The NeuroNerds: A Brain Injury Recovery & Pop Culture Show

In this episode, Joe is interviewing two-time author and stroke survivor Maddi Niebanck.  They talk about her new book ‘Fast Fwd: The Fully Recovered Mindset,’ stroke recovery and connecting with the brain injury survivor community. Plus they share some cool projects they’re working on to help other survivors like them!

It’s our first episode during quarantine with our co-hosts back together! Well, sort of.  In this episode, Joe and Lauren are chatting remotely about all the nerdy things they are occupying their time with while social distancing at home.  From D&D to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to TikTok, the NeuroNerds explore all the ways you can fill your time with fun while we’re locked down! Share what you’re doing during the lockdown in the comments on our socials!

This our first episode from COVID-19 quarantine with our host Joe and our producer Felice!  They talk about how to deal with isolation, not driving each other crazy, how this quarantine affects the brain injured and how being a nerd and watching zombie apocalypse movies has prepared us for this moment in time!  What’s your favorite apocalyptic nerd movie? Share in the comments on our socials!

Well, everything is upside down including The NeuroNerds!  There are some big changes – Lauren and Ella Sofia are our new hosts and Joe is gone. What!?! Listen to find out more about this crazy change and learn some brain and memory techniques from Ella, our favorite habit coach, and fellow stroke survivor!  What are some memory techniques you use? Share in the comments on our socials!

It’s St Patty’s Day and Joe and Lauren are celebrating with special guest Ella Sofia live and in-person in the studio all the way from Canada!  This was recorded pre-Coronavirus lockdown so luckily Ella was able to visit and chat with us on the show.  Ella is a fellow stroke survivor and an amazing habit coach helping people especially brain injury survivors train their brains.  With it being St Patty’s Day, The NeuroNerds talk beer, affects of drinking on the brain and kilts.  What’s your favorite drink to drink in moderation?  Share with us in the comments on our socials!

It’s Brain Injury Awareness Month AND our 3 Year Anniversary!!! Celebrate with Joe and Lauren as they talk about their brain injuries and Lauren shares some new realizations about her injury. Share your brain injury story in the comments on socials!

It’s that special time that only comes every 4 years – it’s Leap Year!  So the NeuroNerds are talking about everything time related like time travel in the Marvel and DC Universe from X-Men Days of Future Past to Flashpoint Paradox.  What’s your favorite time travel or time related stories in the world of nerdom?  Let us know in the comments on our socials!

Love is in the air!  It’s our post Valentine’s episode with our resident couple and co-producers Joe and Felice.  They talk about the Galentine’s event they held at their new HQ as well as the main topic of today’s episode – Gut Health.  They did a gut cleanse together and Joe gives his account of his experience while Felice shares the health benefits of maintaining a health gut as well as other benefits of natural healthcare.  Have you ever done a cleanse?  If so, share in the comments on our socials!

It’s our 100th episode!  We made it.  Can’t wait for the next 100 more!  In this episode Joe and Lauren discuss Oscar nominated movies from the award show this past weekend.  The also pick their Oscar picks for best brain injury related movies.  Joe also discusses the gut cleanse he is doing (more on that in our next episode).  What is your favorite movie featuring a story about brain injury?  Let us know on our socials!

Changes are happening for The NeuroNerds!  Our host, Joe and producer, Felice, have moved into a new creative living space with new recordings studios for our podcast!  While change is a great thing, there are always challenges when adjusting to new routines and environments, but this is especially challenging for brain injury survivors.  Joe and Lauren discuss managing and coping with changes plus Lauren shares an anxiety episode she recently faced due to her TBI.  And thank you all for baring with our delayed episodes due to our move!  What are some changes (good or bad) you’ve been facing lately and how are you dealing with them? Let us know in the comments on our socials!

Is Betelgeuse about to explode!?  Will we see a super nova in our lifetime??  All these questions are explored in this episode with our resident science and star nerd co-host Lauren and our resident over nerd and stroke survivor, our host, Joe!  Listen and learn.  What’s your favorite star or planet in the night sky?  Let us know in the comments on our socials!

