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Trevor Woller

@trevwoller

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It’s 1:27 AM on Friday morning & I’ve spent the past hour reflecting on all the fun I’ve had this month. My headaches have controlled my life for too long. October was the first month in 6 years where they didn’t control me.

I feel like I’ve been reborn. I forgot how satisfying the freedom is to say “I want to go on a bike ride today” & just DO IT. Chronic pain drains out every ounce of spontaneity. Having just a LITTLE spontaneity has resparked my life.

Here are my favorite highlights from this month: From watching spawning Salmon near Mt. Hood, to going to my favorite beach on planet earth, to playing Halo with my childhood best friends, to watching the Blazers win on a buzzer beater, to taking a bike ride in a magical mossy forest — all of these simple activities brought me immense joy. I felt alive again.

As I write this, I still have a headache (HA). I rode my bike too far & it flared. But thankfully, I have some tools that help me lower my HA on my own. I still have daily HAs, but my baseline is lower. I’m so grateful for @yoshi.mitsuyama spending hours with me & encouraging me to keep trying. The @posturalrestoration Institute has given me hope back. Three months ago, I literally had none. They truly listened to me & validated my pain. They didn’t think I was crazy. They have taught me so much about posture, brain & spine injuries, neuro rehab, & how the brain compensates after trauma. My body is twisted like a pretzel & I finally feel like I’m slowly untwisting it. I still have SO much work to do before I’m smoking everyone on the bball court again … but until then, I will enjoy a walk in the neighborhood without an ice pack on my head. The little things.

I’ve started an outline for an eBook about my HA journey. My medical story is honestly CRAZY. The world needs to learn about the powerful science of the @posturalrestoration . If the ebook helps just one person, it’ll be worth it. I want to share glimmers of hope to others. Moments of hope are life saving.

Thanks for all of your support. Please, look out for your friends that are struggling. This world needs more empathy & less judgment. You never know what road they’re on. Loves ❤️ - Trev taken in Rhododendron, Oregon by @trevwoller

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4 years ago

The last real conversation I had with my Grandpa started with him croaking “Go Ducks.” The Ducks had just struggled against Stony Brook, so I said “glad we won, but we played sloppy against a small school.” My Mor Far immediately corrected me: “Stony Brook isn’t small. They have over 25k students. And their campus is big; over 1500 acres right by the bay.”

That’s my Grandpa to a tee. First off, always repping his beloved Ducks. Second, he was a wealth of knowledge. He’d talk your ear off about the most random topic — including the geography of a random college in upstate NY. He has a steel trap memory his entire life. I always enjoyed those riveting conversations that went down so many tangents.

We lost my Grandpa this week to a battle of Covid & other lung issues. This is really tough for me. Because of COVID, we haven’t been able to watch a Ducks game together. All of the restrictions were hard, but if it allowed me to watch one more Ducks football game with my Gpa, then it’s worth it. Watching him scream & dance during Ducks games are some of my most cherished memories. Give me 10 masks & 10 vaccines. I don’t care. I need to watch a game with him again. It’s also why I just could not comprehend the uproar over mask mandates throughout the country & its falsely perceived infringement on liberty. If wearing a mask in public settings allowed me to protect just one person — & allowed them to watch a game with their gparents — then it was 110% worth it. I would hope others would do the same for me.

I’ll miss you Mor Far. You still inspire me. My Gpa was a pioneer in many aspects of Oregon recreational sports. At 97, he went skiing this winter on the cross country trails he designed & created decades ago. His legacy continues to drive my fight to solve my medical issues.

Everyone knows how much I love repping the Ducks. But it’s never been just about the Ducks. It’s about repping my family. My community. My favorite memories. Every time I wear a Ducks hoodie, it’s like I’m directly carrying a memory of my grandparents with me. The O serves as an emblem for our fam. I love you Mor Far. Every time I put on a Ducks hat, I’ll be carrying you with me. #goducks by @trevwoller

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5 years ago

6 days since Dame took the “Bad Shot” and I still can’t stop smiling 🙃🏀🤓 I celebrated the best week ever by repping Rip City 24/7, including seeing Avengers Endgame with my best friends wearing Blazer Avenger shirts 😍🏀❤️ I’m blessed.

#ripcity #avengersendgame endgame #portlandtrailblazers by @trevwoller

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7 years ago

We had such a fun time at our first @mariners Bark in the Park this week! There were so many dogs there and we somehow lucked out to have a Blenheim Cavalier sitting right next to us. 🍀 We also got to see a Mariners win 🎉⚾️🫶🏻🐶
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Seattle Mariners baseball team
Dog Day
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Puppy at the baseball game taken in T-Mobile Park by @trevwoller

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3 months ago

Yesterday, I was lying on my fasica therapist’s table & she said, “Today is the third anniversary of your tethered cord surgery. It’s been quite the puzzle since then.”

