December 30, 2024 • 37 mins
In this enlightening episode of Broken Brains with Bruce Parkman, host Bruce Parkman is joined by Katianne Olson, an Amazon bestselling author and special education teacher, to discuss her deeply personal journey through the challenges of traumatic brain injury (TBI). After her husband suffered a severe TBI, Katianne turned her family’s struggles into an opportunity to educate and inspire others. Her book, The Resilient Brain, introduces young readers to the complexities of brain injuries while promoting resilience and understanding.
The conversation dives into the importance of long-term brain health, helmet safety, and educational resources for families navigating TBI recovery. Katianne highlights the role of community support, alternative therapies, and the power of vulnerability in healing. Her mission to make brain health education accessible is a testament to her dedication to advocacy and resilience.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Broken Brains Podcast
01:50 Katie Ann Olson's Journey with TBI
04:33 Navigating Recovery and Rehabilitation
09:03 The Importance of Long-Term Brain Health
12:27 Exploring Alternative Therapies for TBI
14:04 The Inspiration Behind the Book
16:43 Understanding 'The Resilient Brain' Book
18:52 Addressing Youth Sports and Brain Health
20:14 The Impact of Brain Injury on Family Dynamics
23:00 Raising Awareness About Brain Health
26:31 The Importance of Education and Resources
29:45 Building Community and Support
34:20 Expanding Accessibility and Resources
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Connect with Katianne today!
LinkedIn: Katianne (Rothstein) Olson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katianne-rothstein-olson-78bb861a5/
Instagram: theresilientbrain
https://www.instagram.com/theresilientbrain/
Website: katianneolson.com
https://www.katianneolson.com/
Get your copy of Katianne’s book today!
“The Resilient Brain: Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury for Kids”
Produced by Security Halt Media
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Hey folks, bruce Parkman here.
Welcome to another episode ofBroken Brains, sponsored by the
Matt Parkman Foundation.
Here on Broken Brains, we'refocused on the issue of
repetitive brain trauma and theimpact it has on our children,
our veterans and our athletes,and every week we reach out to
amazing people that come on andprovide their stories as authors
(00:34):
, as researchers, as scientists,as parents, as athletes, as
veterans, because as apopulation, we are completely
unaware of what this does to ourbrains and how it's impacting
the mental health of our society.
This is the mostunder-researched yet largest
preventable cause of mentalillness in this country and we
(00:56):
need to know more about that,and that is why today we have Ms
Katie Ann Olson, who's anAmazon best-selling author and a
special education teacher, whounfortunately became involved
with this when her husbandsuffered a TBI and she had to
work through that with herhusband.
She ended up writing achildren's book on this issue,
(01:17):
because children are absolutelyimpacted either by this
phenomenon or by their parents,who have suffered this and the
psychological and behavioralissues that come about when we
have a damaged brain, and she'san amazing resource for
information on this issue andshe's obviously lived through it
herself.
(01:38):
Ms Olson, I cannot thank youenough for coming on the show
today.
This is amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Thanks for having me.
Yeah, no, I'm super excited, soI appreciate the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Cool man.
Well, let's dive into it.
So I mean, how did?
Obviously you wrote a book.
You're an Amazon bestsellingauthor.
Is this your only book, or arethere other books out?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
there.
Yeah, this is my only book.
I joke that it's my the book.
It's my baby.
Yeah, my third baby, yeah, soit's my only book right now.
You know, it just came tofruition through our own family
experience and it was adesperate need in children's
literature.
And I quickly realized thatwhen we were navigating as a
(02:18):
family, my husband's traumaticbrain injury, so talk about that
.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
What, how?
As much as you want to.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
You know about your husband.
So he had a TBI.
It was really touch and go fora little bit and we really
didn't know what was going tohappen.
So I got the phone call.
No wife ever wants to get youknow you need to get to the
hospital now.
This was back in the height ofCOVID too, so we had to add that
whole element of not being ableto be at the hospital together.
But yeah, so it was a prettyscary time, the unexpected call,
(03:02):
and that many of us who arenavigating traumatic brain
injury with ourselves or ourloved ones get.
So it was.
It was a scary time for ourfamily.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And so when you you know obviously, how long did it
take before you got your husbandback home after, I mean so you
know, it's really remarkablewhen you talk about everyone's
unique journey navigatingtraumatic brain injury, you hear
the stories of miracles oftenthroughout, and then you also
hear the stories of those whoweren't so fortunate.
(03:32):
My husband was in the ICU for10 days at a level one trauma
hospital before he wastransported to Shirley Ryan
Ability Lab in downtown Chicago,which is the number one rehab
in the world for traumatic braininjuries and it's just an
incredible rehabilitationhospital.
And when we originally had theintake meeting, they're kind of
(03:54):
preluding, you know, roughlyabout four to six weeks.
You know we won't really knowuntil you know we get him here
and assess him and kind of seehow he was progressing.
And he came home in 11 days onour son's first birthday, which
was remarkable.
We weren't expecting that.
And then, yeah, it was.
It was a good, very bittersweetwelcome home.
(04:16):
You know you're celebratingyour son's first birthday but
you're also celebrating life andcoming, being able to come back
home to your house is.
It was emotional.
But then he came back in June.
So his accident happened in May.
He came home in June and thenhe went to what they call day
rehabilitation, which isbasically Monday through Friday,
nine to four intensive speech.
(04:38):
You know OT, physical therapy,pain management therapy for from
basically June to September, soOctober, beginning of October.
So he had a very remarkablerecovery and we are grateful for
the level of care that he wasable to receive, because it was
(04:58):
no messing around, it was we'regoing to business, we're getting
you back and it's going to takea lot of work, but they were
really remarkable.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
That's that.
That's great to hear because,um, you know when, when we start
dealing with TBI and the, justthe amount of pain and the
impact on the family.
A lot of times that'scomplicated by the, the quality
of care and the lack ofknowledge about you know what's
going on inside the brain,because we can't see that right.
(05:29):
A lot of the, the, the, theassessments that we make are
kind of, you know swags, basedon you know MRI or whatever.
So I mean I'm so thankful thatyou know your husband made it
back and and and so what?
You know, you have thismiraculous moment.
My dad walks through the door,his son turns one.
You got one candle on the cake.
(05:50):
How was the journey after hegot back?
I mean, was there?
Speaker 2 (05:55):
any complications.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I mean usually there are some.
You know some issues thatbecause the care for a TBI of
that magnitude is is usuallylong term for a while.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah, and you know we were very privileged and I feel
like it's super important toaddress that.
We were very privileged inhaving remarkable medical care
and we had that village of themedical side alongside of us,
along with our friends andfamily to help support us.
You know it was also duringCOVID we were social, distancing
(06:28):
, like it was really a hard timeof just our whole world was
navigating it.
So here you are, supposed to beisolated in a time where you
need community so significantly.
That added a huge element.
But we were fortunate that ourcommunity said no, we're here,
we're alongside you and we'renot going anywhere, which is
(06:48):
really really great.
You know I think it's your firstyear in our journey was you
were just excited and thankfuland grateful to be home and
alive and your your mindset as afamily and I think you know I
don't want to speak for myhusband but your focus as of
(07:09):
what do I need to check on myrehab list or journey to get
better and what therapies do Ineed to do, what?
What new holistic therapiescould I do to make me feel
better and put the hard work in?
And I think those first yearsor months you're kind of just
dedicated in your recovery ofwhat are the checkboxes per se
(07:31):
that you need to check off.
But I think as you pass theyear, anniversaries, you realize
there are some things that acheckbox can't fix anymore.
And this is kind of the newnorm that you're going to have
to navigate of fatigue andexhaustion and just knowing when
you had a stamina before andyou were able to do things at a
(07:55):
high level, and now you'rehaving to be humble enough to
say, okay, I need to take a rest.
Or you know I overdid it.
You know we have two young kids,so you know we're running
around.
You know I overdid it.
You know we have two young kids, so you know we're running
around.
You know being young parents asit is, so you know, I think
it's just giving yourself thatspace to process that your life
has changed and there's griefthat comes along with it.
