Hope Survives | Brain Injury Podcast

Let's continue the discussion on how to keep your recovery moving forward - Dr. Michelle Eisenmann is back to help us understand the importance of a lifestyle that supports brain healing, and what to look for in a practitioner. Connect with Dr. Michelle: https://www.resiliencybh.com/ CONNECT Find more resources, podcast episodes, & our monthly zoom support group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Do you ever feel "stuck" in not knowing how to move forward with your recovery? Today, Dr. Michelle Eisenmann is here in part 1 of a 2 part series to help us understand some things we can do to to keep our brain injury recovery on track. This week we will touch on the importance of finding the right practitioner (more on that next week!) and some tips on how to define your recovery goals...

For brain injury survivors, having some sort of self-awareness when it comes to symptoms is key to moving forward in recovery. When we are able to learn our brain & body's "tells" or when a symptom flare-up is beginning to happen, we are better able to assess if we need to rest, or if we can push through. It also helps us to know what types of treatment to seek out - especially b...

Symptom flare-ups and hard days will happen when recovering from a brain injury / concussion - and it can be exhausting and disheartening. But there are actually things we can do to help, if we learn the right things to check and respond to our brain & body’s signals. Our nervous system is more adaptable than we may think! Dr. Jeremy Schmoe is here to teach us exactly how to help ourselves fee...

Concussion symptoms and mental health can be very interconnected, especially when you can't see the symptoms on the outside. Today, Cristabelle interviews Bella Paige (founder of Post Concussion Inc) on her journey with 10+ concussions and trying to hide her symptoms at first and pretending like nothing was wrong. This led to depression, which Bella openly shares with us today in a candid and...

"I realized that I can recover without being who I was, and I can find myself without being who I was, and I don't need to fully recover  - and walk and see and do all of these things that might not be possible for me - to be happy. Like I can still be happy without being the person I was with the abilities I had." -Madi Grose After a brain injury, it is really common to struggle wit...

Have you ever been so overwhelmed you couldn't finish a task? What about feeling overstimulated in a grocery store, to the point of panicking? Many brain injury survivors experience overstimulation and brain fog. This is a great episode to learn some tools on how to process this, whether you are a survivor yourself or a caregiver learning how to identify this for your loved one. Overstimulatio...

It can be hard to hold onto hope when it feels like there are just setbacks around every corner. Listen as Cristabelle shares her heart on this and how to continue moving forward, even when things are really hard. You are not alone. CONNECT Find more resources, podcast episodes, & our monthly zoom support group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ | @hopesurvives Hosted by Cristabe...

A major part of living with brain injury can become the doctors appointments, therapies, and healthcare system - but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Dr. Kelsy Rayl is here to walk us through some steps to be more empowered as a patient, including practical tools on what to do to show up at appointments informed and get the most out of them. We also discuss managing symptoms in appointments...

"I was given less than 10% chance of surviving. Doctors were saying that they couldn't imagine me walking, that I wouldn't be able to talk, that I couldn't see... and the one big thing about my story is that I proved them all wrong. Even if the odds are stacked against you, and hope seems almost lost, always believe in the little percent that things are going to be okay. Because I...

Hormones can become disrupted after a brain injury, and today Melissa Biscardi is here to share current research and dive deeper into what this looks like for females, including the menstrual cycle, menopause, birth control, and more. We also discuss practical steps you can take if you think you or your loved one's hormones may have been affected. 0:00 Intro 4:55 Melissa & Her Research 8:1...

Living with a brain injury, some days hope is the only thing that gets you through. This week, Cristabelle is joined by her mother, Cyndie Braden, to speak about lessons they have learned over the 14 years of brain injuries. They speak vulnerably about some of the difficult aspects of the journey, while also sharing the growth in the family, caregiver, and survivor perspectives. You will also hear...

Communication is so important to our world, but it can be drastically affected for brain injury survivors. Difficulties include word finding, forming ideas, expressing oneself, understanding nonverbal cues, and more… so let’s work to understand this deeper and talk about some tips that can help! Today we are diving into the connection between communication and cognition, and how this can be affect...

