tbi

How Functional Neurology Helped Improve My Quality of Life After Brain injury

Amy Zellmer

As we begin the New Year, I am reflecting on all for which I have to be grateful. Towards the top of that list is finding a functional neurologist who has been instrumental in helping me rehab my brain injury.

I started this journey in February of 2014 after slipping on a patch of ice…and I can still hear the sound of my skull hitting the ice-covered concrete.

I immediately found a chiropractic neurologist who helped me with my whiplash, torn muscles, and dislocated sternum. He diagnosed me as having a severe concussion and told me I should start feeling better in about 4–6 weeks.

I kept complaining that I felt my eyes weren’t quite right, and that I was experiencing a lot of short-term memory problems and aphasia, as well as major dizzy and balance issues. He eventually sent me to a neurologist who didn’t seem to believe my issues were a problem (even though I couldn’t touch my nose with my pointer finger). When I later read her reports I had to laugh. She had stated that I was dressed nicely and was well-groomed, where in fact I hadn’t showered in days and was wearing the same yoga pants and sweatshirt I had been wearing for about 3 days — had she inquired, I would have outright admitted this to her!!

She eventually sent me for a neuropsychological exam to measure my deficits. After a grueling four-hour test designed to make you face your weaknesses, I scheduled a meeting with the neuro psychologist the following week. She very kindly explained to me the nature of the test, how it measures deficits, and how it is essentially “fake proof.” She then implied that I must have been faking because I scored too poorly in memory, that my scores were lower than a patient with dementia. After spending about 70 minutes with me, she assessed that I should be put on Ritalin, anti depressants, and sleep medication. I refused all three because I knew they wouldn’t actually “heal” me, and would be only a temporary crutch.

I had been begging every neuro doctor I saw for help. I didn’t know what type of therapy I needed, but I knew I needed something — cognitive, occupational, vision, anything that would help me get back to the person I used to be. The dizziness was sucking all the life out of me, and the short-term memory problems were causing quite a challenge to function in every-day settings.
I was incredibly frustrated as I went back to my neurologist about a year later. After a brief assessment, she told me because it was over a year since my injury that none of the therapies would likely help me. WHAT?? Then why on earth didn’t she send me earlier? I was confused, frustrated, and felt hopeless.

As a last resort the neurologist did eventually send me to a cranial sacral therapist who was the first person to help me find any sort of relief. His gentle treatment helped realign the skull plates that had been causing pressure inside my head. After several treatments, I felt a lot of relief from the “brain fog” that had been a 24/7 nuisance.

After two and a half years of struggling through life with a brain injury, my eyes were finally opened to the practice of Functional Neurology.

To be honest, I was skeptical. Every doctor I had seen up to this point had discouraged me, and my neurologist told me there was basically no hope for further recovery (even though I had learned that recovery can happen at ANY point after your injury).

My initial exam took almost two hours — TWO HOURS!! No doctor had spent more than a half hour with me up to this point.

My exam consisted of checking my:

  • balance
  • gait
  • heart rate & blood pressure
  • visual eye tracking (VNG)
  • quick eye movements (saccades)
  • optokinetic reflexes (OPK)
  • Vestibular Ocular Reflexes (VOR)
  • Chiropractic structural examinationzMy testing showed the following results:
  • My autonomic nervous system was too sympathetic (startle response).
  • My resting heart rate was too high.
  • My gaze holding ability was questionable.
  • All planes of my smooth pursuit eye movements were impaired.
  • I was unsteady standing on flat surfaces, and would fall backwards when I closed my eyes.
  • Spatial awareness and depth perception were impaired.
  • My walking gait was impaired
  • I had diminished sensation on the left side of my face and body.
  • My visual and auditory reaction times were off.This doctor validated every single thing that I had been feeling. He said that we needed to work on all of the systems together and get them working properly again. He told me that the majority of my issues was coming from my eyes, and that we needed to retrain my eyes how to work properly. It was so comforting to know that I wasn’t crazy at all — it was just that those other doctors had been ignoring all of my issues because they weren’t trained in what to look for related to traumatic brain injuries and concussions (which is widely misunderstood by medical professionals).

Functional neurology is a way of thinking and assessing the nervous system by looking at what’s working well, what isn’t working, and what might be working too much. It’s about developing strategies to build better plasticity in how your nervous system is working. Dr. Schmoe believes that functional neurology should be a basic requirement in all medical and healthcare fields – but unfortunately it is not.