It’s 2020 and The NeuroNerds are talking all about goals and resolutions for this New Year!  Plus they discuss SameYou featuring our podcast as their first podcast of the month.  2019 was a great year and we can’t wait to do epic and awesome things in 2020!!!  What are your New Years resolutions for 2020?  Let us know in the comments on our socials!

It’s our last episode of the decade!  Host Joe and co-host Lauren are talking about this past year an d decade in review including their brain injury recovery journeys as well as helping others on theirs.  Plus they talk about this past year’s nerdom in review including Game of Thrones, Avengers and more.  Plus they talk about about what’s to come with Star Wars including The Mandalorian and other shows on Disney+ as well as new shows like The Witcher on Netflix.  They’re ready for a bigger and better 2020! What are your New Years resolutions and expectations for the new year?  Share in the comments on our socials!

Christmas is almost here and Joe and Lauren are sharing The NeuroNerds Holiday Gift Guide! Whatever holiday you celebrate or if you want to just get an anytime gift for the brain injury survivor in your life, we’ve got the best gifts to help with their recovery! From weighted blankets, compression vests, earphones and more, we’ve got your covered. Go to Amazon.com/shop/TheNeuroNerds to check it all out. Plus our NN merch always makes great gifts at JoeSoRocks.com/shop! What are your favorite gifts this year for the holidays? Let us know in the comments on our socials!

It’s our very first NeuroNerds book club episode!  Our host Joe interviews friend, author. comedian and stroke survivor Mimi Hayes to talk all about her book ‘It’s OK, It’s Just A Hole In My Head.’  Joe talks about how much easier this book as to read as a stroke survivor using Audible plus Mimi talks about the book and the TV show she is writing about her brain injury experience.  Listen to Mimi’s book on Audible with a free trial here – http://www.audibletrial.com/theneuronerds.  What books are you guys reading?  Share with us on socials so we can pick our next book club feature!

Joe and Lauren are talking all about different forms of communication and characters in nerdom who use alternative methods for communication other than speech.  Speech impairments caused by brain injury like aphasia are also touched upon. Plus, Joe and Lauren start a NeuoNerds battle.  Are you on Team Joe (aka TeamSoRocks) or Team Lauren (aka as Joe calls it TeamSoSucks)? Let us know in the comments on our socials!

It’s Thanksgiving week and our host Joe and his guest co-host/producer/partner Felice are talking all about how to create a positive thinking practice in your day-to-day life.  The offer tips for creating a meditation practice as well as other activities that support a positive mindset.  Plus they talk about the power of positive thinking during the healing process. What are some ways you maintain a positive mindset?  Let us know in the comments on our socials!

The holidays are upon us!  So Joe and Lauren are discussing dealing with the stress of the holidays.  It’s hard enough as it is dealing with the holiday chaos without a brain injury so The NeuroNerds are here to help with some tips for managing your stress, overstimulation, anxiety and more!

Joe’s co-host Lauren is back from her travels and talking about dealing with anxiety and sleep issues when traveling as a brain injury survivor.  Plus this episode is jam packed with nerdom!  Joe and Lauren are talking all about Game Of Thrones spinoffs, Star Wars TV shows and movies, the next phase of Marvel and The Witcher movie.  Joe also talks more about his #ChangeTheFaceOfStroke campaign the FAST signs of stroke and how to join the movement!

If you are a stroke surviver and would like to be included in our #ChangeTheFaceOfStroke campaign, please submit a B&W photo preferably with a white background to hello@theneuronerds.com.

In this episode, Joe does a remote interview with  fellow stroke survivor and artist, Noreen Walsh from Australia.  It’s our first episode with a guest from Down Under!  Noreen is a part of our #ChangeTheFaceOfStroke campaign and is a great example of how strokes can hit at any age.  She suffered her stroke at only 18 months!  Noreen shares her experience growing up with the deficits from her stroke, how it affects her now and how she’s paving her own unique path as an artist! If you are a stroke surviver and would like to be included in our Change The Face Of Stroke campaign, please submit a B&W photo preferably with a white background to hello@theneuronerds.com.

