Making Headway

Have you ever tried to tell your story while in the middle of it? Seeing the light and lessons can be challenging in hindsight let alone while living it. Ruth Kavanagh who is currently fighting, surviving, and thriving with brain cancer shares her message of hope, courage, and strength in the midst of metastasis. She is a true warrior advocating for others even while she is in the throes of her ow...

Many of our speakers have alluded to the effects that nutrition has had on their recovery.  If you’re like us, you want to learn more but don't know where to turn.  This. Episode. Is. It! Susannah Juteau, the Headache Nutritionist, schools us on dietary approaches to headaches, migraines, post-concussive syndrome, and mental health.  Do you think this means that you need to follow a...

If you have been struggling with putting it all back together post brain injury, this is the episode to listen to!  Holly Kostrzewski is a veteran brain injury survivor 21-years out.  She uses her experiences to provide encouragement and advice to others experiencing the aftereffects.  This episode provides heartwarming inspiration and support for anyone in the throes of recovery.&n...

In this episode, Mariah and Eryn give you a peek into who they are, where they are at in their brain injury recovery journeys, and all their favorite binges from 2020.  Get to know your hosts and some of the books, podcasts, shows, and food that got them through this year.   In This Episode: Mariah and Eryn talk about where they are at in their brain injury recovery journies Wading...

Why do silos show up so much in healthcare?  Aren’t they meant for holding grain on farms?? Today we talk with Dr. Taylor Eaves who teaches us all about chiropractic neurology.  This specialty looks at the whole person; the physical, the physiologic, and the cognitive to see how each system is affecting the other and creating a problem.  They use this information to create a plan th...

“As long as the world is spinning, we are going to be dizzy and we are going to make mistakes.”  Thanks, Mel Brooks, but today’s speaker tells us the mistake is not seeking treatment for the dizziness.  In this episode, vestibular therapist Dr. Emily Beus DPT, teaches us about different causes and treatments for the spins, the lightheadedness, or the rocking boat feeling that you’ve been...

You are the unfortunate recipient of an injury that caused whiplash, concussion, and persistent concussion symptoms (PCS).  You do all the physical, vestibular, and vision therapy but the symptoms persist.  You experience a constant headache with zapping pain that goes from the back to the front of your head.  You’ve tried migraine treatments, you’ve seen specialist after specialist...

Mice. They aren’t just the scurrying creatures who’ve made a home in your attic.  Their contributions to the brain injury community are substantial.  In this episode, we learn how scientists research brain injuries and develop new therapies to prevent some of the devastating effects.  Listen to our talk with Paige Martin, Ph. D. in biomedical science who gives us an introduction int...

Eryn and Mariah interview fellow survivor, Chris Dittrich, who suffered from a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car crash during his senior year of high school.  Early on, his family used a white board posted in his rehab room to post basic reminders (where you are, what happened, goal for day, etc) when memory is poor.  The most important message on that whiteboard: KEEP MOVING F...

In today’s episode we go deep into the world of all things concussion. Concussions are one of the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries but because imaging can’t “prove” that there is damage, it can turn into one of the most lonely. Good news is, YOU’RE NOT CRAZY! What you’re feeling is real. And it can be treated! It’s not normal to wake up feeling dizzy, foggy, in pain, a...

Brain fog. Trouble concentrating. Difficulty planning and organizing.  Trouble with problem solving. Memory issues. Word finding challenges.  These are just a few of the symptoms after a brain injury.   We have therapy to help us get back to walking and doing our daily activities but who rehabs our thinking and how our brains work after an injury??  In today’s episode we delve...

Subarachnoid hemorrhage. It’s a mouthful and it sounds terrifying. Join host Eryn Martin as she talks about the subarachnoid hemorrhage that she experienced in  May of 2020 in the midst of the US Covid quarantine. Out of nowhere, Eryn was struck by an uncontrollable headache and vomiting after completing an at-home workout. After being rushed to the hospital, she was told by neurologists that...

Our. First. Episode!! Join us for the premiere of the Making Headway Podcast as we learn more about our hosts and what brought them to share with you. We begin our series with Mariah’s harrowing traumatic brain injury recovery journey after being hit by a car while walking to work.  This trauma caused a subdural hematoma with a skull fracture. She was placed in a medically induced coma and ne...

Join hosts Eryn Martin (subarachnoid hemorrhage survivor) and Mariah Morgan (subdural hematoma survivor) as we chat a little bit about why we decided that we wanted to begin our podcast. Making Headway came to be because, as good friends, we were lucky to have each other to lean on during our brain injury recovery journeys but we quickly recognized how easy it is to feel like you are isolated or a...