TBI Therapist - SoundSage

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The last episode of TBI Therapist podcast. You can find me at www.drjenblanchette.com Website will be up soon! Links to my new podcast and offerings will be there :)

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I'm releasing my email course on the podcast, the video will go away after March 10th, 2023! So if you'd like the video version with more resources, please go to: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/606e5015d0ab2d0103020f8a

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I first met this inspirational person at the Krembels Center in New Hampshire. I was blown away by the center and this wonderful human's story and leadership among his peers. Jim Scott is a TBI survivor who shares his story with others through speaking and friendship with others at the Krembels Center.Meet Jim:n July 3rd, 2006 after partying in his childhood hometown, Jim drove drunk crashing into the woods in Durham, NH. Lucky to have survived, he would spend 6 weeks in Boston's Beth Israel's ICU in a minimally conscious state with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).After "graduating" from various rehabilitation programs in 2008, Jim became a member of Krempels Center (KC), located on Portsmouth's Community Campus. It was in KC's community-based day program that he truly started to build a "New Life After Brain Injury".Now more than 14 years post-injury, Jim is building on the community outreach he began as part of KC's "community education" group. Jim lives in Portsmouth with his adorable 4 legged son Clooney! After working in various financial services related jobs, when in 2015 his family launched a 100% cause-based animal nutrition company, Jim excitedly joined RAWZ Natural Pet Food. After experiencing the love and support of their family dog, Boomer, and witnessing the amazing services both sons' received post injury, the Scott's donate all of RAWZ's profits to providing service dogs, and to brain or spinal cord injury causes.More from Jim: https://morethanaspeedbump.com/More from Jen: www.tbitherapist.com

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During this conversation, Bella Page candidly about mental health, depression, and more post-concussion. There is a trigger warning as we do discuss suicide. I was deeply moved by Bella's insights and commitment to helping others who struggle after a concussion.

Meet Bella:

Bella is a concussion survivor and host of the Post-Concussion Podcast where she has over 50 podcast episodes waiting for you. Be sure to check it out on postconcussioninc.com.

Bella offers her story of hope and insights into how she was able to cope with the mental health symptoms related to her brain injury.

More from Jen

www.tbitherapist.com

Newsletter and podcast updates

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This is my gift to you brain injury surviviors! Whether your struggling post stroke, TBI, concussion or other ABI, I think this holiday guide about grief and joy will be helpful in setting new priorities and expectations.More from Jen www.tbitherapist.com Do you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbi-therapist/id1587029041 scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes and it helps the show grow! As always, share with someone that you know could benefit from this podcast!

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Concussion Survivor Story: Dr. Zeine is a retired Army flight surgeon. She offers her unique experience as a veteran and accomplished individual who discusses her concussion journey. Dr. Zeine discusses her key takeaways from her return to health and life post head injury. Amanda Zeine, DO, FAAP is a retired Army pediatrician who received medical retirement after a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2018. After her injury, she had severe sequelae causing a loss of identity, worsening depression, and weight gain. Now, after treatment, she has a new vision of herself and has begun a journey from Hot mess to Wellness which is the title of her book. Listen in to learn more about her specific recommendations for headaches, it’s SO good! More From Dr. Zeine https://www.hot-mess-to-wellness.com/ More from Jen www.tbitherapist.com Do you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbi-therapist/id1587029041 scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes and it helps the show grow! As always, share with someone that you know could benefit from this podcast!

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Dr. Smink and I had a rich conversation with regard to caregiving and TBI. He is a well versed and experienced speaker who freely drops SO much knowledge on this topic. It is a must listen for caregivers and survivors. We talk about anticipatory grief and acknowledging the emotions around the event. We dig into issues of faith and try to understand the huge “why” of the brain injury event. We also talk about the definitions of compassion fatigue and burnout. Edward Smink, the founder of The Soul of Caregiving Coaching Practice, is an in-demand speaker, coach, and author of The Soul of Caregiving, A Caregiver’s Guide to Healing and Transformation. Edward holds an Associate Degree in Nursing from Newton Junior College, a BA in Psychology from Boston College, an MA in Counseling Psychology, a MA and PhD in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. He is a former Registered Nurse, Healthcare Executive in Mission, Values, Spirituality, Ethics, End of Life Care, and Community Health. Cultural Taboos Regarding getting support for caregivers and survivors. We discuss these and ways we should do the opposite!We don’t trust what we are experiencingDon’t communicate your storyDon’t acknowledge what you are feelingSend Audience To:More From Dr. Sminkhttps://soulofcaregiving.com/More from Jenwww.tbitherapist.comDo you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbi-therapist/id1587029041scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :)Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes and it helps the show grow! As always, share with someone that you know could benefit from this podcast!

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For the next two weeks, I am focusing on caregiving. If you know someone who is a caregiver for someone with a concussion or brain injury, then this podcast is for you. Concussions and brain injuries can be difficult to deal with, both for the person who has them and their caregivers. In this video, we offer some tips on how to support the caregivers in your life.