My doctor gained his knowledge by attending the Carrick Institute for those who have already graduated from the chiropractic program. The Carrick Institute program is an additional three years of training beyond chiropractic school. It is designed to give a deeper education and understanding of how the nervous system works and how to treat problems that arise as the result of a brain injury or disease. They offer courses to providers of al disciplines, including medical doctors, physical therapists, naturopaths, etc.

The doctor gave me treatment plans for each of my systems that weren’t working, which included:

  • Gaze-stability exercises and vestibular rehab
  • tilt table with electric stimulation to calm my startle reflex
  • sensory stimulation on the left side of my body
  • finger-to-nose cerebellum training on the left side
  • ARP wave simulation on my neck (whiplash)
  • Doctor applied FNOR techniques on my shoulder and scapula
  • FNOR physical rehabilitation exercises to strengthen neck, core, and lower extremities
  • Prologel to lessen inflammation in my neck from my whiplash that hadn’t healed
  • D2 exercises to increase my hand-eye reaction times
  • interactive metronome exercises to increase my auditory reaction times
  • blood chemistry workup to check for anemia, infections, inflammation, auto immune disorders, thyroid and blood sugar levels
  • dietary and nutrition supplements

Within just two weeks of working on gaze-stabilization and eye-tracking exercises, I was no longer feeling dizzy and off-balance. Dealing with dizziness 24/7 was a major energy suck, and I was starting to notice I now had more energy to get things done during the day than I had had since my accident.

I was starting to gain back feeling in the left side of my body, and my startle response was settling down. As a result of all of this, my anxiety levels were diminishing. It’s amazing how your body responds when you are no longer constantly living in a high pain threshold. I was finally able to go several weeks without a headache (which was great since I had been having headaches on an all-too-regular basis).

Now this isn’t to say that I am “fixed” …. I still have a long way to go. But I am finally feeling better than I have since February 2014. I wish I had found Functional Neurology a year earlier; then who knows where I would be in my recovery right now!

It astounds me how one doctor could improve so many of my symptoms with “simple” techniques, yet a plethora of trained neurological doctors didn’t do ANYTHING for me. This is why I am so passionate about the advocacy work that I do. Millions of brain injury survivors have not had proper treatment and were basically disregarded by the medical community — and written off by the psychologists as having “mental” issues rather than “physical” issues.

Some professionals have gone so far as to say that universally “everyone as a brain injury” now as a result of the media talking about concussions and sports. The reality is that we are just now beginning to understand the severity of concussions … and people who were injured decades ago are just now beginning to understand why they’ve felt and acted the way they have for so many years — as their brain injury went undiagnosed.

With proper treatment, the brain and neurological system has an amazing way of rewiring itself. The key is early detection and diagnosis, in combination with a trained doctor who understand how to best treat you … and NOT brush you off or disregard your concerns.

For help finding a Functional Neurologist who can help you, please download my free TBI Doctor Guide HERE

Originally published on Huffington Post 1/11/2017

Join me for my FREE 7 Day Wellness Challenge
https://awbcce2.aweb.page/p/0bfba5ff-a983-44a9-b1a8-21d09ff81058

5 tips to Support Your Hormones

Amy Zellmer

We all know that when our hormones are out of whack it’s not good for our health, but do you know the signs of a hormone imbalance and what you should do about it? Do you really know what it can to you and your daily moods and health? And if you hormones are out of balance, what should you do about it?

When your hormones are out of balance it can cause mood swings, heavy or painful periods, low libido, insomnia, weight gain and skin problems…just to name a few of the side effects. So you can easily see why it’s so important to make sure that your hormones are balanced.

The first thing we need to do is know the signs of a hormonal imbalance.  I just mentioned some of the symptoms, but some aren’t as obvious or you may not realize that they could be related to hormones. Again, unexplained weight gain, insomnia, heavy periods, low libido and skin problems are some of the signs that we might see — as well as anger or rage in men.

But some other signs are: muscle pain, stiffness or tenderness, sweating, increased sensitivity to cold or heat, depression, nervousness, anxiety or irritability, thinning hair and increased hunger.

Now you know what to look for, what the heck should you do about it?

Of course, depending on the symptoms and the severity, you should always consult a medical professional because you may need specific tests to determine the underlying cause, but I want to give you some natural solutions to try at home.

