Hope Survives | Brain Injury Podcast

Today is the 17th anniversary of my first traumatic brain injury, which began the journey... and it has been a long one of re-injuries, symptoms, setbacks, and struggles. Today, I'm sharing some of my own story and hope to encourage you to keep moving forward in your own journey. Brain injury anniversaries can be hard and bring mixed emotions. Some years I have found myself really sad, some years...

Living with brain injury is an emotional journey for the entire family. There is a grieving process that we go through, and it’s important this side is acknowledged and not ignored. Let’s dive deeper… Today, Cristabelle Braden engages in a heartfelt conversation with Kelly Lang, a brain injury survivor and caregiver to her daughter who sustained a traumatic brain injury in 2001. She is a bestselli...

After a brain injury, survivors often feel overwhelmed and on edge - one of the reasons for this could be nervous system dysregulation. Today, we are going to talk about nervous system safety and how to incorporate this into our recovery. In this episode, Cristabelle Braden interviews occupational therapist Shelley Latendresse about the importance of understanding nervous system safety. Shelley sh...

Brain injury is invisible: on the outside you can't see how lost a survivor can actually feel. Today’s episode is a survivor’s story of going from feeling lost to being found through finding hope and support. Cristabelle speaks with Amanda Allemang, a 16 year survivor of TBI, about the long journey that brain injury can be. We talk about how hard it can be to find resources at first, dealing with...

You are NOT your brain injury! Brain injuries can be considered a hidden injury, but what happens when someone doesn’t even realize they have one? It would be so overwhelming to have so many symptoms and not know where they are coming from. This is often the case for members of the military that are exposed to occupational low-level blast overpressure from firing heavy weapons like mortars and art...

How do we stay rooted after brain injury, when life feels so chaotic? Let’s talk about it! Today, Cristabelle interviews Cazoshay Marie, a TBI survivor and advocate with roles as a member of the Brain Injury Association of America’s Advisory Council and as a Traumatic Brain Injury Ambassador for the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center. In this conversation, we explore themes of resilience,...

One of the hardest parts of recovery is trying to find out the root cause of where your symptoms are coming from. Every brain injury is different, and one of the possibilities for prolonged concussion symptoms could be a form of neck instability. Today, Cristabelle interviews Dr. Sasha Blaskovich, as he shares his journey into chiropractic care due to a personal experience with concussion, and exp...

A brain injury can turn your entire life upside down in one day- and it’s so important to advocate for yourself in this “new normal.” Calista Susa had a brain bleed at age 16, which led to hospital stays, brain surgeries, rehab, and facing a world of new challenges. On this episode, Cristabelle interviews Calista to share her journey of resilience: being a patient her entire life due to being born...

Have you ever heard someone say it’s “just a concussion”? It is common to minimize concussions down to just a “headache” - but it is so much more than that. Every concussion experience is different, and while some may recover, there are others with Persistent Post Concussion Symptoms who end up living with a completely changed reality. In this episode for National Concussion Awareness Day, Cristab...

The journey with brain injury is not easy - it takes courage, resilience, and hope to walk through. Today, Cristabelle is joined by Kevin McDonald, a TBI survivor, advocate, and founder of the nonprofit “Restart Your Life - Renew Your Mind.” Kevin shares his personal journey through 15 years of TBI. He candidly opens up about the challenges he has faced, including anger, frustration, cognitive imp...

Life with brain injury and concussion can feel so overwhelming, affecting identity and sense of self… so let’s talk about finding hope and making sense of the messy! Today, Cristabelle is joined by Natasha Wilch, a physical therapist and concussion specialist, who shares insights into concussions and the importance of a holistic approach. We discuss the challenges of living with brain injury, incl...

Lynda and Richard have been married for almost 28 years. The day of their 25th wedding anniversary (9/25/21), while on vacation in Salt Lake City, Lynda was crossing a busy street on a pedestrian crosswalk at a green light. The driver of a lifted SUV made an illegal left turn to beat incoming traffic and hit her full force. She was thrown off and landed to the right side of her head. She was broug...

After experiencing a concussion or any type of brain injury, the road to recovery can be one that is full of ups and downs, and unexpected twists and turns. Today, Dr. Brittni Charle joins Cristabelle for a conversation all about setbacks, flare ups, and re-injuries and all the unexpected bumps in the road that can hit — and also the wins and victories that we can celebrate along the way! Recovery...

