Navigating Your Hormones with Dr. Irina Fedulow Plante

Show Notes:

Ever wondered how your hormones can impact concussion recovery, especially for women? Get ready to be enlightened in our insightful discussion with Dr. Irina Fedulow Plante, a licensed physical therapist and yoga instructor specializing in neurologic physical therapy.

We discuss a study suggesting that the timing of a concussion in relation to a woman's ovulation cycle may impact the severity of symptoms experienced. Also, we delve into the importance of tracking energy levels and activities to better understand one's concussion recovery journey.

Uncover the benefits of nature-based therapy for those recovering from concussions. Dr. Irina shares her expertise on how incorporating nature activities into the recovery process can provide a calming environment, reduce fatigue and depression, improve balance, vestibular and more. Join us in this empowering conversation today!

Key Points From This Episode:

  • 09:33 Hormonal Impact on Concussion Recovery

  • 16:01 Concussion Recovery With Hormones and Nature

  • 22:06 Nature-Based Therapy for Concussion Recovery

  • 25:13 Nature Therapy for Rehabilitation

  • 28:57 Navigating Post-Concussion Recovery

Learn more about Irina's work: mnwpt.com

Follow Dr. Irina on Instagram:
@thewildernesspt


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Though a place for survivors, we also welcome all loved ones and professionals who are out to learn more about this invisible injury.


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  • Bella

    Host

    00:03

    Hi everyone. I'm your host, bella Page, and after suffering from post concussion syndrome for years, it was time to do something about it. So welcome to the post concussion podcast, where we dig deep into life when it doesn't go back to normal. Be sure to share the podcast and join our support network, concussion Connect. Let's make this invisible injury become visible.

    00:29

    The post concussion podcast is strictly an information podcast about concussions and post concussion syndrome. It does not provide nor substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. The opinions expressed in this podcast are simply intended to spark discussion about concussions and post concussion syndrome. Do you feel constantly overwhelmed by your concussion symptoms and life changes? This is where Wombat. Wombat can help you A new breathwork and somatic therapy app powered by neuroscience. Let's slow down those racing thoughts and give ourselves the ability to breathe. Wombat is designed with an understanding of the impact of trauma on individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for users dealing with stress, anxiety or post traumatic experiences. Go to their website today at hellowombatcom.

    01:40

    Welcome to episode number 103 of the post concussion podcast with my self-filled page and today's guest, dr Irina Fajulo Plant. Irina is a licensed physical therapist with her board certification in neurologic physical therapy. She is also a licensed yoga instructor and wilderness first responder. After finishing her studies, she worked at the University of California, san Francisco, where she treated both the pediatric and adult populations with neurologic presentations, served as a clinical instructor and assisted with teaching graduate courses. In 2019, irina moved to the Tahoe area and started her own neurophysical therapy practice called Mountain Neuro Wellness and Physical Therapy Inc. Where she treats individuals with various neurologic presentations with an emphasis on the outdoor environment while achieving functional goals. She continues to serve as volunteer faculty at UCSF and recently taught the traumatic brain injury course for the UCSF Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency. She is passionate about teaching and treating individuals with concussions, ranging from the inpatient to community class setting. Welcome to the show, irina, thank you. So, to start, do you want to tell us a little bit about what created your interest in concussions?

    Dr. Irina

    Guest

    02:55

    Yeah, absolutely So. I've been a horseback rider since I could walk and as a teenager. Of course, with horses, falling is always a possibility. So I sustained a concussion after falling off a horse. I was leasing and it was pretty mild, thankfully, but then I had the dizziness, i had the fatigue, and that was one of my first introductions to neuro rehabilitation And so after that it always was in the back of my head of this is really fascinating. I want to learn more about this.

