Making Headway

Summary Season 3 of the Making Headway podcast is about to begin!! Fun things are in store as there is a new co-host joining Eryn. Welcome Alison House! Both Eryn and Alison are brain injury survivors and nurses, bringing a unique perspective to the show. They will continue to interview brain injury survivors who have achieved amazing things in their lives, as well as practitioners who can provide...

Our last episode of the podcast is definitely not the least! We’ve heard from so many of our listeners and have personally experienced just how much brain injuries can affect our mental health.  From overstimulation to irritability; emotionality to anxiety; impulsiveness to depression; brain injuries really change how our minds work! In this episode, BrainStorm for Brain Injury’s Dr. Judy Goo...

Are you looking for community post brain injury?  Are you trying to develop and become the new you? Do you need support? Look no further than Heal the Brain.  Heal the Brain is a non profit offering active, virtual experiences that empower survivors with practical resources and social support.  Through their workshops, Heal the Brain connects brain injury survivors and their caregiv...

Recovering from post concussion symptoms? Then we don’t need to tell you how challenging that can be.  Melissa Biscardi, osteopath and registered nurse joins us from the Rehab Lab to talk about recovery.  In her practice, she focuses on treating concussion through movement, vestibular training, nutrition, and mental health.  Listen to learn about treatment, common myths, and what to...

After your brain injury, have you felt scarred by the medical community?  Do you feel yourself pulling away from others, having intrusive thoughts, avoiding medical appointments, having increased anxiety about your health, or having trouble focusing on your appointments? You may be experiencing Medical PTSD.   In today’s episode we have Emily Parks who is a patient advocate, behavio...

At Making Headway Podcast, we love to talk with people about different tools in their recovery toolbox.  In today’s episode, we talk with TBI survivor Adrian Treadway.  She shares her experience with using CBD as a recovery aide. Adrian has found CBD assists with pain, sleep, focus, and mental clarity.  Learn tips from Adrian, the CBD connoisseur, on how she found the best CBD produ...

Did you think you had heard of all the different types of therapy by now? We just discovered one more– craniosacral therapy!  Craniosacral works with the body’s innate ability to self correct to homeostasis. It is a tool of consciousness helping you connect with your energy and your body’s ability to heal.   Amy Mercury’s role as a craniosacral therapist allows her to observe your body's...

Recovering from a brain injury is a physically and emotionally trying time.  Addressing both your physical and mental health helps you get the most out of your therapy.  Dr. Nidhi Shah, physical therapist fromYour Movement Specialist knows this all too well.  In this week’s episode, Nidhi gives us tips to ground ourselves, strategies for better sleep, and teaches us about some commo...

Boom! You have a brain injury.  Life as you knew it is forever changed.  Your brain injury is a time of rebirth; a time to become something greater.  Kyle Mengelkamp of Stroke of Genius joins us in this episode to talk about our potential.  He introduces the concepts of resilience, mentorship, perseverance, vulnerability, and curiosity for all your life can be.  There is l...

Struggling with debilitating headaches? Have migraines taken over your life? There is hope beyond medications or elimination diets!  Fasting has the potential to decrease brain fog, increase alertness, repair neurons, improve gut health, eliminate headaches and more.  Today, Susannah Juteau MSc, CLT, RD talks with us about the benefits of therapeutic fasting for brain health and headache...

Managing emotions can stump anybody.  The ante is upped post injury since trouble regulating our emotions is a common side effect of brain injury.   Elle Gargano and Eryn talk about their struggles and lessons learned through their experiences with emotional dysregulation.  They get into it all; the anxiety, the ‘tantrums,’ trauma responses, and panic along with strategies they...

Depression is so real for many of us post injury.  It robs us of feeling joy and part of life. It takes tremendous courage and strength to persevere and feel your sense of worth again.  In today’s survivor story, Brooke talks about how he was able to reinvent himself post injury all while dealing with depression.  He has used his experience to increase public safety around cautious...

