Shows
Concussion Stories podcast#22: Post-concussion headaches (Dr. Nathan Zasler)Post-concussion rehabilitation is a specialized field of rehabilitative care that isn’t practiced by a lot of doctors in the world. Dr. Zasler has seen thousands of concussion and post-concussion syndrome patients throughout his career and that qualifies him as a concussion specialist.
In this episode, he talks about the importance of maintaining hope and motivation during rehabilitation. He also shares how improvement is always possible, even 5 or 10 years after injury. This is part 1 of 2 episodes with Dr. Zasler.
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com...
2022-12-1521 minConcussion Stories podcast#21: Post-concussion rehabilitation (Dr. Nathan Zasler)Post-concussion rehabilitation is a specialized field of rehabilitative care that isn’t practiced by a lot of doctors in the world. Dr. Zasler has seen thousands of concussion and post-concussion syndrome patients throughout his career and that qualifies him as a concussion specialist.
In this episode, he talks about the importance of maintaining hope and motivation during rehabilitation. He also shares how improvement is always possible, even 5 or 10 years after injury. This is part 1 of 2 episodes with Dr. Zasler.
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/post-concussion-rehabilitation/
Fol...
2022-11-2514 minConcussion Stories podcast#20: CENTER-TBI convention 2022 - my reviewCENTER-TBI is one of the largest research projects studying traumatic brain injuries (TBI) worldwide. Concussions and post-concussion syndrome are TBIs, so that is why their work is so interesting to us.
This is the 3rd of 3 episodes covering the CENTER-TBI convention that took place on September the 30th and October the 1st of 2022 in Antwerp, Belgium. I am grateful to have been invited to join the brain injury researchers and to relay all I heard and experienced to you.
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/center-tbi/
2022-11-1118 minConcussion Stories podcast#19: Traumatic Brain Injury Research: The People Behind CENTER-TBI (Convention 2022)Traumatic brain injury research is booming, and that is just what is needed to transform post-concussion patient care. As Andrew Maas said in the previous Concussion Stories episode covering the CENTER-TBI 2022 convention: “We are failing patients”.
As you probably know, research takes a long time to translate into new traumatic brain injury (TBI) protocols and therefore: better care for you. However, what you can get right now, is a look behind cutting-edge traumatic brain injury research and meet some of the researchers who dedicate their careers to setting post-concussion care right after having it go wrong for so l...
2022-11-0111 minConcussion Stories podcast#18: Mild TBI Needs Attention and Specialization (CENTER-TBI Convention 2022)Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is the medical term for concussion and for post-concussion syndrome. The confusing thing is that concussions have been classified this way historically. However, new concussion research has found that it’s incorrect to call concussions “mild” brain injuries.
That’s why the CENTER-TBI research group made changing post-concussion protocols a major point. I want to show you that thought leaders, researchers and doctors have your back. You are not alone in this!
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/mild-traumatic-brain-injury/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Fol...
2022-10-2114 minConcussion Stories podcast#17: Post-concussion care needs to be holistic (Professor Nada Andelic)Post-concussion care is long past due for an overhaul! That’s Professor Nada Andelic' strong statement, backed by the holistic system of care she and her colleagues have already implemented at the medical center of the University of Oslo.
In this Concussion Stories episode, Professor Andelic shares her vision about comprehensive healthcare Melanie, and points out problems with and solutions for gender inequality, medical help with returning to work and psychological recovery from post-concussion syndrome.
Before we start, I’d like to explain 2 terms we mention a lot. mTBI or mild traumatic brain injury is just a...
2022-09-0918 minConcussion Stories podcast#16: Post-concussion syndrome sleep & hope (Dr. Diaz-Arrastia part 2)Post-concussion syndrome causes sleep problems for many of us. What is the reason behind this, what processes cause sleep disorders after sustaining a traumatic brain injury? Dr. Ramon Diaz-Arrastia explains in this Concussion Stories episode. Before he does that, he talks about the absolute and essential need for medical professionals to give hope to patients with a traumatic brain injury - especially to those of us who experience a prolonged concussion or post-concussion syndrome. There are a lot of reasons for hope when it comes to complete recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury (this is a concussion)!
2022-08-1222 minConcussion Stories podcast#15: TBI severity needs to be redefined (Dr. Diaz-Arrastia part 1)TBI (traumatic brain injury) severity is currently classified as severe, moderate and mild traumatic brain injury. According to Dr. Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, these severeness levels are misleading. It is true that severe brain injuries are often life-threatening and they are therefore a severe injury. On the other end of the spectrum, mild traumatic brain injuries (concussions) are expected by people to be mild. However, about 50% of people with a mild traumatic brain injury have not fully recovered 6 months after injury. There is nothing mild about a concussion. Dr. Ramon Diaz-Arrastia pleads for changing the way the medical system currently ranks...
