Me, Myself & TBI: Facing Traumatic Brain Injury Head On

Writer, journalist, U.S. Air Force Veteran, and traumatic brain injury survivor, Christina Brown Fisher speaks with Dr. Russell Gore who is the chief medical officer of the Avalon Action Alliance (www.avalonactionalliance.org). The Avalon Action Alliance is a national network of programs treating mild and complex traumatic brain injury, for first responders, active duty military servicemembers, and veterans.

Dr. Gore is a neurologist and biomedical engineer, who also spent several years in the U.S. Air Force, as a flight surgeon. He is the director of the Complex Concussion Clinic, and medical director of the SHARE Military Initiative at the Shepherd Center, in Atlanta, Georgia.

This discussion is for informational purposes only and does not serve as medical advice. Please speak with your medical professional before seeking treatment.

Christina Brown Fisher, journalist and traumatic brain injury survivor, speaks with the sister of Michael Hutchence. He was the lead singer of the Australian rock band INXS until he died by suicide in 1997. Tina Hutchence says her brother kept a secret from their family, the band, and his fans. Five years before his death, Michael Hutchence suffered a traumatic brain injury after a taxi driver allegedly attacked him. The blow fractured his skull, resulting in permanent brain damage. His sister reflects on Michael Hutchence’s rise to stardom, and the untreated brain injury she believes was responsible for his abrupt personality change that ultimately contributed to his death.

Christina Brown Fisher, journalist and traumatic brain injury survivor, speaks with Harvard Medical School associate professor in psychiatry, Eve Valera, PhD. Dr. Valera is a research scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and has been investigating the impact of brain injury among those affected by domestic violence for more than 25 years.

Former Division I soccer player turned race car driver, Anna Kouba Bowers, comes from a long line of professional racing drivers. Her family's legacy in American car racing dates back to the 1930s, beginning with her grandfather Earl Kouba. In 2018, her dreams of continuing to follow in the family's footsteps nearly came to an end following a traumatic brain injury. Anna Kouba Bowers talks TBI, motherhood after brain injury, and her return to the track with, host, and journalist, as well at traumatic brain injury survivor Christina Brown Fisher. This episode includes discussion about suicidal thoughts and ideation. If you need help please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1 (800) 273-TALK.

It is estimated nearly 30-percent of Covid-19 survivors continue to suffer from symptoms following their bout with the illness. Researcher and neuropsychologist James Jackson, Psy.D., is the author of the new book Clearing the Fog: From Surviving to Thriving with Long-COVID, A Practical Guide. The author of more than 90 scientific publications, Dr. Jackson has led research and treated patients affected by the cognitive impact of long COVID.

Christina Brown Fisher, a traumatic brain injury survivor, and Dr. Jackson discuss how the symptoms associated with long COVID often mirror those associated with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Jackson offers practical tips about how to get help. He is a Research Associate Professor, and the lead psychologist for the Critical Illness Brain Dysfunction and Survivorship Center at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

For more information about clinical trials involving long COVID, go to www.clintrials.gov.

This podcast episode includes scientific research findings, and is not intended to diagnose or provide personal or individual medical advice. If you have an existing health condition, always consult your healthcare practitioner.