(08:17):
There's gratitude, there'sthere's a whole plethora of
emotions that go through this.
But then you're kind of thentailoring off into your own
individual journeys to social,like social, emotionally,
physically, mentally, and this.
How do you then come togetherwith those own unique journeys
(08:37):
of your own paths, and how doyou kind of navigate Okay, this
is what our life's going to belike, and and how are we going
to navigate that?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
And I think that's where our paths are crossing
away, because we're comingacross so many ways to treat the
brain that are not basically,you know, they're not out there
in the medical.
Yeah, I mean, when we deal withTBI clinics, we deal with the
military, you get three weeks ofamazing care, but then you go
(09:07):
home to Nebraska, to Omaha,wherever, wherever you live,
right, chicago, right, and brainhealth is not a prioritization
in this country, right?
And so we do not have scalable,repetitive, long-term brain
health that looks at a lot ofthe modalities that are out
there, from brainsupplementation to all the
(09:27):
technical modalities that areout there that can assist brain
healing and health.
And so it just seems to me thatwhen people get, they have
their TBI and hey, I'm alive,it's good.
The medical community is likegreat job, we did our job and I
go home and then we're on ourown.
We're on our own when it comesto what do I do for the rest of
my life?
Because you don't have toaccept fatigue, you do not have
(09:50):
to accept these things.
We have so many ways because thebrain, even though you know
it's not, it's, it's been, it'sbeen hard, right, it can, it,
can regrow it can it, can it can.
It can heal, it can continue toto get better.
We have to.
You know it can heal, it cancontinue to get better.
We have to challenge it.
(10:10):
What have you on the journeyright now?
What are you looking at as faras post-acute medical care to
assist with the improvement ofyour husband's brain?
Has he tried anything in thepsychedelic space brain.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Has he tried anything in the psychedelic space?
Yeah, so he, we actually.
When he came home, he wasobviously in an intense amount
of pain.
And we were doing.
I don't know if you've heard ofsalt cave therapy and dry
floating.
That was crucial for him inthose early weeks.
(10:46):
We were going to do salt cavetherapy and halo therapy and
basically it's it puts them dryfloating, puts you in sensory
deprivation and it you'rebasically floating without
getting wet into it kind oflooks like a water bed, a nice
warm water bed and it just kindof takes pressure off your
joints and your pain and it justallows you to just let your
(11:07):
brain rest.
And it was remarkable, I, Ireally truly feel like in those
early weeks it was huge for himto just have a space where his
brain could shut off and justquiet and heal and and really,
just, you know he, you know hefractured his shoulder too, so
he was in a tense amount of pain.
(11:28):
I mean, mean, I remember usfirst walking in and we were
like he couldn't even open thefront door, like he was just an
immense amount of pain.
And over time, you know it,really I do feel like helped
just give his body the rest heneeded and just to, you know,
turn his brain off from whatjust happened to me I need to
(11:51):
get home to my kids and my wife,to how am I to get back to work
?
And just kind of just takingthat, all those thoughts spewing
through his head and justgiving him a time to just rest
and let his brain, you know,work through, you know
rebuilding his pathway.
So I do think I, I, I would, Irecommend it to anybody.
(12:12):
You know, I know there's not alot out there yet.
But you're right, there's a lotof um out of the medical world,
uh, therapies that are outthere, that um, we so happened
to.
Just a friend knew that shejust opened up this new salt
cave and she had this availableand she was like, hey, I really
think this would help and youknow, we were very fortunate,
(12:34):
you know, but it was really.
There is a lot out there.
You know, hyperbaric chambersare really big right now.
Red light therapy, you know, andit's hard because you have to
be sure that you are still goingto the right people who know
what they're talking about,because I think there's big
buzzwords that come out andeveryone's like, oh, everyone,
that this, all this red lighttherapy is equivalent or all
(12:55):
these hyperbaric chambers are,you know, equal.
So I think there's a balance ofmaking sure you're really
finding the right people andthat they're well versed in
brain injuries and making surethat you know it's a best fit
for you.
But, yeah, there's there's alot out there, but you know it
also it it falls on thecaregivers and having that
network to know what's out there.
(13:16):
So, yes, I spent many nightsresearching.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
And that's the.
That's the point, that's whatwe tell people is that you are
your best advocate for yourself,your husband or your child.
And without the research I meanso many things that we're
finding out right now that wedidn't know when our son took
his life that are out there thatcan improve brain health and,
besides what we know, the rootcauses are.
Well, obviously, this journeyhas compelled you to not just
(13:42):
share your story, but to educateand create awareness.
So where did you come up withthe idea to write this amazing
book and create awareness.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
So where did you come up with the idea to write this
amazing book?
Yeah, so we were in therehabilitation hospital and I
was just browsing through theLife Center library and I was
trying to think of ways.
You know, I, the night I camehome from the emergency room my
daughter was almost four at thetime and I remember just sitting
there the next night being likehow am I going to explain this
(14:12):
to her?
And I'm very well versed indisabilities, right, that's my
career, you know and I I satthere looking at her being like
what am I going?
How am I going to break thisdown for an almost one year old
and an almost four year old?
you know it's not going to behome for a while and I remember
(14:32):
being like, okay, children'sbooks I know there's, I mean,
children's books, and literatureis so powerful and even adults
take away great messages from it.
And I was up online on Amazonand in our public library being
like books about brain injuryfor kids you know, resources for
brain injury to explain tochildren.
And I kept hitting these deadends and I it was that moment
(14:54):
where, you know, when we got tothe rehabilitation hospital, you
know I was like here I am inthe number one rehab hospital in
the world and I'm at theirlibrary.
And I went to his doctor and Iwas like there's nothing out
there for kids.
And I remember the residentlooked at me.
He goes, yeah, you know, it isa really big need right now.
He goes and I'm like, well,that's got to change.
(15:14):
And he looked at me he goes,you'll do it.
And I looked at him like rightnow, like no way.
But I think in that moment, whenI had my own conversation with
my kids and realizing thedesperate need for
representation for this, it wasthat aha moment of like.
I mean the statistics alone 2.8million, which I think is even
grossly underestimated People gothrough this yearly and I'm
(15:36):
like I can't be the only one whohas been in this very exact
moment and kept hitting deadends.
So, you know, I waited a littlebit because I felt it was right
for me to not write the book inthat moment.
I waited a couple years to kindof see what did life look like,
you know, post rehab and onceyou leave the rehab hospital,
and kind of what does that normlook like now, a couple years
(15:58):
post, and I felt it was time,you know, I felt like I had
enough lived experience to kindof see the whole gamut of the
experience.
And, yeah, I looked at myhusband and I said, hey, I
really think I'm being led to dothis and he's like let's do it.
And he's supported me a hundredpercent of the way, uh, with it
(16:18):
.
So, yeah, it's been a wildjourney, but I wouldn't, I
wouldn't change it for a minute.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
So tell our audience what's.
What's the book about?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the resilient brain, brain, uh,
it's a children's book but Ireally say really anyone can
benefit from it.
So it really goes through whata brain injury is, how it can,
how it can happen.
Um, we talk about the differentparts of the brain and what
those parts control, and thenalso it gets hurt that section,
what they might havedifficulties with.
We talked about feelings thatyou might have seen someone go
(16:55):
through a brain injury and justtalking about the rehabilitation
process.
It goes into differenttherapists like physical
therapists, occupationaltherapists and kind of the rehab
journey and what that mightlook like.
And really the biggest messageis just to be how to be
resilient and how to cometogether and, most importantly,
hope.
Because I think a traumaticbrain injury can bring so much
(17:16):
darkness and I was veryintentional on how I designed it
because I wanted the book to bebright, because I think when
you're in that moment you hearso much of like we don't know
how your recovery is going to goand you hear all those hard
conversations of unknown.
And I really was intentional todesign the book to give
(17:37):
families and children and anyonenavigating at that.
The brain is powerful and itcan relearn things and it's
scary but there's hope on theother end of it and really it's
just.
