A SEAL’s TBI & Chronic Pain Recovery: MeRT Helped Where Nothing Else Could

To: Coastal Authority Care Foundation

Testimonial:  On NEUCOA Treatment with MeRT

Date:  April 10, 2025 - May 28, 2025

Hopefully I can describe what this treatment has done for me. I was a Navy SEAL for 26 years. As any person in Special Operations, your body takes a lot of damage but what was always neglected until recent history is the brain.

As time progresses your body adapts to the pain as there is no cure for neck and back, TBI and other injuries, anxiety, or depression, we must live with it as there is no cure and the VA or civilian doctors can only help on a limited level. Unless you want oxycodone. Which you know where that will lead to eventually.

When I was told about MeRT (magnetic e-resonance therapy) at NEUCOA, I was skeptical. It sounded too good to be true. How could what I am being told be real? But I was open to any treatment that may help me.

Week One: That first week I did not notice much of a change. But remained optimistic.

Week Two: On Monday of the second week, I noticed a change. I can only describe it as if a fog had cleared and I felt lighter. Maybe not the best way to describe it but I do not think there are any words. Also, I was at that point sleeping 4 to 4 1/2 hours a night. That second week I was already sleeping 5 hours.

Week Three: Changes were getting more noticeable. Sleep time increased. Feeling good and energy levels improving. Pain had decreased. I was taking a Motrin/Aspirin combo to help with my pain. Did not need it and stopped taking it. My memory was getting better. I was remembering more. 

Week Four: A repeat of Week Three as sleep time increased to sleeping 6 hours. You cannot imagine my excitement as I have not sleep 6 hours in 30 years. Feeling good and improving. Pain was decreasing more. My back and neck pain decreased and was thinking that I may cancel seeing my Chiropractor.

An additional change. My gym workouts were getting better, feeling stronger, this may be due to better sleep. 

Week 5: As all listed above increased again and sleep was hitting the 7- hour mark.

I can tell you what occurred is nothing short of miraculous. If you have anger issues, anxiety, depression, pain, sleep issues or brain fog (for lack of a better term) you must do this treatment. It will change your life for the better.

The personnel at the office are nothing short of phenomenal. Professional, Knowledgeable, and Personable.

Respectfully Submitted:

R. T., U.S. Navy SEAL BMCM (Ret) 

Prior to hyperbaric oxygen treatment, I was in physical therapy at the VA, relearning how to balance and walk steadily again. A typical day for me was filled with brain fog, fatigue, vertigo, occasional nystagmus, and a constant bounce in my vision every time I moved. The loss of independence at just 40 years old was devastating—I couldn’t drive most days or work consistently.

My struggles were caused by progressive cerebral atrophy related to a traumatic brain injury I sustained in Iraq in 2007. After exhausting every treatment option at the VA, a good friend recommended I try Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) after experiencing incredible results himself.

My experience at Tier 1 Therapy Centers? A 10 out of 10.
This was the first place where I truly felt cared for. The staff and nurses treated me like family. I was actually sad when my treatment ended because of how quickly I bonded with everyone.

The results? Better than I ever imagined.

· Vertigo episodes have nearly disappeared—and when they do occur, I recover in minutes instead of hours.

· I have not experienced nystagmus in over two weeks.

· Balance issues are now minimal.

· Mental fog has lifted, and my mood has improved tremendously.

· Blood pressure stabilized by week three. My primary care doctor took me off my blood pressure medication.

· I’m feeling close to 100% again—and my family notices the difference, too.

HBOT exceeded all my expectations. I never thought I could reverse so many of my symptoms, especially after my VA neurologist told me I’d likely develop a Parkinson’s-like syndrome by my 60s. I only wish I had done this sooner.

A huge thank you to Coastal Authority Care Foundation and Jill and Brian Crist for funding my treatment. Your generosity changed my life. And to Sarah, for being so persistent about my application—I will be forever grateful.

If you’re struggling and searching for hope, I highly recommend HBOT and Tier 1. It truly feels like a miracle.

