Back In The Day

When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s (Shhh! Don’t tell!), no one paid attention to concussions the way we do now. Today, after two school concussions, the students in our district can no longer play sports. Then, doctors used to advise a parent to wake the child up every hour when she was sleeping, and she should be fine.

Cumulative Problem

Now we know that concussions or even repeated head trauma or blast trauma that does not rise to the level of a concussion can cause damage to the brain in all kinds of ways. We also know that the damage adds up – there is a proverbial straw to break the concussion camel’s back. You can be living your life, functioning as you always have, sustain one last concussion, and that’s it – your brain is stuck in a post-concussion pattern – it’s called post-concussion syndrome.

Brains Are Not Actually Muscles

The most challenging part of this is thinking that you will get better with a little more time, and a little More time, and a little MORE time, until you realize it’s not working. Never one to accept defeat, I’ve been doing what I always do – fight. Since I am not a neurologist, a neuropsychologist, or any other neurological specialist, that means I’ve had to research, research, and research some more.

Easier Said Than Done

You might think, “That’s easy enough to do.” True, unless you’re suffering from a concussion and all those words are too much to handle. Following the ideas, theories, and protocols is very difficult when you have difficulty processing each sentence. So, my research has been limited by my day-to-day condition. I first began trying to read again in May but could only do short spurts. Writing, incidentally, was more accessible. But, proofreading and revising were a nightmare!

What I’ve Learned

Over the last eight months, I have managed to get through a few scientific journal articles and various websites dedicated to concussion recovery. Most recently, I purchased two books focusing on brain regeneration and recovery. Slowly muddling through, I’m taking notes in the margins and trying to retain what I’ve read in note form.

These are some of the things I’ve learned:

1) Sugar is poison to your brain, but a ketogenic diet can help to rebuild neural pathways and generate cell production;

2) Sleep deprivation is detrimental to recovery;

3) All people suffering from a decline in cognitive function are also suffering from a deficiency in vitamins, hormones, or both, caused by a variety of factors;

4) Brain injury causes a cascade of problems that build on one another to create a perfect storm of brain problems;

5) Your lifestyle can dramatically impact your cognitive function;

6) Eating well, exercising, drinking water, and de-stressing, aren’t just good for you physically but improve your cognitive function as well – so do brain games!

7) There are no one-size-fits-all remedies or pills you can take to fix it; only a carefully planned, multi-front attack addressing each of the contributing factors will do.

8) Finally, if you want to get better – don’t be afraid not to listen to any doctors or therapists who say, “This is your new normal” or “There isn’t much more we can do from here, just wait and see. ” There is always more you can do. Many western medical professionals believe that if a drug hasn’t been created to treat the symptoms, there is nothing you can do. However, the body is amazing. Many of the best modern drugs were made from natural remedies. Medical researchers are now looking back at those old home remedies, ancient Chinese medicine, and homeopathic treatments and finding that, far from being untreatable, brain injuries and various types of cognitive decline can be improved or even reversed.

Thrive With Me!

To that end, I am starting on a program of finding a way to heal myself – I’ll update you on my journey from time to time. I’ve started a Keto 12/3 diet, meaning – ketosis diet with a minimum of 12 hours of fasting and no eating three(3) hours before bed. This is supposed to remove nutritional and digestive hurdles for my brain to begin the process of detoxing and regeneration.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

 

If you’d like to get any of the items I’ve used – I’ve included links below:

Q-Bitz , Qwirkle, The Brain’s Way Of Healing, Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline, Sleep Mask, CBD, Kem Cards

 

Full Disclosure:

I am not a doctor, I am offering only my own experiences as inspiration. Make sure you check with your doctor before changing or starting any new program. Additionally, I use affiliate links on my site so that I can continue providing you with quality content. That means that I receive compensation from the companies whose products I promote in each link. I only link to products I personally use and feel are of excellent quality. This site is privately owned by me – no big corporations – so the opinions expressed here are my own. If you click on an affiliate link – it does not increase your cost, but it does help support the funding of this blog so that I can keep the majority of my content free. Thank you for showing your support.