In 1981 I was in a serious car accident that I don’t remember. After an oncoming car crashed head-on into ours I passed out. When I finally woke up I was lying on a stretcher with my girlfriend hovering over me. Her facial expression was a mixture of I’m so happy you’re not dead and don’t worry, everything will be all right.  

The deep gash in my forehead required sixteen stitches, and my parents admitted me to our local hospital for the doctors to run tests. Although I had a serious concussion I was released a few days later after the test results were negative.

Six years later I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information between the brain and body. One of those disruptions can be a change in cognition; approximately half of people diagnosed with MS develop problems with it. Memory, attention and concentration, information processing, verbal fluency, visiospatial functions (visual perception) or executive functioning (prioritizing and planning) can all be affected.

After my diagnosis I got busy with life. Marriage, motherhood, writing and volunteering were my priorities. I didn’t have time to think about what was going on in my brain. Of course there were obvious physical ailments manifesting from my disease. But after awhile I didn’t think about them; they simply became part of who I was.

According to The National Institutes of Health:

“Aging causes changes to the brain size, vasculature, and cognition. The brain shrinks with increasing age and there are changes at all levels.” 

The website Psychology Today goes a step further by saying:

“We now know brain function need not decline with age, at least for people who stay healthy and mentally active. By the way, research shows that a lifetime of vigorous learning helps prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease.”

Concussion. Disease. Aging.

I guess I’m living with the trifecta of possibilities why I sometimes can’t remember a name, what I ate for dinner last night or what I was just about to say. My brain has been shaken and stirred, and is aging every second of every hour of every day.

Enter Ruth Curran, a blogging friend I fell in love with after meeting two years ago. Ruth has been my guru for inspiration and information on brain health. She's an expert on the subject as an author, speaker, entrepreneur and brain game creator.

She’s also a brain injury survivor.

Ruth has more grit than most people I know. After a serious car accident she spent 18 months struggling to complete sentences and thoughts. After feeling frustrated she decided that she needed to do something to regain her quality of life. So she went back to school to get her Master’s degree in cognitive psychology!

Ruth discovered through her own personal experience (plus she struggled while both of her parents suffered from cognitive decline) that cognitive puzzles can help people regain some cognitive control.

That catapulted her to create her incredible website Cranium Crunches.

After getting to know Ruth's story and her work I realized that some of my cognitive difficulties may be a result of my concussion. (NOTE: Today a concussion is defined as a traumatic brain injury.) I doubt I’ll ever know if my brain blips are from age, disease or injury.

We all want to avoid losing brain power as we age. What's the solution for staying brain healthy?

Here are four ways I’m waging a personal war against brain dysfunction. I want to age gracefully and keep my brain cells as healthy as possible. Are you waging your own war?

Games, puzzles and teasers: I enjoy spending time on Ruth’s website, Cranium Crunches. It’s a fun and easy way to keep your brain in shape with amusing games and teasers that are so pleasurable. And while you’re there tool around the site to learn other ways you can keep your brain healthy.

Learn a new skill: Stretching your brain means learning something new, something that’s unlike anything you’ve learned before. My latest addiction is Periscope, a new and exciting app owned by Twitter that allows users to stream and watch live video broadcasts. The user has the ability to ask the broadcaster a question by typing a message in real time. I’m trying to learn all about Periscope (and gather up my courage) so I can begin creating my own broadcasts.

This is my Periscope profile

Crossword puzzles on the go: I’m currently playing seven separate Words with Friends games on my iPhone. Since my phone is always with me the puzzles are easily accessible no matter where I am. It’s a great way to keep my mind active.

A study from the Archives of Neurology “.. found people who kept their brains active most of their lives by reading, writing, completing crossword puzzles, or playing challenging games were a lot less likely to develop brain plaques that are tied to Alzheimer’s disease.” ~CBSNews.com (January 24, 2012)

Reading: I've always been a voracious reader. The best way to keep our minds active is to read, read, read. In my line of work I do a lot of research. Much of it is medical jargon so I’m learning new terms every day. Reading, processing and storing new information has a positive impact on our brains.

“Neuroscientists have discovered that reading a novel can improve brain function on a variety of levels. The recent study on the brain benefits of reading fiction was conducted at Emory University. The study titled, 'Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Novel on Connectivity in the Brain,' was recently published in the journal Brain Connectivity.” ~ Psychology Today

Check out Ruth’s new book, Being Brain Healthy: What My Recovery From Brain Injury Taught Me and How It Can Change Your Life. As Ruth says it’s “..about taking what is right in front of you and using it to nourish your brain and enhance your life.”