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I was over the moon after attending the 13th annual Defining Moments in Brain Injury Conference in my home state of Maine. There is just something magical about meeting with other providers, survivors, and caregivers. In this episode, I share my big takeaways from the conference, including some mind-blowing info on modern concussion care! More […]

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In 2017, Carolina sustained a brain injury concussion after falling on her icy driveway. At the beginning of her recovery, she remembers having just one lucid hour a day. As a result, her relationships, business, and mental health all greatly suffered. Carolina felt unable to handle the normal tasks in her life. As a CEO and business owner, she even had to take out an equity loan for her home. However, with time and treatment, Carolina ultimately recovered from her concussion. Today, she says she has reengineered her life. While the road to recovery was long and difficult, it is important to remember that full recovery is possible after sustaining a brain injury concussion.

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The podcast is back for the start of fall! My hope is to have episodes weekly for you on Fridays through the fall. I recorded this episode in the summer that was based off of this blog article that gives you an overview of brain injury emotions: https://tbitherapist.com/blog/the-emotional-rollercoaster-of-brain-injury/TakeawaysThere is a wide range of emotions after a concussion. It can feel very unsettling to say the least. The lack of control over these emotions can cause a lot of distress. Keeping a log or tracking your emotions is very helpful. Sometimes it’s the time of day or after overtaxing your brain. Sometimes just moving through the emotion and noting a beginning, middle, and end. It’s normal to get stuck. Tools for big emotions include movement, physical touch, using your senses, compassion for yourself about your changing emotions (this is HUGE!).More from Jen Therapy services in the US (I can provide telehealth in 34 states!) Click here to see if I can provide treatment to you in your state https://psypact.site-ym.com/page/psypactmap I provide therapy after a brain injury or concussion.I also help leaders and go getters optimize and prioritize their brain health. Book a consult call today it’s free! https://tbitherapist.clientsecure.me/ Do you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts Click Here scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. You’ll be the first to know about new episodes and it helps the show grow! As always, share with someone that you know could benefit from this podcast!

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Encore presentation! I will return with full episodes in September :) Until then I'm re-releasing some of the top downloaded episodes of the season.

Melanie is a survivor and advocate that did not give up when she couldn’t find answers. She didn’t have doctors to let her know what she was experiencing so she took matters into her own hands. She started fighting to find answers which led her to develop a course about concussion from a survivor perspective.

Meet Melanie:

Melanie Wienhoven sustained a concussion in 2012. She didn't recover within the "normal timeframe" that doctors communicated with her. Her concussion turned into post-concussion syndrome and doctors didn't know what to tell her but to rest even more. After a few years, she was told that her brain injury was beyond repair. Unable and unwilling to accept that reality, she then turned her passive attitude into one of active recovery. She studied cutting-edge science, patients' cases and leading scholars and she experimented on herself for years. 6 years after injury (in 2018), she made a complete recovery from post-concussion syndrome - even though she was told that there was no hope. Now, she shares all that she learned through Lifeyana, so that others 1) don't feel so alone and 2) can cure their concussions much faster (because it didn't have to take that long)

Things we discussed:

Mental health and concussion, it’s normal to have mental health symptoms!
Hope is possible and attainable. Do your own research and never keep searching for answers.
Shame and brain injury of course led us to Berne Brown!
Continue to fight for people that help you feel accepted and heard.

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

Don’t wait and see. Melanie says she waited too long with very difficult symptoms when she could have been progressing in her recovery.

Takeaway #2

Recovery is possible! She discusses the research of Dr. McCrea who told her recently that recovery is 100% possible. (maybe a future podcast guest!)

More from Jen

www.tbitherapist.com

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Some notes about the program...I will be back in a week or two with a solo series on brain injury emotions :)

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Have you been called “lazy” after your brain injury? My guest today talks about how people responded to her invisible injury. She discusses that her brain injury event occurred after an incident of domestic violence. She discusses that there were many mental health issues intertwined in her recovery and it was further complicated by it coming from a domestic violence incident.

She discussed how memorizing her lines helped her in her recovery journey. Something that I discuss all the time!

Mac Lawson sustained a traumatic brain injury in March of 2018 as a result of domestic violence. Her symptoms are mostly alleviated, minus some that are more long term. She pivoted after a brain injury to become a stand up comedian and her brain injury led her into comedy. Spreading awareness about TBIs is one of her life’s missions.

Tips for Recovery

Tip #1:

Brain injury was financially difficult. She found that she did things on her own with her self-care. She found that limiting her light exposure was helpful. She discussed many things through trial and error!

Tip #2

Try to remove people from your life that are invalidating. She discussed that she needed people around her that validated her experience.

Tip #3

She tried to be as normal as she could. She said “yes” to things that she knew would aggravate her symptoms. We talked about the push-pull of being social and pushing yourself after a concussion vs. being social and living a “normal life”.

More from MacLawson

@bigmaclawson

More from Jen

www.tbitherapist.com

Just 2 spots left for coaching this summer! www.tbitherapist.com/workwithme

@tbitherapist

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Episode #24 It's been said that life is rarely predicted. We often find ourselves in unforeseen circumstances. If you've sustained a brain injury, it can be as disorienting as it is frightening. In this podcast episode, Andrew Davie, aneurysm survivor discusses how to embrace ambiguity after brain injury and what he's learned about goals, change, and embracing duality. Andrew was in the middle of an airport gangway when he was overcome with a headache so severe that he has no recollection of anything else that happened. The doctors found a few days later, Andrew had a ruptured brain aneurysm which caused him a lengthy physical and emotional recovery. He had to do basic things like walk, talk, and relearn daily functions.

