Podcasts about national intrepid center

  Discover the revolutionary breakthroughs in military medicine that are changing lives. Join us for a riveting conversation with Navy Captain Carlos D. Williams, MD, Director of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICOE) at Walter Reed, as he takes us behind the scenes of this pioneering institution. Learn how NICOE's interdisciplinary approach and state-of-the-art diagnostic tools like CT scans, MRIs, and magnetoencephalography are setting new standards in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) among military personnel. You'll also hear about the significant role played by the Fisher family and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund in establishing this beacon of hope in 2010, following Congress's mandate to address TBI and related conditions.    We expand our exploration to the broader landscape of military medicine, reflecting on both the prognosis and complex treatment pathways for TBI. CAPT Williams sheds light on the intricate link between TBI, suicide risk, PTSD, and major depression while emphasizing the critical importance of pediatric care within the military health system. Listen as he shares invaluable lessons from pandemic responses and underscores the unwavering commitment required to serve in this field. Brought to you in collaboration with Defense Strategies Institute's OPMED TV, this episode offers a profound narrative honoring the legacy and future of military medicine. Stay tuned to Team War Docs for more stories of dedication and service.   Chapters: (00:04) Advancements in Military Medicine (12:53) Diagnosing and Treating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)   Chapter Summaries: (00:04) Advancements in Military Medicine NICOE at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center provides interdisciplinary care for TBI with advanced diagnostic tools and a largely civilian staff.   (12:53) Diagnosing and Treating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) TBI prognosis and treatment, post-concussive symptoms, pandemic response lessons, pediatric care in military medicine.   Take Home Messages: Pioneering Care for Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): The National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICO) at Walter Reed is at the forefront of treating traumatic brain injuries in military personnel. Using an interdisciplinary approach and cutting-edge diagnostic tools such as CT scans, MRIs, and magnetoencephalography, NICO has made significant strides in understanding and treating TBIs since its establishment in 2010. Holistic Treatment Approaches: Beyond traditional medical treatments, NICO incorporates non-traditional pathways such as art, music, dance therapy, and gardening into their care model. This holistic approach acknowledges the complex interplay between physical and psychological health, particularly for conditions like PTSD and major depression that often accompany TBI. Role of Pediatric Care in Military Medicine: Pediatric care is a critical component of the military health system. Military personnel's families, including children, are integral beneficiaries of the system, underscoring the need for specialized pediatric care within military medical facilities. Lessons from Pandemic Responses: Consistent preparedness is essential for effective pandemic response. Experiences from previous pandemics, including recent ones, highlight the importance of maintaining readiness and continuously funding capabilities to handle both natural and potentially engineered pandemics. Significance of Prevention and Research: The military is actively working on preventative measures for TBI, such as baselining before training and exploring biomarkers for early diagnosis. Ongoing research is crucial to develop effective prevention strategies and enhance treatment outcomes for those affected by TBI and associated conditions. Episode Keywords: Military Medicine, Traumatic Brain Injury, TBI, National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed, Fisher Family, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Interdisciplinary Care, Diagnostic Tools, CT Scans, MRIs, Magnetoencephalography, Suicide Risk, PTSD, Major Depression, Pandemic Response, Pediatric Care, Global Health, Military Operations, Military Service, Dedicated Professionals Hashtags: #MilitaryMedicine, #TraumaticBrainInjury, #TBI, #NationalIntrepidCenterofExcellence, #WalterReed, #FisherFamily, #IntrepidFallenHeroesFund, #InterdisciplinaryCare, #DiagnosticTools, #CTScans, #MRIs, #Magnetoencephalography, #SuicideRisk, #PTSD, #MajorDepression, #PandemicResponse, #PediatricCare, #GlobalHealth, #MilitaryOperations, #MilitaryService, #DedicatedProfessionals   Honoring the Legacy and Preserving the History of Military Medicine The WarDocs Mission is to honor the legacy, preserve the oral history, and showcase career opportunities, unique expeditionary experiences, and achievements of Military Medicine. We foster patriotism and pride in Who we are, What we do, and, most importantly, How we serve Our Patients, the DoD, and Our Nation. Find out more and join Team WarDocs at https://www.wardocspodcast.com/ Check our list of previous guest episodes at https://www.wardocspodcast.com/our-guests Subscribe and Like our Videos on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@wardocspodcast Listen to the “What We Are For” Episode 47. https://bit.ly/3r87Afm WarDocs- The Military Medicine Podcast is a Non-Profit, Tax-exempt-501(c)(3) Veteran Run Organization run by volunteers. All donations are tax-deductible and go to honoring and preserving the history, experiences, successes, and lessons learned in Military Medicine. A tax receipt will be sent to you. WARDOCS documents the experiences, contributions, and innovations of all military medicine Services, ranks, and Corps who are affectionately called "Docs" as a sign of respect, trust, and confidence on and off the battlefield,demonstrating dedication to the medical care of fellow comrades in arms.     Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @wardocspodcast Facebook: WarDocs Podcast Instagram: @wardocspodcast LinkedIn: WarDocs-The Military Medicine Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@wardocspodcast