—J.B., Army/ARNGUS, M1 Armor Crewman

"Our family cannot thank you enough for funding the hyperbaric treatment for my husband, Ron, a few years ago. You all gave him great hope that his pain could be tolerable along with the many other medical issues he faced. He loved going to hyperbaric for treatment. He met so many wonderful people and gave them all a hard time or a good laugh! Unfortunately, Ron was in severe pain November/December, which took a while to diagnose. Turned out to be advanced stage 4 adenocarcinoma, which was also in his bones. Boy he wanted to fight but it was just too late. Ron passed away April 29, 2023. We had a celebration of life 6/24/23. All donations are enclosed in his memory in hopes of helping another veteran in need. I will continue to support and donate to your foundation and will forever be grateful for helping Ron. xoxo Nicole K.

 From the spouse: Neuro stimulation, neuro feedback and counseling with Emily was a last resort on a very long journey for my husband who had tried every option and opportunity he could find. With skepticism and a whole lot of hope, we took the plunge and called Emily and there’s been no looking back. Emily's knowledge, optimism and skill set within the neuro field has saved my husband's life. She provided the resources to help my husband’s brain to heal and a tool kit to succeed in the best way he can going forward.

Neuro stimulation has provided increased awareness, cognitive function and mental stability which is the necessary groundwork for my husband to continue on his journey to heal from his blast injuries back in 2012. It has re-instilled hope in his soul. The counseling Emily does in addition to neuro stimulation has changed my husband's life. Neuro stimulation and neuro feedback take commitment but with continued support, the process works. Good things are happening. Instead of numbing him and shutting him down with pharmaceuticals, it has helped my husband learn to feel again, address what he is feeling and appropriately navigate tough subjects, feelings and some deficiencies that will never go away.

The environment she has created is a safe zone for these guys to let their guard down and be able to focus on healing and open their mind to the concept that they are capable of cognitive and emotional healing.  We are so incredibly thankful for the financial aid which helped ease financial pressures and worry due to out-of-pocket expenses and allowed him to focus on healing.

From the veteran: I was a Navy EOD officer for 7 years with a 10-month deployment to Afghanistan with a SEAL team. A year after I returned, I was found unfit for duty due to being diagnosed with TBI and PTSD, among a list of other things. I pursued every option that was offered to me in the hopes of getting better. Life got mildly better after my fall from normalcy but in the past year or two, things progressively worsened. My neuro doctor and my Psych doctors just prescribed more medications to deal with my issues and symptoms. While I continued to find new bottoms in my life at a progressively faster pace, my wife happened to get recommended to Emily and the neurotherapy she provides. This was the start of a new hopeful path in my life that I hadn’t seen, felt or realized since before my deployment. This is actually the first document I have been able to write on my own since sometime during my deployment.

Neurotherapy is the only thing that has provided sizable improvements that have truly been life-changing. It is the only time I was told that the therapy would work on repairing what was wrong and not simply cover up the symptoms.  Prior to treatment, I couldn’t stay on any thought or idea long enough to form any kind of workable product. Now thoughts and ideas stay and I can stay on track to be more present in day-to-day life and make plans for the future. It has given me a positive outlook and completely changed my life for the better.  

Tommy: Great time this weekend at the Band Aid Music Festival put on by @coastalauthoritycarefoundation  I’m so thankful to them for funding my time with NEUCOA. They are great  friends of ours and they provide non-invasive MeRT (magnetic e-resonance therapy) for Spec Ops  vets. It’s crazy that you can literally see the impact of multiple  combat deployments in our brain activity. I will always be a strong  advocate for mental health. It takes work just like our physical health.  Thank you Marty, David, Jill and Brian. I will always be grateful. 🙏🏻  By the way they’re finding this is extremely helpful with those with  Autism as well. Feel free to reach out if your interested in more  information concerning brain optimization (like me) or help with PTSD, TBI or Autism. We’re stronger together. 🤙🏼 

"We are home now...I remain at the lowest pain levels I've had since the crash and off pain killers because the pain is manageable for the first time in over a decade after MeRT. Coastal Authority Care Foundation and the team at NEUCOA made this possible - thank you so much! Bill, USAF (ret.)