    03:26

    So I was an athletic trainer in high school and I went straight into exercise physiology after nursing school to become a physical therapist, and concussions have always been just a big part of my life people that I've treated and just afterwards, especially just the active lifestyle. But a lot of us lead and many people, unfortunately, are underscreened for concussions. I continue to see that as such a huge gap and also add a bit of a gap in my care as well for some time, and that's what really inspired me to look more into concussions And that's what led me to becoming a PT and with my borsurication, neurologic physical therapy, and I focus a lot with individuals with concussions and also traumatic brain injuries.

    Bella

    Host

    04:06

    That's really great.

    04:07

    I always love hearing how people get into it because it's so different. Yes, i've met so many people, so I think it's so neat that you got into it. Now we get a concussion, if we know we got a concussion, i feel like that. Sometimes you kind of mention it's. Sometimes we don't realize what we're going through, but do you want to talk about kind of concussion management, what to do and when? I think a really hard thing for a lot of people is they don't know where to start, and once they do start, they don't know where to go next. So do you want?

    Dr. Irina

    Guest

    04:39

    to kind of talk a little bit about that. Absolutely So. A lot of the times it could be really tricky to understand if the concussion truly occurred, because imaging may not always show it. It's there. It's mainly what we go off of symptoms from what individuals tell us. But unfortunately with a medical system sometimes it takes a while to get in. It takes a while to really get that standardized care about people really need And everyone is so different when it comes to concussions how they present their symptoms, gender differences, the effect of you know, the injury itself and even afterwards like stressors.

    05:11

    There's always different things. So in order to start, it's really to assess your symptoms And so if you continue to feel that you are really tired, you have this inability to focus, there's dizziness and you just don't feel like yourself. That's always the first line of to say I need to speak to my physician And many people that I've spoken to that went almost a day after they sustained the concussion, or even that same day they really had to fight, saying no, this happened to me, i need to be screened, and for some individuals the symptoms start hours, minutes afterwards. Some people it starts two to three days later. So I would always encourage individuals to really be that self-advocate of and also writing down their symptoms, because sometimes also memory could be a problem with concussions. So it's really important to even jot down and even say this is what I'm feeling these days and also to really look into seeing a neurophysical therapist. And so when you talk to your physician, mention can I please see a neurologist or can I see someone who specializes in neurophysical therapy or neurooccupational therapy? And the research continues to show that the sooner that you come in to see someone who specialized in that, your outcomes and your prognosis is so much better afterwards.

    06:31

    But that initial you need to go right away. A lot of people I think the culture is grit and barrette. It's not that bad. I should be okay. I don't want to be a burden to somebody. That's often what I hear individuals say of why they didn't seek care sooner. But you need to be the best advocate for your health and knowing where to start is taught to your physician and a bear dismissing your symptoms, fight and say I want a neurology consult or I want PT. That's the best way to go. If you go on the Neurology Physical Therapy website, you can find someone in your area or even talk to a physical therapist nearby asking do you know someone who specializes in concussion or traumatic brain management? To really get in that push forward, to get going.

    Bella

    Host

    07:15

    Yeah, i think another thing you mentioned the reasons for people not to get health right away and a big one is also they get told that they'll go away. Yes, a lot of the time, especially in ER, it's really common or you go see your doctor. It's like if you still feel like this in a month, come back. It's like a month is a long time to just wait and come back. I think it's really important to, like you said, go right away and it is important to talk about how different everything is.

    07:47

    We are going to talk about some of those gender differences today. Just because it is such a big thing. I really like your aspect of treating symptoms, because I think a lot of the time, concussion is such a big, broad term, you can be dealing with so many things after one and we don't know what you'll be doing with. We can assume there's always a few things, but I do think it's really important. I've always said for me, headaches was a big thing, but I've met tons of survivors that didn't deal with headaches like I did. Everyone's different. That's where it's really important. Because we mentioned the hormones, do you want to talk a little bit about female brain injuries and how the hormone differences can be?

