neuropsychology
Rehabilitation
Sexuality
Stress
Stroke

See the website for the Brain Injury Association of Queensland at: http://www.biaq.com.au/library.htm

_____________________________

Personal Stories Of Brain Injured People ..... No. 1

2008-09-07T13:24:00.001-07:00

...... Takalah Tan in Singapore .....

06.09.07

Dear Brain Injury Survivor, Carer or Brain Injury Survivor Associate,

I have set up this worldwide e-mail broadcast and blog site to bring a new sense of belonging and hope for restoration from your brain injury or for the person you are associated with. Brain injury results in a sudden change of life ..... The one thing we all have in common is a brain injury if you are a survivor.

The injury affects not only the person but their family and friends as well. We didn’t ask for it but it came into all our lives in a sudden way from many different causes. The result was a sudden change of life. Brain injury affects people in similar ways for anyone around the world. The one thing that suddenly changes is the way we relate to other people. This can be in some of the following ways:

We may have a fuzzy way of relating to other people but that can change with time from a very black and white approach to people towards a more intuitive approach to people ... sensing what people are saying on the inside

Physically connecting with other people .... you do not drive any more (As you cannot take in all the intuitive information from the driving environment). You may use public transport instead or someone drives you around (as in my case .... now eleven years on from my former injury in December 1995 ... my wife Harriet drives me around ..... see the photo above)

For those on the Internet, we find we can use the Internet for social contact. I think that is very true in my case as my e-mail network is easily over a thousand people around the world. People are in countries as far flung as America, Australia where I come from, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, India , Singapore etc.

I had a personal case of this in May when I had an e-mail response from Takalah Tan in Singapore. Several years earlier, I had read Takalah’s story on a City News website he had sent me. I then had another reply from him in April this year. I wrote back to Takalah and said that Harriet and I would be stopping over for a day in Singapore in early May on an overseas holiday trip to France in May. I would like to catch up with him when we there. He wrote back and said than we got to Singapore, he would like to connect with me and here was his mobile phone number. He would come to our hotel and take us out to lunch.

We were staying at The Peninsula Excelsior Hotel. See the website at: https://www.ytchotels.com.sg/sp-ytcexcel/ We spent the morning walking around Singapore and looking at the history and some of the old buildings from the 1800’s when Singapore had been started as a city. See the blog site: http://singaporekap.blogspot .com/ This blog is a record in photographs and little on the history of Singapore of our one day stay there.

Takalah came at 11.00 a.m. in the morning. It was a strange experience in actually seeing him in actuality versus only seeing him on a website photograph. He took us out to his district or community on Singapore’s very efficient train system. We went to a communal restaurant where Takalah went around the various restaurant owners introducing us in a very personal way as his Australian friends.

It was interesting to us as Australians to see how Singapore is very different to many Western cities. It is the mixing of an Eastern culture (Chinese) with a Western Culture. An Eastern culture focuses more on the family and the community (Cooperative) whereas Western Culture is highly individualised (Competitive and Corporate).

Singapore is a nation where the East is meeting the West and has a unique city of contrasts ...... the past is retained and the West is encouraged. I saw this clearly when I was reading the freely available magazine ‘Voices of Central Singapore’ and I read on the one page article by Zainudim Nordin, mayor of Central Singapore District when he wrote ‘What have You Done For Your Neighbour Lately?’ He says ‘I think we can all agree that having a cohesive communal society is one of the greatest strengths a nation can have ...... in a community we will work together for a common goal. We can put aside our differences and fulfil our role as active citizens. Working towards a common good also teaches cooperation. ..... In a community, when we work together for common goal, we can put aside our differences and fulfil our role as active citizens. Working towards a common good also teaches cooperation, understanding and the ability to listen to others. It also helps to resolve conflicts. ... . Be a volunteer: It could be your contribution towards building a united and resilient community, the basic building block of a cohesive and strong Singapore.’

The Government of Singapore has seen Singapore as a cohesive community with the whole city broken up into interconnecting cohesive communities. Each community was to work towards the common good of the community. Each community had its own residential, leisure, shopping and transport hub. Each community had an interconnecting transport system ..... the train system which connected each community with the next. See the photograph below.

Takalah took us out to his community to the the communal restaurant and the communal shopping centre (things are so cheap in Singapore compared to Australia where I come from) and the general layout of the community, we saw this COMMUNAL MODEL being well illustrated.

We even caught the train out to where he lived in a residential complex with his mother. We walked up his apartment block and caught the lift right up on one of the upper levels of the block. See the photographs above.

