Episode Number 35: Survivor Story: Better is Better with Lea Damata
Recovery is a journey. It is not an event with a defined end-point. The road can be hella hard! Fortunately, there is help out there! Lea Damato joins us in this episode to talk with us about her experience with post concussive symptoms. She shines a light on all the different types of therapy that have helped her. Riding on this twisting path is filled with ups and downs. Self-compassion, mindfulness, self-awareness, and perspective make it more bearable. Better is better no matter how it looks; join us to celebrate all our wins!!
Topics covered:
Lea’s PCS journey
Concussion with PCS after a whack on the base of the head and neck, coming up from the floor where she was cleaning (should this be our warning to not clean?!?!?)
Initial symptoms were dizziness and an out of this world feeling
Tried to just push through for several days until she got really sleepy, had loss of energy, struggles with driving, and experienced headaches, sound sensitivity, and irritability
Lea went to her PCP who advised rest. Lea couldn’t tolerate any stimulation or physical activity, and needed darkness and rest for days (she did not have a knowledgeable provider that was able to guide on the detriments of this approach)
Even as a healthcare practitioner, Lea struggled to find providers who knew how to handle post concussive symptoms
She struggled with insurance and return to work guidelines having to constantly prove that there was something wrong
Fighting with insurance can be enough to make you feel crazy
Getting help
Not having the connections with the right provider giving the right care in the first two weeks set Lea back
She eventually found providers to help get her on the right path. She still has symptoms 2 years out
The hard days
You go through a grieving process of your old self
The hard days can lead you to comparing yourself to others. It takes self-love and compassion, being ok with you, setting boundaries, saying no, and celebrating what you have achieved
Better is better regardless of how better it is (11:50)
It's a journey, not a recovery. Everyday is a new day. It is never a linear trajectory. The downs are hella crappy but you have to remember where you started, how far you have come and all the little wins
Neuropsychology really helped Lea--it provided tools for reframing and grounding. It required a lot of work and wasn’t easy but crucial to her journey
Remember, not everything does suck, even if it feels that way.
Helpful therapies
Physiotherapy (physical therapy) trained in PCS
Lea had to find qualified providers, navigating the system and finding people who know how to treat PCS was hard
Neuropsychology: really helped to validate what Lea was going through. It gave visibility to the invisible injury.
Validation from a provider gave back hope
Neuro-optometry: eye exercises and glasses. The exercises can trigger symptoms but build pathways to help you overcome it.
Vestibular therapy (through physio)
Occupational Therapy for return to driving and return to work. They broke down the tasks into manageable, bite sized pieces
Return to work: a gradual desensitization process. Very short exposures to work with long rests. She had to keep a log to figure out what her triggers were, what was fatiguing, what types of rest were helpful, and how to work back up to a full caseload
Energy conservation: she still has to be very conscious of her “battery” levels
Need to give yourself the time to check in and remain aware of your symptoms to not crash.
Be careful of comparisons
Words of wisdom
Better is better
The journey is never linear
Know when to ask for help
Accept where you are
Yin yoga, mindfulness, and self-compassion to help learn to be where you are
Your perspective has such a huge influence on where you are putting your energy. The hard pieces of mental work help you to learn who you are, accept it, and overcome plateaus.
Finding the right mindset and people to guide you along the way help to make the journey better
Learning mindfulness and self-compassion
Yin Yoga: a place to learn self love
Mindfulness course
Connect with Lea
Find Lea on Instagram: @Leadphysio
Feel free to DM her through her Insta
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