Our community blog page is a collective of stories, articles and important discussion topics put forth by the Headsup Concussion Advocacy Network. We are so grateful to have so many amazing advocates and writers who are passionate about sharing their experiences and perspectives of concussions. Our blog is an amazing lived experience resource that touches upon several different aspects of the concussion recovery experience. Each story will provide you with a unique perspective that may help people going through an brain injury of their own. Please feel free to leave comments on each blog post and give feedback on how the article may have helped you or stimulated curiosity in a new area. Happy reading!
Amy provides a complete history of her experiences after sustaining multiple brain injuries and the impact it had on various aspects of her life. Throughout her story she explains the difficulties she faced during the unpredictable recovery process and how she was forced to navigate through this complex landscape as a result. Read this article to learn more about our newest Concussion Advocate!
Read MoreIn this bonus episode of The Sharing Experiences with Concussions/TBI podcast, we bring all of the facilitators from the series together in a conversation to share their insights and perspectives on these invisible injuries.
Read MoreBecky Moran, Occupational Therapist with the Acquired Brain Injury Outpatient Team at Parkwood Institute facilitates this discussion about adapting to a new way of life following a concussion. Some of the topics this episode explores are the challenges of pacing oneself, relationships, and changes in identity.
Read MoreDr. Lesley Ruttan, a Neuropsychologist, and other professionals who support persons with concussions and brain injuries gather together in this episode to talk about their experiences and the challenges associated with accessing supports and services for their clients.
Read MoreConnor Massimo, Physiotherapist and Founder of Pulse Physiotherapy in Peterborough, Ontario leads a discussion about returning to sport after experiencing a concussion/TBI. This episode brings together athletes from various sport backgrounds who have competed at different levels to talk about stigma and identity following a concussion.
Read MoreLeslie Birkett, an Occupational Therapist and Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) at McMaster University facilitates this discussion about participants’ experiences returning to work following a concussion/TBI. The conversation explores challenges, balancing life’s stressors and accommodations.
Read MorePenny Welch-West, a Speech-Language Pathologist with Parkwood Institute, guides a group of current students and graduates through a discussion about their experiences transitioning back to school following a concussion/TBI. Group members talk about challenges, accommodations and strategies they implemented to support their return.
Read MoreDr. Steph Dallaire leads a discussion with other doctors, a nurse practitioner and a neuropsychologist from across Ontario to speak about the complexity and challenges of diagnosing concussion/TBI.
Read MoreWe talk a lot about PTSD but we don’t hear very much about PTG. PTG stands for Post-Traumatic Growth a term used to talk about the benefits and the growth that can come from experiencing trauma. In this article our content writer discusses the areas he has seen the most growth in himself.
Read MoreHi, my name is Ailish and I’m a fourth year Sociology and Legal Studies student at the University of Waterloo. I love to read, listen to audiobooks and podcasts, swim, workout, and do yoga! When I graduate university, I hope to attend a Canadian Law school and, eventually, become a Criminal Prosecutor. I am using this quarantine time to study for my Law School Admission Test (LSAT) in August and spread awareness about post-concussion recovery on Instagram!
Read MoreAlthough I played hockey almost my whole life, I never truly understood what concussions were until my university career. In my 3rd and 4th year I sustained 2 concussions a year apart from one another. Both in which I did not take as seriously as I should’ve, rushing my recovery so I could play hockey again.
Read MoreHi my name is Qais Nasseri, I am finishing up my B.ed. and will be working towards my goals in Education. I have been involved in sports all my life but found a growing passion with Rugby in 2010, I play/coach for the Ajax Wanderers and I played for Trent during my undergrad. That was where I had my first experience with concussions.
Read MoreWith the current pandemic situation and winter near site I thought a good topic to write about would be emotional well-being, how it can impact concussion recovery, and an app that has been a game changer for my emotional and psychological well-being. In general, I find this part of our health often gets neglected, I personally only sought out psychological therapy in recent months, and despite recent efforts there is still a significant amount of stigma surrounding the topic. I have found medical doctors to sometimes perpetuate these stigmas with statements like “it’s all in your head”, “that’s not related to the concussion”, or” you’re just hypervigilant”.
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