In this episode, we discuss How to Embrace Holistic Healing through Art Therapy and Feng Shui as Jacqueline shares each stepping stone of her practice and how it continues to evolve.  Jacqueline went through a journey of stepping stones, each with unique and individual sets of wisdom that she now combines beautifully into her overall practice. She started with art education, eventually adding Yoga, Reiki, Art Therapy, and Feng Shui as a wholesome blend of holistic healing practices.  She shares how Art Therapy led her into deeper practices and understanding of how interconnected intergenerational trauma can be in one's environment and habits. Jacqueline speaks on her findings of people she's served, from children to veterans who all benefit from the therapeutic practices she's combined. Through her work, she discovered that she could only do so much from a therapist's perspective and often this would send her clients back home to an unsupportive or imbalanced environment. This is where Feng Shui came in, Jacqueline started studying Feng Shui through Amanda's International Feng Shui School and discovered that she was able to help her clients set up their homes for personal success too! This combined with Art Therapy allowed her to guide her clients to explore their creativity more, which allowed them to be more in tune with the colors, artwork, and flow of the home itself. The interconnection of Art Therapy and Feng Shui mainly took the form of repatterning old programs of environment, where she found her clients all had habits, perhaps formed from childhood and others formed through adulthood that often created a negative cycle. Now, she can provide them with repatterning tools like decluttering, healing from within, Art Therapy practices, or taking time to meditate or reflect through art that then guides them to breaking negative cycles. A beautiful part of this episode for me was as we started diving deeper into generational trauma, Jacqueline expressed how much wisdom is buried deep within our roots. As we start unpacking trauma and releasing what does not serve us, we also keep emotional reminders and keepsakes within our consciousness as pearls of wisdom. Sometimes it's on what you'd rather want to break the cycle of, other times it's areas in which you'd want to improve for the next generation. Through her Art Therapy and holistic healing modalities, she's found ways to restore, rebuild and release with her clients, and teach them grounding techniques for their continued healing. Toward the end of the episode, Jacqueline shares her tips on how to use Yoga, meditation, Art Therapy, Feng Shui, reflection, and everyday rituals to create an environment supportive of holistic healing. If you're on the path of holistic healing, or you have an interest in Art Therapy or Feng Shui, then this is the podcast for you. Like me, so many of my students, including Jacqueline, started out learning from various cultures and modalities like Yoga, Reiki, Pilates, and Meditation and started incorporating Feng Shui and other holistic healing practices into their tool kit. When you're on the path of a holistic healer then you'll find that one modality always fits into another. That is why when I speak of Feng Shui, I always say that it pairs and interconnects with all the other holistic healing functions. Are you ready to expand on your holistic healing journey or upgrade your services? Join Jacqueline and many other students on their path as holistic healers and register for my FREE Feng Shui mini-course or my Feng Shui Master Certification Course, where you will learn a holistic blend of Feng Shui to incorporate with your existing or future services.      Jacqueline Jones owns and operates Flourish Momentum, integrative health and wellness for mind, body, soul, and space. She draws on her professional experience in education, art therapy, yoga, meditation, integrative nutrition health coaching, energy healing, and feng shui to offer a proprietary blend of services to holistically support clients to optimize all-around wellness. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art, Master of Education, and Master of Arts in Art Therapy. She is a Board Certified Art Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified iRest Yoga Nidra Teacher, Certified Energy Medicine Yoga Teacher, Certified Zentangle Teacher, and Master Level Reiki Practitioner and Feng Shui Consultant. She taught art in Fairfax County Public Schools before becoming an art therapist. Since 2011 she has been providing clinical art therapy, first to pediatric oncology and hematology patients at Georgetown University Hospital, then, since 2012, to active duty service members in rehabilitative treatment for invisible wounds of war such as traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, and chronic pain at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Intrepid Spirit One at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, and at The Invisible Wounds Center at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Since 2018 she has been providing yoga and iRest yoga nidra therapeutically as well. In 2021 she launched her private practice, Flourish Momentum, to work with clients using a full spectrum holistic approach that addresses mind, body, soul, and space to achieve and maintain desired wellness goals. She works therapeutically with clients one-on-one as well as provides therapeutic groups and wellness events to non-profit and for-profit organizations in a variety of contexts to support needs of staff or clientele. She has researched, published, and presented nationally and internationally on program development and evaluation of clinical art therapy to treat TBI and PTSD in military populations as well as utilizing art therapy to treat complicated and disenfranchised grief among military service members. Website:  www.flourishmomentum.com Instagram:  @flourish_momentum  Subscribe to her YouTube Channel for Free guided practices.

https://www.antiherosjourney.com/ Dr. Andrea Lucie (Ph.D. in Mind Body Medicine). For the past 29 years she has worked for the Department of Defense including at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC), The Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the University of Colorado and lately as an independent provider of Traditional Medicine Retreat for Veterans, their families and First Responders. Andrea grew up in the south of Chile and at the hills of the Andes mountains. She learned from childhood the value of traditional medicine while observing her grandparents perform traditional healing rituals. Her knowledge is drawn from traditional educational institutions in the United States as well as from mentors from the Lakota community and Mexican healers. She has specialized in the holistic treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. An advocate for integrated medicine and a holistic approach to healing, she is also certified holistic yoga teacher, a recreational therapist, and a Reiki Master. Her experience includes trauma sensitive yoga, tai chi, meditation, mind body medicine, shamanic healing, and martial arts. She has been featured in several publications, including the National Journal, U.S. Medicine: The Voice of Federal Medicine, FIGHT magazine for her work on post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, and in The New York Times for her work in the sacred medicine space. Andrea has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences around the country including the Marine Corps Combat Operational Stress Control (COSC) Conference, San Diego, CA, the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) meeting for the Athletic Business Conference, and at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her work including being named the Marine Corps recipient of the 2007 International Military Community Executives Association (IMCEA) Irvin Rubinstein Award as the top manager for MCCS in her first two years in her position. Following her desire to continue her service to the military community, Andrea moved to Mexico to facilitate sacred medicine retreats in Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica. Honoring the sacredness of the medicine, she has worked with traditional healers from Peru, Brazil and Mexico. Now she is a full-time retreat organizer, facilitator, and coach. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-andrea-lucie-a309a122 https://www.navigatesni.com/free-consultation

Jackie Jones is a holistic therapist with over a decade of experience in treating military service members and veterans. As a former art therapy intern at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Jackie developed a unique holistic approach that addresses the mind, body, soul, and space of each client, leading to profound healing on all levels. Through her art therapy and yoga programs, Jackie has witnessed significant transformations in service members and veterans dealing with PTSD, moral injury, anxiety, depression, and pain. Discover how she works to create personalized treatment plans to empower veterans on their healing journey. Support the Show Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 The Patriot Box: https://driveonpodcast.com/recommends/the-patriot-box/ The Hero Company: https://driveonpodcast.com/recommends/the-hero-company/ Monster Resume Writing Services: https://driveonpodcast.com/recommends/monster-resume-writing-services/ PACT Act: https://va.gov/pact Flag Shirt: https://driveonpodcast.com/recommends/flag-shirt/ AmericanFlags.com: https://driveonpodcast.com/recommends/americanflags-com/ Links & Resources FlourishMomentum.com Follow Jackie on Instagram: https://instagram.com/flourish_momentum Subscribe to Jackie's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JackieJones Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

