BY: MARK KONING So one of the things that I tend to shy away from most is the social scene – large crowds and too many people. I realize that in certain aspects of this life large crowds are unavoidable, such as being on a subway or bus. I can handle crowds, if I have … Continue reading Mark Koning’s key to holiday happiness: the open house
BY: MERI PERRA It took time for Mark Koning to find the right cover image for his third and most recent book, Challenging Barriers and Walking the Path. First, he wanted to find a picture of himself with his dad, who died when Koning was just 13-years-old. Second, he wanted a picture of the two of them walking away on a path, à propos the book’s title. “The … Continue reading Mark Koning challenges barriers in his latest novel
Every animal lover knows pets play a very special role in our lives. This story by Mark Koning is the first in a series where Brain Injury Blog TO will explore the relationships we have with our animal companions, as ABI survivors and caregivers. I am what you would call, ‘a dog person’. I believe dogs are awesome pets. Forget … Continue reading Mark Koning: how our dogs helped with my mom’s ABI recovery
BY: MARK KONING Here we are into the month of June and Brain Injury Awareness Month. Every year I wonder of its impact. What minds are being awakened and new things learned? Do people come to an understanding of what it’s like to live with brain injury? Are folks even paying attention? Are all of … Continue reading I. Am. Awareness.
BY: MARK KONING This time of year, I often find myself singing along to that old Christmas carol, ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year.’ Having said that, I also often find myself asking if that’s really the case. We are in a season that can be full of cheer and magical moments, but … Continue reading That time of the year, again
BY: MARK KONING Dear Brain Injury, Where did you come from? I never asked for you. You snuck into my head and caused a great deal of damage when I was a young boy, defenceless to your attack. You tried your best with your seizures and placing me in a coma. You robbed me of … Continue reading Dear Brain Injury,
BY: MARK KONING If you ask me, any type of brain injury is traumatic, whether it is acquired by a motor vehicle collision, an aneurism, a viral infection etc. Living with the challenges of ABI, which can include headaches, nausea, fatigue, chronic pain – among other countless symptoms – can be brutal, and this brutality … Continue reading The waves of ABI-related trauma
BY: MARK KONING I remember lying in my hospital bed and looking out of the window at the smokestack that illuminated a soft purple glow when it got dark. I was six-years-old and recovering from encephalitis which had landed me in a coma for two-weeks. Low level light therapy (near infrared) may have beneficial effects … Continue reading Lights, Christmas, Action!
BY: MARK KONING There is a saying, ‘no two brain injuries are alike.’ This is true, every acquired brain injury is indeed different. But these horrid ABIs share some commonalities, and one in particular is fatigue. Similar to brain injury, fatigue is invisible. I find it to be hiding in the corners of my brain, … Continue reading Fatigue and the heat wave
BY: MARK KONING As I lie in my bed I breathe in and out while staring at the ceiling. I can feel all of the bones in my body as I stretch myself awake. I rub the sleep from my pupils and rise to a seated position. Five fingers; Five toes; I extend and wiggle. … Continue reading Feeling what you cannot see
