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I am Melanie Wienhoven and doctors told me I had to learn to live with my debilitating post-concussion symptoms. Refusing that reality, I built my own recovery method and made a full recovery from post-concussion syndrome 6 years after injury. Now, my team and I are on a mission to share hope, tools, expertise and recognition with you, so you can recover much faster than I did. You are not alone!
Episodes
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Post-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: https://www.instagram.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
01:12 Brené Brown on hope
02:34 What is hope?
07:51 How to cultivate hope during post-concussion syndrome
11:42 Post-concussion syndrome recovery momentum tip
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
During 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 truly harmful messages, especially so because so much about post-concussion syndrome is not yet understood by science, and one can never predict the outcome of another person’s recovery. Moreover: both science and my complete recovery show that there is hope!
Interview shownotes: https://www.lifeyana.com/post-concussion-recovery/
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:
03:05 The harmful side of post-concussion care
06:56 Medical professionals and post-concussion recovery
10:31 Harmful post-concussion advice
13:07 Post-concussion depression
17:54 Your post-concussion recovery
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
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.com/thisislifeyana/
Table of contents:
01:52 Brain injury support
04:00 James’ traumatic brain injury symptoms
06:33 Brain injury awareness with TBI One Love
10:44 Brain injury recovery inspiration from James
12:40 James’ traumatic brain injury recovery story
17:55 Relearning after brain injury
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
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 injury: a silent epidemic
04:33 How to deal with a concussion
09:06 Recognizing mental health after a concussion
11:40 Health-related quality of life
17:48 The impact of CENTER-TBI
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
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 to recover from a concussion
15:08 Emotional consequences of a concussion
20:27 A concussion is an invisible injury
Friday Oct 15, 2021
Friday Oct 15, 2021
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 traumatic brain injury
09:35 Concussion diagnosis
13:10 Improving concussion aftercare
15:57 Andrew’s post-concussion care vision
Thursday Sep 23, 2021
Thursday Sep 23, 2021
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://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
02:53 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Research
03:32 CENTER-TBI
05:12 Mild TBI is NOT so mild
08:58 Concussion diagnosis and treatment
09:31 It’s the patient that matters
11:04 Concussion awareness
16:10 Changing mTBI treatment
23:24 Andrew’s research: concussion care is insufficient
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
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 are not alone
5:45 Sport related concussions
10:44 Concussion awareness
13:35 The fear spiral after a concussion
16:01 Bella’s post-concussion syndrome recovery
18:02 Helping others with post-concussion syndrome
20:58 Medical help with her concussions
24:24 Post-concussion depression
28:50 Bella’s concussion healing progress
31:15 The Post-Concussion Podcast
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
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 working for you
12:51 Rest for post-concussion syndrome
18:00 Replacing rest to heal your concussion
21:20 How to heal your lingering concussion
Monday Aug 02, 2021
Monday Aug 02, 2021
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 recover from your concussion faster - 3 steps
17:18 Conclusion