Interview with Captain Moira G. McGuire, former Chief of the Arts in Health Program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, and Sarah Moore, Community Specialist for Arts and Health at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.THE WRITE TO HEAL: SOLDIERS DEEP DIVE INTO STORYTELLING In this new, limited six-episode audio series, Artist Soapbox speaks with life-changers – people who champion creative writing as a catalyst for soldiers' healing, as well as soldiers whose lives have been radically transformed through story. The interviews are conducted by Tamara Kissane, Artist Soapbox producer and 2020 Piedmont Laureate, with June Guralnick, 2022 Raleigh Medal of Arts recipient and creative writing teacher for veterans.GUEST BIOSCAPT (RET) MOIRA G. MCGUIRE was a nurse officer with the U.S. Public Health Service and former Chief of the Arts in Health Program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. She has worked extensively with vulnerable populations in behavioral health and oncology settings, and in 2010 was hand selected to establish the Sea Services Warrior Clinic at National Naval Medical Center where she used her skills and experience to craft and enhance the care of our country's wounded, ill, and injured service members as the Program Manager. The focus of her professional work lies in the belief that creativity and expression are not only essential elements in the treatment of illness and injury, but in the prevention of them as well.SARAH MOORE is the Community Specialist for Arts and Health at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. After earning her Masters' degree at Columbia College, she worked as a dance/movement therapist with trauma survivors and refugees. Utilizing her Bachelor's in Peace-Building, she facilitated dance-based conflict resolution in Bosnia for five years followed by one year of teaching dance to immigrant students in Portugal. She conducted her master's thesis in Nairobi and returns annually as part of the collaborative leadership team supporting therapeutic arts training with Global Alliance for Africa. The through-line of Sarah's work is expanding ethical and equitable access to health and well-being through the arts.EPISODE LINKSThe National Intrepid Center for ExcellenceOur Country's Keepers: Stories of Active Duty Veterans and Those Who Care For Them (Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater)Transcript CREDITSTHE WRITE TO HEAL: SOLDIERS DEEP DIVE INTO STORYTELLING is a production of Artist Soapbox in partnership with June Guralnick.This series is dedicated to the memory of David Brave Heart.The intro montage is sound engineered by Royce Froehlich, and music in both the intro and outro are by David Brave Heart, with additional music by Louis Wilkinson.Post-production is by Tamara Kissane and Jasmine Hunjan.WHEN I WRITE I FEEL… CONTRIBUTORSJenny BaileyLinda BelansGail Ashby BryantKammie DeGhetoChuck GalleLinda GilesJune GuralnickPJ HarperKirsten HowardTamara KissaneAllie McDonaldRay OwenShirley PerrySande SouthworthScott Charles WhittemoreNorah & SusannahFor more information, see artistsoapbox.org and juneguralnick.com.

 In 2010, the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, now known as the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, launched the Caregiver and Family Member Study. This 15-Year Longitudinal TBI Study, led by TBICoE researchers at the National Intrepid Center of ExcellenceOpens to the homepage of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Maryland is a congressionally mandated study that examines the effects of TBI incurred by service members. The specific focus of the study is on those who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, and how those effects impact family members.The Caregiver and Family Member Study aims to better understand the impact of the service member's or veteran's TBI on their family.Now in its eleventh year, the Caregiver and Family Member Study has found that the time commitment and burden of caregiving is correlated with physical and psychological distress, poor sleep and disrupted family life. Frequently, caregivers balance their commitments toward their service member or veteran with childcare and other work duties, often receiving no help and having little time for themselves.Caregivers also have unmet health care and care provision needs. These unmet needs can evolve to worse caregiver health and well-being.WOMAN & WARRIOR MINISTRYThank you for listening!"Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring today's episode!Behind the Service listeners can get 10% off by visiting:https://betterhelp.com/behindtheserviceVisit our webpage at cominghomewell.comFollow us on our socialsYouTube @cominghomewellmilitaryInstagram @behindtheservicepodcastFacebook at (1) Behind the Service | FacebookLinkedIn at Coming Home WellHome » Coming Home WellWe are a 501C3 nonprofit organization.Interested in sponsoring our podcasts email us at cominghomewell@gmail.comCheck out some of our other podcasts: Peace After CombatFreedom Sisters ShowThe Optimal Response Initiative Stay up to date and gain early access to new podcasts and upcoming ...

TW: combat-related trauma, graphic mention of combat-related injuries and death. Colby Bowers joins us for today's episode to talk about his time served in combat with the Air Force including the graphic experiences, the injuries, and the recovery process. Colby now invests in real estate and runs a nonprofit in support of furthering research and healing of people who have suffered a traumatic event in their life. Email Colby at colby.bowers@sentinelequitygroup.com Follow Colby on IG: https://www.instagram.com/colby_bowersaf/  Support the Paper Crane Foundation HERE Check out the Marcus Institue for Brain Health HERE Link to: National Intrepid Center of Excellence ______________ **If you are experiencing suicidal ideations or have experienced sexual assault and need help or someone to talk to, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673** **Any views discussed in this episode are strictly personal views and not views of the United States military. This podcast is in no way affiliated with any branch of the United States military. Some names have been changed in order to protect the identities of speakers and/or names mentioned throughout episodes.** Sign the petition for Better Mental Health Care in the United States Navy here: https://chng.it/z2M6WR2WcM Follow Your Story Doesn't End Here on IG at https://www.instagram.com/_ysdeh/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/ysdeh  

There are nearly half a million American service members and veterans who have sustained a brain injury over the last 20 years. And countless more veterans struggle for years and even decades in the aftermath of traumatic brain injury. Join neurologist Dr. James Kelly, founding director of the Department of Defense's National Intrepid Center of Excellence (2009-2015) and current executive director of the Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the University of Colorado's Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, in a discussion about the invisible wounds associated with our nation's service members and veterans.

