About Jodean Petersen

Jodean Petersen is the Clinical Administrator at the Institute for Nerve Medicine, and senior applications specialist for the Neurography Institute in Santa Monica, California.  Jodean has been with NeuroGrafix, the parent company to both medical practices, since May of 2000.  Jodean has worked closely with the inventor of the MR Neurography and a variety of surgical techniques, Aaron Filler, MD, Ph.D. since 1997 being first employed at UCLA.  At the Institute for Nerve Medicine, Jodean speaks with neurosurgical patients from all over the world seeking specialized surgical treatment providing a one on one level of understanding and empathy for what they are going through.

Many surgery patients seek Jodean’s advice based on her knowledge and personal experiences of having more than 20 surgeries herself. Happy to help others in need the Institute for Nerve Medicine gives Jodean many opportunities to give back to the medical community which helped her overcome much personal strife.  Most of the challenges in Jodean’s life were brought about suddenly from a severe car crash when Jodean lost her best friend Martha, most of her blood supply, part of her left cheek bone and her left eye.  Martha passed away in the car accident very brutally smashed to bits all over the inside of the car and Jodean.

After the accident Jodean spent many years having plastic surgery to rebuild the left side of her face and left eye and her spirit.   Plastic surgery and many fittings for prosthetic eyes was a difficult and worn road Jodean traveled down producing years of deep depression.  The depression led to drug use and later compulsive behavior.  Jodean battled bulimia and compulsive self abuse for many years along with post traumatic stress disorder reliving the most intense feelings, sights, sounds and smells of the accident.  Unable to settle for only surviving each day, Jodean sought therapy to improve her life and boldly explored the idea of making her dreams of living with out bulimia, cutting herself and the overwhelming post traumatic stress disorder come true.

Jodean worked very hard in therapy for over two years but she was not recovering fast enough.  The years of bulimia and amphetamine use caught up with her and she developed irreversible heart damage.  The news of her heart issues were devastating but did not discourage Jodean from digging in and figuring out how she could get better faster.  Setting and understanding three goals Jodean was able to meet everyday was the key and the turning point for her recovery.  Gradually she and her therapist set her up for succeeding at more goals and soon enough she was able to start living and thriving instead of merely surviving.

Remarkably, Jodean has been able to completely recover from the compulsive behaviors and amicably work through depression that still comes on from time to time.  Nonetheless, the depression does not deter or interfere with the life Jodean has built for herself.  Exercise has been Jodean’s life time medicine, which has helped her understand hard work and has relieved her depression immensely.  A philosophy has developed for Jodean where it does not matter what you have to go through or what you have been through already, you can get well and stay well if it is what you desire and you are willing to do what it takes to stay well.  Jodean has an amazing understanding of the human plight and spirit and believes everyone can meet positive goals in their lives with hard work, passion and help.  Jodean has been grateful to all who have helped her along the way and created her book and her website as a resource for anyone who needs help with the going struggles life dishes out to all of us.  She continues to improve at being well and living well and has indeed achieved her dreams to be free of the compulsive behavior and live her life with the same opportunities as everyone else.

Category: Biography