___________________________________

Selected Website Links On Brain Injury

2008-09-07T13:06:00.001-07:00

Selected Australian Links with Homepage extracts:

.... the website link is clicked on, it should open immediately when you click on the link ...
______________________________
Brain Injury Association of Queensland: http://www.biaq.com.au/ ..... The Brain Injury Association of Queensland is the peak disability organisation in Queensland for those living with acquired brain injury. The Association coordinates a range of services for people with a head injury, carers, family members and professionals throughout Queensland.
_________________________________
Headway Victoria Acquired Brain Injury Assoc.:http://www.headwayvictoria.org.au ....... Headway Victoria works alongside people living with acquired brain injury to: "Promote and defend their right to make choices about their lives. "Ensure they have ready access to the information, support and resources they require. "Ensure that the life changing experience of ABI informs service development, government policy and decision making. "Fight for the overall provision of equal opportunities. "Raise community awareness.
__________________________________
Disability Life Styles: http://www.disabilitylifestyles.org.au/ ... Are you finishing rehabilitation and not sure what to do next? Did you have an accident some time ago and now looking for a change? This website has information to help you start afresh. The information focuses on people with spinal injuries and acquired brain injury and concentrates on services in Queensland. The content has been written by people with disabilities.
________________________
The Brain Injury Association of Tasmania: http://www.biat.org.au/ ..... Welcome to the Brain Injury Association of Tasmania The Brain Injury Association of Tasmania is a non-government, state-wide organisation that has a range of members. BIAT promotes community awareness and understanding of ABI, in terms of both prevention and the impact of brain injury on the lives of individuals, families and the broader community, through training, resources and educational programs.
_________________________________
Disability in New South Wales:http://www.biansw.org.au ...... Welcome to the Brain Injury Association of N.S.W. Online! The Brain Injury Association of New South Wales is the leading advocacy body in NSW for people with an acquired brain injury, their families, carers and interested organisations. We represent their needs to government, service providers, broader community and the media
__________________________________
Stroke Association of Queensland: www.strokeqld.org.au ..... Mission statement of Stroke Association of Queensland ...... To improve the quality of life of stroke survivors, their carers and families through communications, information, education and emotional support.
_________________________________
ABIOS (ABI Outreach Service) Lv 3 TripleC Buranda Office Twr. 3406 2311 Cornwall: www.health.qld.gov.au/abios ..... Acquired Brain Injury Outreach Service: The Acquired Brain Injury Outreach Service (ABIOS) is located in the Princess Alexandra Hospital and District Health Service and is funded by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) of QLD. ABIOS is part of the CONROD "wheel" - a formal association of rehabilitation and disability research institutions and individuals.
_________________________________
Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS): http://www.crsaustralia.gov.au/ ....... Level 1 280 Adelaide St. Brisbane Ph: 32471500 Do you have an injury, disability or health condition? what to expect. Some of the injuries, disabilities and health conditions for which we provide help are: "physical injuries, disabilities and health conditions "occupational stress "psychiatric disability "Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Kit "communication and hearing disorders CRS Australia can help you get a job, or keep your current job if you are 15 - 65 years old. Vocational rehabilitation is usually free if you have an injury or disability and receive an income support benefit from Centrelink.
_________________________________
SPORTING WHEELIES and DISABLED SPORTING ASSOCIATION of QLD 60 Edmonstone St. BOWEN HILLS Q4006:. http://www.sportingwheelies.org.au/ ..... To facilitate and provide sport, recreation and fitness opportunities for people with a physical disability or vision impairment throughout Queensland.
_________________________________
SELF HELP QLD .... Contact: Trish Fallon Ph: 3344 6919 121 Lister St. SUNNYBANK Q4109: http://www.selfhelpqld.org.au/ ..... Who We Are Self Help Queensland Inc (SHQ) is a not for profit community organisation comprising a network of self help and support groups in Queensland. The groups include participants with a broad range of health conditions and well being issues eg genetic conditions, chronic illness, mental health, disability, grief and loss, sexual health and many more. Since its foundation in 1983, SHQ has evolved its focus and activities to reflect the wishes of its members, and has also undergone two name changes. Since 1995 SHQ has received recurrent funding from Queensland Health to sustain its activities. SHQ supports people finding their own solutions to individual, group and community well being challenges. It undertakes activities which assist in developing, promoting and sustaining the Self Help Sector in Queensland.
_________________________________
Brain Injury Matters (Used to Be Bear in Mind): http://www.braininjurymatters.org/wpblog/?p=10
On Self-Advocacy
Brain Injury Matters is a “self-advocacy” organisation. What does that mean?

Ria Strong talked about self-advocacy at our Brain Power event, Brain Injury Awareness Week 2006. Here is her speech. This was recorded live from the audience - so apologies for the audio quality! You can also read a short version of the speech in our March 2007 newsletter.
________________________________
www.abirts.com ....... Acquired Brain Injury / Road Trauma Support

________________________________
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/mhcarer
the Carers Matter website ......

Queensland Health recently re-launched the Carers Matter website - an initiative of the Mental Health Branch.

