Podcast 2 – Living a Functional Life with Chronic Pain

February 9, 2015 Posted by Cavin Balaster Podcasts 6 Comments

In this episode of the Adventures in Brain Injury Podcast, severe traumatic brain injury survivor Cavin Balaster and co-host Alek Hess interview actor and director Russ Hess, to discuss his digestive issues, and his strategies for managing severe and debilitating chronic stomach pain.

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Points of interest:

3:30 – Russ’ diagnosis and daily life
12:00 – Hospital records and ER visits
16:30 – Living a ‘functional life’
25:50 – Dr. Datis Kharrazian on the gut-brain axis (video clip)
33:18 – ‘Baby steps’ and gaining control
41:00 – Russ’ dietary changes
57:00 – Pain interventions and recommendations
1:04:30 – Russ’ words of wisdom

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6 Comments

About Cavin Balaster

In 2011, I sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, was comatose for 12 days. and given less than a 10% chance of recovery beyond a persistent vegetative state. After relearning to eat, walk, and talk, I began a journey to improve the standard model of neurorehabilitation.

6 Comments

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Rhonda Hess
· Reply

February 11, 2015 at 1:49 PM

Well done all. Russ, your story is moving and full of wisdom. I jotted quite a few tidbits down for my own “idiopathic” chronic pain journey. The acceptance piece, slowing down, balancing treating with times of less scrutinized living — all fits in with my own experience. Cavin love your encouraging empathetic way. And Alek, masterful direction and interviewing.
- Cavin Balaster
  · Reply
  
  February 11, 2015 at 1:55 PM
  
  Thank you so much, Rhonda! You’ve been a huge help along the way and I really appreciate your input! 🙂
Cris Mooney
· Reply

February 12, 2015 at 8:57 AM

Well covered.

This applies more generically as well, and thus so appropriate within brain injury forum and others.

Two aspects of chronic human issues: they are relative, and things change. In my mid-20’s after a week in the hospital…IBS. 25 years later, not so bad. And now snapping my Achilles I’ve been told I’m enjoying it too much. Since perception is relative, it is natural that ruby slippers hurt one essentially as much as a cut off arm effects another. This is integral with change and adaptation, fundamentally based on biological sensors that triggering chemical solutions.

This applies equally to physical and mental issues, though brain and digestive issues are focused here. You have more issues, mental and physical, your body adapts chemically.

Recognizing these natural adaptations and changes, one can train themselves to enhance the same, especially with help from peers, and influence your own tolerances and changes in the desirable directions. Augmenting, and out performing, natural human body chemical solutions.

For cyclic chronic issues, paying attention one can sense impending onset earlier over time and apply learning to mitigate. Further, underlying changes can be influenced as well, even if it just means minimizing negative systemic changes.

It is important to remember here that is all relative, individual, and complex. You have all your own issues, from physical to mental, and the possible variations are infinite. So, it is not possible for someone else to figure it all out for you (not even a specialist physician). The one time I had the pleasure to meet Russ, I shared a food choice I’d learned over years that worked for me, and yet he crashed. So, you have to be proactive for your own complex case.

The same way your natural body does, leverage those response systems to be more tolerant and embrace your own problems (both pain and thoughts). Learn to recognize issues, and apply learned solutions even faster than your own body applies chemical solutions.

And remember, most things change as well, and if you are lucky the next natural changes will be for the better, offsetting the previous bad changes. Even if they don’t change, and some things can’t, then you can still adapt to them.

Thanks to all the scientists (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science), like Heather with https://www.helpforibs.com, for providing us base knowledge to build on. My senses are fine tuned, from back problems, to gut issues, to mental challenges, and my learned solutions quickly applied without having to passively wait for chemical responses to re-balance all by themselves.
- Cavin Balaster
  · Reply
  
  February 12, 2015 at 10:22 AM
  
  Thanks Cris!
  
  You’re absolutely right. So much is gained from paying attention, staying mindful, and striving to adapt. In the brain injury community, it’s a popular saying that “If you’ve seen one brain injury, you’ve only seen one brain injury” and I feel like the essence of that saying applies well to chronic pain and digestive issues. Your point about the relativity of information and the uniqueness of symptoms, further reflected by your and Russ’ differences. Really appreciate your support and input!
  - Cris Mooney
    · Reply
    
    March 5, 2015 at 9:57 AM
    
    I just stumbled across an old show that covers and digs into my considerations that these challenges are relative, things change, and that you can influence your own tolerances and changes in the desirable directions. Angela Lee Duckworth calls following this path “grit”, and like me thinks it probably more important than natural abilities. I thought folks interested here might peek in case they have not seen it. Perhaps you might even consider reaching out to Angela and having a talk with her yourselves!
    - Cris Mooney
      · Reply
      
      March 5, 2015 at 9:57 AM
      
      Darn, forgot the link! https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit

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Podcast 2 – Living a Functional Life with Chronic Pain