The Injured Brain Jo and Jim Giordano

In this episode, Jo and I talk with essential oils guru, founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, and best selling author Jodi Cohen.  We talk about how essential oils can be used to calm anxiety, improve sleep, and reduce inflammation -- topics that are covered in her newly released book "Essential Oils to Boost the Brain and Heal the Body" which is available now on Amazon. We learned a lot during our 30 minute conversation, and think that you will too.

Feel free to check out Jodi's new book on Amazon, or grab a free bonus chapter.

In this episode, Jim and Jo talk with Sameer Bhide. In 2017 Sameer suffered a rare hemorrhagic stroke in his cerebellum, underwent two brain surgeries, and spent a month in a medically induced coma. His entire life came crashing down, starting with a life-changing, debilitating stroke, the loss of work, and a divorce. He is the author of a newly released memoire titled "One Fine Day: Overcoming Adversity and Embracing the New Normal with Grace and Gratitude". The book describes the amazing story of his struggle to come back from the brink, with the help of a diverse community of friends and caretakers, as well as an integration of Western medicine with Eastern holistic care. 

In this episode, Jim and Jo talk with Ronda Alcorn. Ronda's son Austin received a severe TBI in a rollover car accident in 2006. We talk with Ronda about the accident and some of the lessons that she has learned during her years as his mother and caregiver. Ronda is also the co-founder of an amazing Phoenix-based non-profit organization called We're Moving Forward that provides social and recreational activities for brain injury survivors, their families, and caregivers.

It's not uncommon for brain injury warriors, to acknowledge the anniversary of their injury. For some it's a hard day, for others it's a day to reflect on how far they have come in their recoveries, but in all cases it's a significant day. In this episode, recorded on the anniversary of Jo's accident, Jim and Jo sit down to have a spontaneous talk about the significance of anniversaries to survivors, and how the way in which Jo observes the day has changed over time.

In this episode, Jim and Jo have a discussion with Gabriella Montgomery -- a Licensed Professional Counselor who works with brain injury warriors at her practice in Phoenix, Arizona. We talk about when it may or may not be the right time to seek counseling after brain injury, the impacts of the corona virus pandemic on the brain injury community, and more.   

For many brain injury survivors, external physical signs of the injury are slight or even non-existent. In this episode, Jo and Jim discuss the challenges of living with an invisible disability, and they offer suggestions for coping. 

Have ideas for topics you'd like us to discuss? Send us an email at theinjuredbrainpodcast@gmail.com.