Learning that a family member or a friend has a mental illness can be very overwhelming. Many people ask themselves...

How can this happen to our family?
What can I do to help?
Where can I get more information?
Who can help me make sense of it all?

The aim of this website is to help carers answer questions they have about supporting someone with a mental illness. It also provides information and resources for carers and families of people with a mental illness.

This website provides information and resources for carers and families of people with a mental illness.

The information provided on this website was guided through the Queensland Health Carers Matter Website Reference Group 2008.

For general health information, referral & teletriage services call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) for the cost of a local call.

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2. Selected INTERNATIONAL Links with Homepage extracts:
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Brain Injury Association of USA: www.biausa.org Each year, at least 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting in more than 4,000 individuals sustaining a TBI on a daily basis. One million people are treated and released annually from hospital emergency rooms after sustaining a brain injury. Brain injury claims more than 50,000 lives and leaves more than 80,000 individuals with lifelong disabilities each year. The "silent epidemic" of brain injury is illustrated best by a 1999 statistic from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-there currently are at least 5.3 million Americans living with a disability as a result of brain injury
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BrainLine: http://brainline.org/index.html

BrainLine is funded by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, the primary operational TBI component of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, through a subcontract award with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine.

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Claudia Osborn: http://www.claudiaosborn.com/ Welcome, I am a survivor of traumatic brain injury. I am also a doctor who has written a book about my experience and my successful rehabilitation. My purpose is to: " explain what living with a brain injury means to the survivor, to the family and significant other and to the rehabilitation professional " and to communicate the knowledge that it is possible to create a fulfilling new life and move beyond grieving about what has been lost. Although it's said best in Over My Head and in my lectures, there are things that can be learned here. Please come in. Claudia

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Different Strokes: http://www.differentstrokes.co.uk/ A Charity Set up by Younger Stroke Survivors for Younger Stroke Survivors DR. DIANE http://www.drdiane.com/ Dr. Diane is a neuropsychologist who works with individuals and organizations worldwide to help them find solutions and resources to overcome life's challenges and reach their goals. There are a number of ways to consult with Dr. Diane: see website. Welcome! As neuropsychologist and board certified health psychologist, having sustained a stroke and two TBIs, along with two family members who had multiple strokes and concussions, I can truly appreciate, from both perspectives, the struggle and anguish of coping with debilitating health issues. I have devoted my clinical practice, writings and personal appearances to serving as an aid to professionals, individuals, and families coping with difficult challenges. I encourage you to explore the various resources available on this website. My mission is not only to inspire and educate but also to engage the soul and spirit emotionally, mentally and physically in coping and overcoming health issues.
Dr. Diane Roberts Stoler
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Pittsburgh Area Brain Injury Alliance People: Helping People Since 1981 ..... http://www.pabia.org/ Welcome to our Brain Injury Support Website The Pittsburgh Area Brain Injury Alliance has been around for about 25 years. If we have our way, we are here to stay. We have established new support groups in this area, developed tools for all groups to use and have even created an email support group. Now we are going to expand more. Visit this site often for more information. Relax with us as you browse the pages of our brain injury support site. You can use the links in the left margin of each page to locate specific information within this tbi website. You will find links to all of this brain injury site's main pages there. Our Navigation Page/Site Map contains links to every page in our site. If you are returning to visit a particular page, you can be sure to find a link to it there. We may not have all of the answers that you need about head injury and brain trauma, however, we hope that we can help you to find the answers. We have linked to many other Brain Injury related sites to give you current, up to date Head Injury and Brain Trauma information and resources. If you need up-to-date information about issues pertaining to Acquired Brain Injury, Head injury and Peer-to-Peer Support, we may be able to help you. .... subscribe to the free regular newsletter
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Traumatic Brain Injury … A Place to Share www.tbihome.org/index.html TBI Home is a peer support website for people living with brain injury, their families and friends to support each other by sharing their experiences. We expect persons using this site to keep the focus positive and supportive. Topics such as politics and religion are not appropriate for this site
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The Brain Injury Association New Zealand: http://www.brain-injury-nz.org/ The Brain Injury Association New Zealand provides information, advocacy and support to people with brain injury and their families/whanau. We welcome USL Medical Ltd, one of New Zealand's leading medical equipment suppliers as a corporate sponsor/partner. For more of this great story please checkout the latest issue of BrainLink available on our news page. Thanks to a kind donor we have a fund that enables us to offer short breaks to families caring for a person with a brain injury. Here on our website we offer a discussion forum for you to share thoughts and experiences with others. Also, al link facility where you can add links to other sites you have found useful. We hope you find this site informative and helpful - please check back regularly for updates on events and news.
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http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ABINews2U .... if you like to join this international group, e-mail ABINews2U-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .... the group is moderated by Anita in America ..... a very wonderful interacting group of of up to 500 +- or - brain injury people around the world.
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Anthony Aquan-Assee: http://www.anthonyaquan-assee.com/ ... a remarkable young man called Anthony Aquan-Assee. He lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a Special Education Teacher, an author, and a motivational speaker.He has just written a book entitled, "Second Life, Second Chance: A Teacher's Chronicle of Despair, Recovery and Triumph." I was a bit surprised and touched in getting an e-mail from someone around on the opposite side of the world who I didn't know and who was a fellow Traumatic Brain Injury person. He was offering a book he wanted to send me free of cost with the option of doing a book review. I had a sense of this being a profound moment. Within a month the book arrived all the way from Canada to myself in Australia in a padded postal envelope. If he can survive and come through to where he is, anyone can come through.
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Life Lessons From A Tragic Encounter – Story of Takalah Tan in Singapore:
http://www.inspiring-quotes-and-stories.com/takalah-tan.html
Takalah Tan is someone I know living with the complex challenges of Post Traumatic Brain Injury. He is one of the most inspiring people I have ever come across. From him, I found the hope and zest to spurge ahead in my will to live life the best that I can.
Read also the pages at the very bottom the website:
Return from Takalah Tan Brain Injury Life Lessons to Inspiring Stories Page

