Each one us has our own unique path through brain injury recovery - let’s talk about finding yours and never giving up!

In this episode, Cristabelle interviews Patti Shutt, a NeuroCognitive Program Instructor at Success Rehabilitation, Inc., who shares from her 12 years of experience working with brain injury survivors. Patti brings uplifting energy, emphasizing the importance of self-acceptance, kindness, and the necessity of recognizing one's own progress, no matter how small. Patti shares inspiring stories of individuals who have overcome significant challenges, highlighting the importance of support, patience, and the ability to adapt. She concludes with a message of hope, encouraging listeners to keep pushing forward and to remember that they are not alone in their struggles.

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 on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, Natalie Mackenzie joins Cristabelle to discuss advice on managing symptoms, identifying triggers, how to cope, and work towards a plan to improve over time. There is always hope!

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 symptoms, so she wasn’t getting help from them. Eventually, Silvie found the right concussion treatments and she is here to share what she has learned from her journey, offering hope to listeners to know that rebuilding your life is possible.

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! 

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.

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 inspiring conversation.

Overstimulation and brain fog can be frustrating both for the survivor and for the people around them. This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, Taryn Barlow is here to teach us some tools on how to evaluate our environment, lifestyle, and symptoms to figure out the source of overstimulation. We talk about practicing Sensory Awareness, how to have a "battle plan" of strategies to help, and the importance of being patient with yourself.

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.

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, listen to an inspiring survivor story as Dillon Berenty shares his journey of hope through brain trauma. After a concussion, Dillon was taken to the hospital, and through the scans a brain tumor was discovered. Six brain surgeries later, and a 10% chance of survival, Dillon is beating the odds every day. He shares some of the symptoms, struggles, ways he has learned to adapt, and how he has learned to keep perspective through it all. This is an uplifting story that is sure to encourage you, wherever you are at on your journey.

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 on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, 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 / Supplements, Psychological Support, Soft Tissue / Manual Therapy, Rehab + Memory / Cognition. We will also discuss how to find the right clinician. You’ll leave this episode with some takeaways that can help you to find where to go next in your recovery journey.

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.

This week on Hope Survives® | Brain Injury Podcast, 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 provider, and more!

How do you define yourself when everything about your life has changed?

Cali Lonardelli is a survivor of multiple brain injuries, and this week she shares her story of perseverance and hope. As a teenager, she went from an accomplished athlete in gymnastics and pole vaulting to struggling to be able to walk. Her journey has taken her through many years of symptoms and learning to live with a new reality, as well as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) eating disorder.

Cali is a true overcomer and is now a Physical Therapy student and an intern for the non-profit PINK Concussions. Take a listen as she joins Cristabelle for an inspiring conversation shining a light on what it is like to live with brain injury.

Concussion Safety: Bringing a fresh perspective to sports concussions, Tracey Suggs and Foster Wilkins are the founders of Protect Your Skull - the world’s first and only concussion awareness brand creating quality performance apparel for today’s athlete. They are amazing advocates as they work hard to educate for safety in sports- today’s conversation is one you don’t want to miss!

How is female brain injury different? Today we are talking about awareness centered on female brain injury and concussions. Cristabelle is joined by Katherine Snedaker, founder of PINK Concussions. She offers some insight into the gaps in research when it comes to brain injury in women for this episode for Brain Injury Awareness Month.

Dysautonomia (dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system) can often occur with brain injury and concussions.

Let's learn: What is dysautonomia? How is it related to brain injury and concussions? How do you know if you have it? How is it treated?

Today, Dr. Jeremy Schmoe is back for a follow-up on last week’s episode on the vestibular system, to dig even further into some of the ways that autonomics can be affected by brain injury.

The journey of living with brain injury comes with ups and downs. How do we combat fear? What is the difference between a symptom flare and a re-injury?

Today, you will hear from two guests:

- Survivor Perspective: Ali Rheaume has been living with a TBI for 5 years, and just sustained a re-injury concussion a few months ago. She shares some of her journey and tips for dealing with re-injuries, along with encouragement on how to combat fear.

- Professional Perspective: Natasha Wilch is here to share some of the medical reasons that survivors might fall or hit their heads more often, advice for how to prevent re-injuries, the difference between a new injury and a flare-up, and more.

Setbacks might happen, but we can get through them. I hope this episode provides some encouragement and hope that healing is possible. You are not alone! -Cristabelle