  1. Eat plenty of protein! Dietary protein provides essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own and must be consumed every day in order to maintain muscle, bone and skin health. Also, protein influences the release of your hormones that control your appetite.

2. Avoid sugar and refined carbs! We all know that neither one is good for us, but did you know that studies have consistently shown that fructose can increase insulin levels and promote insulin resistance? AKA have serious long lasting effects on your hormones.

Just FYI insulin is a hormone that has several different functions, but one is that it allow cells to take up sugar and amino acids from the bloodstream, which is used for energy. Too much insulin can have serious health risks like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

3. Drink green tea! It’s one of the healthiest beverages you can drink! It has metabolism-boosting caffeine and it contains an antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which has been credited with several health benefits. PLUS there have been studies done that suggest green tea may increase insulin sensitivity and lower insulin levels.

4. Exercise regularly: A major benefit of exercise is its ability to reduce insulin levels and increase insulin sensitivity. Plus, we all know that exercising is a great endorphin release to help put us in a better mood and give us a boost of energy, which are both great to manage your stress. There have been a lot of studies done that stress can wreak havoc on your hormones, so exercising has too many benefits to count when it comes to balancing your hormones!

5. Eat Fatty Fish! Fatty fish is by far the best source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which have several anti-inflammatory properties and help to balance your hormones. salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, sardines, lake trout, halibut, herring

I’m also going to add a bonus 6th tip — join Dr. Maggie Yu, MD’s hormone masterclass! (pro hack: use code: SCHOLARSHIP for a discounted offer). She covers SO much information in her course, it’s crazy! Also included with the course is a hormone testing kit, and a phone consult with Dr. Maggie Yu herself. Join her FB group for TONS of free resources as well!

I’m curious, do you have any of the symptoms of a hormone imbalance? And did you know that could be the cause of your symptoms? Let us know in the comments and if you do have symptoms, which of the things I mentioned are you going to start today?

Join me for my FREE 7 Day Wellness Challenge
https://awbcce2.aweb.page/p/0bfba5ff-a983-44a9-b1a8-21d09ff81058

5 Tips to Improve Your Digestive Health

Amy Zellmer

 

Gut health is SO important for healthy brain health, as well as mental health.

Everyone experiences digestive problems at some point, but when they become more common they can have a big effect on your daily life. There have also been several studies that show that your gut health is related to your mental health as well. So, what can you do to improve your digestive health?

Today, I’m sharing 5 tips to naturally improve your digestive health.

Your digestive system breaks down foods and liquids into their chemical components, meaning it breaks them down into carbohydrates, fats, proteins, etc. Then, the body can absorb it as nutrients and use it for energy or to build or repair cells.

If your digestive health is out of whack, it can cause everything from heartburn, ulcer, diverticulitis, gallstones and diarrhea to depression and anxiety.

So, what can you do to improve your digestive health to feel better day to day, but also to help prevent long term health issues?

1. Eat more fiber! A high-fiber diet has been linked to a reduced risk of digestive conditions, including ulcers, reflux, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis and IBS. Eat things like, oat bran, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and whole grains.

2. Eat healthy fats! Fat helps you feel satisfied after a meal and is needed for proper nutrient absorption. Also, studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids may decrease your risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseeds, chia seeds, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon.

3. Drink your H20! Low fluid intake is a common cause of constipation. You should be drinking half of your bodyweight in water daily. For example, if you weigh 150lbs, you should drink at least 75oz. Of water per day. If you don’t like water, add flavor like fruit to your water or drink herbal teas. Also, try to avoid too many caffeinated drinks that will dehydrate you.

4. Eat real food! Stay away from the processed crap! Processed foods like low-calorie drinks and ice creams often contain artificial sweeteners, which may cause digestive problems.

One study found that eating 50 grams of the artificial sweetener xylitol led to bloating and diarrhea in 70% of people, while 75 grams of the sweetener erythritol caused the same symptoms in 60% of people.

Your digestive system is not made to digest fake food, it’s meant to digest real food. Honor your body!

5. Move everyday! Exercise and gravity help food travel through your digestive system. Even if it’s just something as simple as a short walk after eating, instead of immediately sitting down, it will naturally help keep everything moving!

Which one of these tips are you going to put into action today? Let us know in the comments, which tip are you going to use immediately to help improve your digestion?