Return from Takalah Tan Brain Injury Life Lessons to Inspiring Quotes and Stories Home Page
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Inspiration and Wisdom:

http://www.favorite-famous-quotes.com/inspirational-quotes.html

http://mountainwingskap.blogspot.com/

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Optional Free Resources for Brain Injury Survivors ...... for those still learning how to use computers .....
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Power Point: View presentations, even without full PowerPoint program: Download the PowerPoint Viewer at www.microsoft.com/downloads .... FREE: The Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 Viewer lets you view full-featured presentations created in PowerPoint 97 and later versions. The PowerPoint 2003 Viewer also supports opening password-protected Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. Note You can view and print presentations, but you cannot edit them in the PowerPoint 2003 Viewer.
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Portable Document Files: Sending attached files to other people by e-mail: the problem is that they take a lot of space .... especially if they have pictures in the files. The solution is to convert files to a Portable Document Format ('PDF') using special software like Adobe Acrobat. This reduces the file down to a very small size. However Adobe Acrobat costs in the vicinity of A$660.00. An alternative is to use free software which does the same thing. See the website at: http://www.pdf995.com/ .... download the program and go through the install procedure which should offer the PDF alternative in your printer icon .... works wonderfully. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to read 'PDF ' files.
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The procedure is: Be in http://www.pdf995.com/ with the word file open at the same time >>> go to 'File' and 'print' and choose www.pdf995.com which should come up as an alternative printer >>>>> save the file into the same name as your word file ..... normally happens automatically + check the folder it will printed into so it equals the folder you store the word file in ie. will have two files in the folder .... one as word file + one as a 'PDF file If you want to edit the file at a later date, call up the word file and edit it, then reprint the 'PDF' file and replace the old file with the new edited format ..... the program will ask you if you wish to overwrite the existing 'PDF' file ..... which you do >>> done!!
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Further instructions on printing PDF files from the http://www.pdf995.com/ ... Welcome: Setup has successfully installed the PDF 995 printer on your system. To create a PDF file: Print a document from any application choosing the PDF 995 printer from the printer dialog page. You will be prompted to enter the name of the PDF file you wish to create. The PDF will be automatically launched in Acrobat (pdfEdit995 may be used to configure this option). The free version of pdf995 will display a sponsor page in your web browser each time you create a PDF file. If you would prefer not to see sponsor pages, you may download a license key for $9.95. Please visit our site to see our FAQ, our software license or to contact us.
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To edit a PDF file and configure PDF995: PDFEdit995 is a free tool available for download at www.pdf995.com/PDFedit.hml. With PDFEdit995 you can customize your PDF995 output with an easy-to-use utility: Turn off auto-launch, preview and email documents, insert bookmarks, add links, combine files, change page orientation, add "Confidential" stamps, create PDF stationery, adjust image resolution, summarize documents, create batch print jobs from Microsoft Office applications and choose from several file naming methods to bypass the Save As dialog in PDF995.
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Here are some tips on reducing the size of photos ....

Load the photos from your camera into a labelled file on our computer. Using ‘Shift’ on the keyboard .... highlight all the photos from beginning to the end and using the mouse, right click and go to: ‘Send To’ .... ‘Mail Recipient’ and send the photos to your e-mail program.

Immediately it will say: ‘Windows can resize the pictures you sending to e-mail so that they transfer faster and easier to view by the recipient. What do you want to do? .... Make my pictures smaller .... OK / Cancel >>>> Send to e-mail program.