2022-07-2922 minConcussion Stories podcast#14: An Honest Story Behind Brain Injury Healing (Nick Mercer)Brain injury healing is a process. As all of us know, it’s just as much a psychological as it is a physiological process. In this Concussion Stories episode, brain injury survivor Nick Mercer shares his story. From post-injury depression to accepting and adapting his mindset: Nick shares his journey. You may know Nick from Concussion Talk, his podcast about traumatic brain injury recovery.
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/brain-injury-healing/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Follow Lifeyana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
[00:45] Nick Me...
2022-07-1527 minConcussion Stories podcast#13: Resting Your Brain After Concussion (Professor McCrea)What to do with the advice to rest your brain after sustaining a concussion? A lot of us still get this advice, and a lot of us are confused about it. Because we notice it doesn’t work, and even leaves us feeling worse than before. Where does this advice come from, and more importantly: what to do with it?
Professor Michael McCrea is an absolute authority on traumatic brain injury (concussions and post-concussion syndrome are traumatic brain injury). He shares from his experience and insight based on 2 massive American research projects involving both civilians and military se...
2022-04-2328 minConcussion Stories podcast#12: Neuroplasticity and Brain Injury Recovery (Professor Sitskoorn)Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, means the ability of the brain to form and reorganize new connections, also after injury. If you want to understand why you need an active approach toward post-concussion syndrome recovery, you need to understand neuroplasticity. And who better to learn about neuroplasticity from than Professor Sitskoorn? As the author of numerous books on this topic, you could say “Neuroplasticity” is her middle name. Together with Melanie, she completely brings the topic to life in this episode of Concussion Stories!
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/neuroplasticity-professor-sitskoorn/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com...
2022-02-1127 min
Concussion Talk PodcastYou Are Not Alone. Learning as You Go (Lifeyana & Melanie Wienhoven)Melanie Wienhoven joins me on episode 112 and I join Melanie on her podcast, CONCUSSION STORIES! I had a r eally good time talking to Melanie, learning her story, hearing about what has helped her during her recovery, and why she founded Lifeyana, Melanie's way of sharing with others the many lessons she has learned during her Post Concussion Syndrome journey.Please consider supporting Concussion Talk Podcast on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2022-02-0829 minConcussion Stories podcast#11: Post-Concussion Syncrome Recovery & HopePost-concussion syndrome recovery is psychologically hard. Especially so if doctors told you that there is no hope for you ever recovering from your brain damage. This is what they told me and still – I made a full recovery! So what does that tell you? That there is hope, and that the only way to recover is if you believe that you can do it. This episode is all about the hope you need for post-concussion syndrome recovery.
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/post-concussion-syndrome-recovery--hope/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: htt...
2022-01-0516 minConcussion Stories podcast#10: Post-Concussion Recovery - Harmful Medical VerdictsDuring post-concussion recovery, many of us feel absolutely lost. This often (partly) originates from our conversations with doctors. We are checked for clear injuries, like a brain bleed or an inability to find words, and when we don’t have them, a lot of us are sent home.
After a while, our concussions turn into post-concussion syndrome. And when they do, many of us hear that we need to learn to live with our symptoms, that our symptoms might be due to stress, or that our brain damage will very likely never recover.
These are tr...
2021-12-2221 minConcussion Stories podcast#9: A Positive Severe TBI Recovery Story (James Durham)In this Concussion Stories episode, Melanie speaks with James Durham of TBI One Love. James is all about the power of positivity and hope. After sustaining such a severe traumatic brain injury that his doctors weren't sure he would wake up from his coma, James did everything to recover from his brain injury and to make sure that - as he says it - he is now better than ever before. Always choose hope!
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/traumatic-brain-injury-recovery/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: https://www.instagram...
2021-11-1820 minConcussion Stories podcast#8: Concussions and mental health (Em. Professor Wilson part 2)In this 2nd Concussion Stories episode with Professor of Neuropsychology Lindsay Wilson, he and Melanie dive even deeper into the mental health aspect of concussions. They speak about how you can deal with the psychological side effects of a concussion as well as how important it is for you to recognize that they are there. The most important message is that you are not alone!
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/concussion-and-mental-health/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
01:42 Traumatic brain...
2021-11-1821 minConcussion Stories podcast#7: The psychological effects of a concussion (Em. Professor Wilson part 1)This is the first of 2 episodes with Lindsay Wilson, who is a Professor of Neuropsychology and one of the researchers studying Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) within CENTER-TBI. In this episode, Lindsay talks about the long-term effects of a concussion. Particularly the mental and emotional experiences that a lot of us know all too well.
