Our workshops are presented by experts in their field and are free. The topic will change each month, but the main theme is “living with a brain injury”. Unless specifically stated, all workshops are open to brain injury survivors, families, caretakers and professionals. Please
read the summary of each workshop for appropriate information
Preregistration:В В В Mandatory for all workshops. Please see summary of each workshop for appropriate information.
Location:В В В Unless noted under the specific workshop, the location for all workshops is the Camarillo Health Care campus, 3687 E. Los Posas Road, Building H, Camarillo, CA
A Research Paper by Jonathan Davies
I always have dreams during my dark hours.В What am I trying to remember?В When my dark hours end the light comes and pushes them away.В Sometimes the memories are hazy; sometimes the memories are vivid, surreal events I awake from full of fear and anxiety.В Although they are not the reality of the awake-world, they have one hell of an effect on the tales I tell and the ability to have my listeners believe them to be true.В Often my stories are so realistic even I can not determine between truth and fiction.В The dreams of my dark hours create memories, memories create beliefs; these beliefs affect how I react to people and events.
Camarillo, CA -- The Brain Injury Center of Ventura County will stage a series of free monthly workshops in Camarillo dedicated to different aspects of living with a brain injury. The workshops are being conducted by BIC’s Professional Advisory Council for the benefit of brain injury survivors, their families, caretakers and professionals on assorted levels who deal with individuals affected by brain injury.
Monthly programs will take place on the third Tuesday of each month, beginning September 21 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in the offices of the Camarillo Health Care District. The workshops will focus on various medical, emotional, adjustment and social issues encountered by brain injury survivors and their families. Living with a brain injury poses a lifetime of challenges and the series will examine how to deal with and overcome these problems to the greatest extend possible.
The Brain Injury Center’s Professional Advisory Council consists of many of Ventura County’s leading doctors, psychologists, educators, financial planners and other experts who deal with brain injury. The workshops are an extension of the BIC’s annual Ventura County Brain Injury Conference, also the brainchild of its Professional Advisory Board.
Erik Landy, PhD, will lead the initial workshop on September 21, examining techniques to improve learning and memory. Dr. Landy is one of the county’s leading neuropsychologists and his presentation will identify the steps of the memory process and explore the various ways that brain injury can affect memory. The program will convey some basic techniques and strategies to address memory difficulties, specifically focusing on matching the recall strategy to the specific type of memory difficulty.
BECOMING A TBI WARRIOR
By: Victor Medina
vmedina@tbiwarrior.com
I am a three times veteran having served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. I am a Purple Heart recipient. Throughout my deployment I have been in multiple enemy engagements, including bomb explosions. On June 29, 2009 at 9am I was on patrol in the city of Nazariyah, Iraq when my vehicle was struck by an Explosive Formed Projectile (EFP) penetrating part of the armor. It was at that specific moment that I sustained the Traumatic Brain Injury that changed my life. It caused loss of consciousness among many other issues that are still present. Also, with my injury I developed a speech fluency problem.
It was June 11, 1978, in Somis, California, so I’ve been told. Because you see I have no memory of what happened that day.
I know that I had just gotten back from Arizona where I became the godparent to my young nephew. I had brought my mother back with me, and for Mother’s Day I had taken her to Solvang for the day. I also remember taking her to the Burbank Airport for her to go home. I remember all that very clearly, but the actual day of the accident, I remember nothing.
I was in fourth grade in 1958 (long, long ago!) when I first started with the clarinet.В I was so-so with the clarinet.В Then I changed to the oboe as a sophomore in high school (1964).В My class with the Oboe teacher was once every week.В When I was a junior and senior I was in the orchestra for the oboe and English horn, and band for the clarinet.В I was better at Oboe and clarinet.
Then I went to college at San Jose State in 1967. I was a music major and physical science was my minor. For music I played the oboe and English horn. I was seven years at college – five ½ years as an undergraduate, and 1 ½ years in graduate school. I was in the College Orchestra for six years and two years for Symphonic Band. I played in the operas “The Barber of Seville,” “The Crucible,” and “The Marriage of Figaro.”   I played in the musicals “Carnival,” “Carousel,” and “Man of La Mancha.” Outside we performed “Show Boat.”
My name is Pat Dolan and IВ suffer fromВ traumatic brain injury.
A little over 4 years ago I was working as a civilian for the US Navy as a manager for the Business Operations Directorate of the Command.В I was a master of multi tasking, data analysis and a highly respected advisor both at the local command and on many advisory groups in Washington DC.
My name is Memory McAdams. I suffered my head-injury in June of 1989, when I was 19 years old and a student at San Diego State.В I was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway, traveling home to Santa Barbara. Then suddenly a man traveling the opposite direction had a stroke, crossed over the double yellow lines and hit me head-on.
I was knocked into a coma that lasted for 6 months and the doctors were afraid I would never wake up. But, luckily, I did.
