Embracing Grace: A Journey of Healing from Traumatic Brain Injury
Spring 2025 Brainwaves Audio Newsletter Transcript

ANNOUNCER: 00:00
Join us on a journey where innovative technology meets storytelling as
various AI voices narrate compelling articles in our podcast newsletter.
Brainwaves Spring 2025, the Listen Up issue audio newsletter. This
publication is brought to you from the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury
Research at Kessler Foundation and the Northern New Jersey Traumatic
Brain Injury System.

FEMALE: 00:28
Traumatic Brain Injury System. Raising awareness, inspiring hope. by Samantha
Whitney, researcher assistant in the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research.
Traumatic brain injury survivor Stacia Bissell discusses her personal journey to
help others overcome loss, build community, and embrace their new normal.
Stacia Bissell doesn't fully remember the bicycle accident that led to her injury.
One minute, she was enjoying a ride through the hills near her home. The next, she
was in the hospital with a fractured arm, cuts, bruises, and a traumatic brain
injury. Doctors said I sustained a moderate injury, but it certainly didn't feel that
way. I was an active, high -energy individual, a wife, mother, teacher, and school
administrator. And suddenly, I couldn't even recall what someone had just told
me, Stacia says. I was scared, frustrated, and angry, and wondered, what do I do
now? Finding grace and understanding. Like many TBI survivors, Stacia struggled
to overcome a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. She
experienced chronic pain, fatigue, speech and memory issues, and tremendous
self -doubt. Despite the well -meaning intentions of family and friends, she
received a good deal of unhelpful advice, such as being told, Just get up off the
couch, get moving, and do more. Stacia questioned if people understood the
complexity of TBI or believed the reality of the difficulties she faced. Over time,
Stacia discovered strength in the people who stayed by her side. She explains that
while my circle decreased, it increased in value. This, she notes, empowered her
to establish a healthier, more supportive environment for healing and personal
growth. She also allowed herself time to mourn the enormous sense of loss that
comes with TBI. And she says, I learned to accept help with grace and give grace
to others who have been impacted by my injury. Yet to move forward, Stacia first
needed to accept her injury, and she adds, reestablish myself. Resilience is key.
Stacia admits it's been a long journey since her 2011 injury, during which her
passion for learning and education helped sustain her. Today, she is a strong
advocate and spokesperson for the TBI community. She has established support
groups and serves as a mentor and coach for others living with TBI, helping them
rebuild their lives too. Despite her progress, Stacia, like so many others, still deals
with the long -term effects of her injury. She returned to teaching for a short time, but even with workplace accommodations, found it overwhelming. The experience
led her to promote the importance of kindness, respect, and understanding for
people with TBI. By sharing her story, Stacia is inspiring others to embrace their
own journey, build community, and find hope in the wake of a life -changing injury.

MALE 1: 03:54
Extending grace and gratitude. Through her storytelling, Stacia Bissell shares
important insights and strategies on living well with TBI. She favors the practice of
grace, being kind to yourself and others in order to allow for healing and growth.
Here are ways to put grace into practice. Accept your injury. Resist the temptation
to mask or minimize challenges. Surround yourself with a supportive community.
Ask for help when needed. Accept help when it's offered. Say yes to new
experiences. Embrace confidence, resilience, and gratitude. Understand that
healing is a process. And remember, says Stacia, there is no expiration date on
recovery.

FEMALE 3: 04:43
Get moving to better health and healing, by Kayla Coutts, Doctor of
physical therapy, is a board -certified clinical specialist in neurologic
physical therapy and clinical specialist on the brain injury unit at Kessler
Institute for Rehabilitation, a select medical hospital. Exercise is important
in recovering physical health, cognitive strength, and emotional well -being
following traumatic brain injury. Start by choosing an activity you enjoy. For
most people who have sustained a traumatic brain injury, exercise
supports overall health and recovery. It is shown to improve cognition and
promote neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to rewire itself following injury.
Exercise can also address balance, gait, and muscle weakness and
minimize other complications, including fall risk. Furthermore, exercise
can help improve sleep, reduce stress, and boost one's mood. It may also
help control weight, blood pressure, diabetes, and other comorbid
conditions. First things first. Before beginning any exercise regimen, it's
important to check with your doctor. While certain types of physical activity
may help the healing process, others may be detrimental. Your doctor or a
licensed physical therapist can guide you and monitor your progress.
Exercise options. There are two general types of exercise, aerobic and
strength -based. Ideally, your routine should include both, if medically
appropriate. Also known as cardio, aerobic activities, walking, cycling,
dancing, and swimming. Elevate your heart and breathing rates and resistance bands, or doing squats, push-ups, and other bodyweight moves
builds muscle. Now, the hard part. It's easy to talk about exercise, but far
more difficult to get started. Here are four helpful tips. Choose an activity
you enjoy, so it will become a healthy habit. Start with light activities and
increase to moderate, more vigorous levels when ready. Exercise with a
family member or friend. or join an in -person or online class. Set realistic
goals and track your progress toward better health. How do you measure
activity levels? Monitoring how you feel during physical activity helps
maintain a safe, healthy workout. The rate of perceived exertion scale is a
standard tool that looks at breathing, heart rate, muscle fatigue, and
sweating. Individuals with TBI are generally advised to begin with light
activities, increase to moderate levels for 20 to 60 minutes, three to five
times per week, and then consider a more vigorous regimen. Your physician
or physical therapist can guide you.

FEMALE 4: 07:13
Planning for the Future by Weisayef Pshirat, an intern at Kessler
Foundation. The Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of New Jersey, Plan
NJ, provides guidance, resources, and support to individuals with traumatic
brain injury and their families. Life after traumatic brain injury presents
significant challenges, and navigating short - and long -term needs can be
overwhelming. Plan NJ, a non -profit agency based in Somerville, New
Jersey, assists families throughout New Jersey with a range of essential
services, including care coordination, guardianship, social security
benefits, trusts, and other financial and legal matters. How the program
works. Plan NJ partners with individuals with TBI and their families to
develop a personalized plan that covers needs, preferences, and future
directives. This comprehensive plan is updated regularly to address any
changing circumstances. For example, through its trust administration
offices, Plan NJ can serve as a trustee to effectively manage special needs
trusts, which can help pay for necessities and enhance a person's quality
of life while preserving benefits eligibility. Getting started. For more
information, visit www .plannj.org or call 908 -575 -8300 to schedule a consultation.

ANNOUNCER: 08:33
Brainwaves is published triannually by the Northern New Jersey Traumatic Brain
Injury Model System. a collaborative research and treatment network led by
Kessler Foundation and funded by the National Institute on Disability,
Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. NIDILRR grant number
90DPTB0032. With listeners spanning across 90 countries, our podcast on
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