I say it's a guide, it's kindof for someone to literally, if
they're going through it, toknow from A to B kind of the
(17:57):
whole gamut of traumatic braininjury and what you need to know
and how you can come togetherand overcome it.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
You know, I just noticed you have the right color
shirt on today, so that'sreally good.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
It is you too, yeah love it.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
So no.
But you know, what I thinkwould be great is right now we
get a lot of calls from parentsthat are trying to talk to their
kids about not playing contactsports, and the kids are into it
.
Now we all know that this isnot healthy.
It's not healthy for childrenwith developing brains.
You know we were losing way toomany kids.
It's the largest preventablecause of mental illness in this
(18:38):
country.
And when you're talking toJohnny, you've got to play
football, or Susie, who wants tohead soccer balls Right, or
girls that want to play contactsports with boys, and in the
parents are trying to get thepoint across that I love you and
your brain is all you have.
I think your book could be aremarkable prop for them to
(19:02):
communicate the value of theirbrain and why we have to do a
better job taking care of it,because you know, and they asked
me okay, yeah, that, that'sthat'd be good we have had.
We, you know, and they 100.
Okay, yeah, that that's um,that that'd be good we have had,
um, we, you know.
We get calls all the time,parents like my child, who they,
you know, parent.
We love our kids, man, and whenthey want to do something,
(19:22):
aren't you know?
we want to say yes, right but,here is something they want to
do because their friends aredoing it or the coaches have
asked them.
You know, in our son's case,right, and they're like but how
do I say no?
With love, and part of it wetell them is try to get the
point across to their kids thatyou're not going to be a child
(19:43):
forever, you know?
Yeah, always.
Yeah, I mean, sooner or lateryou got to grow up, which is,
you know.
My son was always trying togrow, said look man, you're
never going to be.
You're going to be an adult forthe rest of your life.
Be a child as long as you want,right, yeah, so, and it's
really.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It's a great point, though, because I think you know
I will be fully transparent.
It took my husband's braininjury to be serious about
helmet wearing and when I'mriding a bike, and it took me to
see my husband literallynavigating a brain injury to
seeing his brain and the ripplesof his brain on this huge,
massive TV.
(20:18):
For me, I mean, I will behonest, I even took for granted
my own brain, and so we had togo through this, because I think
it's so innate to just keepgoing about your day and not
really realizing your brain isliterally letting you be the
reason why you're up andbreathing and walking every
single day, and it unfortunatelylike it took me to be like,
nope, if you're riding a bike,you're wearing your helmet, and
(20:41):
even for me too, you know, and Ithink, until you're in that
situation where you're seeingyour brain not work like you
knew how it used to, or watchingsomeone that you love look at a
black and white picture of ananimal and not be able to say
what it was, it makes you belike, oh my gosh, you don't
realize that, and I think youknow it definitely has changed
(21:02):
my perspective.
You know I love sports.
I've been an athlete my wholelife.
But, yeah, it's changed mydecision making of what I allow
my kids to do now from a contactsport aspect and, yeah, and I
think my kids now understandthat because they've seen their
dad go through that and theyknow how important protecting
(21:23):
our brain is now.
But it is a hard conversationbecause I don't think there's
enough out there.
You know teenagers don't wantto wear a helmet, they want to
look cool.
I don't think there's enoughout there.
You know teenagers don't wantto wear a helmet.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
They want to look cool, and you know they don't
want to be the you know the nerdwho's wearing a helmet on their
bike or on their, you know nowtheir electric scooters, which
those things are.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
You see kids, you know adults, you're like, these
things are mini motorcycles, butyou know I think my kids now
yell out the window, play yourhome.
I think my kids now yell out thewindow play your role, like
they.
It unfortunately took thisexperience for them to really
you know, advocate for them.
You know for themselves now,and I wish it didn't have to be
that way, but I do think it's abigger conversation of.
It's hard for you to see it now, but I'm doing this out of love
(22:09):
and protection because you knowit's not that it there's just
so much out there that couldhappen.
But it's a balance, right, I'mnot going to put my kids in a
bubble.
They are going to continue todo things in their life and be
in sports.
But you know, here's the thing Icould be walking across the
street and get a brain injuryand there's nothing I can do
about that.
But I think it's important ofbeing conscious of what you're
(22:32):
willing to allow and what you'rewilling to balance and making
sure that you're educating kidsyoung and early on why it's
important to protect your brain,and just reminding your brain
is the reason why you'rebreathing, you're walking,
you're reading, you know you'retalking and I think we at times
all forget that and you know.
(22:52):
I think it's important, animportant conversation for
families to start having,especially early on, and I hope
the resilient brain can do that.
It's not only for thosenavigating traumatic brain
injury, but also it's anawareness piece.
I think that's equally just asimportant to have not only
supporting families who aregoing through this, but also how
(23:12):
do we build awareness aroundthis invisible injury and give
it representation that it needson bookshelves for these
conversations to start happening, even for the youngest of
readers.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
And I think one of the things that you're bringing
up is that when you said, hey, Itook my brain for granted, is
that we all do and you know, andwhen it comes down to contact
sports, we can control.
You know the exposure thatthose brains take and we know
it's not healthy, and that's whywe're pushing parents to go
brain safe sports.
Not wrong with sports.
Hell, I'm 63, I'm still playingrugby.
(23:43):
I'm all about smacking the dude, but I didn't start until I was
29.
Right, and and and and, butwe're.
You know right, yeah and uh andum and um, but we're.
You know what we are doing toour child's brains is now
becoming understood, that this Imean what we're.
You know, these kids that arein high school and college sorry
about that that have played youknow football for 15 years, or
(24:05):
hockey and and or, like my son,wrestling and football and all
this stuff.
You know we're just a littlebit too crazy about the sports,
but we need material thatoutlines the fragility and value
of that brain To your point.
How important.
I think we're talking about awhole nother children's book
here on.
You know, repetitive injuries,contact sports, repetitive
impacts, or how vulnerable isyour brain.
(24:27):
Why do you need to take care ofthis brain?
You know, because it is.
You know it defines everythingthat we become and everything we
are, and I mean so.
I mean, unfortunately, we meetso few people that can turn
(24:50):
tragedy into good right, into alesson, right, and you've had a
lot of blessings, obviously, onyour journey from the level of
care to obviously sounds likeyour husband came back, you know
, and is back Right, instead ofsome of the more unfortunate
stories that we hear, and I'm100 percent for you to take that
and turn it into a, you know,into a book to educate and aware
(25:10):
I mean it's amazing, because,you're right, we don't have.
I mean I had to write no kiddingthe only book on contact sports
for parents in my grief.
I had to wrote, I wrote, Iwrote 200 pages because I did
not know you couldn't playback-to-back contact sports.
I thought it was all about thehelmet and the pads and the
whole nine yards.
And what we're understandingnow is that even after a TBI
(25:34):
whether your child has aconcussion nobody in this
country is going back 30 dayslater to see if you can do a
post-concussive survey, a PCS.
It doesn't take place yet it'srecommended by doctors or
whatever.
And parents are like, ah, he'scleared two weeks Back in the
field.
Buddy, let's go.
Man, rah, rah, rah.
And we're we're not prioritizingthe brain.
(25:57):
I mean it's um, you know, it'sjust uh.
I think that's where you know,in your opinion.
I mean, like the doctor checksyour heart when you go in for
the assert.
You know you do the annualphysical.
They check your heart, theycheck, you know, your kneecap.
They tap your kneecap, theycheck your lungs, right.
This makes all this work, right.
(26:17):
Exactly?
What are we doing up here?
When are we going to starttaking a look and asking
questions hey, have you had anyhead injuries?
Do you get hit in the head alot?
You know contacts, domesticabuse.
You know we, by prioritizingbrain health, oh my, what we
could do to incarceration ratesand recidivism and all these
other social ills that we haveright now.
It can impact all of that andyou're helping us out.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Yeah it's.