About Today's GuestAlex Balbir serves as the director for Independence Services. Prior to joining Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), he served as a health care consultant supporting the Department of Defense Military Health System and as the deputy director and chief of operations for clinical research at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. Alex is a Navy reservist, serving as a health care administrator in the Medical Service Corps.He obtained his doctorate of philosophy in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focusing his research on sleep disorders in brain injury. He also has a master's of business administration from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, focusing on organizational management and entrepreneurship.Alex connects, serves, and empowers warriors in his role as independence services director.Links Mentioned In This EpisodeWounded Warrior Project Web SiteWWP Independence ProgramPsychArmor Resource of the WeekThe PsychArmor Resource of the Week is the PsychArmor course How to Talk to Someone with a Disability. As you've heard in this episode, a significant number of service members leave the military as a result of catastrophic injuries or illnesses, and this course is designed to equip volunteers with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively and confidently communicate with someone who has a disability. You can find a link to the resource here: https://learn.psycharmor.org/courses/how-to-talk-to-someone-with-a-disability This Episode Sponsored By:This episode is sponsored by PsychArmor, the premier education and learning ecosystem specializing in military culture content. PsychArmor offers an online e-learning laboratory with custom training options for organizations.Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

In this episode of CUBIST, Amanda and Don discuss the article, “Efficacy of an Interdisciplinary Intensive Outpatient Program in Treating Combat-Related Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Conditions,” written by Thomas DeGraba and his colleagues at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, and was published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology January of 2021. Article Citation: DeGraba, T. J., Williams, K., Koffman, R., Bell, J. L., Pettit, W., Kelly, J. P., Dittmer, T. A., Nussbaum, G., Grammer, G., Bleiberg, J., French, L. M., & Pickett, T. C. (2021). Efficacy of an Interdisciplinary Intensive Outpatient Program in Treating Combat-Related Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Conditions. Frontiers in neurology, 11, 580182. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2020.580182 Article LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33536993/ CUBIST is a podcast for health care providers produced by the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence. We discuss the latest research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) most relevant to patient care. For more about TBI, including clinical tools, go to Health.mil/TBICoE or email us at dha.ncr.j-9.mbx.tbicoe-info@mail.mil. The views, opinions, and/or findings in this podcast are those of the host and subject matter experts. They should not be construed as an official Department of Defense position, policy, or decision unless designated by other official documentation. Our theme song is “Upbeat-Corporate' by WhiteCat, available and was used according to the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 license.

We all deserve to get the help we need to be better and to do better. Treating what is happening inside the brain is just as important as treating what is happening outside when someone has sustained brain trauma. The healing process of the brain is affected by the way that we treat it by providing medical, emotional and mental health support.In this episode, Suzi has the pleasure of chatting with Spencer Milo, not only a dear friend but a phenomenal individual. Spencer is the Director of Strategic Development & External Relations at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health (MIBH). The MIBH offers an intensive outpatient treatment program for veterans first responders and retired athletes that have been dealing with the prolonged symptoms of concussion and trauma brain injury.Learn more about MBIH at https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/mibhContact them directly at https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/mibh/contact-usSpencer Milo BioSpencer Milo is a medically re​tired, post-9/11 U.S. Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. A passionate advocate and spokesman for Veterans and Veterans' issues, he also serves transitioning military members and Veterans in his civilian career today.An Airborne Infantryman who was recognized as an exceptional leader in combat, Spencer held a number of command and control roles in military assignments that spanned the United States, Europe and Asia, in addition to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.In 2008, during a 16-month tour in Iraq where he saw action in Baghdad and Mosul, Spencer suffered a concussion and other minor injuries when a routine convoy of U.S. Humvees encountered small arms fire. It was while evading enemy contact that he got tossed around inside the turret, and his vehicle crashed. One year later, he was told by doctors stateside that his injury had caused a brain tumor and was given a 6-month terminal diagnosis. Heavily medicated and bedridden for months, he started having seizures. After his family fought for a second opinion, he was sent to the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was eventually told he had been misdiagnosed.Cleared back for duty in January 2010, Spencer chose to continue following his passion for military service and he deployed soon after to Afghanistan. Less than a year later, in January 2011, he was on combat patrol in Spin Boldak, a district in Kandahar Province. That's when an Afghan boy, who stood just feet away from Spencer, detonated himself as a suicide bomber. Thrown 15- 20 feet by the blast, he charged back into the smoke to find his wounded platoon buddy and drag him to safety. Among his injuries: small amounts of shrapnel to his left side and his face; injuries to his spine; hearing loss; Post Traumatic Stress; and, Traumatic Brain Injury. Spencer was returned to the states for medical treatment at Fort Bragg and, after 6 months, he was transferred to the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) at Walter Reed Bethesda, where he underwent four weeks of intensive treatments. Spencer was medically retired as a result of his injuries.Suzi Landolphisuzigma@gmail.comwww.suzilandolphi.comBe Crazy Well is a Coming Home Well Podcast.Make sure to subscribe, leave a review and share with a friend!Music credit to Kalvin Love for the podcast's theme song “Bee Your Best Self”

Having a healthy brain is key to living a full, robust life, but it's often something we neglect in our lives. In this episode, Nathan shares his story of undergoing extensive brain analysis, therapy, and training at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and he offers practical advice for developing personal habits and family rhythms that support brain health.

Román Baca is a classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer. In 2001, recognizing his desire to defend the defenseless, he took a hiatus from dance and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a machine-gunner and fire-team leader in Fallujah, Iraq during the Iraq War. After the war, Román returned to dance and co-founded Exit12 Dance Company, which tells veterans' stories choreographically, to increase cross-cultural understanding and heal divisions. Exit12 has delivered its programming in multiple conventional and unconventional performance spaces across the world. Alongside Román's work with Exit12 he is also an Early Career Researcher at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire, a Junior Research Scientist with the USAF/USN Research Unit, and a Ph.D. Candidate at York St. John University in the UK studying the intersection of dance and war. Earlier this year Román worked as an Arts Envoy with the US State Department to Nigeria where he conducted creative workshops with paramilitary, police, and charitable organizations on arts and health. Román completed his MFA at Trinity Laban and was the 2019 awardee of the Selma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lecture Award for his research into the dance and the military. To learn more about Exit12 Dance Company, visit: https://exit12danceco.org Resources: To learn more about Stephen Wolfert and the DE-CRUIT initiative, where veterans find a path to healing through Shakespeare, visit: https://www.decruit.org Román also mentions the National Intrepid Center of Excellence(NICoE) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the research of Allison Winters Fisher: https://walterreed.tricare.mil/NICoE --- Episode information: What's Work Got to Do With Supporting Veteran Through Art and Dance? Guest: Román Baca Host: Nichole Guilfoy Produced and edited by: Helen Schuckers Written by: Helen Schuckers and Anjali Rameshbabu Connect with us Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences and Oregon Healthy Workforce Center on social media: Twitter: twitter.com/OHSUOccHealth Facebook: www.facebook.com/occhealthsci.ohsu LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/occhealthsci Blog: blogs.ohsu.edu/occupational-health-sciences/ Community feedback is important to us. If you love our podcast and want to further support our podcast, please consider leaving us a review. Thank you!