In a half a minute, an e-mail with all your photos will come back to you at a 10% size or less ..... very small compared the original ones.

Using the ‘Shift’ key again .... highlight all the photos from beginning to the end in the e-mail and using the mouse, lay them over the highlighted original photos. They will either replace the original photos or create an alternative assortment underneath as IMG_0070(2)jpg. Then delete all the original photos and you will be left with the reduced photos.

Use these in e-mails by going into ‘Edit’ then ‘Select All’ the copy all ..... then copy them straight into the text of the e-mail or Word document.

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To add a Digital Signature or encrypt a PDF file: Signature995 is a free tool available for download at http://www.signature995.com/. Signature995 uses Microsoft Cryptographic technologies to give you 128-bit DES encryption, offering a high level of protection for all your Internet communications, including legal documents and financial transactions. Signature995 employs Microsoft digital certificate technologies to create and validate digital signatures. Signature995 can be used to restrict printing, modifying, copying text and images for PDF documents. It is both powerful and easy to use. OmniFormat www.omniformat.com OmniFormat is a free document conversion utility which allows dynamic conversion and image manipulation of over 75 file formats including HTML, DOC, XLS, WPD, PDF, XML, JPG, GIF, TIF, PNG, PCX, PPT, PS, TXT, Photo CD, FAX, MPEG and more.
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PhotoEdit995: http://www.photoedit995.com/ .... PhotoEdit995 allows you to create or edit graphic images, retouch photographs, and perform other alterations on image files including jpeg, gif, tiff, and Photoshop psd. When used with the free Photo Edit graphics module, it is a professional image editing solution whose capabilities rival those of similar programs.
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Search Within: http://www.searchwithin.com/ ..... SearchWithin is a free full text index search engine that allows you to search inside the files on your drive or network. It looks beyond the titles and inside PDF, HTML, Text, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Word Perfect and Microsoft PowerPoint documents. SearchWithin works just like major search engines, using advanced querying and full-text search technologies to help you find the information you need fast.
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UltraPDF: http://www.ultrapdf.com/ .... UltraPDF is an exciting, new way to published share digital photographs, PDF, HTML and Microsoft Office documents. UltraPDF binds multiple photos and documents into a single, indexed UPDF file making it easy to organize and distribute digital photo albums, project documents and presentations. PhotoShare is the first of our specialized products to take advantage of the UPDF format, specifically designed for managing and emailing your digital images.
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BackUp995: http://www.backup995.com/ .... Backup995 is a utility that protects against data loss from computer hardware failures and damage from malicious internet viruses. Backup995 is the quick and easy way to safeguard against loss of valuable files. Backup995's Incremental Backup Technology, its Backup Scheduler and its Data Archiving features mean that from now on backups can be done automatically, quickly and on a regular basis.

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Zip995: http://www.zip995.com/ ..... Zip995 is the fast, free way to open and create popular Zip Archive format files. It is fully compatible with other Zip Archive utilities. It includes advanced archiving features such as encryption, variable compression levels, file updating and the ability to create self-extracting zip files.
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File Protocol Transfer .... For Website Changes: http://www.ftp995.com/ .... Ftp995 is a powerful FTP-client for Windows 9x, ME, NT4, 2000 and XP. It provides access to many advanced FTP client features including: the ability to resume Uploads/Downloads (if the server supports it); site manager with folders; timeout detection; firewall support; SOCKS4/5 and HTTP1.1 Proxy support; SSL secured connections; SFTP support; upload/download queue; and drag & drop.
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OpenOffice995 Business Applications Suite: http://www.openoffice995.com/ .... The Business Applications Suite consists of professional quality applications for creating, viewing and editing Microsoft Word documents (.doc), PowerPoint presentations (.ppt), FrontPage WebPages (.html) and Excel spreadsheets (.xls). Included: a full featured word processor with professional formatting and layout tools, spell checking, auto-complete and auto-format as you type. a comprehensive spreadsheet with advanced functions and tools for data analysis. A presentation application with built in tools to: create and edit drawings, diagrams and pictures; add clipart and animation effects; create slideshows.
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ePad995 Paperless Notes: http://www.epad995.com/ ePad995 allows you to create virtual sticky notes and reminders directly on your Windows desktop. ePad notes are just like post-it notes for your computer. Jot down tasks, messages, ideas, appointments, phone numbers, birthdays, or just place a memorable quote in a note and stick it on the desktop. ePad notes can be positioned anywhere you wish, or hidden in your task bar. Accessing them is simple, and the notes are even resizable. ePad note contents can be formatted to include fonts, colours, transparency, display mode, effects, hyperlinks, bullets and numbering. You can paste a website URL or email address in an ePad note and have it right on your desktop. The Find feature allows you to quickly locate a note by content or title. PDF995 comes with absolutely no warranty. The free Converter includes a partial version of GNU Ghostscript 7.05, Copyright 2001 artofcode LLC installed in ..\PDF995\res\convert. GNU Ghostscript comes with absolutely no warranty. GNU Ghostscript is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions. For more details see the GNU General Public License Download the Free Converter as well in www.PDF995.com Reading PDF Files: to read 'PDF ' files, use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Obtain the Reader from the Adobe Acrobat website at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat go to 'View and print Adobe PDF files ... Free Adobe Reader® software lets anyone view and print Adobe PDF files. Adobe has distributed more than 500 million copies of the software worldwide' ..... download the free reader.
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Managing Digital Photos: www.picasa.com/picasa ... Check out this program ..... an amazing program. Place your folder of digital photos in 'My Pictures' section of your directory for it to work. You see the sequence of photos like a slideshow on your computer screen.

