Author: Amy Zellmer

Strength in Recover

Amy Zellmer

weightsI’m hoping to inspire someone today!! Heather has been an inspiration to me, so I am paying it forward!

I am 19 months post TBI, and when I fell I suffered severe whiplash, torn muscles in my neck, shoulder, and chest, and dislocated my sternum by about 2″. My torso was completely twisted, I couldn’t stand up straight for over a year.

We tried integrating light weight training into my routine several times, but it kept flaring up that darn whiplash muscle so we would back off. I started doing very gentle yoga about 3 months ago……. the doctors kept telling me that activity is the best way to overcome vertigo (which seems counter intuitive) and yoga seemed the best place to start, as I could completely control which moves I did.

Within about two months I started noticing my vertigo wasn’t as severe, and my neck muscles were relaxing. I was also starting to see definition in my shoulders and chest again, and the inflammation had seeme to settle down. We didn’t want to push too hard, so I just started adding cardio into my routine at the point.

This past week we added very light weight resistance into my workout. The first day, my neck got pretty angry….. but I iced it and that relieved it. The neck is still being finicky with me, but I am powering thru it. It isn’t unbearable like the whiplash injury was, although it may take me out for a day if it gets really bad and triggers a headache. ICE IS MY BEST FRIEND!

I hope that you read this and maybe are inspired to pull out the yoga mat and do some light stretches, or maybe go for a longer walk than usual, or maybe you’re even ready to grab some weights. Whatever it is, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. It will tell you what it can and can’t do. But the best thing you can do for your TBI is to GET UP AND GET MOVING!!! (and have ice packs waiting in the wings). Also remember to KEEP HYDRATED, our brains love water!!!

My Muse & Inspiration

Amy Zellmer

scarsFor those who’ve wondered where I get my energy and motivation to continue writing about traumatic brain injury (TBI) on The Huffington Post, or deciding to publish my book on the subject: THIS, THIS is where:

Hi Amy,
I read your Life with a Traumatic Brain Injury article last night. I cried my way through it.

My 14 year old daughter fell off the top of my husbands truck 8 months ago trying to take a picture of the sunset. She loves photography and loves sunsets. She was home alone with her younger sister at the time and called me to tell me how pretty the sunset was. She told me she was going to take a picture. Had she mentioned that she was going to climb on top of a truck to take that picture, things might be different then they are today.
…………………………..
I sent her your article and she came to me in tears, telling me she could have written it. That everything you wrote, she feels. That she doesn’t even like telling people anymore what happened, but feels judged when it takes her a bit to count out her money for her chai. the simple tasks are no longer simple. I, as a mom, feel helpless.

But you have helped us both. She is not alone. Others are out there that know how she feels. She is one determined, bright girl.
THANK you for opening up!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

**a friend sent me this photo, and it really hit my heart!!