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.

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. Most importantly, you will be encouraged to move forward with confidence, grace, and grit.

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 because it's invisible, so others can't see your symptoms on the outside. However, self-awareness after brain injury doesn't always come easy due to feeling disconnected from yourself, the constant fatigue, or even just headache pain. Today, Cristabelle walks us through how to grow in self-awareness so that we can become better advocates for our own recovery. Caregivers will also learn how to support their survivor in growing in this area.

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 feel better on those hard days. 

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, mindset, balancing hormones, exercise, and more. Today, Nick shares his story of overcoming PCS and finding hope in recovery.

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, 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.

What does it mean to have a creative mindset - and how can it help brain injury recovery? Let’s talk about it!

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, Cristabelle is joined by fellow survivor Ali Rheaume to discuss the benefits of creativity, and how having a creative mindset can aid in adaptability.

Did you know that hormones can be affected by a brain injury? Hormonal imbalances can actually be a contributing factor to persistent symptoms, along with affecting sleep, stress response, and reproductive systems.

Today on Hope Survives | Brain Injury Podcast, Dr. Meaghan Kirschling is here to talk about some of these potential hormonal changes, and how it could potentially affect a brain injury survivor. We also discuss variables in age, differences between male and female, and sex drive.

Did you know that the foods we eat can have a huge impact on improvement and healing after a brain injury?

Today, nutrition expert Brigid Titgemeier (@beingbrigid) is here to share all about the relationship between food and brain health. Specifically, we are going to be talking about the brain/gut connection, how the food we eat can actually help to improve brain injury symptoms, and some simple meal ideas and tips on how to incorporate brain healthy foods into your routine.