    Dr. Irina

    Guest

    08:28

    so dramatic? Yes, absolutely. We're finally seeing more in the literature of a gender differences with concussion management, because for so long it was so based on the older white male, the medical system. It really was. It's really disappointing that it happened for so long, but now many more people are stepping up now and saying no, there are gender differences and we need to further investigate that.

    08:51

    I would say probably the past five to eight years is when we've been seeing more of a trend towards really understanding how a female brain differs from the male brain, what we see. So, backing up from hormones, we'll talk about anatomy a little bit and then I'll touch on the hormones as well. For women, we have a smaller head to neck ratio. If you have a soccer ball coming at us, we get hit with something. We are going to have much more of a force penetrating our heads for our necks versus a male. Also, given a lot of the times, men have stronger muscles than women, so they sustain a head injury. Their neck could potentially stabilize them more effectively without the head moving forward, back or rotationally, as you would for a female. Those are some of the differences that we see when it comes to the anatomy, also when it comes to the brain itself an interesting fact that we're finding more of. So we have these lines called axons, so we're kind of cables in our brain. They help connect different parts of the brain centers. Women have smaller ones and they have what we call microtubules, which help and create the integrity of these axons. We have less than men, so on average men have nine microtubules and one part of the axis we have five on average. And again, these are smaller studies, so we can't say this is for every single person, but that's the trend that we're seeing. And so when that happens and we sustain a hit to the head, we have more swelling because we're smaller. They're more typically more delicate than the males because we're smaller, and so that's why we see more of a severity, with women reporting, or females, about the concussions that they experience.

    10:26

    And talking about hormones, we also have, you know, depending on our cycle, and we have estrogen, progesterone at different levels and some women have very consistent periods ever women don't. So there's always this hormonal fluctuation that can also impact a concussion. And this study is quite small, but even the patients that I see that are females, even they are reporting things that are similar. So the studies show that if you sustain a concussion before your ovulation, when you have more estrogen, your symptoms tend to be less severe. And so if it's post ovulation, when you have progesterone, that's more of a dominating hormone they found in smaller samples of women when research started. Actually, they reported more severe symptoms because progesterone tends to make you feel more drowsy. For some women It can make you also feel more isolated, like I could tell on my period too, like after post ovulation I have a day or two and I just kind of like you know what, i'm okay, not talking to too many people, kind of just like calmly doing my thing and not like really socializing as much. And other women have reported that too. And that's more because of that spike of progesterone that you get post ovulation. And also there's more sense of like depression, even for some women with that increase in progesterone, and that's what we're seeing more.

    11:39

    So, again, these are small studies so it does not apply to everyone, obviously, but we're seeing that there is this hormonal change that does occur and how their brain is susceptible to those sorts of injuries given that change. And for birth control they haven't found too many differences yet when it's come to the women's contraceptives or not, said there's conflicting actually. So some show, oh, there's no changes. Some say actually they don't think it's that but they have nothing to compare it to and that limitation is. But when it comes to the hormones, it's important to also track. So if you have a concussion, even seeing how your activities are.

    12:16

    So one thing I work with a lot of women is tracking their cycle and knowing when they have more energy and then identifying these patterns and figuring out, because a lot of attempts to concussion management, you know we say, oh, you should be exercising three days a week, aerobic exercise up to 150 minutes per week, should be doing string training, two-degree days, mobility. You know all these different recommendations And there are great recommendations. However, they don't take into account the hormonal changes that women go through monthly, and so what we usually recommend for women is to see what their energy levels are like, what they can tolerate at that point, instead of trying to say have this like one approach for your routine to recover, like, for example, what we talk about is on your menstrual cycle. Take it a little easier. Still be active, you know. Go out for a walk, do some vestibular exercises, some gentle yoga, things that feel free to feel restorative, and then, once your period ends, you get that more estrogen and then also a little bit of your testosterone starts to creep in there before ovulation, and so that's when you have more energy. You have more of a spike right before ovulation And even some women that I work with they notice that kind of that powerful energy, that powerful surge, and that's when you push it a little bit more, not to point at the TIG or overdoing the symptoms, but they know, for a few days, okay, i could push it a little bit more, i could add more reps, more power, a little bit more aerobic.

