Episode 4: Full episode - Robbie Frawley - Recovery from post concussion syndrome (PCS)

In this episode I tell my story of recovering from post concussion syndrome (PCS). It took me 7 years to fully recover, but if I knew at the start everything that I know now, I believe it would have taken me only a fraction of this time and that’s why I want to share these learnings with you. I hope that they give you some hope and they help you in your own recovery.

My brilliant guest interviewer on this episode is Associate Professor Tasha Stanton. Tasha is the Osteoarthritis Research Theme Lead for IIMPACT in Health at the University of South Australia and a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Fellow.

Tasha is a clinical pain neuroscientist with original training as a physiotherapist. Her research focusses on pain and she has a specific interest in pain education, osteoarthritis, low back pain, cortical body representation, somatosensation and body illusions using virtual and mediated reality. In short though, she’s one of the leading pain researchers globally, and it was ultimately through meeting Tasha and learning some lessons from her field of pain science that helped me to find the final steps back to 100%.

Full transcripts and show notes are available for each chapter on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

Robbie's recommendations:

• 13:00 - Find people who can help you and get a referral. I was lucky and was referred early by my GP to Grace McKellar Trauma Rehabilitation Centre in Geelong,
• 16:26 - The team at Grace McKellar gave me a variety of management strategies which were important throughout my recovery. These included 'pacing' (breaking up tasks to do them in small bite size components and allowing time to recharge between them), reducing work (until I could grade back up), introducing mini breaks (again to recharge throughout the day), planning and graded re-acclimatisation of all activities,
• 36:47 - Find and read (or listen) to the book 'The Brain that Changes Itself - Norman Doidge),
• 46:07 - Crutches which I found helpful whilst in survival mode:
  • Don't assess how you are each morning, just get up and get out the door for a quick 10min walk in nature...you can think about how you are afterward,
  • Don't forecast too far out - bring the focus right in close. Only think of the next immediate task in front of you, put everything beyond that out of your mind,
  • Quotes help, such as "the only thing to fear, is fear itself" - Franklin Roosevelt,
  • When you are struggling: "Be aware of where you are...and keep going",
  • Try meditation -  I like the calm app but keep trying them until you find one you like,
• 1:07:08 - Think about DIM-SIM Therapy - Tasha and I explain this in lots of detail,
• 1:14:20 - Explore the resources of the Pain Revolution and the book Explain Pain,
• 1:32:36 - Find and develop a relationship with a good neuropsychologist and explore the possibility of your system being 'overprotective' - both 'consciously' & 'unconsciously',
• 1:48:56 - Trust your gut instinct,
• 1:59:02 - Consider what 'might' be possible.

For more detailed show notes, see the individual chapter sections on the podcast website.