Concussions and Lawn Chairs

I spent Easter long weekend in New Orleans for a Bachelorette Party. Why would someone who suffers from chronic migraines, visual snow, and post concussion syndrome go to The Big Easy? Aside from a few valid reasons (that are too boring and predictable to share), my choice to go on the trip was largely fueled by my "fear of missing out" ("FOMO") (or as my future sister in law would say, the fear of missing stuff ("FOMS")). For as long as I can remember, I've dealt with FOMO in one form or another. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, FOMO  is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as the " fear of not being included in something (such as an interesting or enjoyable activity) that others are experiencing ." During her Ted talk on the topic, Priya Parker, the Founder of Thrive Labs, defined FOMO as the " anxiety of opportunity cost. "  Through her research she found that " we live in fear to make sure that we’re try...

Brain Awareness Week (BAW), March 12 to the 17th, is a global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research.  In honour of BAW, I brainstormed (get it? BRAINstormed) a list of ten things you (YES! YOU!) can do to improve your brain health.  Wait? Am I qualified to give this kind of advice? Good question. Probably not. Yes, I’m like really really smart, but I do have a brain injury and am not a Doctor (so please do not take anything I say as a substitute for medical advice). So why should you even bother reading this? Another good question. The thing is I have learned more than I ever cared to know about brain health since my concussion in February of 2017.  I have seen over 20 different specialists/doctors and had over 160 appointments in the last 13 months (I'm compiling my medical bills for tax purposes, which is why I know these facts. Don't judge!). Plus, the following are things that I’m required to do daily...