Also, any cobbler will have thick leather outsoles and I've used those as insoles as well.
Order some veg tan leather from theleatherguy.com. He's great. I get this, and make single layer running sandals, desk pad, et al...
Not really much to it. As fast as you can, as slow as you must. Grin. The trail will teach you what you need to know if you listen. Shorter, quicker steps. Nose breathe only. This keeps you from over exerting (and is better all around anyway). Walk when you need to run when you can. Have a blast. Stop, smell the mountian roses and her friends. Repeat. Repeat.
Jim Green. I've tried or avoided the others for various reasons. They are spectacular for all rugged outdoor activities, including hiking, trail running, backpacking.
Just be sure to understand leather and how to care for it, and that "waterproof" in any shoe is an illusion. I prefer highly water resistant and more breathable, and yes, the leather soaks through sometimes, but my foot stays mostly dry (either wool sock or no sock). Even full submersion creek crossings are no biggie.
First, I'd suggest talking with you doctor(s) about this. If sphincter weakness is constant, it may be due to direct physiological damage; if it is sporatic, where you have control sometimes and not others, it may be due to the physiological damage to your brain and resulting brain fatigue on days/times you are overloaded and then as you are recovering your brain energy back.
While not directly related to sphinctors, here are some links that can help understand brain energy and brain injury effects, particularly the "Brain Budgeting" one...
Family Guide to Brain Injury: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/family-and-friends-guide-to-brain-injury
Spend a day on Planet TBI: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/spend-a-day-on-planet-tbi
Brain Budgeting: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/daily-brain-budget
Anger bursts: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/tbi-anger-and-how-to-help
You are making excellent progress! Two years out feels like a decade, but you are still early days. I'm over twenty years out and for me the dust didn't really settle until year three and I could begin to sort out how to move forward more. You are entering that third year, and it is common timing, though not for everyone. What is it you are called to co-create with God?
Second the other comments on imaging, and add that it should be at a capillary level. ALso neuropsych testing. Those are the two accepted TBI diagnostic tools.
As to delayed onset, there are two factors: symptoms may actually be delayed in appearing for up to eight weeks (or so). After that, symptoms may seem to "appear" becuase as other obvious physical damage heals, we all start to do more, which pushes our brains, and reveals symptoms that hadn't shown because we were doing so little.
These links may be helpful for you...
Understanding TBI
Family Guide to Brain Injury: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/family-and-friends-guide-to-brain-injury
Spend a day on Planet TBI: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/spend-a-day-on-planet-tbi
Brain Budgeting: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/daily-brain-budget
Anger bursts: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/tbi-anger-and-how-to-help
Yup. I find homeopathy very effective in addressing not only alergies, but nearly everything else as well. If you've not looked into it, I recommend finding a good homeopath.
The first step is he has to realize he has a brain injury and it effects him. These posts might be a good place to have a conversation with him about what he is experiencing...
Understanding TBI
Family Guide to Brain Injury: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/family-and-friends-guide-to-brain-injury
Spend a day on Planet TBI: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/spend-a-day-on-planet-tbi
Brain Budgeting: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/daily-brain-budget
Anger bursts: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/tbi-anger-and-how-to-help
My understanding is that TBI isn't degenerative, but improves with time. The thing that makes this tricky is variable brain fatigue, which can make it seem like we're doing worse, when really we just overloaded our brain and it needs time to recover. Sensory stimulation is the main reason my brain overloads, or doing detailed things. What effects you may be different. Is anything new, have you tried anything new that might be challenging for you brain?
In case they help, here are some links for understanding brain injury:
Understanding TBI
Family Guide to Brain Injury: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/family-and-friends-guide-to-brain-injury
Spend a day on Planet TBI: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/spend-a-day-on-planet-tbi
Brain Budgeting: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/daily-brain-budget
Anger bursts: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/tbi-anger-and-how-to-help
Oof. I am sorry you are having such a hard time.
In case they help you with sleep, these ear plugs are the best I've found, they shape to your ear each time they go in, and they aren't very expensive (a pair lasts me a month, using them to sleep every night).
In case these links help you or any of those who support you understand brain injury:
Family Guide to Brain Injury: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/family-and-friends-guide-to-brain-injury
Spend a day on Planet TBI: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/spend-a-day-on-planet-tbi
Brain Budgeting: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/daily-brain-budget
Anger bursts: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/tbi-anger-and-how-to-help
Here's what works for my headaches:
"All I think about all day is how much my life sucks": I hear you and understand. However, the path to recovery is shifting to focusing on the gifts rather than dwelling on the pain. Celebrate small victories. Don't see any? Recalibrate and look again. Start with this: It is a victory to wake in the morning! Life is a gift, never dung. Challenging? Absolutely.
