Strokecast

  Click here for a machine-generated transcript.   Jo Ann Glim and her husband were enjoying the semi-retired lifestyle in their new, Florida home. They enjoyed day trips, volunteer activities, and other adventures. Jo Ann was starting a new temp gig at the Tropicana offices, and they were making all sorts of plans for the coming years .A blood vessel deep in Jo Ann's brain had other plans. It ruptured and damaged her Thalamus on her first day at a new temp job. Jo Ann would spend two weeks basically unconscious. With lots of work, determination, a a great team, she dove into her recovery. Twenty four years later, she joins us to talk about her journey, her writing, the risks of being a problem solver, and the things that helped along the way. Her book, Trapped Within: A True Story of Survival, Recovery, Love, and Hope* is available on Amazon. About Jo Ann Glim Jo Ann Glim was born in Chicago, Illinois to a military family and raised in Anacortes, Washington in the far reache

  Click here for a machine-generated transcript.   At 30 years old, social worker Jeri Ward was incredibly busy. Perhaps too busy. Having a stroke was the not even on her radar. But then again, is it ever? Multiple hospital visits and a failed thrombectomy later, she found herself completely paralyzed and unable to speak for months in a hospital bed. Scared, bored, and frustrated she would go on to recover, win the title of Mrs. Ohio International, and partner with the American Heart Association to raise awareness of stroke in the general population. Jeri spoke to me for over an hour in the days leading up to the Mrs. International. About Jeri Ward Jeri Ward lives and works in Ohio. She built a busy career as a social worker, Autism specialist, and volunteer. Jeri was always on the go, with one project after another. In the midst of that hectic schedule she nourished her passion of pageant life and lived it for decades. In 2018, Jeri was crowned Mrs. Ohio America. Later that

Click here for a machine-generated transcript. After a stroke, do nearby nerve cells take over the function of dead nerve cells as folks regain function? That's what we would expect, but new research from Dr. William Zeiger suggests that is not the case. After giving very specific strokes to mice, they used advanced imaging techniques to understand just what was happening in those little mouse brains. It was not what they expected. We talk about that research, brain remapping after stroke, the importance of constraint induced therapy, and more in this episode. Bio Dr. Zeiger is a physician scientist in the Department of Neurology at UCLA. Clinically, Dr. Zeiger works as a neurologist specializing in movement disorders, particularly Parkinson disease and atypical parkinsonian disorders. Dr. Zeiger also runs a neuroscience research lab focused on investigating cortical circuit dysfunction in neurological disorders. The Study You can read the paper Dr. Zeiger and his team p

Click here for a machine generated transcript Recent research shows that doing Tai Chi after a stroke may reduce depression. We talk with the author of the study in this episode. It's a nice complement to our previous episode where we talked about the nature of Post Stroke Depression. Depression is an insidious illness that undermines recovery, healing, relationships and the joy we could find in life. Traditional treatments may include talk therapy and/or medication. There are also a host of new treatments being studied. And there's a bunch of snake oil or scam treatments out there, too. Plus there's a whole bunch of stuff in between. Dr. Ruth Taylor-Piliae has been working in the stroke field and with Tai Chi for a long time. Her research is a promising starting point for exploring the potential of ancient Tai Chi practices to treat Post Stroke Depression. Bio From the University of Arizona College of Nursing Dr. Ruth Taylor-Piliae is an Associate Professor in the College of

Click here for a machine generated transcript A lot of the attention in stroke research is paid to the acute phase. How can we treat a stroke in the ER? What can we do so it doesn't get worse? How can we prevent strokes from happening? What can we do in inpatient rehab to help folks get better? Those are all important things,  and the stunning innovations happening around us are amazing, newsworthy, and truly impacting people's lives in a meaningful way. But there's not as much attention given to chronic stroke. Sure, there's some. There are people working really hard to help stroke survivors recover even years after stroke. But not as much makes it into the news. That's one reason I was interested in Dr. Jesse Dawson's work at the University of Glasgow. The recently published a study in the Lancet about using Vagus Nerve Stimulation to drive recovery in patients years after stroke. And their procedure looks promising. Bio Dr. Jesse Dawson is a Professor of Stroke Medicine and C

