On the Site:

HEALTH

UofU Program Helps Utah Couple Nurture Marriage After Brain Trauma

Apr 30, 2021, 7:11 PM | Updated: May 1, 2021, 9:42 am

SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah – The sudden changes caused by a stroke or spinal cord injury can be overwhelming. Navigating recovery and questions about the future can put a strain on relationships. Those relationships are critical to the healing process. There’s a new program at the University of Utah aimed at strengthening those bonds.

It’s mid-morning and Trisha and Brady Snow stand in their tidy kitchen in Saratoga Springs. Trisha is organizing bottles of prescription medications.

“He has to take them four different times a day,” she says. “It definitely changed everything.”

Two and a half years into their marriage, Brady was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Trisha read from the blog she wrote at the time, “(It was a) rollercoaster at the ICU. Recovery hasn’t been a simple thing for Brady.”

Brady’s treatments damaged his brain, giving him symptoms like a stroke patient. He had to relearn how to walk, talk, swallow and breathe.

“It definitely went from a marriage to a caregiver relationship,” Trisha said.

(KSL TV) Two and a half years into their marriage, Brady Snow was diagnosed with brain cancer. His treatments damaged his brain, giving him symptoms like a stroke patient. (Photo courtesy Trisha and Brady Snow) Two and a half years into their marriage, Brady Snow was diagnosed with brain cancer. His treatments damaged his brain, giving him symptoms like a stroke patient. (Photo courtesy Trisha and Brady Snow) Two and a half years into their marriage, Brady Snow was diagnosed with brain cancer. His treatments damaged his brain, giving him symptoms like a stroke patient. (Photo courtesy Trisha and Brady Snow) Two and a half years into their marriage, Brady Snow was diagnosed with brain cancer. His treatments damaged his brain, giving him symptoms like a stroke patient. (Photo courtesy Trisha and Brady Snow) Two and a half years into their marriage, Brady Snow was diagnosed with brain cancer. His treatments damaged his brain, giving him symptoms like a stroke patient. (Photo courtesy Trisha and Brady Snow) (KSL TV)

“A lot of times that is not conducive to romantic partnerships,” says Dr. Alex Terrill, a clinical psychologist in the University of Utah’s department of occupational and recreational therapies.

Many marriages don’t survive such trauma. They can face up to a two and a half times higher likelihood of splitting up within the first three years after the injury, according to the University of Utah.

Terrill created a program focused on helping couples reconnect. It’s called ReStoreD (Resilience in Stroke-carepartner Dyads).

“Expressing gratitude for each other, practicing acts of kindness, fostering relationships, working towards goals, savoring experiences together and finding meaning in what happened,” she says.

Through the clinical trial, they learned to build on strengths, and become resilient.

“Talking about it can help relieve that stress sometimes,” Trisha says.

The couple learned communication skills through exercises like “20 questions.”

“It’s the daily sort of interactions that bring a little bit of joy: knowing that you’re appreciated, for example, or expressing appreciation for your loved one,” Terrill says.

But does it work?

“The intervention does promote resilience,” Terrill said. “It decreases depressive symptoms, and it increases the couple’s ability to cope with stressors.”

Trisha and Brady focus on not what they’ve lost, but what they’ve found.

“A whole lot of love for my wife, because she helps me so much,” Brady says, wiping tears.

The couple is taking steps for their future.

“We want to adopt,” Trisha says. “Hopefully, through foster care, there are a lot of kids out there who just need someone to love.”

They are hoping to be loving but stern parents.

“Ah, that’s not going to happen. They’re going to have you wrapped around their finger,” Trisha says. “Dad will be like, ‘Yes, let’s have chocolate cake for breakfast.'”

Imperfect circumstances, more flawless love.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you look like, who you are- we’ll love you,” Trisha says.

Researchers say creating healthy relationships after trauma increases healing and decreases the likelihood of having to be hospitalized again.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Now scientists hope to run a bigger national trial.

KSL 5 TV Live

Health

(KSL TV)...

Lindsay Aerts

Student accused of attacking Kearns High teacher has special needs, district says

The Granite School district is now investigating what it calls an “egregious” attack on a teacher in the classroom. That teacher is said to be recovering, as is an Assistant Principal and a resource officer who assisted the teacher.

19 hours ago

(KSL TV)...

Shelby Lofton

Park City vet thinks he’s treated dogs with mysterious respiratory illness

A Park City veterinarian suspects he has treated dogs with a mysterious respiratory illness reported in other states, but a state veterinarian says Utah still has no confirmed cases.

19 hours ago

Stacy Hanson, a survivor of the mass shooting at Trolley Square on Feb. 12, 2007, died Nov. 5., 202...

Pat Reavy

Utahn paralyzed during Trolley Square mass shooting has died

One of the survivors of the 2007 mass shooting at Trolley Square, who was paralyzed after being shot multiple times, has died.

2 days ago

A Logan musician who had a traumatic brain injury and lost the ability and drive to make music is t...

Peter Rosen

Musician returning to stage following a traumatic brain injury

A Logan musician who had a traumatic brain injury and lost the ability and drive to make music is taking the stage again, thanks, in part, to his bandmates.

3 days ago

Utah's Dakota came down with a mysterious illness that some believe is related to a national dog re...

Shelby Lofton and Larry D. Curtis

No official cases of canine illness reported in Utah, but symptoms showing up in sick dogs

Bryant Cunningham has watched his four-footed friend, a charcoal Labrador named Dakota, suffer from an illness for weeks.

3 days ago

DABS is advocating for preventing underage drinking around the holidays by speaking with underage k...

Mary Culbertson and Casey Scott, KSL TV

DABS: How to prevent underage drinking during the holidays

DABS advocates for the prevention of underage drinking, especially during the holidays. They provide resources on how, when, and why to have conversations with kids as early as 9 years old.

3 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Users display warnings about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), access to malicious software ...

Les Olson

How to Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats

Read our tips for reading for how to respond to rising cybersecurity threats in 2023 and beyond to keep yourself and your company safe.

Design mockup half in white and half in color of luxury house interior with open plan living room a...

Lighting Design

Lighting Design 101: Learn the Basics

These lighting design basics will help you when designing your home, so you can meet both practical and aesthetic needs.

an antler with large horns int he wilderness...

Three Bear Lodge

Yellowstone in the Fall: A Wildlife Spectacle Worth Witnessing

While most people travel to this park in the summer, late fall in Yellowstone provides a wealth of highlights to make a memorable experience.

a diverse group of students raising their hands in a classroom...

Little Orchard Preschool

6 Benefits of Preschool for Kids

Some of the benefits of preschool for kids include developing independence, curiosity, and learning more about the world.

UofU Program Helps Utah Couple Nurture Marriage After Brain Trauma