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/long-term-effects-of-a-concussion/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
00:45 Lindsay Wilson and CENTER-TBI
05:06 Post-concussion side effects
12:22 It can take long...
2021-11-1822 min
TBI One Love PodcastTBI One Love PodcastTonight, we are having Melanie Wienhoven calling in from Amsterdam! In 2012, she cycled home from work when the evening sun was warm, weather was nice and she enjoyed being outside. But, unfortunately during her ride she noticed something was off with the front of her bike. However, it was too late and she sustained a Concussion that resulted in 6 years of PCS. After a long time frame of daily struggles, she realized something had to change. She started believing that there was a way out, which lead to the start of Life Yana to show survivors there is hope with...
2021-11-1629 min
The Post Concussion Podcast - Life After A Brain Injury40. A Dream Recovery with Melanie Wienhoven - Concussion, & CareerOn today’s episode, we are visited by Melanie Wienhoven, a fully-recovered post concussion patient who. She is here to share her story of how six years of research and therapy led to a full recovery, and how she has dedicated her career to showing others that they can too. Tune in to hear the story of how she was initially injured and misdiagnosed, and why she believed her doctors even though she was flabbergasted by what they had to say. Finding behavioral rehab was a pivotal moment in her journey, and she shares how, along with ho...
2021-10-2127 minConcussion Stories podcast#6: Current Concussion Care Is Lacking (Em. Professor Maas part 2)This Concussion Stories episode is the second of 2 episodes with Andrew Maas, Coordinator of the largest study ever done on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In this part, he talks about the necessary improvements to current care, details of the CENTER-TBI study, as well as new ways to diagnose concussions (as well as other brain injuries).
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/concussion-care/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
00:45 Andrew Maas and CENTER-TBI
02:09 The CENTER-TBI study
04:53 Concussion statistics
07:49 Redefining...
2021-10-1521 minConcussion Stories podcast#5: Mild TBI Is Not So Mild (Em. Professor Maas part 1)In this epic Concussion Stories conversation, Melanie finally experiences the acknowledgment that she and many others never got in the medical system. Andrew is a retired neurosurgeon and now Principal Investigator of the largest study ever done on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). They change the field by studying TBI patients. And they found that Mild TBI is NOT mild! Must watch this episode if you feel like you're not heard and if you feel lost in your concussion recovery. You are not alone in this!
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/mtbi-is-not-mild/
Free guide: https...
2021-09-2332 minConcussion Stories podcast#4: On Post-Concussion Syndrome and Depression (Bella Paige)In this episode of Concussion Stories by Lifeyana, Bella Paige shares her concussion story with Melanie. She clearly describes the absence of mental health in the concussion care system and what fear of injury and withdrawing from the things she loved did with her. Also, she tells the beautiful story of bouncing back from depression, now helping others and having found happiness again!
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/post-concussion-depression/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
0:45 The concussion struggle: you a...
2021-09-0834 minConcussion Stories podcast#3: Is Rest Best For Recovery?In this episode of Concussions Stories, Melanie talks about the classic advice to take rest. Where does the advice of rest really come from? She helps you choose for yourself whether this advice is working for you - or that you need something else. And what is that? Listen to this episode to find out!
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/concussion-rest/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
0:45 Concussion rest advice
4:58 Concussion rest: the origins
10:22 If rest isn't...
2021-08-2222 minConcussion Stories podcast#2: Worried You‘re Never Getting Better?In this episode of Concussion Stories, Melanie talks about the worry of never recovering. Take 3 actionable steps to get positive action.
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/how-to-recover-faster-from-a-concussion/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Brain foods sheet: https://www.lifeyana.com/brain-foods-to-support-concussion-recovery/
Energy levels sheet: https://www.lifeyana.com/optimize-your-energy-levels-for-concussion-recovery/
Table of contents:
0:47 Worrying about ever getting better
4:55 Worrying delayed my concussion recovery
6:48 The concussion stories you read online
9:22 There is hope!
10:53 Brains are adaptive systems
14:24 How to...
2021-08-0219 minConcussion Stories podcast#1: On TBI, PTSD, and Finding Happiness Again (Wendy Smeets)In this episode of Concussion Stories by Lifeyana, Wendy Smeets and Melanie talk about the struggle of having an invisible illness (post-concussion syndrome) and the difficult combination of TBI with PTSD. Also, they cover topics such as forgiveness, recovery and finding joy in life again.
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/concussion-stories-tbi-ptsd/
Free guide: https://www.lifeyana.com/3-ways-to-speed-up-your-concussion-recovery-right-now/
Lifeyana Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
1:32 How it feels to have TBI
4:00 The effect of TBI on our relationships
6:13 Symptoms impacting your social life
7:47 Wendy’s TB...
2021-07-2228 min