Radio Shows

It doesn’t take a brain injury to suffer from chronic pain, but many who have experienced brain injury, also suffer from chronic pain issues. Many of us don’t want to add addiction to our laundry list of potentially life long health issues, are seeking alternative or more holistic ways to deal with pain. Tonight Kim and Caren will talk about some of the treatments that have helped them, the doctor probably hasn’t mentioned.

Robert Fraser, Ph.D is a professor in the University of Washington’s Dept of Rehabilitation Medicine, jointly with the Departments of Neuro Surgery, Neurology, and consultant to the Social Security Admin. Dr. Fraser is a certified rehab counselor & life care planner. He directs Neurological Vocational Services within Rehab Medicine, specializing in brain injury, epilepsy and MS. He has co-authored numerous articles and four text books to include TBI Rehabilitation.

Kim and Cohost Simon will be discussing the phenomenon of Blindsight. The term was coined by psychologist Lawrence Weiskrantz and his colleagues in a paper published in Brain in 1974. Blindsight is a term used to describe a level of consciousness that allows some people with visual impairments, the ability to respond to visuals they can’t consciously see. Simon happens to be one of those people. Join as we revisit Simon’s survivor story, and how he came to discover his Blindsight, as well as the possible implications of these now widely accepted occurrences.

Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist and life coach who helps people cope with codependency, love addiction, toxic relationships, and mental health issues. Sherry is the author of Love Smacked, in which Sherry addresses relationship addiction and codependency. As a leading expert on addiction and recovery, Sherry’s TV appearances include: VH1’s Celebrity Rehab, CNN, Inside Edition, the Robert Irvine Show and Access Live, E! News, among others. She has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Women’s World, LA Times, Thrive Global, the New York Post, Marriage.com, Psychology Today, Zoosk and other publications. She has also been a guest on many SiriusXM radio shows and now hosts her own podcast, The Love Fix! Sherry maintains a private practice and founder of Wake-Up Recovery an online group coaching program that applies the principals of positive psychology, law of attraction, and mindfulness for codependents, love addicts,and toxic relationships.

Easter actually began as a pagan festival celebrating spring in the Northern Hemisphere, long before the advent of Christianity. “Since pre-historic times, people have celebrated the equinoxes and the solstices as sacred times,” Later, Easter became recognized as the highest celebration of Christianity. Because the resurrection establishes the belief in life after death. Happy Easter if that’s you. However you believe, spring signals a time of renewal, when new life and color emerges. Add the Virus and other news hot topics the past few years, and there has been ample opportunity for us to have reason to grieve. With more isolation, lock downs, fear mongering .. Grief over real losses of all kinds, has perhaps been even harder to bear. Grief is stressful enough, but add everything else mentioned, and no one has been immune to grief. We must take time to grieve, or we would never fully appreciate gratitude. Tonight we discuss grief and renewal for brain injury survivors. We’ve felt the sorrow, now how do we refresh and move forward?

There is a massive increase in online child enticement and exploitation, along with teen depression, self-harm and suicide. Children are isolated, lonely, afraid and looking for connection with others – predators know this and are intentionally targeting children everywhere! Founder Jan Edwards, Paving the Way Foundation is committed to empowering communities to be a fierce disruption in the cycle of child trafficking and online exploitation through highly engaging and empowering educational programs. Starting with its Award-Winning Film, Trapped in the Trade, the organization takes the audience through one girl’s journey of being targeted, groomed, recruited and trapped into being sold for sex. This short film does not have a happy ending, leaving the audience a little raw with hearts and eyes wide open to what they can do to prevent exploitation. The sequel is on the way showing how trafficking rings operate; with an inside look at how law enforcement, victim advocates and NGO’s work together to safely recover victims who are ready to leave the life. Jan is spearheading a national information campaign with schools, parents, teens in middle and high schools, the media, and other critical organizations on how to spot, resist and report perpetrators.

Leonard Buschel is a Philadelphia native, a potentially terminal Brain Tumor Survivor, and now a very happy Los Angeles transplant. He is California Certified Substance Abuse Counselor with years of experience working with people struggling with addiction. Mr. Buschel is the author of the recently published auto-biography/Recovery Memoir: HIGH Confessions of a Cannabis Addict. He attended Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Mr. Buschel is the founder of Writers In Treatment whose primary purpose is to promote ‘treatment’ as the best first step solution for addiction, alcoholism and other self-destructive behaviors. Leonard is the director of the 13 year old REEL Recovery Film Festival & Symposium®, and for nine years has been the editor/publisher of the weekly Addiction/Recovery eBulletin®. He also directs and produces the annual Experience, Strength and Hope Awards® in Los Angeles.

Dr. Michael Wyand is a biopharmaceutical executive with over 25yrs experience in managing and building successful product and service-oriented life science companies. He is the CEO and Director of Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biotech company developing new, innovative therapeutics for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), known as concussion, and related neuro-metabolic dysfunction. Oxeia is actively recruiting participants for its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of OXE103 at the University of Kansas Medical Center. OXE103 could advance treatment directly addressing the underlying pathology of mTBI. An accomplished leader, Dr. Wyand has substantial experience managing R&D and as a corporate officer. He trained in comparative pathology at Harvard Medical School, received his DVM from Purdue University and his PhD in Pathology from the University of Connecticut. He received a BS in Biology from the University of Connecticut where he graduated with honors as a University Scholar. In second hour, Rico Petrini #49, an All-Conference Linebacker and Team MVP at Oregon State University, shares how he went from near perfect health to extreme behavioral, neurological, and physical changes this past year at 49 years old and the clinical trial using Photobiomodulation that might have saved him.

Ray Ciancaglini is a former professional boxer and renowned concussion awareness advocate who has battled Parkinson’s Syndrome and Pugilistica Dementia (CTE), the direct result of improper management of concussions during his boxing career. Ray travels the country lecturing Collegiate athletes and medical students, about proper concussion management and the possible repercussions of circumventing appropriate concussion protocol. He also speaks at TBI conferences and medical institutions about living with a traumatic brain injury, and stage 2 dementia. All speaking engagements are free of charge. Ray was instrumental in getting passed into New York State Law the Concussion Management Awareness Act of 2010 and was a contributor to the 1996 Professional Boxing Safety Act. Ray is a member of the Rochester, NY Boxing Hall of Fame and the Geneva, NY Sports Hall of Fame. His most notable awards are the Hickok Hero Award, the Golden Glove Heart Award and the Gerry Flynn Courage Award. His greatest award, however, is knowing that he is making a difference in the lives of young athletes and TBI survivors. Ray’s life story is captured in a recent book on Amazon, Second Impact, The RayCiancaglini Story by Andy Siegel (Esq). Futher thanks to GTX Smartsole.

Kim and Caren will be discussing Peer Pressure as a causal factor for Brain Injury. Whether it’s a Gang or a Frat House, Sports, Social Media Dares and more .. Young people have been experiencing even more debilitating or deadly brain injuries. These injuries level the playing field, because regardless of race, finances, religion, etc – Brain Injury doesn’t discriminate. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and this topic is one seldom discussed. This is unfortunate, because most of these injuries are preventable. Join us and see how you can help.