Join me for my FREE 7 Day Wellness Challenge
https://awbcce2.aweb.page/p/0bfba5ff-a983-44a9-b1a8-21d09ff81058

Signs of Chronic Inflammation and How You Can Prevent It

Amy Zellmer

Did you know that chronic inflammation has been found to be a precursor to almost every chronic disease and chronic disease? And that it affects 133 million Americans?

Right now, that may look like slow and steady weight gain, sleep disturbances, joint pain, migraines, brain fog, and fatigue, and over time these symptoms will get worse.And you may not even realize that the food you’re putting in your body is causing acute inflammation now that can lead to serious problems later.

The problem is that a lot of people don’t even realize that they have signs of chronic inflammation or if they do, they don’t know what the long term effects are or what they can do to fix it now.

Today, we’re going to talk about the signs of inflammation and what you should be doing about it to help prevent some serious chronic conditions and to just help you feel better on a daily basis because if you’re bloated and tired all of the time you’re not going to feel your best.

What is inflammation? It isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Inflammation is how your body tries to protect itself. It’s your body’s way of protecting itself.

Think back on the last time you stubbed your toe or got a tiny paper cut. Your skin puffs up and it turns pink. What you’re seeing is fluid rushing to that location to try to heal the tissue. Or Have you ever tried a new workout and then the next day everything is sore and hurts? You have muscles you didn’t even realize you had. You probably noticed that your body felt kind of tight, swollen, achy, and sore. Well, that is inflammation. It’s a good thing. It’s healing your tissues.

Bodily inflammation is weight in fluids that you may have been carrying around for years simply because you’re eating foods that are inflammatory for YOU.

Basically anything that stresses your body out is a cue for your body to protect itself. It’s our first line of defense. I mean, we’re pretty good at taking care of ourselves. When your body gets the message that it needs to heal, it sends inflammation to that area. Now, there’s two different types of inflammation. You’re going to know these. The first one is what we call acute inflammation. If you’ve ever rolled your ankle, stubbed your toe, or got a sliver in your finger, the inflammation comes on suddenly. The second type of inflammation is what we call chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation builds up over time slowly, over days, weeks, months, decades. We often don’t even notice it. It’s also the root cause of so many diseases.

Chronic inflammation is what happens when we’re repeatedly exposed to something that our body sees as foreign, even though we might not see it as foreign.

In other words, you can go into the grocery store and see a bag of chips that looks familiar to you, but it’s filled with chemicals and fake ingredients. Even though you can eat it and you’re not going to get sick, your body still, because of evolution, sees it as a foreign object, the result of which, consuming fake foods for years and years, is the buildup of chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is the cause of almost all disease. Chronic inflammation can cause diseases such as: rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, IBS, heart disease, and so many more. Just about any disease of the brain or the immune system can be directly linked back to chronic inflammation.

Then, it’s really easy to pack on the pounds even when you’re like, “I don’t get it. I’m exercising like crazy. I’m eating the right foods and I’m counting calories.”

Inflammation can also be caused by an infection or a food sensitivity, even a food sensitivity to something that should be healthy.

So what types of food cause inflammation?

Some are obvious like high fructose corn syrup and processed crap, like artificial trans fats, vegetable and seed oils, refined carbohydrates and processed meat.

But some aren’t as obvious like seasoning mixes, agave and peanuts.

Plus, you will notice that some foods aren’t on a list, but they seem to affect you and that’s because food affects people differently.

That’s why it’s so important to make notes about how you feel after eating so that you can cut out the food that is causing inflammation for you and start eliminating that food from your diet.

Now let me clear, does this mean that you can never have a cupcake or ice cream again? Definitely not, because that’s not realistic, but it’s going to make you much more aware. It’s going to make you stop and think about if it’s really worth it and the goal is to limit it to special occasions or when you’re truly craving it not as a dessert every night.

So, first thing you need to do to eliminate inflammation is keep a food diary for a few days, write down everything you eat and how you feel afterwards.

Second, start adding more anti-inflammatory food like berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.), fatty fish like salmon. Avocado and broccoli are great superfoods that have tons of other benefits too! Also, drink green tea or add turmeric to your meals to help with inflammation.

Keep a food diary for the next 3 days. Write down everything that you eat and how you feel afterwards and then let us know what you learned. Let us know what foods leave you feeling bloated or tired or in a brain fog so that you can cut them out of your diet and prevent inflammation!

