I am not exaggerating when I say vision therapy with Dr. Nhin Nguyen changed my life. After a concussion earlier this summer, even as a physical therapist who specializes in concussion rehab, I had plateaued with what I could do on my own. I needed help, and Everett Vision Therapy was exactly the right place.
Of all the systems affected by concussion, I suspected my vision was a major problem. I couldn’t be on screens for more than a couple of hours without headaches and nausea, which is bad news for a telehealth PT! As a whitewater kayaker, being on moving water didn’t bother me, but scouting rapids on the shore made me so dizzy and nauseous it felt like the rocks were moving, and I’d have to sit down. Looking at swirling currents or the riverbanks from my boat made me lightheaded.
I’m also a mountain biker, but I kept having crashes, struggling to process all the input from the shadows, trees, and terrain. I was afraid of more head injuries and stopped riding. I couldn’t drive in rain, traffic, or at night, and even driving on clear days left me exhausted, needing to sit with my eyes closed for a good while after arriving.
Two months after this concussion, after doing everything I possibly could on my own, I finally reached out to Everett Vision Therapy. Dr. Eslami did a thorough evaluation to pinpoint why my brain wasn’t processing visual inputs correctly. I was impressed with this, but even more so with how effective vision therapy turned out to be.
Dr. Nhin worked me hard in every session, pushing me as I progressed. I left each session more tired than after a hard gym workout, a sign that the training was working. I put in the effort on the home program she gave me, and she was able to progress me every visit. When I struggled, she found new ways to explain and demonstrate techniques to help me understand and succeed.
After about a month of therapy, I noticed I wasn’t dizzy scouting rapids anymore. I could stay on screens longer. Driving didn’t exhaust me. Dr. Nhin kept challenging me, and I kept improving. By the end of therapy, every one of my issues had resolved. I could use screens as long as I needed for both patient care and the business side. I could paddle harder whitewater without getting dizzy or disoriented and finally, the earth stopped moving under my feet. I drove in the rain, traffic, at night—with zero issues or fatigue. In the last two weeks of treatment, I got back on my mountain bike and felt totally normal (aside from fitness loss, ha). No crashes, no issues with shadows or obstacles.
If you’re on the fence about vision therapy, get off that fence and give yourself (or your kid) the chance to not only function again but to thrive and get back to what you love. And if you’re anywhere near Everett Vision Therapy and can see Dr. Nhin, I 100000% recommend her. She is smart as a whip and truly cares about her work. I live in Darrington and drove over an hour each way because she’s that good.
But here’s the thing—she’ll teach and guide you, but YOU have to put in the work. No slacking off in sessions or skipping the home exercises. This is a loving nudge: go see Dr. Nhin, open your mind, and get ready to work hard to get your life back. With her guidance, you can. THANK YOU, Dr. Nhin—I’m forever grateful.
