MICHAEL SIEVERTS' TIPS/TRICKS TO RECOVER YOUR LIFE

Part 2 of a 9-Part Series: Techniques to Build Cognition

Michael Sieverts is a brain cancer survivor since 2000. He is the instructor for Cancer Support Community’s qigong classes in the parks. Roxbury Park classes meet every Tuesday & Thursday from 10:30a.m. to 12 noon and at Clover Park every Monday and Friday from 9:30 to 11:00a.m. Free to all those affected by cancer. Call 310-314-2555.

 

 

 

 

“Ever try. Ever fail. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett

 ● Build your memory: challenge your brain by learning a new language or a musical instrument. Doing crosswords and Sudoku are fine, but the skills involved don’t seem to translate to tackling other kinds of tasks.

● Keep your mind active—keep a journal, read literature and poetry, go to concerts and museums and lectures.

● Be actively involved in your medical treatment. Research and understand your illness—become a partner in your recovery with your medical team, stay current on advances in the field, join the e-patient movement.

● Research which parts of your brain are not functioning well, because that will inform you about where to direct your recovery effort.

● Find the best doctors for your specific illness, and then make them look like geniuses by having the best recovery possible.

● Find gentle ways of challenging yourself, look for your true talents—your gifts will always be your gifts, in my experience.

● Practice—aim for continual improvement and develop good habits.

● Treat your attention as a valuable resource, spend it wisely.

Reading List and Web Resources:

Your Brain After Chemo: A Practical Guide to Lifting the Fog and Getting Back Your Focus by Dan Silverman, MD, PhD, and Idelle Davidson
www.YourBrainAfterChemo.blogspot.com

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina  http://www.brainrules.net/

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (Null) by Norman Doidge

The Memory Bible: An Innovative Strategy For Keeping Your Brain Young by Gary W. Small

http://www.semel.ucla.edu/longevity

The Body Has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better by Sandra Blakeslee and Matthew Blakeslee

The Better Brain Book by David Perlmutter and Carol Colman

http://www.powerupyourbrain.com/

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman

http://www.eagleman.com/

SAT Question of the Day:

http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/

Word a Day:

http://wordsmith.org/awad/

Seek out intelligent discussions:
TED talks:
http://www.ted.com/talks

Google Talks:

http://www.youtube.com/user/AtGoogleTalks

Poptech Talks:

http://poptech.org/

e-patient movement:

http://e-patients.net/

Charlie Rose’s Brain Series:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/collection/10702

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT FROM MICHAEL:

Compensation Strategies (adapted from “Your Brain After Chemo” by Dan Silverman, MD, PhD and Idelle Davidson):

CSC’s Brain Tumor Group—for patients & family members—meets the 1^st and 3^rd Monday of each month from 7-9pm. No RSVP required. 1990 S. Bundy Drive, Suite 100, LA, CA 90025. 310-314-2555. CSC validates parking. This blog originally from 'Your Brain After Chemo' http://www.yourbrainafterchemo.blogspot.com/