In 2013, Chris Tuley had a stroke at the age of 27. With zero family history of stroke, no risk factors, and no obvious genetic disorders, doctors determined the stroke was caused by a spontaneous vertebral artery dissection. Unfortunately dissections are one of the leading causes of strokes in younger people.

After spending months in therapy to correct the loss of his vestibular function, Chris fully recovered, however he had lingering nerve pain in his face that was getting progressively worse. Chris was diagnosed with central poststroke pain syndrome and received treatment at Vanderbilt’s Pain Management Clinic. After trying over 25 medications, nerve blocks, Botox injections, and eastern medicine therapies with little to no relief, Chris was desperate and despondent. Chris was told his future was likely to be filled with an increasing amount of opiates that only provided temporary pain relief.

Luckily fate stepped in as Chris’ pain management doctor shared his story with a Vanderbilt neurosurgeon who specializes in deep brain stimulation. In 2016 Chris received deep brain and motor cortex stimulators to treat his chronic pain. Since the surgery, Chris has found major pain relief and is no longer on any opiates or any other pain relief medication.

Chris is now an advocate for stroke education, chronic pain management, and the use of deep brain stimulation for pain management (which is still not cleared by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration).

Elyse is an occupational therapist from Chattanooga, TN. She worked as a travel therapist across the country before returning home in 2019 to take a home health care position. Since she started working she’s recognized that the U.S. healthcare system is broken. She’s seen and heard time and again from survivors that they don’t get the education, quantity, or quality of therapy they need.

This is the 2nd part of the interview in which Elyse goes on to details to explain what she means by low cost but high quality. Exactly the type of support survivors need.

Elyse is an occupational therapist from Chattanooga, TN. She worked as a travel therapist across the country before returning home in 2019 to take a home health care position. Since she started working she’s recognized that the U.S. healthcare system is broken. She’s seen and heard time and again from survivors that they don’t get the education, quantity, or quality of therapy they need.

This is the part 1 of the interview in which Elyse focuses on her story and what made her decide to start her journey to provide additional resource survivors and family needs.

Traveling Caregivers, a grassroots hope-faith based organization, is bridging the gap between self care while navigating a multitude of Caregiving concerns with a holistic lifestyle and advocacy.

Dawn Renee founder of the Traveling Caregivers, a holistic caregiver, Reiki energy and Ayurvedic practitioner struggled for most of her life to understand the triggers that were causing her to experience migraines, allergies, Endometriosis, auto immune disorder, Diabetes II, Lyme, Epstein Bar, mold exposure, gallstones and chronic fatigue. Over the past decade with a holistic nature based lifestyle approach she has devoted her life to uncovering ways to self care and healing her own disorders while holding space for others and helping them find their own recipe to self care, balance, healing, and hope.

For the last 5.5 years she has been a live in caregiver caring for a friend with stage 4 ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Scloerosis (aka Lou Gherig’s disease). Her friend is bedridden, on a ventilator, feeding tube, catheter requiring 24/7 care and support. Navigating caregiving at whatever level you are needing can easily be one of the most challenging tasks you may experience. Currently there are 54 million unpaid caregivers in the United States many of whom are just now trying to figure out how to manage their new challenges to living their lives while caring for a friend or loved one. Traveling Caregivers was created as a way to bring light to caregivers, to be a source of hope, encouragement and resources for those seeking holistic solutions to balance self care while they are caring for others.

Dawn brings a creative and innovative approach to caregiving and is passionate about sharing her message of self care through her own personal caregiving experiences to inspire hope for others.

Mark Garman went through a traumatic event at the age of 15 that altered my life forever. Mark had brain surgery to remove an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) that was causing him to have seizures. During that surgery he suffered a stroke- along with other complications that changed his life forever. With any drastic, life altering change, in one’s life- it came with some getting used to. Mark took it in stride, overcame the odds, and conquered all obstacles in my way. As the years went by, it became apparent that everything happens for a reason. Not only was that embedded in his mind, but his motto became "My Choices Determine My Future."

Bill just celebrated the fact that his stroke occurred 17 years ago when he was 68 and still working every day to improve, even though most people see him as someone who has made a complete recovery. Bill had a career as a teacher, a salesman, and an executive in two different food companies. And now his life is devoted to helping other stroke survivors to be inspired with their own recovery.

Listen to Bill and Professor Patricia Geist-Martin share this wonderful story.

Deborah & Cam discuss how easily anyone can make simple adjustments to improve their life while in the process of recovery and beyond. Life after TBI may not be what you had envisioned; it can be better, a new normal - taking you places, meeting people you never dreamed, living a happy, healthy life.

Deborah’s award winning book Becoming the Healer The Miracle of Brain Injury is packed full of helpful ideas for those going through medical trauma and those who care for them. She has moved to North Carolina where she founded Awakenings: Center for Inner Healing & Empowerment – a non-profit spiritual retreat & healing center as well as developing healing tools like Pocket Change to help others with positive change in a fun and easy way.

You may contact Deborah through the center at [email protected] or by phone at 828-645-9711 or through her Facebook page.

Deborah & Cam discuss how easily anyone can make simple adjustments to improve their life while in the process of recovery and beyond. Life after TBI may not be what you had envisioned; it can be better, a new normal - taking you places, meeting people you never dreamed, living a happy, healthy life.

Deborah’s award winning book Becoming the Healer The Miracle of Brain Injury is packed full of helpful ideas for those going through medical trauma and those who care for them. She has moved to North Carolina where she founded Awakenings: Center for Inner Healing & Empowerment – a non-profit spiritual retreat & healing center as well as developing healing tools like Pocket Change to help others with positive change in a fun and easy way.

You may contact Deborah through the center at [email protected] or by phone at 828-645-9711 or through her Facebook page.

Mary Nicholson, Founder of Healings in Motion, was a successful businesswoman. After suffering a life-altering stroke, her biggest venture became the reclamation of her life.

Her journey of change began with a broken heart, after the devastating loss of her newlywed husband to Pancreatic Cancer. Her mourning was so severe and painful that Mary was hospitalized twice. She could not believe that the love that swept her off her feet was now gone.

While grieving, Mary had a brain aneurysm and was rushed to the hospital. While on the operating table, she then suffered an ischemic stroke, grand mal seizure and a frozen shoulder.

Her injuries left her without the ability to drive, walk or even make a complete sentence. But Mary knew that her body, mind and soul were her #1 business and priority.

With this focus, she worked relentlessly to gain back her strength and engaged with organizations that worked with others with disabilities. This led to her to coordinate and sponsor the 1st Central Valley Learning Disability Fair. The success of this event, her love of helping others and bringing people together led Mary to establish Healings in Motion.

Mary Nicholson, Founder of Healings in Motion, was a successful businesswoman. After suffering a life-altering stroke, her biggest venture became the reclamation of her life.

Her journey of change began with a broken heart, after the devastating loss of her newlywed husband to Pancreatic Cancer. Her mourning was so severe and painful that Mary was hospitalized twice. She could not believe that the love that swept her off her feet was now gone.

While grieving, Mary had a brain aneurysm and was rushed to the hospital. While on the operating table, she then suffered an ischemic stroke, grand mal seizure and a frozen shoulder.

Her injuries left her without the ability to drive, walk or even make a complete sentence. But Mary knew that her body, mind and soul were her #1 business and priority.

With this focus, she worked relentlessly to gain back her strength and engaged with organizations that worked with others with disabilities. This led to her to coordinate and sponsor the 1st Central Valley Learning Disability Fair. The success of this event, her love of helping others and bringing people together led Mary to establish Healings in Motion.