Meet Andrew

Andrew Davie has worked in theater, finance, and education. He taught English in Macau on a Fulbright Grant, at the university level in New York and Hong Kong, and at the middle/high school level in Virginia. Currently, he’s pursuing his Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree. He has published short stories in various places, a memoir and addendum, and crime fiction books with All Due Respect, Close to the Bone, Alien Buddha Press, and Next Chapter. He also co-hosts a music review show called Happy Hour with Heather and Guest.

Take Away #1: It's ok to have new goals When you've suffered a brain injury, it's easy to get stuck on the question of "what if?" What if I could have been the person I was before? What if life could be the same as it was before? But Andrew learned that when he got to the point where he was able to start working again, he couldn't compare his goals pre-brain injury to his goals post-injury. And that's okay! In fact, it's more than okay—it's a beautiful thing. Because now Andrew can work on enjoying getting there vs. where he is heading. For him, leaning directly into ambiguity was key as well as enjoying his journey.

Take Away #2: It's ok to not know what the next step may be... Andrew's story is one of uncertainty, and the importance of leaning into curiosity when the world is unpredictable. After suffering a traumatic brain injury from an aneurysm, he was left with a number of unanswered questions about his future. He shares how, after recovering from his injury, he realized that there was still a lot left for him to do in life. He says "you still have the opportunity to do something worthwhile, you just may not know what that is" he kept moving forward even though he wasn't sure of the direction.

Take Away #3: Find your people After his brain injury, Andrew Davie found that the best way to cope was by getting involved in a brain injury survivor group. He found that brain injury survivor groups were really helpful. He found that injuries may be different but everyone is going through the same thing. Andrew also recommends finding a support system within your family and friends. Remembering that you may have to educate your family about your brain injury is key. I would say providers can really help with this part!

More from Jen: www.tbitherapist.com--Where you can get my free email course on what people don't tell you after brain injury. Message me on instagram, yes, it's me, I'd love to "meet" you! @tbitherapist

More from Andrew: His other work can be found in links on his website https://andrew-davie.com/

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Erica Baggett is an energetic, hopeful, and frank survivor. She discussed her difficulty with being a young mom and having a serious TBI. She discusses hope and her own drive to be the author of her own story. She recently ran in a whole marathon which was a big part of her healing journey. I was amazed by her presence and determination to be a beacon to other brain injury survivors.

Meet Erica:

On October 19, 2018, Erica sustained a severe TBI. She was involved in a MVA which left her unconscious and was subsequently airlifted for treatment.

After being in a coma for six weeks, she beat the odds and emerged. She was told she may never take care of herself or her son on her own. She was transferred to Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program https://www.shepherd.org/ where she had to relearn everything, including walking, talking, swallowing, and dressing. She credits the dedication of her husband and family as well as survivor groups to her recovery and healing today.

Things we discussed:

The shepherd center in Atlanta and Erica’s difficulty with realizing that she had a TBI.
She discussed misunderstanding her thoughts related to brain injury and her own thoughts.
She says “You are the author of your life” you may have a messy middle, but that isn’t the whole story (that’s me paraphrasing).
There was a love fest at the end! Erica told me that she runs to me, I hope that others are enjoying this content too!

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

Find your passion. For Erica that was running! So many of my guests have discussed passions assisting their healing.

Takeaway #2

Don’t give up. You won’t feel this way forever, even if things are very difficult now.

Takeaway #3

Get connected with the TBI community. One of my biggest recommendations as well!

Takeaway #4

Get some space from your emotions or overwhelm. For Erica that is counting down from 30 or a short walk, two great ideas!

More from Jen

www.tbitherapist.com

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In today's podcast I talk a little bit about understanding trauma, burnout, and stress after an aquired brain injury. I talk a bit about the stress cycle. I do a deep dive in my free email course. Check that out here:

https://view.flodesk.com/pages/606e5015d0ab2d0103020f8a

Look out for a blog on my website soon on this topic with even more information www.tbitherapist.com

Tips for completing the stress cycle

Move–You may have heard that "Exercise is medicine,” and it's true. Movement is key for all humans, and helps with completing the stress response cycle. Aerobic exercise in particular is linked to improved cognition, decreases in mental illness, and improvements in concussion recovery outcomes (APA, 2020). Interestingly, it may mimic physiologically stressful situations in the brain and aid in overcoming other stressful situations.
Cry--It's true! Crying or engaging in time to grieve/feel the emotion is a powerful tool. To move through an emotion, we need to see its end, as the Nagoski sisters discuss in Burnout. In EMDR we do this by noticing the thoughts, images, body sensations, and emotions that come up with a particular memory. We then follow the channels of association or go down the emotional tunnel until there is no distress in the body.
Connect: Social Interaction is also medicine, with potentially even larger implications than exercise! A meta-analysis of social relationships and mortality risk indicates that we should really think about “prescribing” more social interaction, for our clients as well as ourselves. The researchers argued that “People with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those with weaker social relationships." They further stated that "These findings indicate that the influence of social relationships on the risk of death are comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality such as smoking and alcohol consumption and exceed the influence of other risk factors such as physical inactivity and obesity." In other words, it's not only fun to connect with your social network, it's also really important for your health. (Holt-Lunstad, J. Smith TB, Layton JB, 2010)”

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Our amazing guest Fred shares his journey of recovering from multiple concussions and other extremely difficult medical procedures. He shares how he dove into finding things that worked for him in his recovery. Part of that journey was diving into a passion project. Fred has been a lifelong learner and found that he started getting better once he found this key.