You bring a great point upbecause I think you know you
said in your grief you wroteyour book and I think I think
for those who have navigatedthis, you know, I think in some
sense this book was healing forme because I brought so much of
those feelings of sitting my twokids down and I didn't want
anyone to have to go throughthat and I was well educated in
(27:04):
disabilities and I knew thesetherapists and I knew I was on
the other side of the table ofthese meetings instead of being
the one leading these meetings.
So I was fortunate to otherside of the table of these
meetings instead of being theone leading these meetings.
So I was fortunate to have thatcareer exposure.
But I thought, man, people whodon't have that, where do they
even begin If they don't have ateam?
Who's having a team meetingsaying, hey, let's go over these
(27:27):
scans, let's go over what theschedule looks like.
Here's the reasons why we'redoing X, y and Z and here's kind
of a long-term goal.
I mean, we were so lucky tohave that and I never wanted
anyone to feel speechless like Idid because I thought, man,
this is so common and how wasthere nothing out there and I
(27:48):
think the think, the sense itwas, it was my own way to
healing, to just.
You know, it's not easy to beresilient and it's not easy to.
You know, rah, rah, this isgreat.
I mean, there are still hardtimes, you know.
There's times where you knowI've looked at my therapist and
I'm like I don't even know how Igot through this.
You know, because I thinkthere's there's there's so much
(28:09):
power in vulnerability and Ithink it's important to also
acknowledge that, yes, I've beenable to do this and turn this
massive spin around, but ithasn't been easy either, and
that's okay.
And nothing about this is easy,nothing about this is clear cut
and linear, and I think there'spower in building a community of
(28:29):
that vulnerability, because Ithink social media does this too
.
You, you want to be likeeverything's great, this is
perfect, you know we'rerecovered and but no, there's,
there's a lot that people dealwith.
You know that this adds a wholenother element to and I think
it's important to hold space forthem that everyone's journey is
so unique and I think, becausetraumatic brain injury is such
(28:51):
an invisible injury, it makes itthat much harder too.
But I think there's power inwords and I think there's power
in community, and that's what Ihope the resilient brain can do
and just giving people hope,because there's a lot out there
and it's scary and there's not alot of resources of what does
life look like outside of this.
(29:12):
I mean, there's greatorganizations, but you know,
making sure they're connected tothose, and I think that's why
you know the foundation thatyou're running is great, because
it's helping build thatcommunity and just having a
space of vulnerability, which Ithink is just as equally
important.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Well, I wish I would have waited two years to write
my book.
I was an angry dad, so actuallyI'm working on a revision right
now.
There's your sequel why waitingor protecting your child's
(29:49):
brain is so important.
And you're right, you cannot.
Kids are kids.
They're going to get aconcussion.
They're, they're, they're goingto fall down.
I mean, they're children, right, they're going to do it.
Yeah, but the intentionalexposure of these brains is what
needs to to to be stopped inorder to protect the child and
give them the best future, right, that's.
We owe them the best futurepossible and I think we can all
(30:12):
do a better job Plan it.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
But yeah, and I really wish, I wish everyone
could look at an image of theirbrain and watch a functional MRI
and see their brain workingwhile they're talking, because I
think that would.
That was my aha moment and Ithink it was an aha moment for
my husband too, but I think thatwas our, my, an aha moment for
(30:34):
my husband too, but I think thatwas our, our hot, my aha moment
of wow, like I'm literallyseeing the ripples of your brain
.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Like I'm literally seeing your brain stem.
What do they call that?
You know, because that'd be agreat thing.
You know, it'd be a great partof any uh, you know physical.
You know it's like, hey, let'slook at your brain to get you to
understand.
You know, stop damaging thisthing, diseasing it you, or
whatever you're doing with yourdrugs.
You know what.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
It was literally just part of our what we call like a
family meeting at the rehabcenter.
So they went through basicallyall of his imaging and we went
through of, like, this is whereyour injury has happened.
Here's your brain bleeds.
You know they were verydetailed and kind of building us
of like okay, your frontal lobewas impacted here, your
temporal lobe was here, here'swhere your you know, your brain
(31:18):
bleed was decreasing over time,and so that was really powerful
for for us to really just hearall the facts.
Here is where you're at andhere's our plan moving forward.
And it was.
We had a remarkable medicalteam.
They were beyond incredible andI think that also helped us
(31:40):
know where we're at.
And you know it wasn't adefined like okay, this is what
it is, because they have braininjuries you can't just be
marked at well, this is yourinjury, this is what it's going
to be, you know they were reallyyeah, and I think holding space
of medically this is what thiscould mean.
But let's see how you heal andlet's see how you know we're
(32:01):
going to keep working on x, yand z, and you know, my husband
had a very customized plan forhis, his rehabilitation, and I
think you know it was.
He got there on Monday, tuesdaymorning, he was doing therapies
and they didn't they didn'tmess around and they got him
working.
So that was that was thatmoment, though, where I was like
oh, my gosh, like wow, I meanseeing his brain like it is the
(32:27):
most.
The only way I can equate it iswhen you're seeing your baby on
an ultrasound right, and you'reseeing the limbs and then move
and then hiccup.
You know, it brought me back tothose moments when I was
pregnant with my children, andit was just as much as
remarkable in that momentbecause you don't necessarily
see that, but that was my aha,and it was a scary time, because
(32:49):
you're also seeing, wow, yourbrain is whoa, you're seeing the
fractures, you're seeing it'sintense, you know, like taking
that all in.
But for me, that was mypowerful moment of okay, we, we
there are things that we can'tfix.
You're going to have thesefractures, you're going to have
this, but what are we going todo to, you know, really work on
this and improve what we need to?
(33:10):
And that was that.
That meeting will, I think,forever be a moment in our
journey where that was theturning point of okay, we're
going to get through this and wehave an incredible team behind
us to do that.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
And you have an incredible marriage.
I mean you're still togetherwith the kids.
That's so amazing and I'm sothankful that your aha moment
you know your tenacity,perseverance, I mean we need our
caretakers, man.
I mean we do.
I mean I went through my ownissues a couple years ago.
We all have you know, and if itwasn't for our amazing spouses,
(33:43):
you know, not only would we notbe here.
Our marriages, our kids,everything is all tied together.
I think that you know, your ahamoment is absolutely led to
wonderful and healing.
You know, not just a book, butwhere have you taken this?
Have you, are you doinganything else in the space right
now, are you?
Speaker 2 (34:02):
talk to us a little bit about Katie-Ann, right?
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Where can our audience find you?
What do you have going on?
You know, come on, let's bragabout Katie-Ann for a bit.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
What a very hard thing um to do.
But no, right now, um, we'reworking on getting into
rehabilitation hospitals, uh,children's life centers in the
hospitals, um really connectingwith families who are needing a
resource, uh, getting intopublic libraries, school
libraries, um, and then alsoright now, we're in the process
of um to make the bookaccessible.
(34:32):
So we just got the book printedin Braille for those who have
visual impairments or who areblind, and then we're going to
be working on getting thestorybook interpreted in
American Sign Language, alongwith captioning for those who
are deaf and hard of hearing.
So the special ed teacher in meis like how do we make sure
that everybody, regardless oftheir disability can have access
(34:54):
to it.
So that's kind of the next bigjourney of what's next for the
resilient brain unit just reallygetting it into the hands as
many people as we can and justbuilding awareness and also
supporting families who arenavigating it right now.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
Good for you and if there's anything we can ever
help as a foundation, wedefinitely like to list your
book.
On our app, we do have an appnow in the Google store called
HeadSmart, google and Apple, andwe always have links for
parents, because if we're noteducating ourselves, nobody's
going to educate us, and when itcomes to the brain we are.
(35:29):
You know, we need education, weneed awareness, and books like
yours are absolutely going to bepart of that and help us lead
the way.
Ms Olson, I cannot thank youenough for coming on the show
this has been an amazingexperience and man.
God bless you and what you'redoing and I can't wait to read
the book.
I've got it all printed outright here.
I wish you all the best of luckin your journey.