    13:40

    And then post ovulation, they can still push it a little bit, but they start to have less repetitions, less aerobic, they're still exercising, but it's really being intuitive with your own body and not feeling this pressure of, okay, well, the recommendations say, do this, i'm not doing this, and then people get upset, they get discouraged, you know, and not being in tune with your body, especially after concussion. You need to feel that what is your new normal, what is for you?

    Bella

    Host

    14:06

    I think it's a huge conversation And the research is. It's getting there and all the questions. Yes, getting there is what I like to use. And you mentioned cycles. It's actually something we have support group twice a week on concussion connect And it's something that has come up a few times in cycles and how a lot of time when you are menstruating, the amount of symptoms, the flare up, things like that, or those who are on birth control, those sugar weeks, or if they're taking it, where they're not on it for a certain amount of time, the drops and the hormones really affect their symptoms, all those types of things.

    14:43

    And you mentioned, like the exercising side of it. It's so important because for me I did weightlifting from October until like February, just for a few months, kind of something to do through the colder month, and it was actually amazing how, depending on what week it was, if I was strong or not, i would try to lift, like, say, a deadlift of a certain amount of weight. And I could have lifted it last week and I could have done it, would have felt super light, and then the next week I couldn't even move it. My personal trainer at the time was like, well, where are you in your cycle And I'm like oh, like you know, i guess that makes sense. So so many things like that can really affect your concussion recovery as well, and it's important to think about it. As you said, you're in therapy and things like that, yeah, and just tracking you too, you know.

    Dr. Irina

    Guest

    15:29

    And also they have a real cool book called Flow, and so they talk about those female hormones and what to do during certain times of the month, and it's just really awesome to see that we're seeing more of like these correlations, like we, as women, always knew that they existed. But I think finally now, medically, people are like, yeah, taking this more serious. It's not just in her heads, you know, and so it's really good to see that That's nice to see in the concussion world in general.

    Bella

    Host

    15:53

    We are going to talk more about this and a little bit about nature-related physical therapy and more. For that I'm going to take a quick break. Cognitive FX is a research-driven clinic that has successfully treated thousands of patients who have long-lasting symptoms from concussions or other brain-related injuries. Cognitive FX has an innovative approach to recovery that uses an advanced FMRI scan to map the function in your brain. Treatment at Cognitive FX takes five days to complete and uses your FMRI scan as a guide and baseline to ensure that your treatment is personalized and effective. This means that you won't need to schedule and keep track of multiple specialists, locations, dates, times or therapies, because it will all be prepared for you when you arrive. Once you've completed their treatment, you receive a personalized at home plan to continue your recovery and gain access to their online patient portal that has instructional videos and resources for your continued recovery. Conveniently, cognitive FX also offers free consultations, so both you and the doctors can ensure that treatment is a good choice for you and your injury. Visit their website at CognitiveFXUSAcom. Don't delay your recovery any longer. Find solutions at Cognitive FX today.

    17:10

    Welcome back to the post-concussion podcast with my self-dial page and today's guest, dr Irina Fajolov-Plant. So we have been talking about hormones, and hormones are a really big thing when it comes to recovery, and something that you actually mentioned was really important to me, that I didn't think about so much, was tracking your hormones with your symptoms. Do you wanna talk a little bit about why that can be so important? I know you mentioned everything going up and down, but just how it can help someone Like, what do they do next? They notice that there's all these changes, but how do they use that to?

