Remember that the doctors did not believe that much could be done to help Brianne excel beyond the first year or so and they also said that stress is the worst thing on a patient healing from a traumatic brain injury (That would make the timing of her divorce super unhelpful).
Against all odds, and beyond all the horrendous circumstances that would have been difficult for anyone to go through, she was also in the process of healing. She is light years further than they ever thought.
Simply, she is here to be a light to others, a voice for change and a hope dealer.
We have decided that it would take toooooooo much time to wait on the timeline of events to share other things we did that have helped Brianne heal along this journey. So, we will share those now to help others dealing with similar issues due to a Traumatic Brain Injury or other health problems to possibly see that there is a myriad of help beyond traditional medicine.
Don't get me wrong, we are soooo grateful for the Neurosurgeon, Brianne had one of the best, Dr. Mark Reichman!! We are equally grateful for the nurses along this path, health professionals, therapists, and most of her doctors as we didn't always see eye to eye, most were wonderful. We did have a few situations along the path that we had to address but found that immediate action was the best way to handle things.
Example: I had asked the doctor at the ICU if I could use essential oils on Brianne while exercising her hands, arms, legs, and feet daily and got the OK. However we had a respiratory specialist that threw a fit when she walked in her room, saying some angry things while covering her nose with her hand and then she marched out of the room. I was a bit shocked to have someone be so rude, she could have nicely explained that she can't be around oils and get another person to take her place. When someone is in a life/death experience the last thing we need is drama from those who should be soothing and kind.
Here are a few other things we tried and have also helped Brianne's health:
BLOOD STIMULATOR-
We have some close friends whose son went through surgery for a tumor and they recommended this product because often once surgery is done, small pieces of the tumor can break off and end up attaching in another part of the body and start growing. This has been known to help the remaining pieces move through the blood stream without attaching elsewhere... but this is just what others have observed there is no scientific backing. And we felt it was right to use the Blood Stimulator with Brianne. So we used this consistently for the first year and have slowly gone down, from daily to weekly to a couple times a month. But once a week has seemed to be a good amount for us, after the first year. I have bought it a few places but Amazon is easy.
CBD Oil - We have used many different brands and it does help to find one that is pure. We just came across https://www.fortitudeorganics.com/staystrong where you can buy a high quality super strength CBD at a lower cost than other places we have seen. If you haven't seen Jon and Laura's story (you must watch it below), it is an inspiring story of love, endurance in the hard, looking to God and LOVE in all things.
*Laura Grant (the wife of a TBI survivor and advocate for a healthier recovery) said:
"CBD has been a key component in finding balance, harmony, peace and healing for Jon. It has been a key support to all the other modalities and continues to be a morning and night routine of a dropper of high dose/high quality CBD because of the quality and knowledge of where this CBD is coming from we are certain Jon is putting the best in his body. As through this journey we have come to believe that quality of what is put on and inside Jon’s body it KEY! "
We used it for balance and harmony as well, CBD has been an incredible part of Brianne's journey for many areas of the healing process. High doses of CBD (around 2500 mg.) have known to be helpful for seizures, it has helped with anxiety, also possibly helps with Neuroprotective properties https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cbd-oil-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6 , and more.
"They found that dosing with CBD after the brain injury reduced the volume and extent of brain damage, reduced inflammation in the brain, and prevented the impairment of neurological behavior."
ESSENTIAL OILS-
Here are a few that we felt were important for Brianne's recovery. In the beginning (starting at the hospital) we would often do foot rubs for her but then it turned into a family event for everyone each evening once she was home. Her son particularly loved having his feet rubbed before bed with the yummy smells of oils on his little feet.
*Make sure you only use a drop or two combined with a carrier oil (such as jojoba, sweet almond, or avocado oil), then essential oils can be applied to the skin or added to baths in small amounts.
Here are our favorites for healing:
Lavender Lavender relieves stress, has antidepressant benefits, helps with congestion, promotes sleep, keeps skin healthy, and is even a natural diuretic. You can put some in a little spray bottle with water and spritz it on your pillow at night for a calmer sleep.
Frankincense
A component in frankincense, boswellic acid, has been studied for its anti-inflammatory properties. Frankincense has shown to alleviate stress and relieve pain. Frankincense is also known to support healthy cells, immune, nervous, and digestive functioning. With Brianne we used this on her neck area each night for the first year or so .
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is the perfect oil to use in massage therapy. Lemongrass has a pungent aroma that can heighten awareness and promote a positive outlook. Don't we all need a positive outlook, but especially when we are healing.
The next few blog posts are filled with other interventions that truly have blessed Brianne's journey. As we mentioned each came around at just the right time. For us, trusting God's timing in finding the next help was necessary.
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