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Blogger: A free website for sending photographs and words around the world. .... You can make up blogs and send photographs to other people around the world. See the free program 'Blogger' at:

http://www.blogger.com/start It is like setting up a free book which you can send to someone on the Internet. In this book you can add chapters of writing called posts and with photographs inserted (as many as you like). You come back at a later date and edit your posts, delete and add more photographs or add another post if you so desire.

Other people who receive your blog, can add comments to your blog site at the area indicated at the bottom and other people who read what they have said, can add comments to what they have said. It becomes possible to have a long term world wide discussion on you blog site.

The blog sites are hyperlinked where you just click on the blog site and the blog site should open straight away into another website like this:http://chateauxvillandry.blogspot.com/2007/07/chateux-de-villandry.html. You can also click on any photograph and the photograph will enlarge to a full screen size.

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1 comments:

Hunkston said...: An injury to the head is always a serious matter as it could lead to all sorts of complications, what feels like a normal headache could be something else. If you or someone you know suffers a head injury they should be checked by a professional as soon as possible. If it a industrial accident then inform your boss of the incident and ask if you can leave for treatment.; January 29, 2008 5:41 AM

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Stories of Brain Injury Thrivers

2008-09-05T11:48:00.001-07:00

Individual Stories of Brain Injury Thrivers:

In the new theme ‘Beyond Being a Brain Injury Survivor into being a Brain Injury Thriver’, I have initially used my own experience in the last few years as an example of this direction. I have done this because: It is one I know well and I haven’t had much personal contact with many other survivors as I live a long way out of Brisbane, Australia in the countryside …. I live on a five acre property 35 kms out from Brisbane ….. see the story and photographs of our house at this website.

I do not drive now since my accident thirteen years ago ++ as I cannot intuitively take all the information in. I now catch public transport or my wife drives me around. In recent years, I have learnt to drive on the Internet and go around the world to many people as fast as you would talk on a telephone. I have set up a global website: New Earth Community which is a website for a new Cyberspace community around the world called ‘New Earth Community’ …. (This website is going through major reconstruction in July - 2008 to ???? through the free hosting from Word Press, otherwise it costs several hundred $$$ / year from a hosting company every year. Only a few pages are are working at the moment. My 26 year old son Anthony, has set me up in this as he knows far more about computers and the Internet than I do). This community linked by the Internet in Cyberspace. This community is meant to bring a new sense of belonging with the real discovery or affirmation of identity through the Sustainable Life. My story ‘The Rosewater Story’ is told at this section of this website The Brain Injury Survivor Network is a subset of ‘New Earth Community’.

In the last year I have a new digital camera whereby I can take 1000 photos on a tiny chip (a 2 GB Chip and I have two others as well). If you don’t like several photos, you take the photos backwards and delete what you like and then come home and download them straight to your computer. You can then downsize them into a much small size (Photographs can take up a lot of memory), attach them to e-mails and send them to someone around the world on the Internet. You can alternatively copy them across into a Word file as text then print them as a Portable Document file (pdf) See the instructions at this blog site on recommended website links for the free ‘pdf’ writer at:
http://www.pdf995.com/.

In addition, I have learned to make blogs through the free program through Blogger at:

https://www.blogger.com/start

Other people who receive your blog, can add comments to your blog site at the area indicated at the bottom and other people who read what they have said, can add comments to what they have said. It becomes possible to have a long term world wide discussion on you blog site. When you have created a blog with a name, you then go through a section of preset templates for colour and layout. Then you can add chapters of writing called posts and with photographs inserted in the post. I have250 ++ blogs now which I keep coming back, editing or adding fresh posts. See some of my travel blogs at:·

http://chateauxvillandry.blogspot.com/·
http://eiffeltowerken.blogspot.com/·
http://venicetrip.blogspot.com/ ...... just photographs·

http://sorrentovmills.blogspot.com/·
http://ravelloandvillacimbrone.blogspot.com/·
http://cinqueterre1.blogspot.com/·
http://travelblogkenandharriet.blogspot.com/

Some blogs are for sharing the joy and inspiration of life:·

http://thedamkap.blogspot.com/·
http://thepowerofcreativitykap.blogspot.com/·
http://mountainwingskap.blogspot.com/·
http://africaflying.blogspot.com/·
http://thecabride.blogspot.com/

Some blogs for sharing my past history:·

http://themullumbimbytrain.blogspot.com/·
http://thecairnstrip.blogspot.com/

Application of Blogs for Brain Injury group communication:·

http://braininjurysurvivornetwork.blogspot.com/ .... I use this blog which is included in an e-mail broadcast that connects hundreds of brain injury survivors around the world.

