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Life Lessons: Seek Answers

Life Lessons Learned From TBI

in Life Lessons
April 14, 2020
1
amy zellmer, editor in chief, the brain health magazine,

by Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-chief

As we enter Brain Injury Awareness Month, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on how far I have come in my personal journey, as well as how far we have come as a community in our advocacy of this invisible injury.

When I first fell on ice six years ago, I wasn’t sure if I would ever feel like myself again. Was I going to be able to work again? Be able to exercise or walk more than a few hundred feet? Was my dizziness going to subside? Would my headaches ever go away?

As time went on, it seemed like I might be stuck in this scary world far longer than I had hoped. Symptoms not only weren’t subsiding, they were getting worse. Doctors kept telling me there was nothing they could do for me; I just had to give it more time —how much time seemed a mystery to everyone.

At the one-year mark, my neurologist told me I was likely the best I was going to get, and that I needed to come to terms with it.

That was unacceptable to me. I was 40 years old and at the height of my career. How could I accept such a statement at face value without at least trying to find better answers?

Up to this point, no one had done any therapies or even suggested different providers to me. I was dumbfounded that there appeared to be nothing for me to try . . .  I realized I had to take my recovery into my own hands. I started doing yoga and meditation, I began writing on the Huffington Post, and I created a Facebook group for survivors and caregivers to help support each other in our journey.

I am fortunate that I eventually found The Functional Neurology Center. They were able to give me back a quality of life even I had started to believe wasn’t possible. Their validation and support gave me strength to continue on.

Now, six years later, I look at how much has changed: my Facebook group has almost 10,000 members, I have published two books about my journey, a podcast series, TBI TV, and most recently [drumroll, please] this magazine.

Awareness is growing. It may seem like it’s growing at glacial speed at times, but it is indeed growing.

The moral of the story: not all doctors have an understanding of brain injury. If you’re not getting answers, continue seeking answers. You will likely have to look outside mainstream medicine to find them, but they are there. Also, know that recovery can happen no matter how far out you are from your injury. There is always hope!

Amy Zellmer is an award winning author, keynote speaker, and TBI survivor and advocate. She is Editor-in-chief of The Brain Health Magazine, and hosts the Faces of TBI podcast series, as well as TBI TV on YouTube. 

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Comments 1

  1. Jenifer L Ainsworth says:
    9 months ago

    My biggest issue is noise. I can not ignore any noise, so when I am in groups, it is difficult for me to even hear what people at my table are saying. In that all of the noise around me is at the same volume.

    Reply

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Amy works with clients from all walks of life who are suffering from chronic illness or injury. She has a desire to help them find their individual path toward wellness and creating a life that makes them feel joy by integrating coaching with yoga, mindfulness, meditation, reiki, crystals, and extreme self-care to complement any traditional therapies that they may be undergoing.



She has her 200-hour RYT (yoga teacher training) and is currently working toward her 500-hour. Additionally, she is a level one Reiki practitioner working toward her Reiki Master. She has also completed training and certification in Mindfulness, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and crystal healing. 



She believes in all things holistic and natural, and has a soul-burning desire to share them with others who are ready to stop being a victim of their circumstances, and start being a thriving beacon of light in the world while living their life to their fullest potential. 

After sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2014, Amy Zellmer made it her mission to help others find resources and alternative treatments sooner, rather than later, in their own recovery. It was during her remarkable recovery that she learned you have to be your own advocate and blaze a path for yourself.

Her message to those struggling to find their way is that wellness comes from within, and we all have the innate ability to heal ourselves . . . if we
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  • Be the reason… today and everyday!

 #wordstoliveby #smile #spreadlove #uplift #positivevibes
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#holidaydrinks #hotcocoa #eggnog #applecider
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  • Spending the afternoon learning from @jen_gottlieb and @chriswinfield in the #beontvbootcamp ... it’s time to get more media appearances and raise awareness about TBI 

#tbisurvivor #tbiawareness #tbirecovery #tbi #braininjurysurvivor #braininjurysupport #braininjuryawareness #braininjuryrecovery #concussionrecovery #concussionawareness #concussion #pcs #postconcussionsyndrome #postconcussionrecovery #postconcussionlife #author #writer #blogger #publisher #editor #magazine #advocate #advocacy #trailblazer #solopreneur
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  • It happens in the blink of an eye. Whether it’s a fall, a car crash, assault, or even a stroke. There’s little to no warning. All of a sudden your entire life is completely different. 

The traditional medical world doesn’t seem to understand the long-term consequences of TBI. Many are sent home and told they’re fine. While others might be told it’s all in their head (oh the irony). It’s a long, lonely road ... and one that friends and family often give up on. 

I mean, if doctors don’t seem to understand, how can we expect others to get it? It’s isolating and depressing. It’s a viscous cycle until one day you finally find the right kind of doctor that knows how to help you and you can finally get off the rollercoaster. 

But at some point you have to allow yourself the time to grieve. If you continue to be pissed off at the world you will never get better. You must allow yourself the time and emotions to process all that you’ve been through. Then it’s time to focus on healing and moving forward. 

#tbisurvivor #tbiawareness #tbirecovery #tbi #braininjurysurvivor #braininjurysupport #braininjuryawareness #braininjuryrecovery #concussionrecovery #concussionawareness #concussion #pcs #postconcussionsyndrome #postconcussionrecovery #postconcussionlife #author #writer #blogger #publisher #editor #magazine #advocate #advocacy #trailblazer #solopreneur

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