Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions

A life-changing brain injury can take everything you know—but for some, it also reveals a completely new mission in life. In this episode of Mind Matters, hosted in partnership with Shane Smith Law, legal nurse consultant Kiley Como speaks with survivor Kim Jutus about her journey from devastating brain injury to advocacy, purpose, and rebuilding identity after trauma. In Pain? Call Shane! (980) 9...

What if the worst pain of your life was dismissed as nothing serious? In this powerful episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, legal nurse consultant Kiley Como sits down with brain aneurysm and concussion survivor Kim Jutus. At just 35 years old, Kim was thriving professionally, financially, and personally—until a sudden ruptured brain aneurysm changed everything. Kim s...

Trevor Turner is sharing his powerful and deeply personal story of survival after what began as a simple headache turned into a life-threatening medical emergency. At a young age, he went from normal life to fighting for his life in an ambulance and spending a month in a coma after suffering two brain bleeds. In this video, Trevor opens up about his journey through intensive rehabilitation, the ch...

What does it take to rebuild your life after a severe traumatic brain injury? In this powerful episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, Kiley Como sits down with traumatic brain injury survivor, author, and advocate Jamie Severance. After a devastating car accident during his senior year of high school left him in a months-long coma with a severe diffuse axonal injury, Ja...

In this emotional episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, host Kiley Como sits down with traumatic brain injury survivor Tiffany Netter to discuss the life-changing effects her injury continues to have years after the accident. Tiffany shares how she lost much of her short-term and long-term memory, including memories of meeting and marrying her husband, raising her chil...

In this episode of Mind Matters, we're diving into the personal journey of Tiffani Netter, a survivor of traumatic brain injury. Tiffani shares her powerful story of surviving a car accident, the challenges she faced in the aftermath, and the steps she took toward healing. From dealing with memory loss and seizures to the support of a service dog, Tiffani's experience sheds light on the complex re...

Brain injuries from domestic violence often go unnoticed, leaving survivors to navigate hidden trauma alone. Today, we’re diving deep into the intersection of trauma, domestic violence, and brain injury. If you missed our first discussion, be sure to check it out. We're unpacking the challenges survivors face—from medical misdiagnosis to legal barriers—and what can be done to support them. Let’s g...

What if the crash that nearly killed you became the reason you started living with deeper purpose? In this episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, legal nurse consultant Kiley Como continues his powerful conversation with Jeff Marconette Jr, an international speaker, author, and traumatic brain injury survivor. After surviving a life-changing traumatic brain injury (TBI)...

A normal day changed everything. At just 17 years old, Jeff Marconette Jr's life took a devastating turn when a violent car crash left him with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and in a coma for two and a half months. Doctors weren’t sure if he would survive—or if he would ever recognize his family again. In this episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, Kiley—legal nurse co...

Can your brain really heal itself after a concussion? Today, Dr. Brody Miller shares his 90-day step-by-step Rebound Method to reduce brain fog, improve memory, and restore function—without pills or surgery. In Pain? Call Shane! (980) 999-9999 https://www.shanesmithlaw.com/in-pain-call-shane/ Want $25.00? Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter for weekly chances to win trivia: https://share.hsforms.com...

Can the brain truly heal after a traumatic brain injury? In this episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, Kiley Como from Shane Smith Law sits down with Dr. Brody Miller, a PhD researcher specializing in brain rehabilitation and neuroplasticity. After suffering a devastating brain injury that led to seizures, brain surgery, and years of debilitating symptoms like brain fo...

What happens after a traumatic brain injury when the hospital stay ends and the real recovery begins? In this episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, Kiley Como from Shane Smith Law sits down with TBI survivor and author Christopher Dittrich to discuss his powerful journey of recovery after a devastating car accident at just 18 years old. After spending weeks in a coma a...

What happens after a traumatic brain injury when the hospital stay ends and the real recovery begins? In this episode of Mind Matters: Navigating Head Injuries and Concussions, Kiley Como from Shane Smith Law sits down with TBI survivor and author Christopher Dittrich to discuss his powerful journey of recovery after a devastating car accident at just 18 years old. After spending weeks in a coma a...

