Beyond the Disability

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown talks with Dr. Bastas. Dr. Bastas had an amputation when he was 17 years old. However, that didn’t stop him from going to medical school and becoming a doctor. Dr. Bastas shares his story and advice.

Conversation Highlights:

{00:41} Intro to Dr. Bastas

{06:20} Complications from the treatment

{09:00} getting the recommendation to have an amputation at age 17

{11:28} Moving to the states, culture shock

{18:00} Living with the disability, having a good attitude

{23:00} Life in medical school

{28:00} Devices to use for limb loss and what he doing now.

{37:00} Advice

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown talks about Grit. What is Grit? How does someone develop Grit?

Conversation Highlights:

{00:41} what is Grit

{01:55} How does one get Grit?

{05:00} Choosing how you’re going to live your life

{05:20} Exercising Grit

{07:49} Courage

{11:06} Who needs Grit?

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown interviews two guests on the topic of Hospice care. D.J. Ryan is a hospice nurse and John Reinhart is a hospice volunteer.

D.J. and John talk about the importance of hospice care, how their lives have been touched personally by hospice care, and the difference between hospice and palliative care.

Conversation Highlights:

{00:41} Introduction of the topic.

{01:44} Introduction of the guests.

{02:29} What is a virtual dementia tour?

{05:15} Hospice is about quality of life, not the end of life.

{09:11} What a hospice volunteer does.

{10:30} What hospice offers your loved one.

{13:30} The hospice team members.

{23:16} How hospice has changed and how it has stayed the same over the years.

{30:00} The difference between hospice and palliative care.

{40:00} The financial part of hospice care.

{42:36} The three Ps (Product, Practice, and Pearls of wisdom)  

Resources:

John P. Renyhart | Facebook

 Home - Hospice of Marion County

 betterhealthandrehab.com

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown talks to Lexi. Lexi was a regular college student who became ill in her senior year. The illness left her unable to move her arms or legs. She was diagnosed with Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM).  After a long time in rehab, she was able to gain some movement again. Lexi continued to Law school and shares her story of inspiration.

Conversation Highlights:

{01:00} Introduction of Lexi

{01:50} Getting a diagnosis of Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) in college

{05:30} Dealing with a sudden change

{07:00} In Rehab

{08:00} What Lexi has learned from the experience

{13:15} Learning to walk again

{20:00} Going to Law School and practicing construction law

{25:00} The 3 Ps. Perl of wisdom, Product, Practice

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

Billy Shoes https://billyfootwear.com/collections/all-shoes

 InMotion Lofstrand Crutches! https://www.millennialmedical.com/products/in-motion-pro-forearm-crutch

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown talks to Chelsey. Chelsey was diagnosed with the very rare disease of Fibrous Dysplasia. She talks about learning she had the disease and how it has impacted her life. I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Conversation Highlights:

{00:27} Intro of guest

{01:47} What is Fibrous Dysplasia

{02:35} Being diagnosed with Fibrous Dysplasia

{05:00} Learning the rarity of FD

{07:11} Treatment options

{13:00} Dealing with depression

{17:00} Things that changed, leaning on support systems

{24:00} Future goals

{26:00} The 3 Ps. Perl of wisdom, Product, Practice

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

Fibrous Dysplasia Overview | NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown talks to Callie about growing up hard of hearing. Callie tells her story of going to school and choosing a career path all while being hard of hearing.   

Conversation Highlights:

{1:03}    Introduction of Callie

{4:00}    Terminology to use

{7:20}    Going to school

{12:50}  College life

{16:00}  Graduating and choosing a career path

{19:00} Volunteering at her old pre-school.  

{27:00}  3 Ps. Pearl of wisdom, Product recommendations, practice you use.  

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

Callie signing This is Halloween

https://www.facebook.com/mkbrant/posts/10157763993467616

AirPods

https://www.apple.com/airpods/

Thriving in life after surviving a car accident.  

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown talks to Michelle Kuei.  Michelle shares her story of being hit by a car on her way home from school, moving to America, and learning to thrive with a disability.