Meet Fred:

Fred Rutman, BA, CACE, MBA, Certified Marketing Specialist, Intermittent Faster and Coach, Death and Brain Trauma SurvivorCurrently writing the medical trauma memoir "The Summer I Died Twenty Times". He was a marketer/consultant and then a college professor. He was hospitalized numerous times and learned he was was a Type 2 diabetic. But it was worse than that - It turns he wasn’t simply passing out - his heart was stopping. He was clinically dead dozens of times. Each time his heart stopped, he collapsed and hit his head, sustaining multiple concussions. They eventually figured out that they had repeatedly misdiagnosed me and put me on a pacemaker. Which was great. Until the infallible pacemaker failed in 2013. And 2018, with more complications in 2019 and 2020.

Things we discussed:

Fred’s story and complications with cardiac issues, diabetes, and multiple concussions.
Struggles to find support from medical doctors regarding his very unique medical situation.
Finding your passion!
If you want more information on TBI nutrition please check out this episode:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbi-dietitian-krystal-merrells-on-nutrition-after-concussion/id1587029041?i=1000548910153
Fred’s medical miracles and journey towards recovery.

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

Lifelong learning was a great tool for Fred’s recovery. He discovered that learning about the Talmud which is a religious text was something that aided in his recovery. He encourages survivors to find the things that will interest them such as painting, music, or literature.

Takeaway #2

Fred talked a lot about the role of nutrition. For him intermittent fasting was a big key in recovering from his concussions and brain injury. As always, please seek medical advice before starting a new nutrition plan.

More from Jen

www.tbitherapist.com

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Episode #20: It’s me this week! I’ve received this question so many times while working with my courageous survivors, and recently a listener. Dr. Jen…why am I so angry? How do I stop feeling so pissed off!!

I talk about this and my journey to understand this complicated emotion and in the words of Berne Brown…a powerful catalyst but a life-sucking companion.

Things discussed:

Berne Brown’s research and her new book Atlas of the Heart. You can find links to all her books https://brenebrown.com/
I also talked about the work of the Gottman’s specifically regarding physiology and increase heart rate. Here’s a great blog about this concept on the website https://www.gottman.com/blog/weekend-homework-assignment-physiological-self-soothing/.
My email course which discussed the nervous system and how it impacts our stress response.
One of my favorite resources for a book about anger is Andrea Brandt’s mindful anger book. Her book and website are here: https://abrandtherapy.com/

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

It’s ok to be angry! But don’t stay there. Find ways to use it as a catalyst as it is a life-sucking companion.

Takeaway #2

Work through your nervous system. There are probably great physiological reasons why you are feeling anger. Check out my free email course below, I talk about that a bunch there!

Takeaway #3

Be mindful of your physiological state. Wearable technology has come a long way! Use measures of physiology as guides to rest and take a break when you are triggered or angry.

More from Jen

My email course, it’s free! https://view.flodesk.com/pages/606e5015d0ab2d0103020f8a

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Announcing my new free email course! I've told myself I should really charge for it...because it took a long time. But I wanted to provide great information and have you get a sense of how I think about brain injury. It was my attempt to consolidate some of the best nuggets of information from my work in a condensed format. It is not exhaustive, but they are short, no more than 15 min videos (I think that's the longest one!). Here's the email course! I look forward to your feedback. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/606e5015d0ab2d0103020f8a

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Bonus, a re-air from Hope After Head Injury! Have you wanted to learn about other therapies for concussion or acquired brain injury?

This week on the podcast I talk about EMDR and we have a re-air of a podcast from Cristabelle Braden’s podcast, Hope After Head Injury. I link the original episode on her podcast here:
https://hopeafterheadinjury.com/hopesurvives/

I thought you would get a ton of value from listening to her questions.

You can also hear me talking about EMDR here on a therapy focused podcast: https://thingsyoulearnintherapy.buzzsprout.com/

All the trauma things last week! Finally, I co-authored a blog…I will get it up on my site when I get some help with that!

Until then, check it out on Veronique's blog: https://www.weirdwonderfulbrain.com/post/emdr-processing-trauma

I also provide this therapy in my clinical practice in the state of Maine. Spend a week (or a couple days) with me in beautiful Freeport, Maine and heal from the trauma of your injury. www.newlifeofmaine.com.

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Episode 17! Melanie is a survivor and advocate that did not give up when she couldn’t find answers. She didn’t have doctors to let her know what she was experiencing so she took matters into her own hands. She started fighting to find answers which led her to develop a course about concussion from a survivor perspective.

Meet Melanie:

Things we discussed:

Mental health and concussion, it’s normal to have mental health symptoms!
Hope is possible and attainable. Do your own research and never keep searching for answers.
Shame and brain injury of course led us to Berne Brown!
Continue to fight for people that help you feel accepted and heard.

