Surprising effects of brain injury

When Maria Ross' husband found his healthy and active wife unconscious on the bathroom floor, the pair had no idea they would embark on a journey into the world of brain injury, learning more about how trauma affects the brain - and your identity - than they ever cared to know.

Ross, an entrepreneurial branding consultant, speaker and writer, nearly died in 2008 at age 35 when an undetected brain aneurysm ruptured, causing a severe brain hemorrhage. Luckily, her husband happened to be home and called 911.   She was rushed to the emergency room where doctors performed emergency surgery to stop the bleeding. The Subarachnoid Hemorrhage she suffered is fatal in about half of all cases and 10-15 percent of victims die before reaching the hospital.

We rarely get to hear firsthand what it's like to experience a near-fatal brain injury because, sadly, many survivors don't recover enough memory and cognitive function to tell us. Not so with Ross. In her new book, "Rebooting My Brain: How a Freak Aneurysm Reframed My Life" (May 1, 2012), Ross offers readers hope, advice and inspiration about the surprising effects of brain injury and shares how she got back on her feet after this unforeseen crisis

Brain injuries account for 22 percent of injuries to troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. And every 45 seconds in the United States, someone suffers a stroke, the American Heart Association reports.

Ross impressed doctors with her amazing recovery. She did not come out unscathed, however: after surgery, Ross was delusional for several days and blind for six weeks– all part of her healing process.

While Ross looks fine physically, unseen cognitive and psychological impairments are present even today. After setbacks and a stubborn road back to health, Ross learned a lot about the brain and uses this knowledge today to reframe her life, work and identity. Now Ross is a patient advocate, using her amazing recovery story as a voice for brain injury awareness.

"The brain is a place of mystery, but scientists are learning more about it all the time," says Ross. "Many effects of brain injury are the same no matter whether you have a ruptured aneurysm, traumatic brain injury, a stroke, or a tumor. Through amazing resources, combined with stubbornness, curiosity and fighting spirit, my family and I learned about what was happening and how to adapt to it."

Ross' long healing process and thirst for information drives her today.  She volunteers with the University of Washington Medical Center, speaking to doctors and clinicians about the brain injury patient experience.   This spring, Ross was honored with the Maria Hall Award from the University of Washington Medical Center in recognition of the input she provides to improve the patient experience.

"We need to get away from this idea that brain injury can be shrugged off simply because someone looks fine physically; it goes much deeper than that," says Ross. "In rehabilitative therapy, I met other patients whose lives were ruined because family and friends did not understand what the patient was going through cognitively, psychologically or emotionally. I see my amazing recovery as a responsibility to educate and inspire others, and use my voice for those who are not as lucky as I am."

In the book, Ross reveals medical information, often presented humorously and conversationally, as well as the keys to her extraordinary comeback and how her perspective on life is forever changed. With humor and heart, she shows readers how to use patience, acceptance, and humor to face their fears and reframe their lives, no matter what their crisis.