Join me for my FREE 7 Day Wellness Challenge
https://awbcce2.aweb.page/p/0bfba5ff-a983-44a9-b1a8-21d09ff81058

A New Partnership with Integrated Brain Centers

Amy Zellmer

I am so excited to share with you!!

I would like to introduce to you my new partnership with Integrated Brain Centers out of Denver, CO.

Together we will bringing you a TON of fresh, new content on recovering from concussion/TBI including:

Additionally, Integrated Brain Centers will be the new sponsor of my Faces of TBI podcast series and TBI TV.

Integrated Brain Centers supports patients from all over the country, offering week-long intensives as well as tele-health services. They use cutting-edge Functional Neurology techniques to help relieve symptoms including: dizziness, headaches, vertigo, neuro fatigue, cognitive decline, sleep disturbances, emotional imbalances, and so much more! Additionally, they incorporate Functional Medicine into their practice to help find underlying metabolic conditions that are hindering patient recovery.

www.integratedbraincenters.com   303.781.0126

 

Dr. Steadman (L) and Dr. Maynard (R)

Meet the Doctors:

Dr. Shane Steadman, DC, DACNB, DCBCN, FACFN, FAAIM, CNS, CCCN, DCCN with nearly 20 years of clinical experience, he is an expert in Chiropractic Neurology and Functional Medicine. Dr. Steadman is a leading practitioner in the area of concussions and brain injuries and works with patients in Denver, Colorado and around the United States.

Due to the extensive education, training and success rate Dr. Steadman has achieved, he is one of the most sought after health practitioners for patients dealing with tough conditions, as well as those who have gone from doctor to doctor without answers and solutions.

Dr. Steadman has been a lecturer for Apex Energetics since 2006. He teaches and educates other physicians and practitioners about the testing and clinical applications of Functional Endocrinology, Immunology and Neuro Chemistry. Dr. Steadman also, regularly appears on TV and radio programs, sharing his expertise and advice about concussions, brain injuries and a host of other conditions, such as: nutrition, stress management, vertigo, migraines and other tough cases.

Dr. Perry Maynard, DC, DACNB is a board certified Chiropractic Neurologist that specializes in the  management of complex neurological cases, including post concussive syndrome, vertigo, balance disorders, movement disorders, dysautonomia, and a variety of autoimmune conditions. Dr. Maynard also enjoys taking principles from cutting edge neuroscience and applying it to sports rehabilitation and overall human performance.

Dr. Maynard first became interested in neurological rehabilitation after playing Division 1 college football for Eastern Illinois University, where he experienced multiple concussions and witnessed friends and teammates suffering without answers or options for treatment. Dr. Maynard began chiropractic school with a strong interest in both clinical neuroscience and sports medicine. Throughout his education, he was fortunate to intern with several neurorehabilitation clinics.

Some of you are probably wondering why I have a new partnership … 

As many of you know, I have partnered with Dr. Schmoe and the FNC for the past three years since he treated me at his clinic. Dr. Schmoe is a brilliant doctor and without him I would not be where I am today in my recovery. I am forever grateful that he reached out to me and convinced me to come in for that initial exam.

My mission is to reach as many survivors, caregivers, loved ones, and professionals as I can in an effort to help TBI survivors get the care they need and learn about Functional Neurology and other resources sooner, rather than later, in their journey. I felt it was time to broaden my horizons and move in a different direction. I wish nothing but the very best for Dr. Schmoe and his talented team of doctors!

Amy’s TBI Tribe Virtual Meetup

Amy Zellmer

TBI survivors are already the masters of self-isolation, but in these unprecedented times we could all use a little extra camaraderie …

Due to the overwhelming response to the last meetup, I will be hosting another Virtual Meetup for any and all who would like attend. Survivors, caregivers, loved ones, professionals, providers, etc. all are welcome!

When: Friday, March 27th at 1:00pm CST (2EST/11PST)
Where: Zoom online meeting
Join from your computer, tablet, phone, or other device with the instructions below.

I do not have a specific agenda for the event, however, it will start and end with some meditation … and I will do a reading from my book Life With a Traumatic Brain Injury: Finding the Road Back to Normal. There will be time for everyone to just hangout and interact with one-another as well!

Join Zoom Meeting
Click this link to join: https://zoom.us/j/187097436
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,325515606# US (Chicago)
+19292056099,,325515606# US (New York)

If you have never used zoom before, you will need to download the app first … so allow yourself a little extra time beforehand to prepare.