Puzzles. 2024 was a big puzzle for me. So was 23 & 22. Every year, I think I am on the verge of solving “the” puzzle, & then inevitably, pieces still are missing. For example, this morning I was blowing up a balloon for 20 mins. I use balloons to engage my abs & diaphragm, so my ribcage properly closes, so air can flow into my back ribcage, so my shoulder can sit flush on my ribs, so my neck muscles aren’t on fire, so my head isn’t pounding. My body continues to be the biggest puzzle. Tethered cord, pectus excavatum, POTS, aplasia of transverse sinus, a bad crossbite. All are intricate pieces of a complicated puzzle that has created wild headaches. The brain constantly gathers inputs from internal pressure/systems & external cues to determine where the body is in space. It wants to feel safe & grounded. The brain & nervous system are constantly piecing together a beautiful puzzle called life. Everything is a puzzle.

In 2024, I tried to rush & solve my puzzle without all the pieces. Many lessons were learned. The older I get, the more I recognize that there is no magical moment when “the” puzzle is solved. But that’s ok. I don’t need to completely solve a puzzle to enjoy the climb. (Thanks, Miley).

Despite failed attempts to slam pieces together, I’ve created a beautiful canvas of memories the past years. A trip to Croatia with my best friends. Witnessing my dear cousin @jmwoller marry her beautiful bridge @kenyacramer . Crabbing at the Oregon Coast with my BFFs. Repping my Gma at Duck games. Seeing Taylor perform live w/ my crew. My cousin moving in with me.

Here’s my advice for a great 2025: The only two pieces of the puzzles you NEED to solve are finding your support team & finding empathy for others. My support team has saved me. And the empathy of others has, too. I’m forever grateful for puzzle pieces found in unexpected places, like a random DM from a PRI provider. In 2025, let’s all look out for each other even more. You don’t know who you might help feel safe & grounded. Love, Trev. taken in Puzzling Puzzles by @trevwoller

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2 years ago

Fall is my favorite season. I love the combination of colorful leaves, Trader Joe’s pumpkin treats, Ducks football games, cozy rainstorms, the opportunity to vote, and those afternoon strolls in crisp air. I love checking out Halloween decorations. I posted my favorites here.

I find myself reflecting on life on these walks. It dawned on me how autumn has become a massive season of change for me. After all, fall is the season of change. I must be aligned with the changing leaves & weather. In the past four autumns, I have been to Lincoln, NE twice to visit the Postural Restoration Institute, been diagnosed with tethered cord syndrome, lost my grandfather to Covid, & gone through major headache setbacks.

For example, last week I took seven pairs of glasses & shoes (yes, seven!) to a PRI appointment. My vision has been changing daily! I know it’s wild to comprehend, but every morning, I wake up & test out what glasses my body wants that day. If I don’t have the right glasses or shoes, my head will explode. My body is constantly changing. That’s the blessing & curse of the human brain and nervous system, especially for those with concussions & spinal issues.

Through my headache journeys, I’ve been forced to accept that change is inevitable. For a lot of my life, I fought against change. I believed there was one way to believe in God, one way to vote politically and one set of timing for life’s major events. Old Trev thought changing any of that was BAD. If you had told 24-year-old Trev that he’d be single & proudly voting for a Democratic in 2024, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am. And Current Trev is proud of all of my changes. Change can be good. Autumn is a reminder of that.

Four years ago, I wrote a blog about my political transformation. That was a big change for me. But my feelings for Trump have not changed💁🏼‍♂️. Politics is so draining, but I felt compelled to write down my thoughts again. I posted the link in my bio. Last time, someone said my blog helped inform their opinion. And that meant a lot. Because change is good :) Here’s to a vote of hope, promise and changing our focus to a positive future.
#swiftiesforharris by @trevwoller

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2 years ago

My family lost our wonderful Lois this week. To me, she was Mor Mor (Norwegian for Grandma). Some of you may know my Mor Mor from the videos of us cheering along our Ducks. She was my favorite person on the planet to watch Ducks game with. It hurts knowing I won’t get to watch another game with her. I hope she knows how much watching those games with her meant to me.

Her energy rooting for the Ducks poured over into every aspect of her life. My favorite thing about my Mor Mor was her gift to find the good & fun in anything. She was a simple women who just needed family & friends to make her happy. She would always chuckle whenever a funny commercial played on TV. “Look at how funny that cute cat is on TV!,” she said with a smile. She’d marvel over flowers in her backyard. She got so excited to bring out Goldfish for the afternoon snack. She was always present in the moment — soaking everything in & never taking anything for granted.

