1
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- MY NAME IS AMY DICKINSON,
I'M A NAVY VETERAN,

2
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AND I'M GULF WAR ONE ERA.

3
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I HAVE A MILD TRAUMATIC
BRAIN INJURY.

4
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YOU CAN PROBABLY SEE THE SCAR.

5
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I HAVE A SCAR RIGHT
OVER MY RIGHT EYE,

6
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RIGHT THROUGH THE EYEBROW.

7
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I GOT HIT WITH THE KNIFE EDGE
OF A STEEL DOOR ON THE SHIP

8
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THAT I WAS ON, AND IT KNOCKED ME
BACK ON THE DECK,

9
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AND KNOCKED ME LOOPY.

10
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I WAS HEARING BELLS
AND SEEING STARS,

11
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AND THIS WAS IN 1997,

12
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BEFORE THEY KNEW
ABOUT BRAIN INJURIES

13
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OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

14
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THE DOCS TOLD ME--
THEY DIDN'T TAKE ANY CT SCANS,

15
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NO MRIs, NO X-RAYS, NO NOTHING,

16
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AND THEY GAVE ME SOME ICE,
SOME 100-MG MOTRIN,

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AND SAID,
"YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A SHINER."

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[LAUGHS]
IT CAUSED MORE DAMAGE THAN THAT.

19
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BUT UNFORTUNATELY,
IT WASN'T UNTIL 13 YEARS LATER

20
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THAT I WAS ACTUALLY
ABLE TO GET HELP FOR IT,

21
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BUT THE HELP HAS COME,
AND IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL, SO...

22
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BEFORE I STARTED
WITH BOTH POLYTRAUMA

23
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AND THE REHABILITATIVE YOGA,
I WOULD GET UP EVERY MORNING--

24
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I LIVE
IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY,

25
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SO IT'S AN AGRICULTURAL AREA,

26
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AND SO IF YOU'VE GOT ALLERGIES,
YOU'LL HAVE THEM ALL YEAR.

27
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I WOULD GET UP EVERY MORNING

28
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AND I WOULD TAKE
ALLERGY MEDICATION,

29
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MY ANTI-DEPRESSANT,

30
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WHICH COMES
WITH THE BRAIN INJURY,

31
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AND SOME SUDAFED
TO HELP KEEP ME A LITTLE DRIER

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AND PRETTY HEAVY-DUTY
PAIN MEDICATIONS,

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EVERY SINGLE DAY,

34
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WHICH IT'S NOT GOOD
FOR YOUR KIDNEYS,

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IT'S NOT GOOD FOR YOUR LIVER,
IT'S NOT GOOD FOR ANYTHING,

36
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BUT IT WOULD HELP ME
JUST GET THROUGH THE DAY,

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IT'D HELP ME FUNCTION,

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BECAUSE I WOULD LITERALLY
BE TENSE, STRESSED, HEADACHES.

39
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I GET MIGRAINES ANYWAY,

40
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AND THEN THIS JUST ADDS TO IT
WITH ANXIETY,

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IT ADDS TO IT WITH STRESS
AND TENSION.

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AND SINCE I HAVE BEEN
IN THE PROGRAM

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BOTH WITH POLYTRAUMA
AND THE REHAB YOGA,

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I DON'T NEED THE PAIN MEDICATION
EVERY SINGLE DAY.

45
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EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
BECAUSE, YES, I DO GET THEM,

46
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AND, YES, I DO HAVE
ACTUAL INJURIES

47
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THAT DO REQUIRE
A LITTLE EXTRA HELP.

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I'VE BEEN ABLE
TO, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH IT.

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IT'S BEEN FANTASTIC.

50
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YOU BREATHE INTO THE ISSUES,

51
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YOU CAN CALM DOWN,
YOU CAN STRETCH, YOU KNOW.

