By RICK BONARI
Contributor
BREMERTON — Brain injury not only changes the life of the survivor but also the lives of family members. Understanding how to live with those changes is crucial for moving forward.
The Brain Injury Support Group of Kitsap County meets twice a month to share common experiences and explore solutions to daily challenges, share recovery updates, provide a network of support for survivors and families, and educate community members that life may change after a brain injury but a happy, productive life is within reach.
The support group organizes the annual Walk, Run and Roll For Thought event to spread the word. The most recent event was Sept. 10 at Lions Park in Bremerton. Sixty-three survivors, family members and friends — among them artists, engineers, parents, and teachers — participated.
“We’re here to give hope to others,” said survivor Angela Armstrong, who got involved after attending a brain injury support group where she heard Teresa Polizzi share her story of going on to college after sustaining a brain injury. Polizzi recently graduated with a master’s degree from the University of Washington.
Diana Bluthenthal spoke eloquently at the event about the realities of living with a brain injury. Bluthenthal, her husband, and two sons were in a car accident in November 2011.
“Our occupational therapist, Janice Worman, gave me professional terms” to describe change in behaviors, she said. If one does not understand the effects of brain injury, it is difficult to develop healthy coping skills and seek appropriate help, she said.
“Janice also reminded me, ‘Recovery is not a linear path,’ ” Blumenthal said. Changes in behavior and moods are common following brain injury and are frequently misunderstood, thus adding to confusion on how to manage life after an injury.
Worman was honored at the event for her tireless efforts to help those who have experienced traumatic brain injuries in Kitsap County and the surrounding area. Worman is an occupational therapist, or OTR/L, based at Harrison Medical Center Rehab in Silverdale. She has been helping those withtraumatic brain injuries for 24 years.
It can be difficult to measure the effects of a traumatic brain injury, but Worman is a master at doing that. She is also a master at developing therapy plans for each of her patients that, in many cases, extend out for many years. She is described as very kind, thoughtful, and caring.
“Simply the best occupational therapist in the universe, no exceptions,” a support group member said. “Truly, if there were more people in the world like Janice Worman, this world of ours would be a much better place to live in.”
Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent presented Worman with a certificate of appreciation and the Key to the City for her tireless efforts in helping her patients to not only survive but, in many cases, to thrive in spite of their injuries.
Worman had no idea that she was going to be honors. Event planners managed to keep it a secret from her — even though she was the lead member of the planning group.