(35:51):
Please stay in touch with usand we will do everything we can
to spread awareness about yourwonderful book and the path that
you're taking with your family.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Yeah, and you know, I'd like to close with this
because it's my favorite quoteby Maya Angelou, where she said
do the best you can until youknow better, and then, when you
know better, do better.
And I think that's what ourmission, bruce, you and me, is
just when you know better, youdo better.
And I think that awarenesspiece is so crucial and I'm
excited to partner with you andwork together because there's
(36:25):
power in numbers together.
So I appreciate thisopportunity for sure.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Yeah, Fanny, you're doing what you can to alleviate
pain of others, which is just agift, and I wish you all the
success in your journey.
We will be reaching out, MsOlson, thank you so much.
Another great episode of BrokenBrains.
And don't forget folks.
You can go online, get yourfree book right and then get Ms
Katie Ann Olson's book.
We're going to be listing thatURL on our website.
(36:51):
We'll be pushing it out onsocial media and, Katie Ann,
thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Thanks, you too, thank you.
Hey folks, bruce Parkman here.
Welcome to another episode ofBroken Brains, sponsored by the
Matt Parkman Foundation.
Here on Broken Brains, we'refocused on the issue of
repetitive brain trauma and theimpact it has on our children,
our veterans and our athletes,and every week we reach out to
amazing people that come on andprovide their stories as authors
(00:34):
, as researchers, as scientists,as parents, as athletes, as
veterans, because as apopulation, we are completely
unaware of what this does to ourbrains and how it's impacting
the mental health of our society.
This is the mostunder-researched yet largest
preventable cause of mentalillness in this country and we
(00:56):
need to know more about that,and that is why today we have Ms
Katie Ann Olson, who's anAmazon best-selling author and a
special education teacher, whounfortunately became involved
with this when her husbandsuffered a TBI and she had to
work through that with herhusband.
She ended up writing achildren's book on this issue,
(01:17):
because children are absolutelyimpacted either by this
phenomenon or by their parents,who have suffered this and the
psychological and behavioralissues that come about when we
have a damaged brain, and she'san amazing resource for
information on this issue andshe's obviously lived through it
herself.
(01:38):
Ms Olson, I cannot thank youenough for coming on the show
today.
This is amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Thanks for having me.
Yeah, no, I'm super excited, soI appreciate the opportunity.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Cool man.
Well, let's dive into it.
So I mean, how did?
Obviously you wrote a book.
You're an Amazon bestsellingauthor.
Is this your only book, or arethere other books out?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
there.
Yeah, this is my only book.
I joke that it's my the book.
It's my baby.
Yeah, my third baby, yeah, soit's my only book right now.
You know, it just came tofruition through our own family
experience and it was adesperate need in children's
literature.
And I quickly realized thatwhen we were navigating as a
(02:18):
family, my husband's traumaticbrain injury, so talk about that
.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
What, how?
As much as you want to.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
You know about your husband.
So he had a TBI.
It was really touch and go fora little bit and we really
didn't know what was going tohappen.
So I got the phone call.
No wife ever wants to get youknow you need to get to the
hospital now.
This was back in the height ofCOVID too, so we had to add that
whole element of not being ableto be at the hospital together.
But yeah, so it was a prettyscary time, the unexpected call,
(03:02):
and that many of us who arenavigating traumatic brain
injury with ourselves or ourloved ones get.
So it was.
It was a scary time for ourfamily.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And so when you you know obviously, how long did it
take before you got your husbandback home after, I mean so you
know, it's really remarkablewhen you talk about everyone's
unique journey navigatingtraumatic brain injury, you hear
the stories of miracles oftenthroughout, and then you also
hear the stories of those whoweren't so fortunate.
(03:32):
My husband was in the ICU for10 days at a level one trauma
hospital before he wastransported to Shirley Ryan
Ability Lab in downtown Chicago,which is the number one rehab
in the world for traumatic braininjuries and it's just an
incredible rehabilitationhospital.
And when we originally had theintake meeting, they're kind of
(03:54):
preluding, you know, roughlyabout four to six weeks.
You know we won't really knowuntil you know we get him here
and assess him and kind of seehow he was progressing.
And he came home in 11 days onour son's first birthday, which
was remarkable.
We weren't expecting that.
And then, yeah, it was.
It was a good, very bittersweetwelcome home.
(04:16):
You know you're celebratingyour son's first birthday but
you're also celebrating life andcoming, being able to come back
home to your house is.
It was emotional.
But then he came back in June.
So his accident happened in May.
He came home in June and thenhe went to what they call day
rehabilitation, which isbasically Monday through Friday,
nine to four intensive speech.
(04:38):
You know OT, physical therapy,pain management therapy for from
basically June to September, soOctober, beginning of October.
So he had a very remarkablerecovery and we are grateful for
the level of care that he wasable to receive, because it was
(04:58):
no messing around, it was we'regoing to business, we're getting
you back and it's going to takea lot of work, but they were
really remarkable.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
That's that.
That's great to hear because,um, you know when, when we start
dealing with TBI and the, justthe amount of pain and the
impact on the family.
A lot of times that'scomplicated by the, the quality
of care and the lack ofknowledge about you know what's
going on inside the brain,because we can't see that right.
(05:29):
A lot of the, the, the, theassessments that we make are
kind of, you know swags, basedon you know MRI or whatever.
So I mean I'm so thankful thatyou know your husband made it
back and and and so what?
You know, you have thismiraculous moment.
My dad walks through the door,his son turns one.
You got one candle on the cake.
(05:50):
How was the journey after hegot back?
I mean, was there?
Speaker 2 (05:55):
any complications.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I mean usually there are some.
You know some issues thatbecause the care for a TBI of
that magnitude is is usuallylong term for a while.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah, and you know we were very privileged and I feel
like it's super important toaddress that.
We were very privileged inhaving remarkable medical care
and we had that village of themedical side alongside of us,
along with our friends andfamily to help support us.
You know it was also duringCOVID we were social, distancing
(06:28):
, like it was really a hard timeof just our whole world was
navigating it.
So here you are, supposed to beisolated in a time where you
need community so significantly.
That added a huge element.
But we were fortunate that ourcommunity said no, we're here,
we're alongside you and we'renot going anywhere, which is
(06:48):
really really great.
You know I think it's your firstyear in our journey was you
were just excited and thankfuland grateful to be home and
alive and your your mindset as afamily and I think you know I
don't want to speak for myhusband but your focus as of
(07:09):
what do I need to check on myrehab list or journey to get
better and what therapies do Ineed to do, what?
What new holistic therapiescould I do to make me feel
better and put the hard work in?
And I think those first yearsor months you're kind of just
dedicated in your recovery ofwhat are the checkboxes per se
(07:31):
that you need to check off.
But I think as you pass theyear, anniversaries, you realize
there are some things that acheckbox can't fix anymore.
And this is kind of the newnorm that you're going to have
to navigate of fatigue andexhaustion and just knowing when
you had a stamina before andyou were able to do things at a
(07:55):
high level, and now you'rehaving to be humble enough to
say, okay, I need to take a rest.
Or you know I overdid it.
You know we have two young kids,so you know we're running
around.
You know I overdid it.
You know we have two young kids, so you know we're running
around.
You know being young parents asit is, so you know, I think
it's just giving yourself thatspace to process that your life
has changed and there's griefthat comes along with it.
(08:17):
There's gratitude, there'sthere's a whole plethora of
emotions that go through this.
But then you're kind of thentailoring off into your own
individual journeys to social,like social, emotionally,
physically, mentally, and this.
How do you then come togetherwith those own unique journeys
(08:37):
of your own paths, and how doyou kind of navigate Okay, this
is what our life's going to belike, and and how are we going
to navigate that?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
And I think that's where our paths are crossing
away, because we're comingacross so many ways to treat the
brain that are not basically,you know, they're not out there
in the medical.
Yeah, I mean, when we deal withTBI clinics, we deal with the
military, you get three weeks ofamazing care, but then you go
(09:07):
home to Nebraska, to Omaha,wherever, wherever you live,
right, chicago, right, and brainhealth is not a prioritization
in this country, right?