...Mask work is steeped in human history, and in many cultures around the world. Mask therapy work with service members stems from the work of Art Therapist Melissa Walker at Creative Forces at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (or NICoE), part of Walter Reed Medical Center. The language of trauma may not be accessed, or not there at all. And we recognize that the important thing here is the process of creating a unique and personalized mask – so that the conversations can accompany or follow...Very special thanks to Air Force Veteran John Hicks for your service and for helping us to learn more.Thank you to Dr. Lisa Wong of arts and humanities at Harvard Medical School for joining us, and to Home Base's own Jenn Kneeland, expressive arts therapist for all you do.We hope you have enjoyed Home Base Stories, and if you haven't already, please subscribe to us at Home Base Nation wherever you listen and please write a review on Apple Podcasts. Thank you.This episode was co-produced and edited by Lucy Little. ______________If you are your loved one is experiencing any emotional, mental health struggles, you are not alone and please contact Home Base 617-724-5202, or www.homebase.org  To SUBSCRIBE to Home Base NationTo learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation:www.homebase.org/homebasenationTwitter,Facebook,Instagram,LinkedInHome Base Nation Team: Steve Monaco, Maureen Roderick, Laurie Gallagher, Karianne Kraus, Lucy Little, and COO Michael Allard and Brigadier General  Jack HammondProducer and Host: Dr. Ron HirschbergAssistant Producer, Editor: Lucy LittleMusic texture and sound design by: Lucy LittleTheme/closing music: The Butler FrogsTranscription  assistance: Abby Hirschberg Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation.The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials. 

It starts with the noise. Harsh mechanical sounds like loud screeching. Then, an uncomfortable pressure, a loss of balance like being hit with a beam of energy.All of that can be followed by months — even years — of headaches, nausea, hearing and memory loss.Since 2016, more than 200 US government officials have described feeling some or all of these symptoms and others. It's widely known as "Havana syndrome," since the first cases were detected in the Cuban capital.The number of reported cases of possible attack is sharply growing and lawmakers from both parties, as well as those believed to be affected, are demanding answers. But scientists and government officials aren't yet certain about who might have been behind any attacks, if the symptoms could have been caused inadvertently by surveillance equipment — or if the incidents were actually attacks.Cuba and other countries where these types of attacks have been reported deny any involvement. Related: More details but no answers in brain trauma cases of US diplomats Retired CIA senior intelligence officer Marc Polymeropoulos has been quite outspoken about Havana syndrome, having experienced many of the symptoms himself. Polymeropoulos, author of "Clarity and Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA," joins The World's host Marco Werman to tell us about his experience with Havana syndrome and what he thinks the US should do about it.Marco Werman: Marc, what happened to you in Moscow in 2017? Marc Polymeropoulos: I made a trip, a routine trip to Moscow in early December 2017. I was a senior official in CIA's clandestine services. And so I made a trip to Moscow, first of all, to see the Embassy and to see our ambassador. And also I wanted to get what we call "area familiarization," which is just the idea of seeing Russia for the first time. I had responsibility over Russia as well as other parts of Europe and Eurasia. So a routine trip, but something that certainly changed my life.Related: US Embassy closure in Iraq would hand Tehran a 'strategic victory' After that incident in Moscow, were you detecting anything in real time? And how soon did you feel symptoms? Do you still feel them today?So, yeah. So it started a really awful and rather remarkable journey. So, it was on the night of Dec. 5, I woke up to a start. I had vertigo. I had a terrible headache, tinnitus, which is ringing in my ears — something really, really traumatic had happened to me. I had been in Afghanistan, and Iraq, and other places. I served over three years after 9/11 in war zones. I've been shot at. I put myself in harm's way. But this was the scariest moment of my life. And so I knew something terrible had happened. I made it through about 10 days with the symptoms on and off. I came back to the United States and then the symptoms got particularly awful. And about March, April of 2018, to the point where I couldn't work anymore. And after really seeing numerous doctors and undergoing just this incredible journey of trying to find out what happened, I, you know, I couldn't drive for a while, I lost my long-distance vision. And so, ultimately, I had to retire from the CIA in July of 2019.Now, I did make it, after quite a public battle to obtain health care, I did make it to Walter Reed's National Intrepid Center of Excellence, which is the US military's premiere facility to treat traumatic brain injury. And so I went there between January, February of this year of 2021. And I do feel remarkably better now to a point where I really can function — and I'm still battling the headaches. I've had a headache for almost four years, but things are much better. Walter Reed gave me tools on how to deal with the TBI that I had and also hope. And so I'm very grateful to the doctors and all the men and women there.Related: Why moving the US embassy to Jerusalem is so controversial Were you able to get the treatment you wanted to receive? I did, but I had to go public with this. It caused a bit of a stink, I must say, with the CIA. But I was basically begging and pleading for health care because I just was not getting that. Ultimately, the agency did not believe that anything had happened to me. But after kind of this public outcry, I did end up — they acquiesced —and I did go to Walter Reed. And it was amazing because Walter Reed diagnosed me officially with a traumatic brain injury [TBI]. There is a new term that the US government is using. It's called an "anomalous health incident" — AHI. And ... they're trying to put something together that doesn't just talk about what happened in Havana, since it's happening now, reportedly, all over the world.Right. Well, since your case in 2017, there have been reported cases in China, Germany, Austria. There was a reported case in Washington, DC, on the White House lawn just last week. Vice President [Kamala] Harris' trip to Vietnam was delayed as a result of another case there. How do you explain all this? I mean, what is your theory about what's causing this anomalous health incident we call Havana syndrome? ...I'm not privy to US government information any longer. And if I was, I probably couldn't talk about it, but to me, it's quite obvious there's an adversary doing this. I think the leading candidate are the Russians because they've had such weapons in our arsenal in the past. But ultimately, this is a weapon designed to terrorize. It's an act of war, in my view. It's a terrible word to use. ... I'm going to say now it's rather brilliant because it's very hard ... to find attribution on who's doing this. It's designed to incapacitate, so it certainly didn't kill me or others, but it takes us off the playing field. I think that we're going to find out what has occurred. CIA Director Bill Burns has put together, as you've seen from the press, a task force made up of some individuals who actually were involved in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. I think the CIA and intelligence community is going to get to the bottom of it. It might take some time, but this is something that has to be done. It's an act of war. It's putting our people overseas in peril and we have to have it stop. Well, I was going to ask you, if we end up with incontrovertible proof that there is a government using a weapon that caused this, where does that leave the US in terms of responding? Well, it's an act of war. It's based on operating [in] what we call now in the national security sphere "the gray zone." So these are activities, it's below ... obviously, a shooting war, but something pretty serious, pretty severe. And we're going to have to respond in a very smart manner, because this is something that is much more than influence operations. It's something that's much more than harassment. This is actually injuring our personnel. And so whatever administration finds out who's behind this is going to have some hard decisions to make. It can't just be sanctions. In my view, it's got to be seen as these are actual attacks — which they are — on US officials, and for the safety of the men and women serving overseas, our response has to be pretty dramatic. Has CIA Director William Burns reached out to you directly or anyone from the Biden administration? I know Bill Burns very well. I have talked to him many times. He has taken a personal interest in my case in terms of my health care and has assured me and he's assured others that we're going to get to the bottom of this. I think he's the right person for this job. I admire him greatly. I think is an excellent leader. And I think, most importantly, he cares for his people. So he understands that we have to get to the bottom of this. So as long as he's there, in that role, I feel pretty good that we're going to make progress.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. AP contributed to this report. 