My Gma was an avid outdoorswomen; she skied, canoed & hiked all over the PNW with my Gpa. So I drove up to the Oregon Coast — head to toe in Duck gear — to have my own personal goodbye to her. Everything I saw in nature yesterday reminded me of her. As I biked across a stream, I saw deer strolling through the meadow. It reminded me of watching deer prance through her backyard in Bend. Then, I came across an abandoned lookout that had become a nesting ground for hundreds of coastal birds. I had dozens of birds flying around me. My Gma loved birds. She had multiple bird feeders & relished watching all the different birds swoop into her backyard.

And then, I realized I was at the northern most point of the state of Oregon. The road literally ended right at the edge of the Columbia River Bar. I chuckled because I thought it was fitting I was commemorating my Grandma at this particular location — her long road had finally come to an end. Just like my view at the end of the road, I know my Grandma ended her journey with a beautiful vista. Mor Mor, we all miss & love you. We’ll do our best to follow your example & live life to the fullest. And I promise to play the fight song after every Ducks touchdown. #goducks by @trevwoller

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3 years ago

Surprise! It’s me! I’m back with another WACKY health update! Someday I hope my Instagram turns into a page where I share fun adventures. But today, we’re going on a fun adventure featuring my stupid freakin brain!

First off, I wanted to say thanks for all the messages since my surgery. I apologize if I haven’t replied. Sometimes I avoid discussing it since my headaches consume almost every aspect of my life. But the encouraging words lift me up. Thank you.

My tethered cord surgery was executed successfully. I was definitely tethered. I’m about an inch taller now w/o the anchor on my spine. If anyone asks, I’d be in the NBA if I hadn’t been tethered.

I actually got 10 days of headache relief right after surgery. I thought I was healed. Despite scooting around with a walker, I felt invincible. However, this entire journey is marked with cruel turns. My headaches have come back. I AM EXHAUSTED.

The cruel turn this time is when brainstorming w/ my neurologist, we noticed that I have “aplasia of the left transverse sinus” AKA half of the brain’s biggest drainage vessel is absent. Lol. I’m full of surprises! Not only am I a butt head but I also have half a brain! (Ok I don’t really have 1/2 of a brain, but I’m sure as hell going to use that as an excuse when I mess something up)

Swipe to see my brain. I feel weird sharing, but at this point, who cares haha. Maybe this floats its way to someone who has a clue for me. Swipe again to see my reaction when we discovered this 🙄

I’m lost. Is the relief post surgery from the loss of spinal fluid from the surgical incision? Intracranial hypertension is when head pressure (from cranial fluid) is too high & causes unrelenting headaches. Half of the biggest vessel that plays a role in drainage IS MISSING. It’s concerning.

Is POTS playing a role? Whenever I get relief, a 40+ min walk seems to bring back headaches. I can feel my neck & head tense up. Am I not getting adequate blood flow to those areas during exercise? Are POTS & my missing brain vessel connected? Can POTS be cured now that I am detethered? I don’t know what this all means. The Nervous System is confusing 😵‍💫

SEE COMMENTS FOR MY PLEA FOR HELP. Loves❤️ by @trevwoller

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5 years ago

Hi friends, I have a medical announcement to make. I am, in fact, … a butt head*.

Anatomically* speaking, at least. After literal years of doctor appointments, I’ve finally found a neurosurgeon who is confident she knows the root cause of my 24/7 headache. She’s diagnosed me with Occult Tethered Cord. That’s when the end of the spinal cord is stuck/tethered to the spinal column by an abnormally thickened tissue called the filum terminale. Turns out issues around your butt, such as Tethered Cord, can actually cause headaches. Who would have thought after 6 years of searching, the root cause of my headaches is right at my butt. So ya, I’m a butt-head.

The tension of the tethered cord causes ramifications all throughout the dural & fascia chain. The filum terminale connects right into the dural layers, which is one major sheath that goes all the way up to the head. That’s why when I am on my therapist’s table with a horrific headache & my forehead is extremely swollen … she finds weirdly tight tissues down in the pelvic/butt region & gently guides that tissue in a way to release it … & the rigidness of my head decreases & the mobility of the tissues (just how loose it is) INSTANTLY improves. Crazy, huh?

The tension in the dura can also wrap around & tighten other parts of nervous system that regulate drainage of the head. So ya, my butt region is clogging my head. Lol.

I have surgery tomorrow in Bend. I’m beyond anxious. Will the surgery cure my headaches? Will the recovery be brutal? New side effects? And what if it cures my headaches & POTS? How will I assimilate myself back into a normal life with social expectations? That may make me more anxious than anything else.

So I can use all the prayers & vibes you can spare. Pray for my surgeon. Pray I can walk normally after surgery. Pray I can roast y’all on the b-ball court again.

There is no purpose for this trial. But if I’m cured, I will will write a book on how a tethered cord can cause headaches & vision issues & POTS (so crazy) & there will be one less medical mystery in the world. Let’s get it done.