And so we do not have scalable,repetitive, long-term brain
health that looks at a lot ofthe modalities that are out
there, from brainsupplementation to all the
(09:27):
technical modalities that areout there that can assist brain
healing and health.
And so it just seems to me thatwhen people get, they have
their TBI and hey, I'm alive,it's good.
The medical community is likegreat job, we did our job and I
go home and then we're on ourown.
We're on our own when it comesto what do I do for the rest of
my life?
Because you don't have toaccept fatigue, you do not have
(09:50):
to accept these things.
We have so many ways because thebrain, even though you know
it's not, it's, it's been, it'sbeen hard, right, it can, it,
can regrow it can it, can it can.
It can heal, it can continue toto get better.
We have to.
You know it can heal, it cancontinue to get better.
We have to challenge it.
(10:10):
What have you on the journeyright now?
What are you looking at as faras post-acute medical care to
assist with the improvement ofyour husband's brain?
Has he tried anything in thepsychedelic space brain.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Has he tried anything in the psychedelic space?
Yeah, so he, we actually.
When he came home, he wasobviously in an intense amount
of pain.
And we were doing.
I don't know if you've heard ofsalt cave therapy and dry
floating.
That was crucial for him inthose early weeks.
(10:46):
We were going to do salt cavetherapy and halo therapy and
basically it's it puts them dryfloating, puts you in sensory
deprivation and it you'rebasically floating without
getting wet into it kind oflooks like a water bed, a nice
warm water bed and it just kindof takes pressure off your
joints and your pain and it justallows you to just let your
(11:07):
brain rest.
And it was remarkable, I, Ireally truly feel like in those
early weeks it was huge for himto just have a space where his
brain could shut off and justquiet and heal and and really,
just, you know he, you know hefractured his shoulder too, so
he was in a tense amount of pain.
(11:28):
I mean, mean, I remember usfirst walking in and we were
like he couldn't even open thefront door, like he was just an
immense amount of pain.
And over time, you know it,really I do feel like helped
just give his body the rest heneeded and just to, you know,
turn his brain off from whatjust happened to me I need to
(11:51):
get home to my kids and my wife,to how am I to get back to work
?
And just kind of just takingthat, all those thoughts spewing
through his head and justgiving him a time to just rest
and let his brain, you know,work through, you know
rebuilding his pathway.
So I do think I, I, I would, Irecommend it to anybody.
(12:12):
You know, I know there's not alot out there yet.
But you're right, there's a lotof um out of the medical world,
uh, therapies that are outthere, that um, we so happened
to.
Just a friend knew that shejust opened up this new salt
cave and she had this availableand she was like, hey, I really
think this would help and youknow, we were very fortunate,
(12:34):
you know, but it was really.
There is a lot out there.
You know, hyperbaric chambersare really big right now.
Red light therapy, you know, andit's hard because you have to
be sure that you are still goingto the right people who know
what they're talking about,because I think there's big
buzzwords that come out andeveryone's like, oh, everyone,
that this, all this red lighttherapy is equivalent or all
(12:55):
these hyperbaric chambers are,you know, equal.
So I think there's a balance ofmaking sure you're really
finding the right people andthat they're well versed in
brain injuries and making surethat you know it's a best fit
for you.
But, yeah, there's there's alot out there, but you know it
also it it falls on thecaregivers and having that
network to know what's out there.
(13:16):
So, yes, I spent many nightsresearching.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
And that's the.
That's the point, that's whatwe tell people is that you are
your best advocate for yourself,your husband or your child.
And without the research I meanso many things that we're
finding out right now that wedidn't know when our son took
his life that are out there thatcan improve brain health and,
besides what we know, the rootcauses are.
Well, obviously, this journeyhas compelled you to not just
(13:42):
share your story, but to educateand create awareness.
So where did you come up withthe idea to write this amazing
book and create awareness.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
So where did you come up with the idea to write this
amazing book?
Yeah, so we were in therehabilitation hospital and I
was just browsing through theLife Center library and I was
trying to think of ways.
You know, I, the night I camehome from the emergency room my
daughter was almost four at thetime and I remember just sitting
there the next night being likehow am I going to explain this
(14:12):
to her?
And I'm very well versed indisabilities, right, that's my
career, you know and I I satthere looking at her being like
what am I going?
How am I going to break thisdown for an almost one year old
and an almost four year old?
you know it's not going to behome for a while and I remember
(14:32):
being like, okay, children'sbooks I know there's, I mean,
children's books, and literatureis so powerful and even adults
take away great messages from it.
And I was up online on Amazonand in our public library being
like books about brain injuryfor kids you know, resources for
brain injury to explain tochildren.
And I kept hitting these deadends and I it was that moment
(14:54):
where, you know, when we got tothe rehabilitation hospital, you
know I was like here I am inthe number one rehab hospital in
the world and I'm at theirlibrary.
And I went to his doctor and Iwas like there's nothing out
there for kids.
And I remember the residentlooked at me.
He goes, yeah, you know, it isa really big need right now.
He goes and I'm like, well,that's got to change.
(15:14):
And he looked at me he goes,you'll do it.
And I looked at him like rightnow, like no way.
But I think in that moment, whenI had my own conversation with
my kids and realizing thedesperate need for
representation for this, it wasthat aha moment of like.
I mean the statistics alone 2.8million, which I think is even
grossly underestimated People gothrough this yearly and I'm
(15:36):
like I can't be the only one whohas been in this very exact
moment and kept hitting deadends.
So, you know, I waited a littlebit because I felt it was right
for me to not write the book inthat moment.
I waited a couple years to kindof see what did life look like,
you know, post rehab and onceyou leave the rehab hospital,
and kind of what does that normlook like now, a couple years
(15:58):
post, and I felt it was time,you know, I felt like I had
enough lived experience to kindof see the whole gamut of the
experience.
And, yeah, I looked at myhusband and I said, hey, I
really think I'm being led to dothis and he's like let's do it.
And he's supported me a hundredpercent of the way, uh, with it
(16:18):
.
So, yeah, it's been a wildjourney, but I wouldn't, I
wouldn't change it for a minute.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
So tell our audience what's.
What's the book about?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the resilient brain, brain, uh,
it's a children's book but Ireally say really anyone can
benefit from it.
So it really goes through whata brain injury is, how it can,
how it can happen.
Um, we talk about the differentparts of the brain and what
those parts control, and thenalso it gets hurt that section,
what they might havedifficulties with.
We talked about feelings thatyou might have seen someone go
(16:55):
through a brain injury and justtalking about the rehabilitation
process.
It goes into differenttherapists like physical
therapists, occupationaltherapists and kind of the rehab
journey and what that mightlook like.
And really the biggest messageis just to be how to be
resilient and how to cometogether and, most importantly,
hope.
Because I think a traumaticbrain injury can bring so much
(17:16):
darkness and I was veryintentional on how I designed it
because I wanted the book to bebright, because I think when
you're in that moment you hearso much of like we don't know
how your recovery is going to goand you hear all those hard
conversations of unknown.
And I really was intentional todesign the book to give
(17:37):
families and children and anyonenavigating at that.
The brain is powerful and itcan relearn things and it's
scary but there's hope on theother end of it and really it's
just.
I say it's a guide, it's kindof for someone to literally, if
they're going through it, toknow from A to B kind of the
(17:57):
whole gamut of traumatic braininjury and what you need to know
and how you can come togetherand overcome it.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
You know, I just noticed you have the right color
shirt on today, so that'sreally good.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
It is you too, yeah love it.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
So no.
But you know, what I thinkwould be great is right now we
get a lot of calls from parentsthat are trying to talk to their
kids about not playing contactsports, and the kids are into it
.
Now we all know that this isnot healthy.
It's not healthy for childrenwith developing brains.
You know we were losing way toomany kids.
It's the largest preventablecause of mental illness in this
(18:38):
country.
And when you're talking toJohnny, you've got to play
football, or Susie, who wants tohead soccer balls Right, or
girls that want to play contactsports with boys, and in the
parents are trying to get thepoint across that I love you and
your brain is all you have.