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

Don’t wait and see. Melanie says she waited too long with very difficult symptoms when she could have been progressing in her recovery.

Takeaway #2

Recovery is possible! She discusses the research of Dr. McCrea who told her recently that recovery is 100% possible. (maybe a future podcast guest!)

More from Jen

www.tbitherapist.com

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Episode 16! I’m very excited to introduce you to Cristabelle Braden, a fantastic advocate and champion of hope after brain injury. She was completely vulnerable regarding her journey through difficult relationships, symptoms of brain injury, and mental health struggles. She even sang for us with her inspiring new song. It’s a must listen!

Meet Cristabelle:

Cristabelle Braden is an award-winning singer/songwriter, speaker, writer, podcast host, and advocate for brain injury. After suffering a traumatic brain injury, she began to write music during the recovery process. Whether speaking or singing, she brings her powerful testimony and a message of freedom, healing, and love wherever she goes. She is devoted to bringing support and education through weekly episodes of “Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast” and her online support community Hope After Head Injury.

Things we discussed:

One thing that people often get wrong about brain injury is that energy levels can vary from day to day.
Survivors often don’t realize their own identity as separate from their brain injury.
“We can view ourselves as broken”
You are more than your injury, there is hope for improvement.
We talk about dysautonomia, here’s a reference for anyone wanting more information https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6004-dysautonomia#:~:text=Dysautonomia%20refers%20to%20a%20group,your%20heartbeat%2C%20breathing%20and%20digestion.
“Get a second opinion, third opinion, tenth opinion.”
Worth does not come from your brain injury.
We talk about relationships and how a brain injury can make you not trust your gut when something is off.
Cristabelle found that she was susceptible to abuse due to not trusting herself.
If you feel like something is wrong, it likely is, you may need help.
Here is information for anyone going through an abusive situation https://www.thehotline.org/.
Also anyone feeling depressed or having thoughts of death there is help https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ International resources

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I never knew that I’d hear couples so fiercely discuss the topic of mashed potatoes! On the podcast I have a gem for you! This candid, funny, and authentic couple shares the ups and downs of recovering after concussion. Drew and Terry Neimann are the co-hosts of the battle within podcast. They shared insights on communication and individual stories of their own struggles. Towards the end, we had some fun discussing holiday foods and a long standing argument about the best things to eat around the holidays!

Meet Meet Drew and Terry

Terry and Drew Niemann are podcast hosts who tell stories of healing from Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS). The podcast focuses on the journeys of concussion survivors and their families. All of this is done in an effort to help others experiencing PCS. A Battle Within is a very intentional name. For those who do not know, people who experience a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) often have a war waging internally to find themselves again- all while trying to recover.

Things we discussed:

One thing that people don’t understand about brain injury is the misconception about how to identify a brain injury. You usually don’t know there is an injury.
Drew adds that people don’t really understand the impact on the partner’s lives.
We discuss their story about starting the podcast. This was largely Drew’s drive to find out answers for Terry’s injury and how she could heal.
Terry shared how she did not want to do the podcast initially. Drew made a deal with Terry that if it helped NO ONE, they would hang it up….158 episodes later, they are still here!
Terry came to the realization during her recovery that she could not be a teacher anymore.
Six months into the journey someone told them that they changed their lives.
Drew kept Terry motivated and took the brunt of the work of the podcast.
Terry talks about a live podcast episode where she got to experience an audience and notice that everyone learned something differently.
Drew talks about the burden of the caregiver after a brain injury.
He also talks about how they were caregivers to someone who was diasabled from a brain injury.
To manage his frustrations, he took up jujitsu. He said that he got through it because of Terry. They communicated “like hell” to get through it as a couple.
Terry says that she has less of a filter after her injury, but she is careful to be kind and work on their relationship.

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This has all the makings of an epic conversation! Jill Griffin is inspiring, candid, and doesn’t hold back from her experiences after a concussion.. She discussed sustaining a concussion while traveling to Australia. Her story of struggle and recovery from long lasting effects of a concussion shows tremendous grit and belief in herself to know what was best for her. Jill realized that she had to be her own advocate. She couldn't just accept that she couldn't get any better. This belief enabled her to seek out the support and help she needed to recover.

Meet Jill:

Jill D. Griffin is a Career Strategist and Gallup® certified Strengths Coach. For 20+ years her approach to busting through the belief systems and building a culture from the strengths of both the team and leadership is responsible for creating repeated and consistent results. She has worked with Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Samsung, Mondelez, and Honda.

Things we discussed:

Jill had to keep her health insurance so felt that she could not take time off of work and did not during her whole time of recovery.
At the time of her concussion she indicates that there wasn't a lot of help or knowledge about how to appropriately treat a concussion.
She talked about the diagnosis of Superior Canal dissonance syndrome. I’m linking an article about her condition. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15266-superior-canal-dehiscence-scd#:~:text=What%20is%20superior%20canal%20dehiscence,a%20person's%20balance%20and%20hearing.
She discussed feeling a great deal better after seeing Dr. Timothy Hine in Chicago.

Takeaway #1

Jill says to focus on physical reasons why things are happening. For her nutrition was a key to her recovery.