What do elite athletes, NFL-level spins, and concussion recovery have in common? More than you think. In this episode of the Mind Matters podcast, Kiley Como sits down with vestibular expert Shelia Thelen to uncover how balance training used by professional athletes is transforming concussion and TBI rehabilitation. From inner ear function and anxiety to sleep, cognition, and fall prevention, we e...

You’ve been cleared after your car accident… but something still feels off. The dizziness. The brain fog. The balance issues. What if the real problem isn’t your neck or muscles — but your brain’s vestibular system? In this episode of Mind Matters, Kiley Como, Legal Nurse Consultant with Shane Smith Law, sits down with Shelia Thelen, President of Vestibular Training Services, to break down how spi...

Ever wonder how neurologists turn thousands of medical pages into a clear story the court can understand? I’m Kiley Como, legal nurse consultant at Shane Smith Law, and in this episode of Mind Matters, Dr. Claudia Munoz breaks down her role as a medical expert in traumatic brain injury cases—what’s behind the scenes, why objectivity is key, and how attorneys can best work with experts. Let’s dive...

Brain injuries and concussions are often misunderstood — especially in legal cases where scans may look “normal.” In this Mind Matters episode, a board-certified neurologist explains why traumatic brain injury (TBI) evidence goes beyond imaging, how neurologists evaluate hidden symptoms, and why expert medical insight can change the outcome of a legal claim. If you’re dealing with a head injury ca...

What if the most important part of a personal injury case isn’t the police report or the MRI—but what happens when the lights go out and the worries set in? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the first raw days and weeks after an accident, exploring the emotional fallout clients rarely talk about. Joined by a legal nurse consultant and mental health experts, we break down how early, coor...

What if the most life-changing injuries after an accident aren’t visible at all? In this episode, we explore the hidden emotional and psychological effects of car accidents and traumatic brain injuries. Legal nurse consultant Kiley Como sits down with mental health experts Yissi Steinburg and Ami Feindstein to discuss anxiety, PTSD, emotional trauma, and why early mental health support is just as...

What if the toughest sport on earth could help solve one of the biggest problems in brain health? Today on Mind Matters, we’re continuing our conversation with Chris Cannon of M2MMA, diving into how combat sports are driving cutting-edge research, AI-powered data collection, and smarter protocols for concussion prevention. From athlete safety to real-world applications like car crashes and militar...

Can MMA be made safer without changing the sport we love? On this episode of Mind Matters, host Kiley Como from Shane Smith Law sits down with Chris Cannon, General Manager of M2MMA, a combat sports league using AI and real-time data to tackle one of the biggest challenges in sports today—traumatic brain injury. From sparring protocols to cutting-edge technology, we explore how innovation could re...

Life-changing injuries can take everything you thought you knew about yourself—and force you to rebuild from the ground up. In this powerful Mind Matters episode, we welcome back Michael Mashkevich as he shares his deeply personal journey through severe traumatic brain injury, long-term recovery, and redefining purpose after loss. From life-altering medical setbacks to meditation, lifestyle change...

A Friday night drive. A split-second decision. And a life forever changed. In today’s episode, we sit down with Michael Mashkevich, a web developer, tennis player, and coach whose world was turned upside down after a devastating car accident left him with a traumatic brain injury. From waking up in a coma to fighting through pain, memory loss, and vision challenges, Michael shares his powerful jou...

Imagine your entire world being turned upside down by a traumatic brain injury. Recovery isn’t just about healing the body—it’s about rediscovering who you are, finding new purpose, and redefining what it means to truly live. In this episode of Mind Matters, we continue Dawn’s journey through the long road of TBI recovery, exploring breakthroughs, therapies, and the resilience it takes to come bac...

Imagine waking up one day and your life changes in an instant. Familiar routines feel confusing, and every day brings new challenges. Today on Mind Matters, we’re diving into the real-life story of Dawn, a traumatic brain injury survivor. From the shock of her injury to the perseverance, advocacy, and hope she’s found, this conversation uncovers the realities of brain injury recovery. Let’s get st...