I think your book could be aremarkable prop for them to
(19:02):
communicate the value of theirbrain and why we have to do a
better job taking care of it,because you know, and they asked
me okay, yeah, that, that'sthat'd be good we have had.
We, you know, and they 100.
Okay, yeah, that that's um,that that'd be good we have had,
um, we, you know.
We get calls all the time,parents like my child, who they,
you know, parent.
We love our kids, man, and whenthey want to do something,
(19:22):
aren't you know?
we want to say yes, right but,here is something they want to
do because their friends aredoing it or the coaches have
asked them.
You know, in our son's case,right, and they're like but how
do I say no?
With love, and part of it wetell them is try to get the
point across to their kids thatyou're not going to be a child
(19:43):
forever, you know?
Yeah, always.
Yeah, I mean, sooner or lateryou got to grow up, which is,
you know.
My son was always trying togrow, said look man, you're
never going to be.
You're going to be an adult forthe rest of your life.
Be a child as long as you want,right, yeah, so, and it's
really.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
It's a great point, though, because I think you know
I will be fully transparent.
It took my husband's braininjury to be serious about
helmet wearing and when I'mriding a bike, and it took me to
see my husband literallynavigating a brain injury to
seeing his brain and the ripplesof his brain on this huge,
massive TV.
(20:18):
For me, I mean, I will behonest, I even took for granted
my own brain, and so we had togo through this, because I think
it's so innate to just keepgoing about your day and not
really realizing your brain isliterally letting you be the
reason why you're up andbreathing and walking every
single day, and it unfortunatelylike it took me to be like,
nope, if you're riding a bike,you're wearing your helmet, and
(20:41):
even for me too, you know, and Ithink, until you're in that
situation where you're seeingyour brain not work like you
knew how it used to, or watchingsomeone that you love look at a
black and white picture of ananimal and not be able to say
what it was, it makes you belike, oh my gosh, you don't
realize that, and I think youknow it definitely has changed
(21:02):
my perspective.
You know I love sports.
I've been an athlete my wholelife.
But, yeah, it's changed mydecision making of what I allow
my kids to do now from a contactsport aspect and, yeah, and I
think my kids now understandthat because they've seen their
dad go through that and theyknow how important protecting
(21:23):
our brain is now.
But it is a hard conversationbecause I don't think there's
enough out there.
You know teenagers don't wantto wear a helmet, they want to
look cool.
I don't think there's enoughout there.
You know teenagers don't wantto wear a helmet.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
They want to look cool, and you know they don't
want to be the you know the nerdwho's wearing a helmet on their
bike or on their, you know nowtheir electric scooters, which
those things are.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
You see kids, you know adults, you're like, these
things are mini motorcycles, butyou know I think my kids now
yell out the window, play yourhome.
I think my kids now yell out thewindow play your role, like
they.
It unfortunately took thisexperience for them to really
you know, advocate for them.
You know for themselves now,and I wish it didn't have to be
that way, but I do think it's abigger conversation of.
It's hard for you to see it now, but I'm doing this out of love
(22:09):
and protection because you knowit's not that it there's just
so much out there that couldhappen.
But it's a balance, right, I'mnot going to put my kids in a
bubble.
They are going to continue todo things in their life and be
in sports.
But you know, here's the thing Icould be walking across the
street and get a brain injuryand there's nothing I can do
about that.
But I think it's important ofbeing conscious of what you're
(22:32):
willing to allow and what you'rewilling to balance and making
sure that you're educating kidsyoung and early on why it's
important to protect your brain,and just reminding your brain
is the reason why you'rebreathing, you're walking,
you're reading, you know you'retalking and I think we at times
all forget that and you know.
(22:52):
I think it's important, animportant conversation for
families to start having,especially early on, and I hope
the resilient brain can do that.
It's not only for thosenavigating traumatic brain
injury, but also it's anawareness piece.
I think that's equally just asimportant to have not only
supporting families who aregoing through this, but also how
(23:12):
do we build awareness aroundthis invisible injury and give
it representation that it needson bookshelves for these
conversations to start happening, even for the youngest of
readers.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
And I think one of the things that you're bringing
up is that when you said, hey, Itook my brain for granted, is
that we all do and you know, andwhen it comes down to contact
sports, we can control.
You know the exposure thatthose brains take and we know
it's not healthy, and that's whywe're pushing parents to go
brain safe sports.
Not wrong with sports.
Hell, I'm 63, I'm still playingrugby.
(23:43):
I'm all about smacking the dude, but I didn't start until I was
29.
Right, and and and and, butwe're.
You know right, yeah and uh andum and um, but we're.
You know what we are doing toour child's brains is now
becoming understood, that this Imean what we're.
You know, these kids that arein high school and college sorry
about that that have played youknow football for 15 years, or
(24:05):
hockey and and or, like my son,wrestling and football and all
this stuff.
You know we're just a littlebit too crazy about the sports,
but we need material thatoutlines the fragility and value
of that brain To your point.
How important.
I think we're talking about awhole nother children's book
here on.
You know, repetitive injuries,contact sports, repetitive
impacts, or how vulnerable isyour brain.
(24:27):
Why do you need to take care ofthis brain?
You know, because it is.
You know it defines everythingthat we become and everything we
are, and I mean so.
I mean, unfortunately, we meetso few people that can turn
(24:50):
tragedy into good right, into alesson, right, and you've had a
lot of blessings, obviously, onyour journey from the level of
care to obviously sounds likeyour husband came back, you know
, and is back Right, instead ofsome of the more unfortunate
stories that we hear, and I'm100 percent for you to take that
and turn it into a, you know,into a book to educate and aware
(25:10):
I mean it's amazing, because,you're right, we don't have.
I mean I had to write no kiddingthe only book on contact sports
for parents in my grief.
I had to wrote, I wrote, Iwrote 200 pages because I did
not know you couldn't playback-to-back contact sports.
I thought it was all about thehelmet and the pads and the
whole nine yards.
And what we're understandingnow is that even after a TBI
(25:34):
whether your child has aconcussion nobody in this
country is going back 30 dayslater to see if you can do a
post-concussive survey, a PCS.
It doesn't take place yet it'srecommended by doctors or
whatever.
And parents are like, ah, he'scleared two weeks Back in the
field.
Buddy, let's go.
Man, rah, rah, rah.
And we're we're not prioritizingthe brain.
(25:57):
I mean it's um, you know, it'sjust uh.
I think that's where you know,in your opinion.
I mean, like the doctor checksyour heart when you go in for
the assert.
You know you do the annualphysical.
They check your heart, theycheck, you know, your kneecap.
They tap your kneecap, theycheck your lungs, right.
This makes all this work, right.
(26:17):
Exactly?
What are we doing up here?
When are we going to starttaking a look and asking
questions hey, have you had anyhead injuries?
Do you get hit in the head alot?
You know contacts, domesticabuse.
You know we, by prioritizingbrain health, oh my, what we
could do to incarceration ratesand recidivism and all these
other social ills that we haveright now.
It can impact all of that andyou're helping us out.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Yeah it's.
You bring a great point upbecause I think you know you
said in your grief you wroteyour book and I think I think
for those who have navigatedthis, you know, I think in some
sense this book was healing forme because I brought so much of
those feelings of sitting my twokids down and I didn't want
anyone to have to go throughthat and I was well educated in
(27:04):
disabilities and I knew thesetherapists and I knew I was on
the other side of the table ofthese meetings instead of being
the one leading these meetings.
So I was fortunate to otherside of the table of these
meetings instead of being theone leading these meetings.
So I was fortunate to have thatcareer exposure.
But I thought, man, people whodon't have that, where do they
even begin If they don't have ateam?
Who's having a team meetingsaying, hey, let's go over these
(27:27):
scans, let's go over what theschedule looks like.
Here's the reasons why we'redoing X, y and Z and here's kind
of a long-term goal.
I mean, we were so lucky tohave that and I never wanted
anyone to feel speechless like Idid because I thought, man,
this is so common and how wasthere nothing out there and I
(27:48):
think the think, the sense itwas, it was my own way to
healing, to just.