When you have set your first blog, you can edit your blog (or later blogs) through what is called a Dashboard. This a central control panel is which only entered by you through your e-mail address and password. Then you access to functions such as: View blog, Create a blog, Manage posts (ie. the chapters you have written in your blog), settings (where can edit the name of your blog or delete your blog altogether).

This year with the theme ‘Beyond Being a Brain Injury Survivor into being a Brain Injury Thriver’, I have begun writing up the stories of other survivors I am in personally in contact with …. and there are lot of you around which the world hasn’t heard about. One amazing lady I went and saw at the start of last year was Meriel Stanger who lives at Deagon on the opposite side of Brisbane city here in Australia.

To get to her, it was a twenty minute car ride to the train station ….. then a half hour wait for the train to inner Brisbane …. Then a quarter of an hour wait for a suburban train out to Deagon …. Then a half hour on the train to Deagon (just as well I have good book!) …. Then a five minute walk to her house. This lady is remarkable for someone who was very badly injured when as horse rolled on her over twelve years ago in March 1995.

Her Story:

She was in hospital twelve months with many operations and had a serious brain injury
She is now in a manual wheelchair for life, is blind in one eye and can only type with one finger. She has already written and self published her first book: a 200 page book called ‘Permission to Shine - The Gift’ (the book is in the tenth reprint) which she sends around the world for a price.

She has written her second book already called ‘Shining On’ …. A book about happiness.

She is involved in so much eg. She is on the boards of several disability advocacy groups in the City, she advises on local Council boards on the needs of people with disabilities in their local council areas and she goes everywhere around the City.

I met Meriel again with others at the ‘Unmet Needs Campaign’ meeting held in August 2005 at a hotel in the City of Brisbane, Australia. Meriel was in her manual wheelchair. She gave me a copy her book which I read with great interest

This was after this time, I went by train to see her at her home at Deagon to interview her. What really got to me when I interviewed her at the end of the time together was the following insight: 'See the gift in your accident'

I have attached five Blog Sites on Meriel’s outlook on life:

>Self Confidence
>A Meaningful Life
>A Response to Ignorance
>Meriel Stanger’s Book Review P&H
>Legalised Murder - Rethinking Life-sustaining Measures

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Takalah Kok Liang: I personally met Takalah in Singapore (as a stop over), on an overseas holiday trip to France in May 2007. This was when my wife Harriet and I went on a 3.5 week holiday to France. The wonderful story of Takalah and his personal journey through an Acquired Brain Injury is told in these websites at:

1. Life Lessons From A Tragic Encounter – Story of Takalah Tan in Singapore:

http://www.inspiring-quotes-and-stories.com/takalah-tan.html

From the person who knew Takalah personally who said: 'Takalah Tan is someone I know living with the complex challenges of Post Traumatic Brain Injury. He is one of the most inspiring people I have ever come across. From him, I found the hope and zest to spurge ahead in my will to live life the best that I can.' Read also the pages at the very bottom the website:

Return from Takalah Tan Brain Injury Life Lessons to Inspiring Stories Page

Return from Takalah Tan Brain Injury Life Lessons to Inspiring Quotes and Stories Home Page
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There many other brain injury survivors around the world who I observe who are involved in this theme ‘Beyond Being a Brain Injury Survivor into being a Brain Injury Thriver’. If you would like your story to be known, send me a one page e-mail on your story with a photograph and giving your permission to publish your story. We would love to hear about it.

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Travelling by The Internet

2008-09-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Brain injury results in a sudden change of life .....

The one thing we all have in common is a brain injury if you are a survivor. The injury affects not only the person but their family and friends as well. We didn’t ask for it but it came into all our lives in a sudden way from many different causes. The result was a sudden change of life. Brain injury affects people in similar ways for anyone around the world. The one thing that suddenly changes is the way we relate to other people. This can be in some of the following ways:

We may have a fuzzy way of relating to other people but that can change with time from a very black and white approach to people towards a more intuitive approach to people ...... sensing what people are saying on the inside

Physically connecting with other people .... you do not drive any more (As you cannot take in all the intuitive information from the driving environment). You may use public transport instead or someone drives you around (as in my case .... now thirteen years on from my former injury in December 1995 .... my wife Harriet drives me around ..... (see the photo above)

For those on the Internet, we find we can use the Internet for social contact. I think that is very true in my case as my e-mail network is easily over a thousand people around the world. People are in countries as far flung as America, Australia where I come from, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, India , Singapore etc.

