In this episode, Joe is chatting with his good friend and fellow brain injury survivor, Emily Matheny. Emily suffered 3 brain aneurysms in 2018, all the while maintaining her mental health during recovery through meditation and mindfulness. She has made it her mission to help others lead a mindful lifestyle through her podcast “Live Intentionally.” Joe and Emily talk about how they met, the importance of connecting with community, and how meditation has played a huge part in their recovery. Have you practiced mindfulness through meditation? Let us know in the comments on our socials!

It’s National Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day (TN) on October 7th so we have Mackenzie Lea as our guest in this episode, talking about her experience with this condition. Joe and Mackenzie talk about their friendship and how they support each other through recovery and managing chronic illness. Mackenzie has made it her mission to spread awareness and advocate for others with TN through events like Paint The Town Teal and the Getting On My Nerves 5k marathon. Do you know anyone who lives with TN? Please connect with us on our socials!

The NeuroNerds are running in the London marathon! Well, virtually participating that is, since we’re not physically there, on behalf of the Brain & Spine Foundation on October 3, 2021.

In this episode, Joe interviews fellow Brain & Spine Foundation ambassador Rhys Johnson plus their Community and Events Fundraising Officer, Grace Patient is joining us once again to talk about the marathon as well as all of the wonderful things this organization does to raise funds and awareness to support brain injury survivors.

And with September being Chiari Malformation Awareness Month, Rhys is sharing his journey of getting diagnosed with this condition and his road to recovery.

Want to support the Brain & Spine Foundation’s London Marathon fundraiser? Go here to donate – www.justgiving.com/fundraising/The-NeuroNerds.

We’re continuing our Motus Nova series with Dr. Nick Housley, the medical mind behind this innovative company helping stroke and brain injury survivors revolutionize their recovery at home. Joe talks with Dr. Nick about how Motus Nova works, the benefits of extended care at home, and their big goal to help brain injury survivors expand their recovery beyond traditional physical therapy. Plus they dive into Dr. Nick’s background as a cyclist and how being a brain injury survivor himself deepened his passion for PT and neuroscience. If you’re a brain injury survivor, let us know your recovery stories. Please share on our socials!

Lauren is back recording in the studio! In this episode our co-host Lauren finally reunites with our host Joe, in person. They discuss the latest Matrix 4 trailer and how therapy and mental healthcare is being shown more and more on the big screen. What’s more, they take a look back at the previous Matrix trilogy and talk about their favorite scenes from those movies. So if you haven’t watched the Matrix movie, SPOILER alert! What’s your favorite scene from the Matrix franchise? Share on our socials!
If you are a brain injury survivor and are looking for support check out the links below for Joe’s various support groups. Remember, The NeuroNerds are here to help!

Summary:

September is National Chiari Awareness Month, so in this episode our host Joe is talking with Abby Jarman who not only a chiari survivor but also an amazing advocate for the brain injury community through her organization, HeadStrong and as an ambassador for the nonprofit, SameYou. She shares her journey of struggling with health issues as a kid and and then later undergoing brain surgery in her twenties to address her chiari malformation. They also talk about the problems with the American healthcare system in terms of supporting brain injury survivors through recovery, and how they both use humor and positivity to stay strong when facing challenges. If you are a brain injury survivor looking for support or a normie who wants to know more about brain injury, go check out HeadStrong!

In this episode, our host Joe interviews David Wu, founder and CEO of Motus Nova which is a company that builds robots to help with stroke rehabilitation. Joe and David talk about the inequities and insufficient recovery support for brain injury survivors in healthcare and how Motus Nova is working on providing better rehabilitation care. David also shares his personal story of creating the company and his support of the brain injury community. If you are a brain injury survivor, what type of support do you need during your recovery? Please share on our socials!

What if Joe never had a stroke? What if this Covid pandemic never happened? What if we never recorded this episode? In this episode, our host Joe and guest co-host Felice dive into the world of Marvel’s new series “What If…?” They talk about their favorite moments in the Marvel Universe and some “what if” ideas of how it could have unfolded differently. Plus, they look back at major events in their lives and discuss how their lives would be different without those experiences. What is your favorite “what if” scenario? Share your thoughts in our socials!

In this episode, we invite a fellow podcaster and brain injury survivor – Bill Monroe. His show, Strokecast, explores rehab, recovery, and neuroscience. Bill joins the conversation with our host Joe and shares his struggles during recovery. They also talk about the importance of building a community for brain injury survivors and their journey to connect with other survivors. If you are a brain injury survivor and are looking for support check out the links below for Joe’s various support groups. Remember, The NeuroNerds are here to help!

This is our most unique episode yet! Joe hosts weekly support groups for brain injury survivors on Clubhouse and this past week with the help of Michael Shutt, Mackenzie Lea and Adrian Treadway, the community hijacked the support group to show their appreciation for all that Joe has done for them individually (about 30 survivors on the audio recording) and the community as a whole. It’s a beautiful tribute to Joe but also a testament to the power of community especially through a tough experience like recovering from a brain injury. If you are a brain injury survivor and are looking for support check out the links below for Joe’s various support groups. Remember, The NeuroNerds are here to help!