Click here for a macine generated transcript Surviving a stroke is not the end of a medical issue. It's the start of a new journey, with new challenges. Major depression is often one of those challenges. It interferes with recovery, rehab, adjusting to a new life, and maintaining relationships. In short, it's big problem. And it's pretty common. According to new research by Dr. Laura Stein from the Icahn School of medicine, depression after stroke is twice as likely to occur as depression after heart attack. There's something unique about stroke that leads to depression. On top of that, if a person lived with Generalized Anxiety Disorder before stroke, they are 1.7 x as likely to experience Major Depression after stroke. In this conversation, Dr. Laura Stein talk about her research and what survivors, caregivers, and medical practitioners need to know. Bio Laura K. Stein, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and atten

Click here for a machine-generated transcript AFOs (Ankle-Foot Orthotics) offer many stroke survivors freedom by letting us safely walk. They lift our affected feet as we take our steps so our toes don't drag on the ground and trip us. They give us the mobility that foot drop threatens to take. But they're not usually very attractive. And finding shoes that work with them is a challenge because they need to be bigger and wider so we can squeeze a weak foot and brace into the show. A common question I hear from survivors is, "Where can I get shoes that aren't so ugly?" Well, I don't always have great answers to that, but Lainie Ishbia does. Laine runs the Trend-Able blog and is one half of the emBRACE IT podcast. She's an expert on finding and making accessible fashion, and she joins us this week to share her story. Bio Lainie Ishbia is a blogger and podcaster helping people with invisible and visible disabilities look good and feel good. Her website at Trend-Able.com offers t

Click here for a machine-generated transcript "Your Pet Brain" is a big adorable, plush brain with giant eyes for those of us who could use a spare one. And my girlfriend wanted one. We could both use some extra neurons. As her birthday approached I decided to order one. Brain shipped in his box (yes, I'm already anthropomorphizing and gendering him). Cathy went downstairs to take care of something and the saw the distinctive box. She felt a wave of mild envy, and thought, "Aww, someone else got a brain."  Then she took a closer look at the box and saw my name on it. She scooped it up, brought it up stairs and giddily shuffled through our apartment to show me. She was thrilled! I briefly toyed with the idea of making her wait another day until her birthday, but that seemed unfair since the box made it clear what it was.  And I think brain appreciated it too, because the box wasn't super comfortable. This week's conversation is wide ranging. While it all starts with how a delightful, b

Click here for a machine generated transcript We know that fast treatment is critical to surviving a stroke and reducing long-term disability. We know that there are a lot of studies that look at treatments that work and don't work. We know that the results of those studies will inform ER procedures and major spending projects at hospitals around the world. We know that men and women are biologically identical and that treatment for one sex will be just as effective on the other sex, right? RIGHT?! Okay. Maybe we don't know that because it's not true. So how do sex differences impact the efficacy or safety of stroke treatments? Well, we don't really know that, either. Because it turns out women are underrepresented in acute stroke research studies by 6 - 20 percentage point. Brent Strong and Julia Pudar published a meta-analysis of more than 100 stroke research studies this spring. And they published in in JAMA Neurology, which is really impressive, especially since they are still s

  Click here for a Machine Generated Transcript   It's been 4 years since my stroke. It feels like 4 months. It's a good time to reflect on the experience. The most important piece is that I'm still recovering. Within the past 6 months I've gotten more independent finger control back. That may not seem like much, but the key point is that recovery can continue for years.  Anyone who says recovery stops at 6 or 12 months is spewing nonsense. Celebration I choose to recognize this date. Maybe next year I should arrange a full party. It's not a celebration of having a stroke, though. It's a celebration of surviving a stroke. It's a celebration of that new birthday. That day could have gone so much worse than it did. I'm grateful to still be here, alive and kicking (if off balance). Life is short. I may have only another 200 years to live, and I've got a lot of stuff to do in that time. My partner has a harder time with it. She describes that day as the worst in her life. Her experience was

