Lake Region Massage & Bodyworks

Brain injury survivor finds success in business ownership By Anne Polta annep@wctrib.com

WILLMAR - As Brenda Schroeder-Miller struggled to recover after a motorcycle crash that left her with a traumatic brain injury, she was told not to expect any miracles. My doctors said, You will never work again, she said. Schroeder-Miller recounts this story while sitting in her office at Lake Region Massage and Body Works, the business shes owned and operated for almost four years. In the search for a job that would be meaningful yet accommodate the lifelong effects of her brain injury, I made my own, she said. I was not ready to say I wasnt going to do anything for the rest of my life. Schroeder-Miller, 48, works as a certified clinical massage therapist. She schedules all her client appointments, handles the billing, orders the supplies and does the bookkeeping. Its an arrangement that gives her the flexibility her brain needs. She can work when she chooses and take breaks whenever necessary. I cannot put into words how perfect this is for my TBI, she said. It was a long road getting here but its been so amazing. The Aug. 7, 1997, crash happened near Sturgis, S.D., while Schroeder-Miller and her new husband were on a honeymoon trip. Their motorcycle was hit by an unknown driver who left the scene. Schroeder-Miller was in a coma for more than two weeks. When she woke up, she didnt recognize her husband or her three children. She had to relearn how to walk and talk. The trauma to her brain left her with permanent short-term memory problems. She has difficulty concentrating. The trauma ended her marriage. These long-term effects are common among people whove survived a brain injury, yet theyre often overlooked or misunderstood, said Ardis Sandstrom, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota. Most people do not show their injuries. It is invisible, she said. It can be especially challenging when they want to re-enter the work force. Essential skills such as memory, problem-solving and organization often are impaired, Sandstrom said. As new employees, brain injury survivors may need extra time and trainingto learn the job. Fatigue is common, especially after a recent brain injury, Sandstrom said. The brain is in recovery status and is working hard to mend. Its not uncommon for individuals to need extra breaks and quiet time. Then they can come back refreshed and do their job. Before the crash, Schroeder-Miller was director of the supervised visitation program at Woodland Centers. She knew she could no longer handle the stress and demands of her old job. So when a friend suggested she enroll in a new program at Ridgewater College to become a massage therapist, I just jumped in with both feet, she said. Hard work and determination enabled her to make the deans list and graduate at the top of her class. It was a lot of people reminding me who I was before. Somewhere deep down inside I knew I was a very driven person, she said. I knew that if I was ever going to get better, I needed to find that inside myself. I just told myself, Im going to do it. She continues to cope daily with the lasting effects of her brain injury. Shes learned to do her bookkeeping on weekends, when the office is quiet and its easier for her to concentrate. Shes learned to take brain breaks to keep from getting overwhelmed. Sometimes I push myself too hard, and when I do that I get too exhausted, she said. Ive had to relearn how to say no and thats been really, really hard Routine is good. I wouldnt have said that before the accident. Every week is better than the week before. The tool she relies on the most: her computer. It helps her keep track of everything, from client appointments to family birthdays to when her car is due for an oil change. This is where my short-term memory is, she said, patting the side of the monitor. This has been one of the most helpful things. Its always there, because I will not remember what Im doing during the day. Indeed, Schroeder-Miller is currently enrolled in a 30-week study by the Mayo Clinic to evaluate the effectiveness of computers in helping brain injury survivors manage their daily routine. Her experience has made Schroeder-Miller more outspoken about the long-lasting impact of brain injuries and the need to educate employers and the public. Most people with TBI have so many special issues, she said. The first thing employers need to understand is there are limitations. This is a brain injury. Patience, I think, is one of the most important things that anyone working with TBI has to have. More than three-fourths of Americans with disabilities remain unemployed but want to find work, Sandstrom said. It is really a big issue because most people want to work, she said. They can do it, and they want to. The survival rate for brain injuries is now 80 to 90 percent - and many of the newest survivors are in the 18- to 24-year-old age range and can expect to have long, productive lives, Sandstrom said. One of the roles of the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota is to help connect survivors with resources and vocational rehabilitation to return them to the work force. I think that employers are becoming better and better at working with people with disabilities. To be able to educate an employer is a really important piece, Sandstrom said. Many people can be successful if they have support. Ive seen them become very successful. Schroeder-Miller, who has since remarried and now has two grandchildren, said that each day is just a gift. I have had a life-changing experience that makes me get up every morning and say, Thank you for another day. I have really learned what battles to fight, she said. There isnt much anyone can do thats going to rattle my cage. I look at life totally different now than I ever could before. Tribune photo by Bill Zimmer As she recovered from a traumatic brain injury, Brenda Miller-Schroeder sought work that would accommodate her injuries and be meaningful. She found what she needed as a clinical massage therapist. More about brain injury An estimated 5.3 million Americans - including 94,000 Minnesotans - are living with disabilities caused by traumatic brain injury. Thousands more have brain injuries due to strokes, aneurysms, tumors and other conditions and diseases. The Brain Injury Association of Minnesota is a statewide nonprofit organization that provides advocacy and awareness on behalf of people with brain injuries. Its services include case management, multicultural outreach, education, public awareness and public policy advocacy. Among its volunteer programs is a peer/mentor support network that helps match individuals with a brain injury with a trained volunteer who can help them with support, encouragement and information. For more information, call the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota at 1-800-669-6442, send an e-mail to info@braininjurymn.org or visit the organizations Web site, www.braininjurymn.org.