Happie Heads: Recent Episodes
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In the summer of 2014, in his last year of college Steve was struck by a cyclist from behind while jogging across a bridge in Charleston, South Carolina. His injuries included: a subdural hematoma, a fractured skull, fractured vertebrae, and of course, a TBI. Upon arriving at the hospital, he was placed in a medically […]
At the age of 16 in Old Forge, Pennsylvania Mary was in a car accident. She seemed to be recovering well until she began to have generalized seizures a year after her accident. Fortunately, she was able to see a neurologist and try out several anti-seizure medications until her seizures remitted. She was generally symptom […]
In this episode we have the return of one of our first guests, Leia Tyrrell. Since our first conversation at the end of 2016, Leia has had several more TBI. We discuss the physical and psychological ramifications of these TBI, and many of the broader ideas that many TBI survivors think about on a daily […]
One day, while Lydia was playing catch with her nephew she turned around to pick something up, an incoming throw from her nephew struck her in the back of her left ear. Immediately she was completely disoriented, and went into a state of shock. She never would have imagined she just suffered a TBI that […]
In the summer of 2014, Jack was fresh out of high school and getting started on a fast track to become a paramedic firefighter. He was six weeks into the program when he headed toward home for a surprise visit. He was about halfway when he was struck head on by a drunk driver on […]
In January of 2014 Lori had her tonsils removed, a routine surgery for most folks. While recovering at home, she had a severe reaction to the antibiotics and pain medications she was on and was found in her home by her boyfriend unresponsive. She was severely hypoxic and dehydrated, requiring interosseous hydration. At the trauma center in Duluth, MN, she was in a coma for 3 days and the ICU for 10. Miraculously, upon leaving she proved to be able to cook for herself so that hospital let her go home alone. She suffered from many symptoms afterward including an abnormally low desire to be around people, even her closest loved ones. Nearly 8 years later, a massive blood clot was found in her right leg and upon imagining a schwannoma was discovered in surrounding her right femoral nerve. The schwannoma brought on much pain, and Lori found herself anxious, depressed, and wheelchair bound. This didn’t stop her from being her own advocate as finding a rehab program at the Mayo Clinic where she went from using a wheelchair to walking with a cane in just 5 days. Now she doesn’t use any assistance devices to get around. She is truly a powerful, inspiring woman, and she shares the mindset and tools she has used to get to where she is today. Enjoy!
Lori is happy to talk to anyone that needs someone to chat with. Her email is: laedstrom@yahoo.com
Michael
Episode 62 – Lori EdstromIn January of 2014 Lori had her tonsils removed, a routine surgery for most folks. While recovering at home, she had a severe reaction to the antibiotics and pain medications she was on and was found in her home by her boyfriend unresponsive. She was severely hypoxic and dehydrated, requiring interosseous hydration.
Robyn is from a small town in southern Minnesota. One day, on a skiing trip way up north in the state she crashed full speed into a tree, and her head struck a rock when she made contact with the ground. She was sent to a local hospital and eventually life-flighted to Duluth where she received lifesaving surgery (including a craniectomy) and was in a coma for several days. Her surgeon told her family she wouldn’t live. Less than two months later, she was leaving inpatient rehab and heading home. But recovery was not smooth and many challenges arose. We talk about her mindset throughout recovery and the tools she uses to ensure that she thrives today. I hope you enjoy this great conversation and are as encouraged by it as I was.
Michael
Episode 61 – Robyn BlockRobyn is from a small town in southern Minnesota. One day, on a skiing trip way up north in the state she crashed full speed into a tree, and her head struck a rock when she made contact with the ground.
Ilona lives in the wild and open state of Montana and is passionate about environmentalism, literature, and sharing her passions with others. In 2012, she experienced her first TBI at the age of 55. In 2017, she walked into the overhang of a camper and briefly loss consciousness. This led to many symptoms including an altered visual perception of space. Because of this, she continued to hit her head about once per month for the next several years. Due to these repeated TBIs, her symptoms began to interfere with nearly every aspect of her life. Today, she is at a very good place with a routine that has allows her how to maintain the progress she has made. We discuss all these including the treatment that turned her life around!
Episode 60 – Ilona PopperIlona lives in the wild and open state of Montana and is passionate about environmentalism, literature, and sharing her passions with others. In 2012, she experienced her first TBI at the age of 55. In 2017, she walked into the overhang of a camper and briefly loss consciousness.
Deb is a medical student from Alberta, Canada. She is currently in her rotational years which means she is working directly with patients nearly every day. About a year ago Deb was driving home from a rotation and was hit head on by another driver. She suffered from a TBI involving diffuse axonal injury, a […]
So I have some bad habits. We all do. And I’m pretty sure I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Habits may be the most potent contributing factor our fulfillment. They shape us, from our conscious actions to the subconscious thoughts that structure our lives. Because of this, I guard my habits very […]
Jim is currently a MD/PhD student at Oregon Health and Sciences University. He has recently defended his PhD on cerebrospinal fluid physiology or “sleep and its role in cleaning out the brain” as I call it. In addition to his scientific and medical background, Jim is a TBI survivor. One month before starting medical school […]
AJ is a current Las Vegan (couldn’t resist), although he is originally from Bend, Oregon. AJ was struck in the face by a pool filter that essentially exploded while he was attempting to repair it. He spent several weeks in the hospital and rehab. He doesn’t remember much of anything for the first months after […]
The other day I was talking to a friend on the phone and they were bragging about some accomplishment they had. To my chagrin, throughout the entire exchange, they failed to mention any of the people that had helped them along the way. For some reason, this upset me. Not beat-up-my-roommate-upset but more like do-a-couple-extra-pushups-the-next-workout-upset. […]
“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” -I said this once. I want to point out that what we have here on earth in this life is pretty freaking precious. At times it rough, for some of you reading this, it may always seem difficult. But whether […]
So a lot of my closest friends (all two of them) and the people I look up most never get sad. In fact, sometimes I find it to be disingenuous. For example, they get fired from their job, or go through a rough break-up, and within a day or two they are seemingly back to […]
Jeff has been on the podcast before, and is a functional neurologist at Northwest Functional Neurology in the Portland, OR area. This past spring, he gave a very impressive talk at the Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon about the metabolic and immunologic consequences of TBI. Since nutrition, lifestyle, and the gut/immune interface is so close […]
Okay, since yesterday’s post was a longer one I will keep this short and hopefully sweet. Yesterday, I woke up a bit early and found that I had a pretty gnarly headache. In the past, I assumed this was just because I was under rested, or that it was just “part of life” after TBI. […]
Okay, since yesterday’s post was a longer one I will keep this short and hopefully sweet. Yesterday, I woke up a bit early and found that I had a pretty gnarly headache. In the past, I assumed this was just because I was under rested, or that it was just “part of life” after TBI. […]