  Click here for a machine generated transcript. BEFAST is the pneumonic device English speakers can use to recognize most strokes. Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech, Time to call an ambulance. But what if you speak Spanish instead of English? BE FAST doesn't directly translate well. So how can you recognize a stroke? PhD Research Scientist and EMS expert Dr. Remle Crowe and two of her colleagues worked on this problem over the past year. They came up with the Spanish pneumonic AHORA. Ahora translates to Now which captures the same urgency. In this episode we talk about the evolution of the pneumonic, the ethnic disparities in stroke in the US, the EMS system in Mexico, and how we can use data to improve patient outcomes. Oh, and tacos. Tacos are very important. Bio Dr. Remle Crowe is an expert in EMS research and quality improvement. From truck clutches to clinical care, she has shown how research and improvement science work to solve problems across fields. Prior to earning a PhD i

Click here for a machine-generated transcript After I published last week's episode, I realized I had more to say. Thus, we have this week's episode. Zebras "When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras." This is a phrase I've seen used to describe making a diagnosis of a medical condition. Consider the most common condition first; it's probably not the exotic one. And that's a great approach that provide excellent medical care -- most of the time. In my conversation with Rachel from BraEasy last week, it almost led to her daughter's death. Her daughter began having seizures at 8-years old. The medical team diagnosed it as an anxiety condition, and referred her to counsellors. They thought horses. Rachel recognized that wasn't right and kept digging. Finally, she insisted on a physical exam and brain imaging revealed a potentially fatal tumor. She saw the zebra. The point is, we need to listen to our medical professionals because generally they are right. But not always. We still

To read a machine-generated transcript, click here. Let's talk about bras! Specifically, dealing with bras one-handed! Don't worry. In this episode I don't opine on exactly what you put where to get the thing on. Instead, I talk with Rachel Whittaker, the Australian entrepreneur who turned a terrible situation into BraEasy -- The company in position to help bra wearers around the world. She tells us about her then 9-year old daughter stroke and how that led her to a bra the wearer could put on and take off easily with one hand Bio I am passionate about being a voice for people with a disability. After my daughter had a stroke during brain surgery to remove a brain tumor, I became very aware of the struggle that women have every day trying to put on a bra. So I invented an easier bra that can be put on with one hand.  We called it BraEasy.  I am the inventor and CEO of BraEasy Pty Ltd based in Melbourne Australia. How to Use It Here Jamie demonstrates how she puts on and remo

  Click here for a machine-generated transcript using Microsoft Word on the Web. The Motus Hand and Motus Foot from Motus Nova ("New Movement") are air-powered, robotic exoskeletons for in home therapy after a brain injury. Ella Sofia introduced me to the team a couple months ago, and they are now a sponsor of the Strokecast. I wanted to learn more about the product and the company so this week I talk with Motus Nova CEO David Wu. Bio Veteran entrepreneur with over a decade's worth of experience in tech startups focused on healthcare. Recipient of the 2020 Emory Entrepreneur of the Year award in Technology and 2019 Georgia's Most Innovative Tech Startup.  Does it make sense? When considering any therapeutic device, you need tp start with 2 questions: Is it safe? Does it work? Usually the first one is the easier one to answer. In the case of the Motus Hand and Motus Food, the US Food and Drug administration has approved them as class one devices. That means they are safe

  Click here for a machine-generated transcript. This week, I spoke with Carmen De La Paz. Carmen is an Emmy-nominated TV personality. She spent years appearing on HGTV and the Oprah Winfrey network. She's a carpenter, an artist, a bilingual host, a singer, an actor, a musician, a dancer and more. Carmen is also a stroke survivor who's story involves a helicopter ride, waking up to the last rites, multiple hospital infections (including sepsis and staph), and encephalitis. And today she is back to working with power tools, creating art, supporting the community of Waukesha, WI, and figuring out her next app. And Carmen is an absolute delight to speak with as she shares her story. Bio From Carmen's website: Carmen De La Paz, Designer, Carpenter, DIY expert and TV personality, inspires people worldwide through television projects and her recently established YouTube channel, featuring videos in both English and Spanish. A “hands on designer” and accomplished craftsperson, Carmen do