52
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WORKING WITH THE EYE THERAPY,
WORKING WITH THE YOGAS,

53
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WORKING
WITH THE PHYSICAL THERAPY,

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IT HELPS YOU WALK STRAIGHTER,

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IT HELPS YOU NOT HAVE
SO MUCH EYE FATIGUE,

56
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IT HELP YOU BREATHE
INTO THE TENSION.

57
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AND SO THE MEDICATION--

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AND MY ANXIETY MEDICATION
HAS BEEN CUT IN HALF,

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SO THE PRESCRIPTION WENT DOWN.

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SO, IT'S BEEN A GOOD EXPERIENCE
THE WHOLE WAY AROUND.

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IT'S A BIG DEAL.

62
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I THINK THE VA
GIVES US A LOT OF MEDICATION.

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[CHUCKLES]
A LOT OF MEDICATION.

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AND SO IT'S BETTER, I THINK,
IF WE CAN...HEALTHIER OPTIONS,

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SO WE CAN BREATHE THROUGH IT,
IF WE CAN STRETCH THROUGH IT,

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IF WE CAN WORK THROUGH IT,
BECAUSE THE MEDICATIONS

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ARE GREAT FOR SHORT TERM,

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THEY'RE GREAT
FOR, YOU KNOW, QUICK FIXES,

69
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BUT THEY DON'T
SOLVE THE PROBLEM,

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WHEREAS THE STRENGTHENING CORE,

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STRENGTHENING YOUR MUSCLES,
LEARNING RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

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THAT YOU CAN JUST
USE ON THE FLY,

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THAT HELPS SOLVE THE PROBLEM
IN THE LONG TERM.

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I USE THE RELAXATION TECHNIQUES
AT HOME, I DON'T ALWAYS--

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I'M A MOTHER OF 5. HA HA!
I'M A PTA PRESIDENT,

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I'M A MOTHER OF 5,
I'M A VETERAN ADVOCATE.

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I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TIME TO DO

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EVERYTHING THAT I DO
AT MY APPOINTMENTS,

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WHICH IS WHY I TAKE
MY APPOINTMENTS SO SERIOUSLY,

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BECAUSE THAT'S TIME SET ASIDE
JUST FOR THAT.

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BUT I DO STRETCH
WHEN I GET A FREE MINUTE,

82
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AND I DO BREATHE
WHEN I GET A FREE MINUTE.

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IT'S LIKE, "OKAY,
I LOVE YOU, SWEETHEART,

84
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BUT JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE."

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[LAUGHS]

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I'LL BE RIGHT THERE,
AND I'LL STRETCH IT,

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AND BREATHE IT,
AND I'LL CALM DOWN.

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OKAY, WHAT CAN WE DO
TO MAKE IT RIGHT?

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LET'S FIX THE PROBLEM,
I'M TALKING TO MY CHILDREN.

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I BELIEVE EVERYONE
SHOULD GIVE IT A TRY,

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BECAUSE, EVEN IF YOGA
SPECIFICALLY ISN'T ONE OF THOSE

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THAT'S NECESSARILY
RIGHT FOR YOU,

93
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THERE ARE OTHER FORMS,
LIKE TAI CHI OR CHAIR YOGA.

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EVERYTHING IS MODIFIED,
EVERYTHING CAN BE MODIFIED

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SO IT'S INDIVIDUALIZED
FOR THE VETERAN,

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FOR THE VETERAN'S NEEDS.

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LIKE I SAID,
I HAVE A BRAIN INJURY,

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WHICH MEANS I HAVE
VESTIBULAR ISSUES,

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WHICH MEANS I GET DIZZY,

100
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AND SO,
WHILE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CLASS

101
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MAY BE STANDING UP
DOING THEIR STRETCHES,

102
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I'M DOWN ON MY KNEES,

103
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BECAUSE IF I STAY UP
TOO MUCH LONGER I MAY FALL OVER.

104
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SO EVERYTHING CAN
BE MODIFIED AND INDIVIDUALIZED

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FOR WHAT YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS
ARE AS A VETERAN WITH INJURIES.