Today, Cristabelle is joined by Lindy Boone Michaelis, sharing her family’s journey with her son Ryan’s severe TBI. Brain injuries affect the entire family: "You get a call or you get notified, and for me, my life is now divided into two halves: before June 19, 2001 and after June 19, 2001... because everything changed." Listen as Lindy shares from a place of vulnerability, wholehearted compassion...

Whether you just had a brain injury or if you are years or decades out, there is hope. Concussion protocol is continually evolving, there is always new research coming out, and new technologies that completely change the game! It is so encouraging to know that the future is bright in brain injury rehabilitation. Today, Cristabelle is joined by Dr. Jeremy Schmoe from The Functional Neurology Center...

We’re back and ready to kick off Season 3 with some special episodes for Brain Injury Awareness month! Join our host Cristabelle and guest Ali Rheaume for an inspiring and honest conversation about the challenges on the brain injury journey. You are not alone! Ali Rheaume is an award-winning artist, public speaker, disability advocate, and spokesperson who is an encouraging light in the journey of...

You can't see it on the outside, but every day living with a concussion / brain injury brings an internal struggle. You're constantly fighting what you want to do, what you used to be able to do, and what your brain will allow you to do. There's the physical toll- the fatigue, the headaches, the balance issues... There's also the emotional toll- the grief, the depression, the loss of identity... a...

Cristabelle shares reflections and encouragement from her 15 year traumatic brain injury anniversary, along with powerful heartfelt "Words of Hope" from survivors. You are NOT alone! Featuring Season 2 guests: Lisa Pubantz (ep.32), Allison Cook (ep.26), Dillon Berenty (ep.58), Ali Rheaume (ep.39), Madi (ep.62), Nick Krantz (ep.53), Silvie (ep.70), Jeff Huxford (ep.44), Bella Paige (ep.63), Bobby A...

There are a lot of layers when it comes to brain injury symptoms. In the middle of it, how do you even begin to start to tackle your symptoms in order to move forward? Some days are up, some days are down. It can be overwhelming and emotional when you are just trying to get through each day. This week, Natalie Mackenzie joins Cristabelle to discuss advice on managing symptoms, identifying triggers...

Spoiler alert: there’s more than “just rest”! This week Dr. Mark Heisig helps us to understand some of the new research on what can help concussion patients to improve. It's a comprehensive look at what you can do metabolically to prime your brain to heal. Key takeaway: it's important to take a full picture look when someone has a concussion, and creating a targeted treatment plan, rather than jus...

When your head is in pain, everything else feels harder. After a brain injury, headaches can be a major symptom that decreases quality of life for survivors. This week, Dr. Thompson Maesaka is here to help us understand all things post-injury headaches, including hidden causes. We will also discuss the difference between post-concussion headaches and "true migraine," neurologists, and medication....

Friends, dating, family, co-workers, and more... social communication can be a struggle for brain injury survivors! Let's break down some of the common difficulties in interpreting social cues from others, as well as how symptoms affect the way we communicate. This week, Cristabelle has invited Speech Language Pathologist Katherine Noyes to join for all things relationships and social communicatio...

It is common to feel a loss of self after a concussion when you lose so many things you used to be able to do - but there is hope. This week, Cristabelle speaks with Silvie from The Concussion Community. Silvie struggled for years to find the right help and understand what was going on with her. Her concussion was even misdiagnosed as anxiety. The regular doctors she visited couldn’t address her s...

If you have felt like something is “off” but you can’t quite pinpoint what it is, it is possible that you have a form of Dysautonomia (related to the Autonomic Nervous System). It is very common after brain injury. This week, Sonia Vovan, PT is here to help us understand the basics of dysautonomia - and beyond - as we discuss ways to help address symptoms. October is dysautonomia awareness month!...

The ups and downs of brain injury can be hard to navigate, and can often feel downright frustrating. This week we’re talking about these frustrations and what it means to learn to advocate for yourself, the journey of acceptance, how it affects relationships, and more. This week’s guest Bobby Apgar is a TBI survivor and speaker. In 1995, Bobby was a college football start getting recognized as a p...