    Dr. Irina

    Guest

    17:45

    feel better. So when it comes to tracking your symptoms and correlation with our relationship, with your concussion, with symptoms, it's important to identify, to see if there's something going on in your daily activities or your habits that may be contributing to that. For example, one of the women that I work with she always got really dizzy before her cycle started And during that time, obviously with the blood loss, the hormones were changing. That's quite normal for a lot of women, or to be expected, and so what she also noticed was her cravings. She wanted to have like salty chips, like something salty. So, lamy, that was what she craved, and so she became dehydrated. And then, you know, that was that whole cycle and she wouldn't drink enough. And so we actually figured out ways like for cravings. Even sometimes, if you lack certain minerals and you're a diet overall, that's when people crave the salt, and so for her she started reducing her salt intake by a little bit, also with, again, like, try not to do it on your own. Always talk to your neurologist or physician before you really start changing things up. That's always really important because this is so different person to person. But then once she realized that she had that craving and then that dizziness went away once she replaced it with the proper foods, the nutrition, and was staying better hydrated, then that symptom went away, which was really fantastic. Or even like the muscle cramps and the weakness.

    19:07

    And so whenever patient that I have is, she post ovulation gets the worst cramps When it comes to her muscles. Her calves are aching, they're really hurting her, and so what we started doing actually was doing a little bit more weight training right before that surge, pre-ovulation, and then by doing the proper stretching muscle techniques and then even identifying how she sat, certain things like after post ovulation, that helped reduce the cramps. So sometimes it's in the moment figuring that out, but also take a couple of steps back, like, okay, what's going on that may be leading to this, and I always recommend that people they record their symptoms for about three months. They have like the menstrual cycle journals you can get on Amazon, and that's where I recommend and it's a little nitpicky, i will admit to that, and I try to encourage people not to obsess over every detail, but it's hard, It's human nature, because they're going what if I do this, what if I did that? You know, and just try to free throw a little bit And by empowering people to also identify those triggers. Even sometimes it's been really cool about.

    20:08

    We get to a point with some of my patients that they figured out on their own before you know that knee-drag like, oh, i have to talk to Ena about it right away, but they sat, reflected on it And you know it was so cool to see that like that transformation of being empowered in their own bodies and not feeling that they could not find the answers themselves. And I'm not saying I'm going to throw them off to the side, like, hey, if you're not by yourself, peace out, no way. But for also people to know that they could do this themselves And that's part of my job as a physical therapist is to help them, like, rediscover their bodies and help them figure out. Ok, what's going to help you as well, because I'm also human. I don't have all the answers For sure.

    Bella

    Host

    20:47

    I don't think anyone does in the concussion world. But I think it's great And, yes, tracking is a lot of work. I've done tracking with headaches, tracking with diets, tracking with headaches, diets, food and symptoms and trying to manage them all. We have trackers on concussion connect for people for regular symptoms, things like that, and it can be a lot. And I always say watch yourself when you track.

    21:08

    Sometimes you could overthink to the point that you create symptoms. It's just you have to try to be honest with yourself as you track them and try to do it throughout the day or just try to sit it down at night. I find it's a lot to write down. If you kind of like schedule it when you eat is a really good time to do it. I find like you have to sit down anyways and eat your food, so you might as well sit down and track And kind of see where you're at throughout the day. So I think that's really helpful. And so something I want to talk about and something that I know you're passionate about is nature-related physical therapy, and everyone who listens to the podcast knows how much I love to hike and spend a lot of time outdoors. So do you want to talk a little bit of kind of?

    Dr. Irina

    Guest

    21:50

    what that even is. Yeah, absolutely So. Part of my practice that I have in Truckee, california, we focus a lot on integrating functional goals with getting outdoors And also I do wellness services, so it's not PT related goals. We still had a good time outside and do things as well. So nature-based therapy we know from the literature for centuries actually, that getting outdoors is so beneficial to the brain, body and soul, and so what it helps with is just really helping reduce stress. Cortisol helps you become more bodily aware and also helps change things up, because many people with concussions feel a sense of isolation and this fear of going outside and maybe looking a certain way or sustaining an injury from getting outdoors.