In this episode of CUBIST, Amanda and Don discuss the article, “Efficacy of an Interdisciplinary Intensive Outpatient Program in Treating Combat-Related Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Conditions,” written by Thomas DeGraba and his colleagues at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, and was published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology January of 2021. Article Citation: DeGraba, T. J., Williams, K., Koffman, R., Bell, J. L., Pettit, W., Kelly, J. P., Dittmer, T. A., Nussbaum, G., Grammer, G., Bleiberg, J., French, L. M., & Pickett, T. C. (2021). Efficacy of an Interdisciplinary Intensive Outpatient Program in Treating Combat-Related Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Conditions. Frontiers in neurology, 11, 580182. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2020.580182 Article LINK: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33536993/ CUBIST is a podcast for health care providers produced by the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence. We discuss the latest research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) most relevant to patient care. For more about TBI, including clinical tools, go to Health.mil/TBICoE or email us at dha.ncr.j-9.mbx.tbicoe-info@mail.mil. The views, opinions, and/or findings in this podcast are those of the host and subject matter experts. They should not be construed as an official Department of Defense position, policy, or decision unless designated by other official documentation. Our theme song is “Upbeat-Corporate’ by WhiteCat, available and was used according to the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 license.

Elaine & Heath Brewer - founders of Humble Warrior Wellness Center - where together they dedicate their profession to the provision of restorative services and techniques with the goal to bring harmony and balance to the hyper-vigilant and traumatic work environments that veterans, first responders and emergency medical professionals experience in their daily work. Elaine and Heath have been married for 15 years. Elaine earned a 200hr Baptiste affiliated Yoga Teacher Training Certification, Certified Warriors at Ease Yoga Instructor (Level 1 & Level 2), StrongFirst Training and Instruction SFG Kettlebell Course, Madd Dog Certified Spinning Instructor, Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and holds a certificate in The Science of Well-Being from Yale University and Specialization in Integrative Health and Medicine from University of Minnesota. Heath is a Navy Veteran retiring after 20 years of service supporting Navy Special Operations with specific service supporting SEAL Team 2 and Naval Special Warfare Development Group as their Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician to include over 12 operational deployments. After attending a life-changing intensive outpatient program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), a specialized branch of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Heath became intimately aware of the rejuvenating and healing properties of meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness techniques. Elaine, having also experienced trauma and loss associated with Heath's time in service, decided to shift her focus from her physical health background to incorporate mental health resilience and Elaine quickly recognized the restorative and therapeutic properties with the mind/body connection that yoga and meditation provide along with the undeniable benefits it offers those who have experienced trauma in their lives. So much so, that this shared experience between Elaine and Heath became the inspiration to create a wellness center for veterans, first responders, and emergency medical personnel called the Humble Warrior Wellness Center. Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/humblewarriorwellnesscenterInstagram- https://www.instagram.com/humble_warrior_wellness/Humble Warrior Wellness Center- https://www.humblewarriorwellnesscenter.org/Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5APZ8C5C6942Y&source=url)

This week I had an awesome conversation with Elaine and Heath Brewer from Humble Warrior Wellness. These two have established a Wellness Center that incorporates yoga, meditation and other relevant methods of integrative and holistic therapies to help veterans and first responders deal with the inevitable stressors associated with their jobs. Heath is a combat veteran, deployed 12 times as a Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician and was completely unaware of the mental toll his time in service had caused. Only after attending a life-changing intensive outpatient program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), a specialized branch of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, did he and Elaine become aware of the massive benefits of meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness techniques. Elaine is a 15yr military spouse. After witnessing so much trauma and loss within Heath’s military unit, she decided to shift her focus from physical health to mental health resilience and founded the Humble Warrior Wellness Nonprofit. Since then, these two have been committed to building a facility that enables both veterans and first responders to reap the benefits of holistic therapies. Be sure to check them out at https://www.humblewarriorwellnesscenter.org/ and on Instagram at Humble_Warrior_Welness

"There is nothing more powerful than a humble person with a warrior spirit who is driven by a bigger purpose." Heath Brewer is a retired Navy Veteran of 20yrs from the Navy Special Operations community and the cofounder of The Humble Warrior Wellness Center. Heath made over 12 operational deployments during the span of his military career. After attending a life-changing intensive outpatient program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), a specialized branch of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, he became intimately aware of the rejuvenating and healing properties of meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness techniques. Elaine Brewer is a Fitness and Wellness Professional and the Founder of Humble Warrior Wellness Center. Elaine is a 15yr military spouse. Her husband is a 20yr veteran of the Navy Special Operations community. After experiencing so much trauma and loss within her husband's military unit, she decided to shift her focus from her physical health background to incorporate mental health resilience as well. She quickly recognized the restorative and therapeutic properties with the mind/body connection that yoga and meditation provide along with the undeniable benefits it offers those who have experienced trauma in their lives. There journey has lead them in creating Humble Warrior Wellness Center that allows our country and our community service members a like-minded, safe, and calming environment where they can implement an array of integrative practices and therapies into their daily routine in order to restore, maintain or enhance their mental health and emotional awareness. Enjoy this episode, but also make sure to check out Humble Warrior Wellness Center.