In this special Halloween episode with our host Joe and special guest host/habit coach, Ella Sofia.  They talk about Joe and The NeuroNerds’ new #ChangeTheFaceOfStroke campaign, Ella’s “The Year Of You” course and Halloweeeeeeeen!  If you are a stroke surviver and would like to be included in our Change The Face Of Stroke campaign, please submit a B&W photo preferably with a white background to hello@theneuronerds.com.

In this Joe Solo Rocks episodes, our host, Joe talks about his new #ChangeTheFaceOfStroke campaign coming up on World Stroke Day, October 29th.  Joe and The NeuroNerds will be launching this campaign to bring more awareness of the diversity of stroke survivors.  Strokes do not just happen to the elderly.  There are many young stroke survivors of all different ages, races and gender.  We want to change the face of stroke to help bring more awareness so that everyone knows the signs and preventative measures that can be taken to avoid ever having a stroke.  80% of strokes are preventable.  Let’s stop those preventable strokes in their tracks!  Stay tuned for our special #ChangeTheFaceOfStroke video coming on World Stroke Day.

It was World Mental Health Day and Mental Health Awareness Week last week so Joe and Lauren are talking all about mental and how it’s portrayed in the new Joker movie as well as other characters and stories in nerd fandom like Tony Stark, Harry Potter, Winnie The Pooh and more.  What are some fictional characters with mental health struggles that you can relate to?  Let us know in the comments on our socials.

It’s that spooky time of the year and Joe and Lauren are talking about a group of brain injury survivors that don’t get enough focus – Zombies.  Yes, Zombies are brain injury survivors too! We’re talking all about why they are brain injury survivors from their symptoms like aphasia to the cause of their injuries and more.  Plus we have new “Zombies Are Brain Injury Survivors Too” merch at JoeSoRocks.com/shop for you to support this special group of survivors!  What’s your favorite zombie fandom?  Let us know on our socials!

In honor of Brain Injury Awareness month this past September, Joe and Lauren are talking about the differences between a brain aneurysm and a stroke. They also discuss concussions since it was National Concussion Awareness Day in September as well. If you have suffered a stroke, aneurysm, AVM take some time to find out what type! Be informed about your health history so you can take preventative measures to avoid stroke or aneurysm.

Meet our host Joe’s occupational therapist (OT) Kaley and additional OT Sim! They’re talking all about Joe’s stroke recovery journey from the OT perspective along with starting some pretend OT beef between Kaley, Sim and our last OT guest, Jane. It’s all in the name of spreading more awareness and understanding of the whole stroke and brain injury recovery journey! Do you have a rockstar OT? Tag them in the comments on our socials!

This episode features Joe’s girlfriend and producer of the show, Felice talking about the challenges of being the caregiver/support system to a brain injury survivor as well as how to show compassion from both the brain injured and caregiver’s perspective.  It’s all about love, understanding, patience and understanding and how to find it in the midst of recovering from a brain injury.  Who’s your NeuroRecovery Sidekick?  Tag them on our socials!

Our host Joe is interviewing our first occupational therapist on the show, Jane Connely of Heal The Brain With Jane! They talk stroke and brain injury recovery, occupational therapy and more as Jane gives us some valuable insight into the key role occupational therapy plays in brain injury recovery. Tag your favorite OT on our socials!

Co-hosts Joe and Lauren continue the Back To School series with an episode about their experiences in high school pre-brain injury and their experiences learning new things post-brain injury. They also discuss what fictional characters they related to in high school. What are some tools you use to learn new things post-brain injury? Share with us on our socials.

Continuing our Back To School series, in this episode our host Joe is interviewing Andrea Valero Edoria (or Dre as Joe calls her). Dre suffered an aneurysm and stroke at 3.5 years old and now as an adult, she talks with Joe about how she coped as a child with the disabilities she gained from her stroke as well as navigating school and interpersonal relationships as a child brain injury survivor. Plus how Dre turned her disabilities into her superpower by helping other adolescent brain injury survivors through her public speaking and nonprofit work. Dre is a real-life superhero! If you’re an adolescent brain injury survivor, what are some challenges you’ve faced and how do you overcome them? Please share with us on our socials!