Struggling to feel energized and well post brain injury?  Are you finding that you process and think differently? Michelle Rusk of Coastal Speech Therapy and Wellness addresses all of these things through providing speech therapy with a wellness coach’s touch.  Not only can she address apraxia, aphasia, cognitive and executive function issues, but her focus on holistic wellness coaching...

Are you looking for ways to increase your brain health but are unsure of where to start? In this week’s episode of Making Headway Podcast, Heather Van Tassel from Neuro Fit for Life joins us to talk about the 4 pillars of brain health and concussion recovery.   Her approach to coaching people back to wellness post injury includes mindset, nutrition, exercise, and alternative therapies. The ep...

The last in our series on relationships is definitely not the least!  This week we talk with Felice LaZae and Joe Borges from the NeuroNerds podcast.  They share the wisdom they have gained that came out of the trauma.  From gaining perspective on priorities to reprogramming old ways of being that no longer work for you, Joe and Felice touch on it all.  Don’t miss out on this h...

The second in our series on relationships; Ryan and Anna Teal come on to share their journey. Ryan suffered a stroke that caused apraxia and aphasia.  He and Anna have worked together as a couple to establish new communication patterns and roles within their relationship. They are a shining example of how a willingness to flexibly support each other forged them into a stronger unit that moves...

February.  The month of commercialized love aka Valentines Day.  While buying chocolates and teddy bears is a questionable way to show you love someone; it is a good reminder that we need to show support and be vocal about appreciating those who love us, especially those who have stood by us in our worst moments.   Brain injury is a unique circumstance in a relationship where r...

What can we say about Michael Shutt??  His kindness and compassion shine through in this heartwarming interview.  Michael is a three-time, over-achieving stroke victim.  He used his experience to write one of the most powerful depictions of stroke and what it is like to recover from one that I have ever heard.  His one man show, A Lesson in Swimming , is a radio, soon to be liv...

What should you look for in a good rehab therapist? How do you find a good neuro recovery clinic? This episode is a must listen for therapists and patients! Today, Marabeth and Danielle from Expanded Practice explain their ideals surrounding good therapy.  Positive mindset in both the patient and the therapist forms the basis of successful therapeutic relationships.  Without hope, you ha...

This. Episode.  It has hit more glitches than any other one!  Sound quality and late posting aside, this is one of our best! It’s a metaphor for how life is.  Rewarding experiences oftentimes require the most work.  It is these hard times that end up giving us the most value; as brain injury survivors we understand this all too well!   Sara Tucker Howe is an inspirati...

A first ever solo episode! Join Eryn as she delves into all the skills that have helped her post brain injury.  Listen to learn more about pacing, the value of a broad support team, monopolizing on your new ‘slower’ brain, and for some awesome pod, book, and movie recommendations. You won’t want to miss this one.  It’s all that and a bag of tricks! (Just a little biased:) In this episode...

We’re BAAAAAACCCKKK! And better than ever!  Check out Season 2, episode 40 to find out what Mariah and Eryn have been up to and where the show is headed in 2022.  Also, tune in for some great, hard-earned advice on how to help yourself and others dealing with brain injury along with what to look for in a healthcare provider.  These lessons have come hard won by yours truly, Eryn! Jo...

Have you had trouble describing what you are experiencing post brain injury? Is it hard for you to connect what makes symptoms better or worse? Felicia and Allie know first hand how hard it is to gain self-awareness, understand your new self, communicate your experience with others, and get the help you need. Their own personal journeys with brain injuries caused by concussions led them to start t...

In a world where being fast and pushing through exhaustion is everything, the slow down after a brain injury is especially jarring. Hannah Halvorsen, professional ski racer on the US Cross Country Ski Team, joins us to share what brain injury has taught her. Take a listen to our talk on how awareness, acceptance, appreciation, kindness, support, and gratitude have all culminated to make this athle...

We survivors understand the world in a different way. We have found that the worst of times shape you in a fundamental way like nothing else can. The silver linings are plentiful.  Building a life after injury that holds these new perspectives in the forefront takes courage and an openness to become something new. Elle Gargano has taken her experiences after surviving a mass shooting to shape...