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes FundWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/riU5iT1jBKUThe Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) builds critically-needed centers for treating United States military personnel suffering the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). These injuries have severely impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and women who have served selflessly in defense of our nation.To help address this urgent need, IFHF is building a series of ten specially-designed treatment facilities, called Intrepid Spirit Centers, on military bases across the nation.These centers act as Gymnasiums For The Brain, providing service members with the most advanced care available to address the complex symptoms of TBI and PTS. Seven Intrepid Spirit Centers are open and serving America's brave men and women in uniform and the eighth center is currently underway.More than 90% of patients treated in the centers are able to continue on Active Duty. Two additional centers are planned. The Intrepid Spirit Center program is only the latest in the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund's almost 20-year history of assisting America's military community. Since 2000, IFHF has provided over $200 million in support for severely wounded military personnel and families of military personnel lost in service to our nation.https://www.fallenheroesfund.org/About Todd Domerese"My name is Alvis “Todd” Domerese and I was born and raised in Michigan. In 1998, at the age of 23, I joined the Army as an infantryman. In my 15 years in the Army, I have served with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, I have served with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and I have served with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. I did a 6 month long peacekeeping deployment in Kosovo in 2000, a 1 year long combat deployment to Sadr City, Iraq in 2004, and a 1 year long combat deployment to the Helmand Providence in Afghanistan in 2010. On December 27, 2004 my vehicle was hit by two improvised explosive devices simultaneously. My gunner was killed instantly, my driver had his arm torn apart by shrapnel, and I had a large metal fragment go through my Kevlar helmet which caused a period of unconsciousness, a large complex scalp laceration, a linear skull fracture and swelling and bruising on my brain. I also had multiple shrapnel pieces embedded in my face that had to be surgically removed."After my injury, I changed my job to a water treatment specialist since I could no longer serve as an infantryman. Due to the physical and psychological injuries I sustained in Iraq, I am now found to be 100% disabled and was medically retired as a staff sergeant on September 28, 2013, after serving 15 years, 2 months, and 14 days."Some of the disabilities I suffer from are my severe post traumatic stress, severe migraine headaches, and other residual effects from my moderate traumatic brain injury."My awards include the air assault badge, the expert infantryman badge, the combat infantryman badge, the expert marksmanship badge, the Purple Heart medal, meritorious service medal, the Army Commendation medal (2), Army Achievement medal (6), Good Conduct medal (5), National Defense Service medal, Kosovo Campaign medal, Afghanistan Campaign medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service medal, Noncommissioned officer professional development ribbon (2), Army Service ribbon, Army Overseas Service ribbon (4), Afghanistan NATO medal, and the Kosovo NATO medal. I have been married to my wife Marti for 21 years and have two sons- Benjamin, age 16 and Joshua, age 12 [as of 2019]."Todd was treated at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in early 2013.

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes FundWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/riU5iT1jBKUThe Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) builds critically-needed centers for treating United States military personnel suffering the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). These injuries have severely impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and women who have served selflessly in defense of our nation.To help address this urgent need, IFHF is building a series of ten specially-designed treatment facilities, called Intrepid Spirit Centers, on military bases across the nation.These centers act as Gymnasiums For The Brain, providing service members with the most advanced care available to address the complex symptoms of TBI and PTS. Seven Intrepid Spirit Centers are open and serving America's brave men and women in uniform and the eighth center is currently underway.More than 90% of patients treated in the centers are able to continue on Active Duty. Two additional centers are planned. The Intrepid Spirit Center program is only the latest in the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund's almost 20-year history of assisting America's military community. Since 2000, IFHF has provided over $200 million in support for severely wounded military personnel and families of military personnel lost in service to our nation.https://www.fallenheroesfund.org/About Todd Domerese"My name is Alvis “Todd” Domerese and I was born and raised in Michigan. In 1998, at the age of 23, I joined the Army as an infantryman. In my 15 years in the Army, I have served with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, I have served with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and I have served with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. I did a 6 month long peacekeeping deployment in Kosovo in 2000, a 1 year long combat deployment to Sadr City, Iraq in 2004, and a 1 year long combat deployment to the Helmand Providence in Afghanistan in 2010. On December 27, 2004 my vehicle was hit by two improvised explosive devices simultaneously. My gunner was killed instantly, my driver had his arm torn apart by shrapnel, and I had a large metal fragment go through my Kevlar helmet which caused a period of unconsciousness, a large complex scalp laceration, a linear skull fracture and swelling and bruising on my brain. I also had multiple shrapnel pieces embedded in my face that had to be surgically removed. "After my injury, I changed my job to a water treatment specialist since I could no longer serve as an infantryman. Due to the physical and psychological injuries I sustained in Iraq, I am now found to be 100% disabled and was medically retired as a staff sergeant on September 28, 2013, after serving 15 years, 2 months, and 14 days. "Some of the disabilities I suffer from are my severe post traumatic stress, severe migraine headaches, and other residual effects from my moderate traumatic brain injury. "My awards include the air assault badge, the expert infantryman badge, the combat infantryman badge, the expert marksmanship badge, the Purple Heart medal, meritorious service medal, the Army Commendation medal (2), Army Achievement medal (6), Good Conduct medal (5), National Defense Service medal, Kosovo Campaign medal, Afghanistan Campaign medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service medal, Noncommissioned officer professional development ribbon (2), Army Service ribbon, Army Overseas Service ribbon (4), Afghanistan NATO medal, and the Kosovo NATO medal. I have been married to my wife Marti for 21 years and have two sons- Benjamin, age 16 and Joshua, age 12 [as of 2019]."Todd was treated at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in early 2013.

