From the Editor
As we are rounding out the year, I felt this is the appropriate time to celebrate caregivers who often go unrecognized for their daily efforts. This issue is packed full of information with the caregiver in mind. As survivors,...
Family
Brain Fog Amongst the Family
By Ian Hebeisen My mom never considered herself a morning person. I inherited her night-owl nature, and often the two of us will stay awake after everybody else in the house is asleep. She’ll work on a puzzle; I’ll...
Spaced Out or Scatterbrained at School?: Seven Causes of Brain Fog in Children
by Dr. Amy Moore Brain fog is a fuzzy term. It’s not an actual medical diagnosis, but the phenomenon is real nonetheless. It’s that feeling of reduced mental clarity, the inability to focus, poor memory, or lack of attention....
Lessons: July and August
by Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief At the moment I am writing this, the world is slowly beginning to shift back to a sense of normalcy. As vaccination efforts are in full-swing, and folks are able to start seeing friends and...
A Pursuit of Happiness, Sadness, or Any Emotions
By Ian Hebeisen When discussing changes in her life after receiving her traumatic brain injury, my mom mentions all sorts of physical symptoms: vision problems, nerve spasms, the whole nine yards. One of the most dramatic changes she describes...
Warrior Mom: The Power of Persistence
by Ian Hebeisen In September 2012, celebrity nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin answered a phone call that no parent should ever receive. Her 16-year-old son, Grant, had been the victim of a hit and run car accident that...
The Nutrition-Learning Connection: Three Food Mistakes That Impact Your Child’s Brain
by Dr. Amy Moore Research and reports about the importance of nutrition for our health and the health of our children are ubiquitous. Nearly every day, we hear about calorie intake, balanced meals, and key vitamins and minerals. And...
Caregiver Corner: Reassessing the Family Dynamic
by Ian Hebeisen My mom’s TBI started the way most do: unnoticed. Six-and-a-half years ago, she stopped at a red light only to realize the car behind her wasn’t slowing down. On instinct, she braced for impact, causing severe...
Caregiver Corner: The Challenges of Cooking, and How to Look at Recipes
By Ian Hebeisen At the beginning of this year, I moved out of my parents’ house and into an apartment in Minneapolis. Soon, I learned the true headache of cooking your own meals. Cooking is such an involved process,...
Brain Injury Survivor and Son Share Road to Recovery
By Ed Roth Cazoshay Marie is a familiar face in the brain health community. As a brain injury survivor, she actively participates in survivor groups, caregiver conferences, and empowerment events in Arizona. As a result of her advocacy and...
BLOG
Eye-Ear Connection Plays Major Role in Proprioception
By Deborah Zelinsky, O.D. “Vestibular information is integrated with proprioceptive and other sensory inputs to generate our sense of motion,” say authors of a recent study published in a 2021 issue of Current Opinion in Physiology (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cophys.2020.12.001). This explains why patients with vestibular sensory loss or other vestibular impairments find “everyday activities like walking” to […]
Proprioception and TBI
by James A. Heuer, PA Proprioception, simplified, is disturbed balance. Proprioception is how a person knows the position of the body, the location of their legs or arms, and how their head is held. It is the awareness of where the body is, and it is learned throughout a person’s lifespan. As muscles strengthen, they […]
Smoky Quartz for Balancing and Grounding
By Kristen Brown Owning your place and space in the world takes a powerful mindset. Whether it’s navigating terrain physically or navigating situations mentally and emotionally, you will always find opportunities to see and feel where you’re at in the moment. One simple way to bring more awareness to your body, mind, and spirit is […]
This Professional Speaker & Auctioneer Couldn’t Talk Her Way Out of Brain Injury Symptoms
By Ed Roth Letitia Frye will be the first to tell you she doesn’t sugar coat anything. But she did try to hide a few things, namely the ocular and physical limitations her brain injury caused her at work and home. West Coast-born, East-Coast raised, Letitia doesn’t have a 9-5 desk job or a typical […]
Our Children are Our Legacy: Ensuring a Daughter’s Success
By Ian Hebeisen 20 years ago, Mike Lang returned home to find his house empty – not unusual, since he knew his wife Kelly and their two daughters were at a ballet rehearsal. Upon checking the answering machine, however, Mike learned that they never made it to their destination. “The message was from our friend […]
Joy Essential Oil
By Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief A complementary tool that can help you achieve a healthy lifestyle, essential oils are easy to use and smell great, with a variety of uses. All oils are not created equal. I personally only trust the Young Living brand because I know they maintain complete control over their product from seed […]
From Concussion to Competition
By Mohammed Elamir, MD, FACP, Aviv Clinics Physician When 14-year-old Linden Perry came to Aviv Clinics, we asked about her expectations of our program. “I just want to be me,” she answered. It’s a response we hear frequently at Aviv Clinics, where our unique, comprehensive medical program helps people improve their brain function. Whether they […]
Proprioception: a Mind-Body Connection
by Dr. Kassie Kaas, DC Proprioception, also referred to as kinesthesia, is defined as your ability to sense your movement or body position. That internal awareness helps you determine if you are standing, seated, in motion, or experiencing a gravitational force even with your eyes closed. Millions of special receptors located in joints, tendons, skin […]
Mexican Fried Rice
by Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief What You Need: 7 oz. (300g) chicken breast 2 cloves garlic, crushed scant ½ cup (100g) rice 2 tbsp. coconut oil ½ red onion, chopped 1 red pepper, diced ⅜ cup (100g) sweetcorn, drained ½ cup (100g) red kidney beans, drained 1 tomato, peeled, chopped 1 avocado, stone removed, flesh diced […]