Takeaway #2

She mentions that you can't go straight from the negative to the positive without going through neutral. She talks about reality versus the worst case scenario.

Takeaway #3

Jill indicates that she blamed herself for much too long. She encourages finding beauty in the imperfections that this can bring.

More from Jen

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Have you ever struggled with how to take the best break after your brain injury? This week on the podcast, I dig into some of the best ways that we can rest and restore. I find that it is often very tempting to look at our phones instead of a restorative break. After all, it’s right in our pockets!

There is a better way my friends :)

Pandemic Changes to Breaks

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Episode#12! Today we talk about all things speech therapy, mindfulness, and yoga. Katherine Noyes, SLP, CBIS is a licensed speech pathologist and brain injury specialist. She talks a little bit about what speech therapy looks like with someone who has a brain injury. She focuses on functional goals, that fit your life. She also believes in a holistic approach through wellness and mindfulness.

Meet Katherine:

Katherine Noyes, co-owner of Lotus Speech & Wellness, LLC, is a licensed speech-language pathologist, certified brain injury specialist, and registered yoga teacher. She has worked as an SLP for over 10 years in both inpatient and outpatient medical settings, as well as in the public schools. She specializes in helping adults with neurological impairments improve communication, cognition, and mind-body wellness through her speech therapy and yoga offerings.

Things we discussed:

Functional goals for brain injury are important.
We talked about attention, memory, and executive functioning.
We had a great discussion for metaphors for executive functioning like a CEO or a conductor.
Katherine discussed the role of yoga and mindfulness in her own life and how she shares that in her practice.
We talked about love your brain yoga, a great organization bringing yoga to folks after a brain injury. https://www.loveyourbrain.com/

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

Katherine says let's not reinvent the wheel! She finds that taking strategies from your life now is important to have something that may work for you post-injury.

Takeaway #2

Be your own advocate. Brain injuries can be complex and each one is unique. She suggests finding a professional who has training in brain injury.

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Why a break is never a waste of time! The Rutgers's Business school found in an analysis of research on leisure that those who felt leisure was a waste of time had higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than those who placed value on those pursuits. Article is here. The pandemic has reduced people's sense of control and increased depression (already elevated in folks after ABI). I think that many things we used to do for leisure were eliminated or changed in the pandemic. I'll add that layer for folks with a brain injury, they types of leisure that you enjoyed before may have also changed. How to find leisure breaks in your day… Know the benefits! Benefits of leisure: -reduced stress -reduced depression -lower cortisol -lower anxiety -increased productivity Types of leisure: -Fandom! Are you a fan of a sport, show, book series, band, type of music, craft, etc? For me my serious fandom resulted in becoming a Zumba instructor and even going to a Zumba convention with thousands of others (pre-pandemic). It was seriously SO much fun and I felt on top of the world. My family also loves to travel, think and plan about trips. This was put on serious hold in the pandemic, but we took an epic trip to Yosemite this past summer. Recently, I enjoyed watching the Australian Open (serious tennis fan here!!) I know I have several Australian listeners so shout out to Australia on their big wins with Ash Barty and in mens doubles. Of course, I had a serious fan moment when Raphael Nadal won his 21st major title. I was seriously happy for him! I took note of my feelings as I knew I'd be talking about it on the podcast! In what ways can you engage in “serious leisure” by leaning into your fandom? Remember research indicates that you should NOT feel guilty about the time it takes to engage in that activity! Takeaway #1 We are likely not taking the breaks that we need. In fact, most likely in the pandemic you're working more. Takeaway #2 Taking a break to do a leisure activity like watching a favorite TV series or book has wonderful mental and physical health benefits. Can you do something with someone you love or find ways for movement through leisure. If so double win! Takeaway #3 Allowing yourself to enjoy leisure vs. feeling guilty about the time you take ensures you get the most benefits from the activity. Taking a break is never a waste of time! Join my newsletter

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Concussion and nutrition is a hot topic! But does it need to be? My guest Krystal talks about her role as a nutritionist and her concussion recovery. We talk briefly about the HUGE topic of intuitive eating and brain injury. She found that people were often on restrictive diets, supplements, and tracking when they were struggling with their recovery. She found that no one was offering more of an intuitive approach to eating after a brain injury.

Things we discussed:

Intuitive eating discusses 10 principles, here’s a link to the principles from the founders of this approach. https://www.intuitiveeating.org/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/
We talked about “bad” foods after brain injury and how diet culture influences this belief.
Diet culture is pervasive. Foods are labeled as villains.
Krystal says that she has seen many times that clients will say that they can not eat many foods. She helps them understand a different perspective on their recovery and the role of food.
She talks about clients fearing food because it may “hurt” them.
Not eating or getting enough energy contributes to inflammation and stress.
First and foremost we need to eat!!
We are literally adding fuel to the stress fire!

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

Routine! The brain and body love routine. Get your three square meals a day. It’s a great place to start!

Takeaway #2

Think about what to add vs. what to cut out. Figure out what you like to eat and how easy that would be to add in to your day.

Take away #3

How can food be healing in more ways than one? Think about making a family recipe, enjoy some time of rest/calm, or spend time with loved ones.

Takeaway #4

Routinely have laughter in your day. Krystal loves to find ways to laugh and encourages this for others.