You know, it's not easy to beresilient and it's not easy to.
You know, rah, rah, this isgreat.
I mean, there are still hardtimes, you know.
There's times where you knowI've looked at my therapist and
I'm like I don't even know how Igot through this.
You know, because I thinkthere's there's there's so much
(28:09):
power in vulnerability and Ithink it's important to also
acknowledge that, yes, I've beenable to do this and turn this
massive spin around, but ithasn't been easy either, and
that's okay.
And nothing about this is easy,nothing about this is clear cut
and linear, and I think there'spower in building a community of
(28:29):
that vulnerability, because Ithink social media does this too
.
You, you want to be likeeverything's great, this is
perfect, you know we'rerecovered and but no, there's,
there's a lot that people dealwith.
You know that this adds a wholenother element to and I think
it's important to hold space forthem that everyone's journey is
so unique and I think, becausetraumatic brain injury is such
(28:51):
an invisible injury, it makes itthat much harder too.
But I think there's power inwords and I think there's power
in community, and that's what Ihope the resilient brain can do
and just giving people hope,because there's a lot out there
and it's scary and there's not alot of resources of what does
life look like outside of this.
(29:12):
I mean, there's greatorganizations, but you know,
making sure they're connected tothose, and I think that's why
you know the foundation thatyou're running is great, because
it's helping build thatcommunity and just having a
space of vulnerability, which Ithink is just as equally
important.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Well, I wish I would have waited two years to write
my book.
I was an angry dad, so actuallyI'm working on a revision right
now.
There's your sequel why waitingor protecting your child's
(29:49):
brain is so important.
And you're right, you cannot.
Kids are kids.
They're going to get aconcussion.
They're, they're, they're goingto fall down.
I mean, they're children, right, they're going to do it.
Yeah, but the intentionalexposure of these brains is what
needs to to to be stopped inorder to protect the child and
give them the best future, right, that's.
We owe them the best futurepossible and I think we can all
(30:12):
do a better job Plan it.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
But yeah, and I really wish, I wish everyone
could look at an image of theirbrain and watch a functional MRI
and see their brain workingwhile they're talking, because I
think that would.
That was my aha moment and Ithink it was an aha moment for
my husband too, but I think thatwas our, my, an aha moment for
(30:34):
my husband too, but I think thatwas our, our hot, my aha moment
of wow, like I'm literallyseeing the ripples of your brain
.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Like I'm literally seeing your brain stem.
What do they call that?
You know, because that'd be agreat thing.
You know, it'd be a great partof any uh, you know physical.
You know it's like, hey, let'slook at your brain to get you to
understand.
You know, stop damaging thisthing, diseasing it you, or
whatever you're doing with yourdrugs.
You know what.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
It was literally just part of our what we call like a
family meeting at the rehabcenter.
So they went through basicallyall of his imaging and we went
through of, like, this is whereyour injury has happened.
Here's your brain bleeds.
You know they were verydetailed and kind of building us
of like okay, your frontal lobewas impacted here, your
temporal lobe was here, here'swhere your you know, your brain
(31:18):
bleed was decreasing over time,and so that was really powerful
for for us to really just hearall the facts.
Here is where you're at andhere's our plan moving forward.
And it was.
We had a remarkable medicalteam.
They were beyond incredible andI think that also helped us
(31:40):
know where we're at.
And you know it wasn't adefined like okay, this is what
it is, because they have braininjuries you can't just be
marked at well, this is yourinjury, this is what it's going
to be, you know they were reallyyeah, and I think holding space
of medically this is what thiscould mean.
But let's see how you heal andlet's see how you know we're
(32:01):
going to keep working on x, yand z, and you know, my husband
had a very customized plan forhis, his rehabilitation, and I
think you know it was.
He got there on Monday, tuesdaymorning, he was doing therapies
and they didn't they didn'tmess around and they got him
working.
So that was that was thatmoment, though, where I was like
oh, my gosh, like wow, I meanseeing his brain like it is the
(32:27):
most.
The only way I can equate it iswhen you're seeing your baby on
an ultrasound right, and you'reseeing the limbs and then move
and then hiccup.
You know, it brought me back tothose moments when I was
pregnant with my children, andit was just as much as
remarkable in that momentbecause you don't necessarily
see that, but that was my aha,and it was a scary time, because
(32:49):
you're also seeing, wow, yourbrain is whoa, you're seeing the
fractures, you're seeing it'sintense, you know, like taking
that all in.
But for me, that was mypowerful moment of okay, we, we
there are things that we can'tfix.
You're going to have thesefractures, you're going to have
this, but what are we going todo to, you know, really work on
this and improve what we need to?
(33:10):
And that was that.
That meeting will, I think,forever be a moment in our
journey where that was theturning point of okay, we're
going to get through this and wehave an incredible team behind
us to do that.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
And you have an incredible marriage.
I mean you're still togetherwith the kids.
That's so amazing and I'm sothankful that your aha moment
you know your tenacity,perseverance, I mean we need our
caretakers, man.
I mean we do.
I mean I went through my ownissues a couple years ago.
We all have you know, and if itwasn't for our amazing spouses,
(33:43):
you know, not only would we notbe here.
Our marriages, our kids,everything is all tied together.
I think that you know, your ahamoment is absolutely led to
wonderful and healing.
You know, not just a book, butwhere have you taken this?
Have you, are you doinganything else in the space right
now, are you?
Speaker 2 (34:02):
talk to us a little bit about Katie-Ann, right?
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Where can our audience find you?
What do you have going on?
You know, come on, let's bragabout Katie-Ann for a bit.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
What a very hard thing um to do.
But no, right now, um, we'reworking on getting into
rehabilitation hospitals, uh,children's life centers in the
hospitals, um really connectingwith families who are needing a
resource, uh, getting intopublic libraries, school
libraries, um, and then alsoright now, we're in the process
of um to make the bookaccessible.
(34:32):
So we just got the book printedin Braille for those who have
visual impairments or who areblind, and then we're going to
be working on getting thestorybook interpreted in
American Sign Language, alongwith captioning for those who
are deaf and hard of hearing.
So the special ed teacher in meis like how do we make sure
that everybody, regardless oftheir disability can have access
(34:54):
to it.
So that's kind of the next bigjourney of what's next for the
resilient brain unit just reallygetting it into the hands as
many people as we can and justbuilding awareness and also
supporting families who arenavigating it right now.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
Good for you and if there's anything we can ever
help as a foundation, wedefinitely like to list your
book.
On our app, we do have an appnow in the Google store called
HeadSmart, google and Apple, andwe always have links for
parents, because if we're noteducating ourselves, nobody's
going to educate us, and when itcomes to the brain we are.
(35:29):
You know, we need education, weneed awareness, and books like
yours are absolutely going to bepart of that and help us lead
the way.
Ms Olson, I cannot thank youenough for coming on the show
this has been an amazingexperience and man.
God bless you and what you'redoing and I can't wait to read
the book.
I've got it all printed outright here.
I wish you all the best of luckin your journey.
(35:51):
Please stay in touch with usand we will do everything we can
to spread awareness about yourwonderful book and the path that
you're taking with your family.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Yeah, and you know, I'd like to close with this
because it's my favorite quoteby Maya Angelou, where she said
do the best you can until youknow better, and then, when you
know better, do better.
And I think that's what ourmission, bruce, you and me, is
just when you know better, youdo better.
And I think that awarenesspiece is so crucial and I'm
excited to partner with you andwork together because there's
(36:25):
power in numbers together.
So I appreciate thisopportunity for sure.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Yeah, Fanny, you're doing what you can to alleviate
pain of others, which is just agift, and I wish you all the
success in your journey.
We will be reaching out, MsOlson, thank you so much.
Another great episode of BrokenBrains.
And don't forget folks.
You can go online, get yourfree book right and then get Ms
Katie Ann Olson's book.
We're going to be listing thatURL on our website.
(36:51):
We'll be pushing it out onsocial media and, Katie Ann,
thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Thanks, you too, thank you.
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