Medical vocabulary:
- TBI ~ Traumatic Brain Injury... when the brain experiences a violent blow or jolt to the head resulting in long-term changes in the brain tissue.
- MTBI ~ Mild Traumatic Brain Injury... when the brain experiences a violent blow or jolt to the head resulting in a only a temporary dysfunction of brain tissue.
- MRI ~ Magnetic Resonance Imaging... a large machine that your entire body can go into as the noisy magnets take pictures of your insides… much like an x-ray for tissue
- CAT or CT scan ~ Computed Tomography... this scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images, or slices, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body. CT scan images provide more detailed information than plain X-rays do. A CT scan has many uses, but is particularly well-suited to quickly examine people who may have internal injuries from car accidents or other types of trauma.
- EEG ~ Electroencephalogram… a test that detects abnormalities in your brain waves, or in the electrical activity of your brain.
- PCS or Post-Concussion (Concussive) Syndrome ~ when the ill effects of a brain injury last beyond the first days of injury (also called post-concussive syndrome).
- Flooding ~occurs after brain injury because the brain’s ‘filters’ no longer work properly… click here for more info.
- Contrecoup ~ “counter blow”… when the brain is smashed against its own hard surface on one side then bounces back to a hit on the other side.
- Brain vocabulary video
- General TBI informational video
My own ‘sensical’ vocabulary:
- brain-break – this term I acquired from my brain rehabilitation team. It is a ‘break-away’ from the most stimuli possible… preferably:
~all lights off (mask or a dark room)
~all sound off (ear plugs)
~20-30 minutes 2/day
*this WILL be key to regaining your momentum for the next portion of your day
take additional breaks immediately when symptoms begin… this should stop the symptoms and/or make them not as severe - brain spell or a spell ~ my own term for when my brain feels unable to function in a way that makes sense and the ill effects of my TBI are present, some or all of the following: nausea, vertigo, extreme fatigue/aches or complete inability to focus… aka: “tripping UP the DOWN escalator.” Example: putting on one shoe and then it taking an hour+ to ever get the second shoe on or even know why I wanted my shoe on in the first place! Once this ‘mode’ begins, it is usually a warning for me to stop – drop everything and just go to bed. The sooner I cater to the brain spell’s needs, the fewer days of repercussions I will experience.
- roogaboog ~ my Norwegian grandmother’s (made-up) term for chaos, complications or even multiple things happening at once.
- tUtDe ~ tripping Up the Down escalator
tripping UP the DOWN escalator 