  Click here for a machine generated transcript One Fine Day everything changes. Nothing will be the same. Sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes it's not. And sometimes we won't know for years. Sameer Bhide was living the American dream. He grew up in India, Came to the US for college, graduated with his Masters Degree, got his green card, and too a great job in IT consulting. By the time he was 47, he was married with kids and living in a great home in the suburbs of Washington, DC with a sports car. And then a genetic abnormality reared its ugly head inside of his head. He had a hemorrhagic stroke. Over the next couple years, he would lose his job, go through a divorce, and move out of the amazing house. But Sameer continued to work on his recovery. He travelled to India to supplement a western stye recovery with eastern techniques. He chronicles his experiences in the book One Fine Day. And he shares his story in this episode of the Strokecast Bio From Sameer's website: On

  Click here for a machine-generated transcript. I'm excited to announce the new Strokecast Newsletter. This free, monthly  email newsletter will launch this summer. You can sign up at http://Strokecast.com/News It will include synopses of recent events, stroke community news, updates from previous guests and more. So signup for free at http://Strokecast.com/News 11 Kitchen Tips for Stroke Survivors The core of this week's episode is Kitchen Trips for Stroke Survivors. I talk about them in a lot more detail in the episode, but here is the list. Mise en  place Prepare all your ingredients and tools before you start cooking. You'll be less stressed and rushed. You'll be less likely to make a mistake, and you'll be less likely to forget a key ingredient. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Take your time while doing your tasks. Focus on getting them done right, rather than getting them done quickly. If you can keep it smooth, you'll be surprised at how much time you ultimately save by not bei

Click here for a machine-generated English transcript A stroke is a forced opportunity to reevaluate our personal and professional lives. Maybe we don't think we can do our previous jobs as well. Or maybe others make that decision for us. Regardless, is now a good time to go into business yourself? Maybe. Of course, being an entrepreneur always has its challenges. Pursuing business ownership with stroke related disabilities or Chronic illness poses some additional challenges. And some opportunities Nicole Neer is a Spooniepreneur -- a business owner and coach living with multiple chronic illnesses. She helps other spoonies -- like stroke survivors navigate and thrive in the entrepreneurial world. We talk all about it in this episode. Bio Nicole Neer is the founder and CEO of Bloom Admin Services, a full-service virtual support agency providing online business management, podcast editing, and virtual assistance for online businesses. Because of her experience of being an entreprene

Click here for a machine generated transcript. One thing you learn as a stroke survivor is that things change. Plans change. Your world changes in an instant. In that respect, I think many of us had an advantage when COVID-19 broke the planet. We'd been through it before. Many of us had already been at home for weeks, months, or years. Michael Shutt's world turned upside down when he experienced a series of three strokes. He was told he would never act again, but wouldn't let that stop him. So he wrote a solo performer show to share his story, connect other members of the stroke community with the theater and with each other. And to get back on stage. He assembled a team to make this thing a reality. He performed a workshop version of the play to find out what works and what doesn't. Michael and his team were getting ready to launch the show for real. And then COVID hit Los Angeles. Over the past year, they pivoted. They got a grant, and now "A Lesson in Swimming" is an audio drama you can l

  Click here for a machine generated transcript by Microsoft Word on the Web. Feldenkrais movement is a method of retaining the brain by using small, deliberate manipulations of the joints. Practitioners use it to treat everything from stroke-related disabilities to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS) and more. It's something I read about in my early days of learning about neuroplasticity, but not something I pursued. I still wanted to learn more, so I invited Nancy Haller from the President of the Feldenkrais Guild to talk about the therapy. Bio Nancy Haller is a teacher, speaker, and writer with a private practice in the Seattle area. She continually works toward BrainEase using the Feldenkrais Method®. She has authored works on Foreign Accent Syndrome and the Feldenkrais Interactive Movement Chapter included in the Integrated Pain Management Text book. Nancy brings her own personal story of recovering from brain injury to teaching others to find pathways to BrainEase in daily life. Wh