    22:32

    So many people I work with initially talk about how intimidating it is. But with a nature-based physical therapy or nature-based therapy is you going outdoors and immersing yourself in nature, and this could look different for different people. Some people I work with love to do kayaking, some love to do hiking and some also do birdwatching. So it doesn't have to be this complex activity and I think a lot of people have that misunderstanding that it has to be this like crazy hike up a mountain or a hill, but even just being present in your environment, and that's what I really try to encourage for people, because it's just you being a worse of what you're doing in that moment. So much in our society we're always thinking five steps ahead of oh, i have to make dinner, i have to get this appointment or whatnot. And with nature, it really just encourages you to be in the moment. You see something beautiful, you smell something, it's quiet, and it's just really encouraging you to be in that environment yourself.

    23:27

    And so what I do with people, mostly post-concussion, what we start working on initially is making sure that we do the right assessments, and so that's. I always like to talk about this initially, because it's not like, hey, we're just going to go outside for a hike and have fun with it which I wish that that could be for everyone But it's really understanding your body and doing the right testing and having a clinician to work with you to really achieve those goals. So it's just to see what your endurance is. Do you need hiking poles, do you need to use a walker? sometimes Also about wheelchair accessibility. So what we focus a lot initially is the assessment tools. I use certain ones that I know are more pertinent to getting outdoors, like endurance, leg strength, posture, balance, awareness, those sorts of things. And I do things ranging from hiking, going to the lake, even trying to find a bird of some kind, and it's all therapeutic.

    24:20

    And so many people they know that at that moment they're doing therapy outdoors but they're also distracted by it, because in a clinic you see everything, you're constantly reminded. But you need that also, that controlled environment too, in PT. So I'm not saying, oh, you know, just go outside, forget the traditional clinic, absolutely not. You need to have that foundation first a lot of the time. But it really distracts you So you're able to just be. You know, enjoy your environment and something that makes you happy. And people just say outdoors that when they get there for doing activity, they're using their core muscles or using all these different things in a very functional way as well, something that brings them joy. So if someone brings you joy, we all know that it really boosts your neuroplasticity, because if you don't enjoy it you're not going to do it. So by being outdoors, if you know, it encourages you to be more active And so that just helps people get past their symptoms also effectively and that sort of way.

    25:13

    But a lot of what we do is or what I do is the assessments making sure that they're safe. We look at packs. We also look at trails. I'm very specific about what trails people can be safe to go to or even outdoor activities. But I can start with now. I know that some prescriptions include nature therapy and then include birdwatching at marshes and people leather because they have to track vestibular going to track with very different activities.

    25:37

    So it's really like this in the moment sensory experience and motor experience and a lot of different interventions can't be like that all the time. So here we're really integrating everything at one time and that is realistic. That's everyday living. But again, also depending on your functional level, you also many people need that traditional PT in order to help kind of put all those pieces together as well. So it's really the mix of it too. But with nature we're seeing more research studies coming out and people reporting less fatigue, less depression, improved balance, improved vestibular, improved mobility overall. And that's what we're seeing because we want to move away from like this whole one-glyph that's all approach And really making sure you speak to the person and nature is just so calming.

    26:26

    I mean, just how the anti-inflammatory experience, everything We really integrate that quite a bit in the deep breathing meditation outdoors and just taking those deep breaths, even as you're walking, and just feeling like you're pacing yourself a certain way and people feel calmer there. A lot of times the PT clinic could be very busy, a lot of stuff going on, but we're in the traditional PT clinic. The ones and I that worked with concussions or was brand-angers. We had to get the separate section of the clinic So it wasn't just like this overload of sound, light, people, equipment, all these things, but really create that proper environment so the brain could really filter out the proper cues. And outdoors a lot of times we don't have to do as much as that filtering, and so that's where it's also very therapeutic in that way.

    Bella

    Host

    27:18

    Yeah, i think it's great.