About this Podcast On Healing and Hope: Lessons learned through research and treatment with service members experiencing Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Featuring conversations with Melissa Walker, Healing Arts Program Coordinator at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a directorate of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and Lead Art Therapist for Creative… Continue Reading Rebuilding after Trauma: Lessons for Work and Life

Hey Folks! We're back from a bit of a hiatus. Things got busy over the holidays, and we've been trying to do some changes to the podcast as well. You should start seeing podcasts at our regular bi-monthly schedule now. This episode of the podcast we have guest Andrew Marr. Andrew is a Special Forces Green Beret, Co-Founder of Warrior Angels Foundation, and author of TALES FROM THE BLAST FACTORY: A Brain Injured Special Forces Green Beret's Journey Back From The Brink. His book is also being made into a full feature documentary titled Quiet Explosions. Andrew is an MBA candidate at Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business and Management. Andrew is married to Becky, the love of his life, and together they have five children and are expecting twin boys in March of 2018. 00:00 – Introduction 2:08 – Andrew Marr’s background 5:50 – Different ways one can sustain a TBI and military conditions effects 8:45 – What lead to Andrew’s TBI 11:05 – Andrew’s symptoms and experience of TBI 17:05 – The NICoE process (National Intrepid Center of Excellence) 19:05 – How Andrew turned it all around 24:08 – Where Andrew went next (treatments he tried) 28:36 – The misconception of treating hormonal issues 31:07 – Ketogenic diet and exogenous ketones 32:15 – Review and summary of Andrew’s treatments 34:17 – Commitment to help others – Warrior Angels Foundation and Tales From The Blast Factory 37:45 – Robb’s thoughts on Andrew’s work 40:25 – Where to find more info from Andrew Website: http://waftbi.org/ Book: TALES FROM THE BLAST FACTORY: A Brain Injured Special Forces Green Beret's Journey Back From The Brink

Since 2012, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed have been conducting a study on the effects of caregiving on the caregivers and families of service members and veterans who've sustained a traumatic brain injury. In this episode, we talk about some of what that study has learned so far and how you can take part. We also discuss an easy way you can help spread the word about TBI this Brain Injury Awareness Month. If you're interested in taking part in the "Health Related Quality of Life in Caregivers of Service Members with Military Related Traumatic Brain Injury" study, call (855) 821-1469 or email caregiver.study@dvbic.org. You can find more information about the study here: http://dvbic.dcoe.mil/caring-caregivers To download the Brain Injury Awareness Month hashtag card and take part in the #ThinkAhead social media campaign, click here: https://dvbic.dcoe.mil/aheadforthefuture/materials The TBI Family is produced by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. This podcast provides caregivers of service members and veterans with TBI with information on traumatic brain injury and highlights resources available to them. We also share caregiver stories. For information on TBI or to get the DVBIC Family Caregiver Curriculum, go to dvbic.dcoe.mil or email us at info@dvbic.org. This podcast transcript is available online via the DVBIC website: http://dvbic.dcoe.mil/files/podcast/dvbic_podcast-series_the-tbi-family_episode-6_feb-14-2017_transcript_v1.0_2017-03-28_0.pdf The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this podcast are those of the host, reporters and guests. They should not be construed as an official Department of Defense position, policy or decision unless so designated by other official documentation. All music in this podcast was used according to Creative Commons licensing. Our theme song is "I Dunno" by grapes and our credit music is "Esaelp Em Xim" by Pitx, both from CCmixter.org. Other songs used were "Hoboken" and "Sex, Death and God," both by Steve Combs from FreeAudioArchive.org. [DCoE Product Unique Identifier 3907]

Ron Capps is the author of Seriously Not All Right: Five Wars in Ten Years (Schaffner, 2014), a memoir of his service as a soldier and Foreign Service officer in Rwanda, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Darfur. Seriously Not All Right is a memoir that provides a unique perspective of a professional military officer and diplomat who suffered (and continues to suffer) from PTSD. His story, and that of his recovery and his newfound role as founder and teacher of the Veterans Writing Project, is an inspiration and a sobering reminder of the cost of all wars, particularly those that appeared in the media and to the general public as merely sidelines in the unfolding drama of world events.Capps is the founder and director of the Veterans Writing Project, a non-profit that provides no-cost writing seminars and workshops for veterans and their family members. He is the curriculum developer and lead instructor for the National Endowment for the Arts programs that bring expressive and creative writing seminars to wounded warriors at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. He is a graduate of both the Master of Liberal Arts program and the MA in Writing program of the Johns Hopkins University and did further graduate work at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.In Tom Glenn's new novel, The Trion Syndrome, German professor Dave Bell is haunted by a half-remembered clandestine mission in Vietnam and the myth of Trion, the Greek demigod. Dave discovers an unpublished novella by Thomas Mann based on the Trion myth and believes he sees himself. Friendless, Dave is betrayed by his colleagues and accused of sexual harassment. He loses his job, his wife divorces him, and his children refuse to see him. At his lowest point, his suppressed memory of what happened in Vietnam resurfaces.Tom Glenn has worked as an intelligence operative, a musician, a linguist, a cryptologist and a government executive. He is a reviewer for The Washington Independent Review of Books and the author of two previous novels, Friendly Casualties and No-Accounts.Writers LIVE programs are supported in part by a bequest from The Miss Howard Hubbard Adult Programming Fund. 

Ron Capps is the author of Seriously Not All Right: Five Wars in Ten Years (Schaffner, 2014), a memoir of his service as a soldier and Foreign Service officer in Rwanda, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Darfur. Seriously Not All Right is a memoir that provides a unique perspective of a professional military officer and diplomat who suffered (and continues to suffer) from PTSD. His story, and that of his recovery and his newfound role as founder and teacher of the Veterans Writing Project, is an inspiration and a sobering reminder of the cost of all wars, particularly those that appeared in the media and to the general public as merely sidelines in the unfolding drama of world events.Capps is the founder and director of the Veterans Writing Project, a non-profit that provides no-cost writing seminars and workshops for veterans and their family members. He is the curriculum developer and lead instructor for the National Endowment for the Arts programs that bring expressive and creative writing seminars to wounded warriors at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. He is a graduate of both the Master of Liberal Arts program and the MA in Writing program of the Johns Hopkins University and did further graduate work at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.In Tom Glenn's new novel, The Trion Syndrome, German professor Dave Bell is haunted by a half-remembered clandestine mission in Vietnam and the myth of Trion, the Greek demigod. Dave discovers an unpublished novella by Thomas Mann based on the Trion myth and believes he sees himself. Friendless, Dave is betrayed by his colleagues and accused of sexual harassment. He loses his job, his wife divorces him, and his children refuse to see him. At his lowest point, his suppressed memory of what happened in Vietnam resurfaces.Tom Glenn has worked as an intelligence operative, a musician, a linguist, a cryptologist and a government executive. He is a reviewer for The Washington Independent Review of Books and the author of two previous novels, Friendly Casualties and No-Accounts.Writers LIVE programs are supported in part by a bequest from The Miss Howard Hubbard Adult Programming Fund. Recorded On: Tuesday, September 27, 2016