More from Jen

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It's just me on the podcast today! I'll be sharing my favorite tips on grounding skills. I hope to incorporate these at least once a month to give you manageable (short) nuggets of information on your brain injury or concussion journey. This week, we are talking about all things grounding skills. Which is something we all know how to do!

We'll talk about how to incorporate it into your life. Here's my pdf on this episode:

My Free Grounding Guide

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During this conversation, Bella Paige talks about the reasons she started her own podcast The Post Concussion Podcast. She discusses the importance of mental health in concussion recovery and her journey leaving the sport of horse riding. She discussed feelings of depression when she had to give up her sport. She discusses the grief of seeing other people carry on with their lives and she felt that her social life really struggles. She discussed needing to move home because she needed more support. Nothing seemed to work to improve her symptoms and did not tell people about her mental health symptoms.

Meet Bella:

Bella is a concussion survivor and host of the Post-Concussion Podcast where she has over 50 podcast episodes waiting for you. Be sure to check it out on postconcussioninc.com.

Bella offers her story of hope and insights into how she was able to cope with the mental health symptoms related to her brain injury.

Things we discussed:

Having headaches and struggling with pain after her brain injury. She said that she often lied to her doctors and said “I’m doing great”, when she wasn’t.
She discussed difficulty with physical pain where she struggled to cope.
She discussed that she had a hard time with being told that she could no longer ride horses again after brain injury.
We talk about triggers or in Bella’s words signals when things are going wrong (for Bella that was running).
She says she struggled with how to “turn off” her bad thoughts
Bella said she struggled with feeling numb for quite some time and struggled with feeling gratitude or meaning.
She talks about the role of psychotherapy. She says that it saved her life and helped her find tools that assisted her in helping her feel better.
She indicated that she liked that her therapist gave her exercises for grounding and slowing her thoughts down.
Even with great access to healthcare, Bella struggled to get the help she needed.
She recommends that family members still hang around and stay engaged with the survivor.
Finding a good fit with your therapist is very important, keep trying!
“There is more to your life than a sport” --it can be hard, but there are other things that are important.

Takeaways

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During this conversation, Seth talked about his experiences with brain cancer. It started with horrible headaches and a cascade of appointments. We talk about the difficulties he discovered as he first faced a brain tumor in 1997 when he was 19 years old. He talks about what it was like for the tumor to come back at a different phase of his life. It was a wonderfully inspiring discussion that included the intersections of faith, struggle, and hopefulness.

Meet Seth:

Seth is the executive pastor at Pathway Vineyard Church (which is where I (Jen)) attend! I’ve heard his brain injury story on Sundays on various occasions while in church. He is an inspirational survivor and pastor, husband, and father in my community. He shares his journey with recovery from a brain tumor and other medical complications.

Things we discussed:

Seth lost his eyesight initially and he had surgery and then he largely felt better after his first surgery.
He talked about being a brain cancer survivor and what this meant for him.
He discussed the emotional side of things and what that meant for him and felt happy that he was over the surgery and moved on with his life.
He found out after six years of his original surgery that his tumor had returned. But didn’t have the same symptoms as he had before (headaches, visual impairment).
After the second surgery he was unable to have children due to the changes in his brain.
He took steroid injections for 10 months to try to have children. 170 shots later, he and his wife were pregnant with their first child.
He then discussed more complications and the redevelopment of a tumor.
Afterwards he went on an “I can see tour” which included a trip to the field of dreams.
He talked about how he and his wife wanted a second child, he took over 300 more injections, and talked about his now 11 year old child!
He talks about a brain tumor support group. He is 15 years out from his last treatment for his brain tumor.
He discussed the change in identity after his first treatment with brain cancer.
He gives appreciation to his wife for her encouragement throughout his life.

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

You’ve got to be your best advocate. You have to make sure that you make that call. Bug a receptionist. Make things happen!

Takeaway #2

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During this conversation, Julie talks about the shame after a brain injury. She discusses one of the most difficult memories after her stroke. She’ll explain strategies that worked for her to manage depression after a brain injury.

Meet Julie:

Julie Kuch is a life coach for people with brain injuries. She has helped hundreds of people around the globe live happier, more joyful lives after their brain injury. She has also experienced brain injuries of her own. In 2009 she had a stroke and in 2020 she had a concussion. Knowing firsthand how it feels to live with the TBI has helped her tremendously in reaching her clients. She is a mother to five amazing kids, and a wife to a super rad husband. She loves running and doughnuts but not necessarily in that order. But …..not against it either.

Things we discussed:

Depression is normal but not often recognized
How discovering depression symptoms was difficult due to not having any previous symptoms in the past.
Here is a link to a depression screener if you think you may struggle with depression https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/depression/
Links for depression support https://screening.mhanational.org/get-help/

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

You are your best advocate. Your doctors and others in your life may have different ideas. If something feels off, continue to pursue what feels right.

Takeaway #2

Sleep is essential! Julie discusses a digital sunset. Her routine is taking a bath and using bath salts to settle her brain and body for sleep. She also discussed a cool room, etc.

More from Jen

Calming the Storm: a 6 week intensive group coaching program focusing on reducing overwhelm, understanding big emotions after injury, and learning so great hacks for brain injury.