On my hard days, when I can't do anthing, I pray. If I can't pray formal prayers, I pray what I can in my own head. It took me years to again be able to pray the rosary, which I love, and now I pray it as I run trails, which also took years for me to be able to do again. Baby steps. If you can't see the steps, look closer, they are smaller, but there. Grin.
Nature's wondrous silence, which isn't silent at all.
I used to get 3-4 ankle sprains a year, each needing weeks of off trail recovery and more time to get up to speed. Since going barefoot/minimalist, zero in 15 years. Transition slow, to avoing too much too soon injuries, and you will be amazed by how much everything is without high heeled footbinders. Grin.
Don't forget the soul, which leads leads them all. Grin.
- Faith, including prayer and family
- Family
- exercise: aerobic, only nose breathing. I hike/run local trails, a couple of hours on days my brain allows. I combine running with praying the rosary.
- discern what God is calling me to do and strive to co-create that with Him.
To be sure I understand: 1. You are new to running 2. You ran three times on concrete in high heeled foot binding devices. 3. No minimalist shoes or barefoot running has been attempted yet.
I can't address your shoe question, being 1. a guy, and 2. I run trails and prefer running in all leather shoes with only leather and rubber under foot, if I'm not barefoot.
I recommend you begin running, or perhaps better, walking at first, actually barefoot. Learn to listen to your feet. Look up how to begin if you want, but just heat out on a walk, not a run, bring shoes for if you need them, and learn.
Is it normal to get knee and back pain from running in high heeled food binding devices? Yes. Will that go away going barefoot/minimalist? If you learn to move properly yes, but in transition, as your body and mind are learling to move differently, change you entire flow of motion, strengthen muscles and tendons et al, there can be adjustment pain ... but you already know that from shifting to floor sleeping (a platform bed works the same, and is warmer in winter, at least here in the mountains).
These links are a good place to start, read together, have conversations with her, and ask us any questions from. You can always PM me as well.
Family Guide to Brain Injury: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/family-and-friends-guide-to-brain-injury
Spend a day on Planet TBI: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/spend-a-day-on-planet-tbi
Brain Budgeting: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/daily-brain-budget
Anger bursts: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/tbi-anger-and-how-to-help
Och, aye. You're exiting shock and entering grief for the losses and challenges becaue of brain injury. This post may help...
https://mindyourheadcoop.org/grieving-losses-from-brain-injury
I suspect it has a lot to do with both why the feet are flat and how much trail/technical climbing with various camber and descent there it to work the feet more. The more of that, the sooner the foot will take it's GOd given shape. Grin.
MKS Allways Pedals. Consider each downstroke a foot landing when running. You don't need a stiffer sole for biking if you have a good pedal the distributes the load across the whole of your forefoot. If you need a stiffer sole, add a heavy leather outsole as an insole and you're done. (I did this with Vivobarefoot leather shoes before I found Jim Green African Ranger Barefoot boots.) Rode that way for years (less now that Covid lockdowns caused people to forget how to drive).
https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/components/pedals/mks-allways-pedals/
No idea. I wasn't paying attention to my arches, not expecting it. Likely gradually at first, then mostly months 3-24. I transitioned cold turkey in 2009. To really dial in form and fully shift was three years.
Yup. These posts may help, starting witht he anger one at the bottom...
Family Guide to Brain Injury: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/family-and-friends-guide-to-brain-injury
Spend a day on Planet TBI: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/spend-a-day-on-planet-tbi
Brain Budgeting: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/daily-brain-budget
Anger bursts: https://mindyourheadcoop.org/tbi-anger-and-how-to-help
Those were made in mud or sand and then fosselized. Examine your own prints walking in the mud. Chances are you push off a bit, creating exagerates toe splay too.
I had flat feet and "needed" orthotics since I was twelve. Went barefoot/minimalist fiveteen years ago. My foot shortened by a size, I gained an arch, my forefoot widened, toes straightened and spread and I haven't worn orthotics since. Take transition slow. Muscles and tendons and biomechanics all have to shift and strengthen.
Barefoot and over-pronation
BarefootRunning