Thanks for ALL the support so far. I’d be nowhere without y’all. I can’t wait for y’all to meet DTT. taken in Bend, Oregon by @trevwoller

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5 years ago

Sup friends. Warning - Trev being vulnerable again.

Just want to say thanks for all the love & support. It HELPS.

Since my last post I’ve worked a lot on my functional vision; I even wear tape on my glasses now 🤷🏻‍♂️. Vision is clearly a major culprit in my headaches, but isn’t the mastermind behind the pain.

Botox helped a little, but not for long. I’m back to 24/7 headaches; constant pressure in my entire head & neck. I feel like my head is a 50 pound bowling ball. It never ends. On top of that, I’ve officially been diagnosed with POTS, which is a dysautonomia syndrome. My heart rate doubles as soon as I stand up. I feel light headed. The elevated heart rate contributes to any physical activity making my headache worse. I went on an airplane for the first time in two years & got jacked up. Another sign of autonomic regulation dysfunction.

So now the journey is to find the true driver of the dysautonomia, which is driving the vision problems, which is partially driving the headaches. Did I get a bad concussion in my car accidents? Or is it cervical instability? Genetic disorder? Spinal cord malformation? Who the heck knows. These require obscure tests & specialists who don’t agree on anything. It’s a nightmare. Our healthcare system is a nightmare. I just want out of this nightmare.

The roller coaster is excruciating. Every time I feel like I’m taking a step forward, I take two Olympic sized long jumps back. Some days I feel like giving up because I lose sight of what it was like to just go on a walk without getting a swollen head.

I’m grateful I took a break & went to the Coast. These pinheads have been a saving grace throughout this ordeal. Somedays I feel like I have nothing to look forward to, but I strap two ice packs over my head, get crushed by 12 years on Xbox, and smile. Just hearing my friends laugh at stupid jokes provides a level of normalcy that is comforting. The humanity is grounding. And I keep going.

It’s exhausting to stay positive, but the one thing this journey has taught me is to just love. Love simply & freely. Just be there, with a smile, no preconceptions. It has helped me. (And DQ; lots of DQ).

Love & thanks to all - Trev by @trevwoller

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5 years ago

Hi friends. Eye have an update for you 👀

Tomorrow I start (another) round of vision therapy & I’m a bundle of nerves. My years long battle with chronic migraines continues to be the wildest rollercoaster ride imaginable.

I hesitate posting because I don’t want to come across whiny or fishing for sympathy. But I am posting this update because: 1) I have the most wonderful friends and family who ask me how I’m doing and 2) I just need good vibes & prayers. I need some pump up. Because if this doesn’t work, there isn’t much left on the drawing board. And I’d really like to turn the page on this part of my life. I need to play basketball again. I just need a freakin win.

Vision therapy will focus on a few crazy things going on with my eyes. First, I have a vertical misalignment with my right eye which supposedly is a big contributor to the 24/7 neck & shoulder tension. I’ll get a special prism optical lens to help that as well. Second, I’ll be working on my binocular vision disorder & visual map issues. I have almost no convergence strength in my eyes, which means I constantly on the edge of seeing double, which can cause nonstop headaches. Should be fun 🙃

Some days I struggle with my emotions. I feel angry & bitter. My faith has waned. I wonder why some aspects of the best years of my life been taken away from me. I think about the tens of thousands of dollars on medical bills that could have gone to a house or a crazy adventure. But in the end, if I can find some relief and start roasting y’all on the b-ball court again, then I really think the bitterness will fade away & I won’t look back. I don’t believe I was given this trial for a specific reason. I think life just can suck sometimes. But I do think you can take the hand you’ve been dealt, and with some inspiration, find a way to consecrate it. My constant prayer is if I can find some relief, I promise to serve and fight for others who deal with chronic pain & mobility issues. I don’t know exactly what that looks like in the future, but for now it means anyone can hit me up if they're struggling. I’ll talk or start Googling alternative healing therapies. Whatever it takes.

Peace and love to all - Trev by @trevwoller

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6 years ago

Hi all! Want to help some kids get gifts from Santa this year? Watch my videos and then give me your recyclable cans 🙃

Recycle with Reason collects recyclable cans that are included in Oregon’s deposit program. We will take care of all the hassle of returning your cans to a redemption center and using the deposit money to adopt kids through the USPS Operation Santa program. @uspsopsanta takes all the letters mailed to Santa, digitizes them, uploads them to their site, and allows people to “adopt” kids and acquire the gift they asked from Santa. Even 100 cans can help a kid get a little toy to bring them joy this Christmas.

Watch the video for more info and if you’re in Oregon and have cans laying around, message me! Drop them off or I can pick them up and we will adopt as many kids as we can!

#lighttheworld #lighttheworld2020 by @trevwoller

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6 years ago