    27:19

    I know so many people say like their best thing, especially the mental health side of it, is getting outdoors, and I love all the little aspects you talked about of like all the different parts of recovery that you're actually doing just outdoors while you're not even realizing you're doing it which I think is a really nice aspect, because sometimes that like dread of doing therapy and that dread of, you know, keeping up with it or increasing it and all those things, it's really hard to create goals and keep with them because we know concussion recovery is a lot of straight line and you know it's really nice to be able to kind of tie in something that's so good for your mind and also good for your physical illness and all those aspects. I think it's wonderful. I know for me I go hiking and I always make different recommendations for people that are like, oh, i love going outside, but like it's over-simulating. So you know, you add a hat, add a few things and kind of takes a lot of that out, but then you're still getting pressure, you're still getting exercise and then you can enjoy yourself. So I think tying in therapy directly with that, with someone who actually knows what they're talking about, is super beneficial and a great way to do therapy rather than, like you said, standing in a room and doing therapy for an hour, which is, of course, necessary.

    28:35

    That's part of being ill, as I've been ill and have had to be in hospital beds. Do I want to be in a hospital bed? No, but do I have to be? sometimes? Yes, sometimes it is nice to change it up and I really love that. And you've given so much great advice, from hormones to physical therapy and so many other things, so is there anything else you would like to add before ending today's?

    Dr. Irina

    Guest

    28:57

    episode. No, i mean, i think that just wraps up all of it. It's just that, that creativity, and I think that's something that's so important. I started my own practice. You know I never, like a few years ago I would never seen myself do that, but you feel like you want to be creative and really think outside the box, to be holistic, to help people with neurologic injuries, and that's a lot of where medicine is starting to see more of those trends. And so for all the people that listen to this podcast, of course you have to do certain things to progress and advance, but also keeping that holistic aspect, like what makes you truly happy, what can like help you be really present in that moment to do something And right, listening to your body, because you have more power in your brain than you give yourself credit for, and I think sometimes a medical system could be able to dismiss of like, oh, it's fine, you know you're fine, And so it's more of just really being in tune with your own body and like trusting that you know still finding that trust in you somewhere in there to know that you do have answers as well, and then finding the right clinicians to really help you on that journey.

    30:01

    You know there's always a creative way to do something. It may not be the same way as you did it before, but there's always a sense of creativity of how to get back to it. Or you may have to adapt a different way, but finding someone that really supports you in those goals and learning more about the support groups you know all those different things and looking for people that are qualified to treat you post concussion. So it's really doing the initial homework, but it really pays off in the long run. So I'm saying like, don't settle, keep going. You know, and you can always ask questions to clinicians and neurologists of where to look next. And the brain injury you know it was chapter, so you could always look in your area and see what they have to offer, because more places are offering that now And it's really important to continue to look. And also Bella's podcast, you know, and all the things that she does too. So it's always making sure to know where to look.

    Bella

    Host

    30:49

    For sure, and I agree You have to keep trying because you're going to go into some places and you're going to get dismissed and then you're going to go into the next and they're going to take everything you take seriously And it's going to be like a breath of fresh air. But you have to get to that person and sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find those people, but when you do, it's such a big difference. It was a huge difference for me. Even just over a couple of months before we recorded this, i went into the Mayo Clinic for the first time and had a symptom list that was like 50 things long And they were the first people ever that actually talked to every single symptom, what it could be related to, what we were going to test to check out what that symptom was, and I was just like this is like overwhelming, but really good, nice to have someone not go.

    31:37

    I remember I used to list symptoms and then half of them would never get talked about And I'm like, okay, i'm glad we're focusing on some, but the rest are still a part of me and maybe they're all connected And that's what I learned at the clinic. So super wonderful, and I just want to thank you so much for joining us today and sharing some of your insights with post concussion and post brain injury life. Well, thank you for having me Balleroy Appreciate it Need more than just this podcast. Be sure to check out our website, postconcussioninkcom, to see how we can help you in your post concussion life, from a support network to one-on-one coaching. I believe life can get better because I've lived through it. Make sure you take it one day at a time.

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