My Blog Site and Website Listings as at July 2007:

This is for Ken Aitken in Australia. Each of these Blog or Web Sites are generally Hot-linked. Click on the site and it will open up in different window. The Blog Sites are through Blogger (see https://www.blogger.com) …. A free website service, otherwise the a website is hosted by a hosting company with several hundreds $$ renewal fee / year.

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Travel:

Italy Trip in 2005

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France Trip in 2007

Josselin
The Eiffel Tower

___________________________ My Personal Background:

I grew up in the 1950’s and 1960’s at Wilsons Creek, up in the mountains out from Mullumbimby in Northern New South Wales, Australia. I was raised on a banana plantation amidst the steep slopes of rainforest and wet sclerophyll (gum) forest and occasional cliff outcrops. The creek we swam in was a very clear, clean freshwater rainforest creek with big deep pools. People now in the City, would give their `eye’ teeth for it as my late father used to say.

Insight Into Owen Aitken and Our Family in the 1960's
The Wilsons Creek Packing Shed House 1950- 1956
Wilson's Creek Public Primary School 1956 – 1960
OUR HISTORY ….. History of the Wilsons Creek Primary School put together by the Primary School Children
The Bat Cave
Pathfinder Club Experiences
The Birds Egg Collection
The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary … where often went up as family in the 1960’s
The Cairns Trip …. Ken in 1968 …. I left home at this time to study down south at Avondale College
The Mullumbimby Train Trip …. Ken in 1969 coming back down Avondale College … an interesting experience I had on the train
HISTORY OF KEN AND HARRIET’S HOUSE

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Christian Spirituality Website:
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My main global website: New Earth Community is a website on a new Cyberspace community around the world called ‘New Earth Community’ …. (This website is going through major reconstruction in July 2008 - ???? through the free hosting from Word Press, otherwise it cost several hundred $$$ / year from a hosting company. Only a few pages are are working). This community linked by the Internet in Cyberspace. This community is meant to bring a new sense of belonging with the a real discovery or affirmation of identity through the Sustainable Life. The basis of this life is one which has the ability to be continually renewed and maintained.

The Sustainable Life has three elements to it:

Structure: gives order, direction, aims and overall purpose
Spirituality: gives ultimate significance. It is the inner room of your life which answers such questions as: Who are we as people?, What is the meaning of life?, Are we significant?, What values should I live by?, what gives identity and destiny
Social Network ... The people around us. giving a feeling of belonging… multiplication and complementary effect of effort: Family & friends, Clubs and Organisations, Associations, Churches, General Community The Power of One: one person applying these principles can have an effect on many others... a multiplication effect of thousands of others being affected.

This Community is one of new inner being and friendship ... based on a Christian Worldview. This Cyberspace Community has a Vision of Wholeness with Sustainable Solutions for life which will continue to work in the years to come ..... it is a life motivation and encouragement website.

The outworking of this life is told in my recent story ‘The Rosewater Story’ at this section of the website.

I ran a small Landscape Design and Construction Company called ‘New Earth Systems P/L’ for 20 years doing very creative, individual designer gardens for wealthy residential clients around Brisbane . I was more an artistic sort of person, a lateral thinker ..... more artist than businessman. I thought of a landscape as would a sculptor in a solid medium, but I saw it as a three-dimensional piece of space which people walked through. This space changed with time as it grew and changed with the time of day: shadows vs. sun patterns, boulders, colour, plants, trees, earth-forms, solid structures and water. These were the ingredients in a subtle flow of landscape design and construction. Rather an intangible product to sell and run a business with!! Out of this stage I built a structure for my life: my marriage with Harriet, business and the house plus we had a family. See the website on the house.

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HeadCase Painting Exhibition

2008-09-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

The 2nd INTERNATIONAL BRAIN INJURY CONFERENCE in Melbourne, Australia on September 1st - 3rd 2008 ......

Leading acquired brain injury organisations, arbias and Brain Injury Australia, have joined forces to bring you an exciting and informative three day event.

INSIGHTS and SOLUTIONS

The combined 2nd International Conference on Alcohol and Other Drug Related Brain Injury and the Brain Injury Australia National Conference 2008
Monday 1 – Wednesday 3 September 2008
Sofitel Melbourne
MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Download the Conference

Handbook at this Website ....

..... HeadCase Painting Exhibition .....

Actual Paintings and word descriptions

by Acquired Brain Injury Artists ......

.... .Read about the Exhibition at this website ....

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