“My TBI Story” is an overview of the events leading up to my severe traumatic brain injury, the many stages of my recovery, and the road my life has taken since. I’ve included a short FAQ with insights to the recovery process and a list of useful links.
Why Isn’t My Brain Working?: A Revolutionary Understanding of Brain Decline and Effective Strategies to Recover Your Brain’s Health – “Losing your memory? Can’t focus or concentrate? Do you have brain fog or tire easily? Have you lost your zest for life or motivation? Do people tell you this is all a normal part of aging? If so, your brain may be growing old too fast, or degenerating. Modern diets, a stressful lifestyle, and environmental toxins all take their toll on the brain.”
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science – “An astonishing new science called “neuroplasticity” is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. In this revolutionary look at the brain, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., provides an introduction to both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they’ve transformed. From stroke patients learning to speak again to the remarkable case of a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole,The Brain That Changes Itself will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.”
Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School – “In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule—what scientists know for sure about how our brains work—and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives.”
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness – “In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. “A fascinating look at the disease that . . . could have cost this vibrant, vital young woman her life” (People), Brain on Fire is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance that is destined to become a classic.”
The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human – “In this landmark work, V. S. Ramachandran investigates strange, unforgettable cases―from patients who believe they are dead to sufferers of phantom limb syndrome. With a storyteller’s eye for compelling case studies and a researcher’s flair for new approaches to age-old questions, Ramachandran tackles the most exciting and controversial topics in brain science, including language, creativity, and consciousness.”
Play Hard, Die Young: Football Dementia, Depression, and Death – “Why do so many retired NFL players lose their hard-earned millions and end up destitute? Why are football players three to five times more likely to develop major depression than their fans? The answer is gridiron dementia, permanent brain damage caused by blows to the head during games or practice. Forensic neuropathologist Bennet Omalu, MD, explains the science of brain trauma, offers practical solutions, and recounts the moving stories of the lives—and tragic deaths—of NFL stars cut down by gridiron dementia.”
Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath – “Head Cases takes us into the dark side of the brain in an astonishing sequence of stories, at once true and strange, from the world of brain damage. Michael Paul Mason is one of an elite group of experts who coordinate care in the complicated aftermath of tragic injuries that can last a lifetime. On the road with Mason, we encounter survivors of brain injuries as they struggle to map and make sense of the new worlds they inhabit.”
Fixing My Gaze: A Scientist’s Journey Into Seeing in Three Dimensions – “When neuroscientist Susan Barry was fifty years old, she took an unforgettable trip to Manhattan. As she emerged from the dim light of the subway into the sunshine, she saw a view of the city that she had witnessed many times in the past but now saw in an astonishingly new way. Skyscrapers on street corners appeared to loom out toward her like the bows of giant ships. Tree branches projected upward and outward, enclosing and commanding palpable volumes of space. Leaves created intricate mosaics in 3D. With each glance, she experienced the deliriously novel sense of immersion in a three dimensional world.”
10 Essentials to Save Your SIGHT (Healing the Eye Wellness Series) – “Dr. Kondrot is a world leading Homeopathic Ophthalmologist who devotes his practice to traditional and alternative therapies for the treatment of eye disease. His prestigious Center for Healing the Eye promotes wellness of sight, body, mind and spirit. The Center treats patients who seek holistic, non-invasive therapies for eye problems that include macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, eyestrain and other eye disorders.”
Vision Rehabilitation: Multidisciplinary Care of the Patient Following Brain Injury – “Providing the information required to understand, advocate for, and supply post-acute vision rehabilitative care following brain injury, Vision Rehabilitation: Multidisciplinary Care of the Patient Following Brain Injurybridges the gap between theory and practice. It presents clinical information and scientific literature supporting the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies applied in a comprehensive overview of current diagnostic and treatment strategies in adult post-brain injury vision rehabilitation.”
Brain-Building Nutrition: How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental, Physical, and Emotional Intelligence – “In this new, updated edition of the classic book on brain performance and nutrition, Dr. Michael A. Schmidt provides a host of practical dietary information and new, ground-breaking research to support his findings. A remarkable but little known fact is that the brain is nearly 60 percent fat. The book begins with a quiz to measure the reader’s brain fatty acid profile, and goes on to demonstrate the role of fat in the brain’s structure and functioning. The author helps the reader distinguish between harmful and beneficial fats and oils, and warns the “French Fry Generation” of the dangers of a poor diet…”
Cholesterol Clarity: What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers? – “Don’t you wish someone could just spell it out in simple, easy-to-understand language and tell you what, if anything, you need to do about your cholesterol? Good news! That’s precisely whatCholesterol Clarity is designed to do. Jimmy Moore, a prominent and highly respected health blogger and podcaster, has teamed up with Dr. Eric Westman, a practicing internist and nutrition researcher, to bring you one of the most unique books you’ll ever read on this subject, featuring exclusive interviews with twenty-nine of the world’s top experts from various fields to give you the complete lowdown on cholesterol.”
Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet – “Leading health blogger Jimmy Moore and researcher and internist Dr. Eric C. Westman join forces again to explain the powerful therapeutic effects of a ketogenic diet—one that combines a customized carbohydrate restriction, moderation of protein intake, and real food-based fats—which is emerging in the scientific literature as a means for improving a wide range of diseases, from Type 2 diabetes to Alzheimer’s and more. Simply eating a low-carb diet alone isn’t enough, and Moore and Westman tell you why.”
Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers – “Renowned neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, blows the lid off a topic that’s been buried in medical literature for far too long: carbs are destroying your brain. And not just unhealthy carbs, but even healthy ones like whole grains can cause dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, and much more..”
The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care – “Mobile technology has transformed our lives, and personal genomics is revolutionizing biology. But despite the availability of technologies that can provide wireless, personalized health care at lower cost, the medical community has resisted change. In The Creative Destruction of Medicine, Eric Topol—one of the nation’s top physicians—calls for consumer activism to demand innovation and the democratization of medical care. The Creative Destruction of Medicine is the definitive account of the coming disruption of medicine, written by the field’s leading voice.”
The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine – “Like many physicians, Dr. Terry Wahls focused on treating her patients’ ailments with drugs or surgical procedures—until she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2000. Within three years, her back and stomach muscles had weakened to the point where she needed a tilt-recline wheelchair. Conventional medical treatments were failing her, and she feared that she would be bedridden for the rest of her life.”
The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life – “In The Disease Delusion, Dr. Bland explains what Functional Medicine is and what it can do for you. While advances in modern science have nearly doubled our lifespans in only four generations, our quality of life has not reached its full potential. Outlining the reasons why we suffer chronic diseases from asthma and diabetes to obesity, arthritis and cancer to a host of other ailments, Dr. Bland offers achievable, science-based solutions that can alleviate these common conditions and offers a roadmap for a lifetime of wellness.”
An Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases
– “An Epidemic of Absence asks what will happen in developing countries, which, as they become more affluent, have already seen an uptick in allergic disease: Will India end up more allergic than Europe? Velasquez-Manoff also details a controversial underground movement that has coalesced around the treatment of immune-mediated disorders with parasites. Against much of his better judgment, he joins these do-it-yourselfers and reports his surprising results.”
The content of this Website and any products sold from this Website and the "Adventures in Brain Injury" Podcast are intended for informational purposes only and is not written by medical professionals. Readers should not act upon any information provided on this Website without seeking advice from a licensed physician. This Website is not intended to create a physician-patient relationship between Cavin, his family, and any user of this Website. - © 2021 Cavin Balaster