Brain injury affects the whole person - and every injury is different. That is why it is so important to learn as much as we can about current research and rehab practices. This week, Melissa Biscardi from Rehab Lab is guiding us through pillars of concussion care to learn about different pieces of recovery that we may not have known to address. This includes: Autonomic Nervous System, Nutrition /...

After 17+ concussions, Nick Krantz found himself at the end of his rope, having been told by many medical professionals that there wasn't really anything he could do, and he would just have to live with the symptoms. It was then that he discovered that there is so much more to brain injury recovery than he ever knew, and he began a journey of learning to overcome PCS, including nutrition, mind...

After a concussion or brain injury, the function of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) can be commonly disrupted. This can cause a dysregulation between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system - leading to increased symptoms. This week, Natasha Wilch is back to explain the ins and outs of the ANS as it relates to brain injury. She will also explain dysautonomia and POTS, and share some...

How can the "invisible" injury affect our self worth? Survivors often don’t realize their own identity as separate from their brain injury. Living with symptoms for so long can take a toll on mental health. It's also easy to take in how other people view the "invisible" injury and let it negatively impact how we view ourselves. But you are more than your injury, and there i...

Something often overlooked in brain injury recovery is the effect of trauma or PTSD on the survivor. Trauma symptoms can have a lot of overlap with brain injury symptoms, as both stimulate the Autonomic Nervous System. Dr. Jen Blanchette helps us to uncover what this overlap can mean, and explains how addressing trauma can often be a missing piece that can really help to further along brain injury...

Let’s discuss some specifics on how to sleep better after a brain injury. Dr. Wilkins also shares important information on sleep hygiene, what a sleep study will do, and hope that there is help available. This is Part 2 - check out last week’s episode to hear an introduction on how sleep affects the brain and sleep disturbances after brain injury, along with more of Dr. Wilkins personal journey wi...

Dr. Roy Wilkins is an expert in sleep medicine - and a brain injury survivor himself! This week we will learn the importance of how sleep affects the brain. Dr. Wilkins also shares some of his own journey with TBI, along with why there can be sleep disturbances after a brain injury. Stay tuned for PART 2 with Dr. Wilkins next week! 0:00 Intro 2:15 Cristabelle 7:50 Introducing Dr. Roy Wilkins 9:50...

Let's talk about effective communication between survivors and family caregivers at home! This week, married couple and survivor/caregiver duo Terry & Drew Niemann are here to inspire us and talk about some of the challenges and lessons learned on their journey. We also discuss mental health, depression, mindfulness, and the importance of communication from both sides. 0:00 Intro 5:30 Intr...

There are a lot of things you CAN do to help your recovery - and it's built on the foundation of your mindset! This week, fitness professional David Freeman, who has also had concussions from playing football, helps us to connect to our values and strengths and shares some tangible things we can do to improve our recovery and overall wellness. 0:00 Intro 2:15 Cristabelle 13:40 Introducing Davi...

While each brain injury is unique, there are things we can do to treat it - as you find what works on your personal path of recovery. Dr. Molly Parker shares her personal concussion experience, including advice for work/life/symptom balance, routine, and boundaries. Then, we dive into the different types/sub-types of concussions, understanding your individual symptom profile, how to find the right...

What does “normal” mean anyway? Jeff Huxford was a family medicine doctor in northwest Indiana for ten years before having to retire due to complications from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). He has since become a blogger, author, and speaker - and his story is currently being turned into a feature film! This week, Jeff joins Cristabelle for an uplifting conversation, sharing his story and also tou...

Brain Injuries are invisible. You can't see them on the outside, and that's one of the reasons awareness is so important. They can be overlooked, misdiagnosed, or mistreated, and survivors feel the burden.  This week, Cristabelle shares some of her personal brain injury story, and how she has seen awareness improve over the last decade - along with encouragement for how you can make a diff...