Hi.  I’m Robin, the owner and lead clinician at Synapse NeuroReLab…

I’ve never tried blogging, so give me a touch of grace as I navigate my way through this first ever post.  I was trying to find a fun way to identify the basics of what I do and make it relatable.  But, instead I came up with this idea and am going with it.  We will see if it passes the test to the second post.  This post, being my first, deserves a special commemorative element. Today’s element is Oxygen.  Atomic number 8,  atomic mass 15.9994.  Highly reactive nonmetal. Oxygen is the air we breathe.  It is the life force behind our brain cells.  It stimulates neural growth – feeds our brains to keep us clear, focused, alert.  Physiologically, we need oxygen to live. The symbolic oxygen in my life is my family and friends – the people who I pour all my love and care into.  They keep me focused, they help me grow.  The connections I have with them are vital to my life and motivation.  They are my why. The feeling is similar with the work I do.  It is my vocational oxygen, if you will. I imagine you saying, “What do you do, Robin?”  So glad you asked. I am a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP).  Specifically, I am a SLP specializing in neurological rehabilitation.  So now I imagine you saying, “… sooooo that means…” It means that I help make brains work better.  Some of my patients have had injuries to their brains, some have had brain tumors resected, some have had strokes, some have genetic disorders, some have neurologically-based diagnoses (ADHD, executive dysfunction, mixed expressive/receptive language disorder, dyslexia, etc). I don’t mean to sound ridiculous, but this is my thing.  Rehab is my thing.  I love helping someone get back to life.  It is an honor to be a part of someone’s journey, whether it is brain injury recovery or assisting someone who needs better skills to adapt to classroom learning.  I am the luckiest SLP to have the patients that I have, and to be able to provide the care that I do. My father was a large-unit HVAC repair technician. He did not love his job, but he had a family to support and it paid the bills.   But he encouraged us to focus on what we loved and to make that our job – to find our calling.  In neurological rehabilitation, I have found my calling.  It is hard, it is traumatic, it is work; but it is also beautiful, wonderful, and a privilege. I worked at an amazing facility for post-acute rehabilitation in pediatric, adolescent and adult patients for 14 years in the Pediatric/Adolescent program.   Last year, I decided that it was time to grow.  I left, took a deep breath, and started Synapse.     Welcome.  Take a deep breath.  You just found the greatest (neurological rehabilitation) secret in Kansas City.   Hey! It’s me…           .        *the pictures in this post are of the oxygenators in my life.