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During this conversation, Melissa and I talk about mental health and concussion. She shares her insights about concussion recovery and mental health. She is such a wonderful resource for concussion information and hope! There’s always something that you can do according to this brain expert.

Meet Melissa:

Melissa Biscardi is a Registered Nurse and osteopathic therapist. She calls herself a brain crusader. Her practice and research focuses on concussion treatment and brain optimization.

She is the founder of Concussion Rehab Lab and Brain Tool Kit Concussion Rehab Lab is her clinic space for patients and an online group for clinicians who want to learn more about concussion management from a non pharmacological approach. The Brain tool kit is an affordable, easy to use app that patients can use on their own or with a clinician for eye exercises, concentration, memory and word recall.

Things we discussed:

The importance of finding a functional neurology specialist. Melissa says that her intake is 4 pages long!
She finds that a detailed assessment on each system of the body is essential in order to assist in finding solutions to your symptoms.
We talk about pillars such as sleep, nutrition, and mental health. These are the foundations of the house for recovery.
There is always room for improvement! You can always get it in a better direction.
We talk about mental health and trauma and how this may impact your symptoms.
She discusses concussion subtypes, Melissa added that 30% of people have affective symptoms (mental health) after a concussion.
We talk about the importance of hope in brain injury.
Melissa asks me a lot of the mental health symptoms that I see.
She says that our thoughts can help us achieve whatever we can imagine.

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

Make sure that you are laying the foundation for recovery. Make sure that you are getting rest and the body knows how to rest. Cells need nutrients, oxygen, stimulation, and rest. Go for walks, stay in nature, and support your mental health. She recommends yoga nidra (meditation).

Takeaway #2

Work with someone who will work with you on your path. See someone right away! We used to think you had to rest, but it’s safe to ride a bike or walk after 48 hours. Early intervention is associated with faster recovery. If you are intolerant with exercise it gives more information about being str

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This was such a rich conversation about the story of brain injury. Lethan says don’t get stuck on a plan. He says he was stuck initially on being an actor, which changed after his injury. When he didn’t feel the same drive, he felt lost. When he realized he didn’t have to do those things, he started to enjoy his life. He talked about how he is enjoying his international life that would have never happened without going through his injury.

Lethan Candlish is an author, educator, inspirational storyteller, and brain injury survivor. As his graduate thesis project in Storytelling, Lethan researched, composed and performed Who Am I, Again?, a storytelling piece that has been shared throughout the US and is praised for its candidly honest language. Most recently, Lethan published his acclaimed book, Who Am I, Now? Using storytelling to Accept and Appreciate self-identity after TBI. He is currently studying the best way to use storytelling as a tool in recovery with rehabilitation academics in New Zealand and Australia.

Tips for Recovery

Tip #1:

Just start talking about your story. Talk with people that are closest to you. Lethan says this is vulnerable, but necessary from his perspective.

Tip #2

Keep a journal-put your story in order to make it relatable to other people. Spend time to compose a story of your brain injury. Lethan composed an actual story of his event and found it very helpful for him. It helps when you are ready to tell your story to others.

Tip #3

Find a safe place to tell your story, such as friends, family, or a support group.
Find other survivors to share your story. A survivor group is a great idea.

More from Lethan Candlish

lethancandlish.com

Who Am I, Now? Using storytelling to Accept and Appreciate self-identity after TBI

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tbitherapist.com

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Episode #2: Worklife Balance and Brain Injury with Joe Sanoch. During this conversation, Joe talks about his new book Thursday is the New Friday. We talk about how to optimize your schedule and work less! Most importantly, we discuss how our expectations of our ability to work more hours or do more things doesn’t make us more productive or achieve more, even before a brain injury or the pandemic for that matter.

Meet Joe:

Joe Sanok is the author of Thursday is the New Friday: How to work fewer hours, make more money, and spend time doing what you want. It examines how the four-day workweek boosts creativity and productivity. Joe has been featured on Forbes, GOOD Magazine, and The Smart Passive Income Podcast. He is the host of the popular The Practice of the Practice Podcast, which is recognized as one of the Top 50 Podcasts worldwide with over 100,000 downloads each month. Bestselling authors, experts, scholars, and business leaders and innovators are featured and interviewed in the 550 plus podcasts he has done over the last six years.

Things we discussed:

How the 5 day workday is a somewhat new creation. The industrialist model tells us that productivity is best and anything that is “unproductive” should be cut out. We don’t believe that people are machines anymore. We know that people work differently.
That when we work 40 hours a week, we really aren’t productive. After the 30 hour mark, we lose productivity.
We discuss the great resignation over the pandemic, where many of us are asking ourselves why we are working the way we are working.
Listen to what you need in your work life balance, homelife, and break the system!

Takeaways

Takeaway #1

Make hard and soft boundaries around your weekend. What is one thing that you can do to bring yourself joy over the weekend? What is one thing that you can take away that is draining your energy?

Takeaway #2

We don’t do our best work when we are burned out or stressed out. Bend the system until it breaks! Fight for your needs from your family, work place, etc.

More From Joe

Joe Sanok - Speaker, Author of Thursday is the New Friday, Business Consultant, Podcaster

More from Jen

TBI Therapist: Recent Episodes

Dr. Jennifer Blanchette