Conversation Highlights:

{0:20}    Introduction of Michelle

{1:41}    The story of her accident

{4:30}    Going to school after years in rehab

{8:09}    Moving to America

{12:21}  Deciding to make a change

{15:20}  Mountain Climbing

{27:00}  3 Ps. Pearl of wisdom, Product recommendations, practice you use.  

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt

https://fullfocusplanner.com/?v%3Futm_campaign=plannersales&utm_medium=monkedia&utm_source=bing&utm_content=plannersales&m_ac=20040&m_pl=04&m_tm=81&msclkid=465c6d3d21f1176be2c80c38e8f6a694

Michelle Kuie – A Personal Confidence Coach

https://elevatelifecoaching.org/

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown talks to Mica Barrington, a single mom who survived Five strokes that resulted from her Moyamoya Disease.  

Mica talks about learning to be independent again, learning to walk and care for her children. She shares her accomplished goals and the new goals she has set for the future.

Conversation Highlights:

{1:39}    Introduction of Mica

{3:11}    Learning to work

{5:00}    Living independently

{7:12}    Family encouragement

{8:50}    The feeling of being independent and ongoing recovery

{11:20}  Future goals

{14:00}  Retraining your brain to find the paths it needs

{15:30}  3 Ps. Pearl of wisdom, Product recommendations, Practice you use.  

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

https://www.walmart.com/ip/As-Seen-On-TV-Copper-Knife-Medium/936266691

In today’s Episode, Janice Brown tells her own story.

I knew from an early age I wanted to be a doctor. My path to medical school was the road less traveled have taken 6 years off between undergraduate and medical school. Growing up on the island of St. Croix, I had access to fresh air, outside activities, organic food, and unlimited imagination. One day when I was a teenager, my mom became bedridden from back pain. I instinctively thought to massage her back. The results were immediate, she was able to get out of bed.

My experiences as a child followed me to adulthood. After I earned an undergraduate degree in Spanish at Columbia University, I pursued Massage Therapy at the former Swedish Institute in New York City. My fluency in Spanish led to my first job out of college as a Research Assistant at Columbia University Medical Center. All the while, I practiced massage therapy, learning various tools that would later serve me.

In 2004, I started medical school at New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ. I remained true to myself and applied for residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). It was the one specialty that allowed me to see patients get better and back on their feet.

Since then, my goal has been to guide my patients to better health and a better quality of life.

Conversation Highlights:

{2:00} Childhood

{4:42} My college journey

{6:23} How being a massage therapist has helped my practice

{10:24} Story of a Doctor who took the time to get the story of her patient

{11:37} Story of surviving Hurricane Hugo in 1989

{14:13} How storytelling helps “Frequent flyer” patients

{17:48} More about my life today

{19:15} Why I named my company Better Health and Rehab.

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

In today’s episode, we talk with  Alfonso about CMT, Charcot – Marie – Tooth Disease.  Alfonso was diagnosed with CMT at the age of 13.

 Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a group of disorders that affect the peripheral nerves, the nerves running from outside the brain and spine. Defects in many different genes cause different forms of this disease. Common symptoms may include foot drop, foot deformity, loss of lower leg muscle, numbness in the foot or leg, “slapping" gait (feet hit the floor hard when walking), and weakness of the hips, legs, or feet. There is currently no cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, but physical therapy, occupational therapy, braces, and other orthopedic devices, pain medication, and orthopedic surgery can help manage and improve symptoms. (https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6034/charcot-marie-tooth-disease)

Conversation Highlights:

{2:00} Story of Diagnosis, and teen years struggling with coming to the reality of the situation

{7:14} Choosing future goals and career paths. The college years

{9:41} What is CMT

{10:45} Early Symptoms of CMT

{12:30} Working full time while having CMT

{14:01} Daily Routine living with CMT

{16:35} Advice for a young person recently diagnosed with CMT

{21:00} Advice for an adult recently diagnosed with CMT

Resources:

betterhealthandrehab.com

https://www.cmtacamp.org/ 

Button Hook and Zipper Pull One Hand Buttons aids Button Assist Device https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B6RSVH7/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_046A97V9Z7RDJ4E1B2JW