Amy Zellmer Receives Silver Medal Award in the Midwest Book Awards | Author | Traumatic Brain Injury |

Amy Zellmer

I am so excited to announce that my book Embracing the Journey: Moving Forward After Brain Injury received a Silver Medal Award in the “Health” category of the Midwest Book Awards last night.

Books from the 12 state region were considered for the awards and it is a humbling experience to be honored amongst some truly fabulous books!!

My book was one of the top three in the entire Health category.

 

Some of the judge’s comments include:

💚“Spunky! It is clear and concise and keeps the readers interest.”

💚“Enjoyable reading flow.”

💚“A well done book that helps people understand other people’s struggles.”

💚“Beautifully done!! Wonderful flow!”

💚“The relationship with concussion is well described and helps others dispel misconceptions about the seriousness of head trauma.

You can find my book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2K0UmtB

 








Upcoming Book About INXS Front Man, Michael Hutchence, to Feature Quote From Amy Zellmer |

Amy Zellmer

michael hutchence, inxs, tbi, brain injury, concussion, tina hutchence,I am so excited to announce the upcoming book by Tina Hutchence, “Michael: My Brother, Lost Boy of INXS” is due out this September and features a quote from ME! 

I was approached by Tina, who is the sister of the late Michael Hutchence – front man and lead singer of INXS – if she could use a quote from one of my articles she had found on Huffington Post.

This news came the morning after I had received a really nasty email from one of my haters, so it really impacted me to know that my work is reaching thousands (if not millions) of people around the entire world.

 

I am much more emotional since my brain injury, as well as more intuitive. When I started chatting with Tina, I immediately knew I was going to become fast friends with her, and that her work was going to impact SOOO many people, and help create yet another conversation around TBI and how it affects more than 3.5 million Americans each year — and worldwide it is the number one cause of death.

Michael committed suicide in 1997 at the young age of 37. In her book, Tina talks about the challenges he must have faced living with a TBI and taking the stage — with flashing lights and loudsounds — every night on tour.

—–> LISTEN to the PODCAST replay HERE <—–

Read more about Tina and the pre-order herbook HERE.








Faces of TBI Podcast Featured on BlogTalkRadio |

Amy Zellmer

Iamy zellmer, podcast, faces of tbi, BlogTalkRadio, blog talk radio, received some pretty exciting news Friday afternoon from BlogTalkRadio telling me my podcast was being featured on their homepage under “Noteworthy” podcasts!

I have been producing my Faces of TBI podcast since September 2015 and this is the first time I have received a feature on their homepage, so it is truly exciting!

I was told to keep up the good work with fantastic content on my podcast, which tells me I am doing something right when a tiny little podcast about brain injury is being featured on a global website!

A year ago, my podcast was named one of the “top 100 Rising and Popular Podcasts” by Simms media, you can read more HERE.

The episode they featured is “Return to Learn” with Roni Robinson fromChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia. You can listen to it HERE.

Don’t forget, you can also subscribe through iTunes so you never miss an episode HERE.

HUGE thank you to my podcast sponsor, Midwest Functional Neurology, for making this podcast possible!!








Minneapolis VA TBI Group | Sponsor Needed

Amy Zellmer

minneapolis, va, vets, tbiYesterday I had the honor of being a guest at the Minneapolis VA Hospital. I spoke to the Vets TBI outpatient support group, and was able to read a few passages from my book to them.

This group of Vets made me feel so very welcome, and I had an absolute blast. They had a lot of questions and comments, and were excited to ask me to come back to their group again (which I guess doesn’t always happen!)

Next week (Dec. 17th) they will be having their Holiday Party and gift exchange. What I would LOVE to do is bring them all a gift wrapped copy of my book for them to enjoy. And to bring a book to ALL the TBI groups at the VA (outpatient, inpatient, new patient) and also have a few extra copies on-hand for the staff to give to TBI patients/families before they go home from the hospital.

This is where I need YOUR HELP! I am seeking a sponsor to cover the $600 to make this Christmas Wish come true! Whether you’re able to give the whole amount, or a portion, it would be greatly appreciated. You can either be anonymous to the Vets, or I can create a beautiful silver foil label to place on each book that says “donated by XXX” with your name or company logo on it.

If you’re able to help make this a reality for the Minneapolis Vets, you can donate here: www.facesoftbi.com/donate 

Words can’t even describe how elated I know these Vets will be! Your support will go a long way towards making this a Merry Christmas for this group!!