“Hello my name is John and I had a Traumatic Brain Injury at 46yrs of age.
I had been celebrating with friends and family on the property when I took my quad bike for a warm up ride without putting my helmet on. I flipped my bike and crashed into a tree.
I was in a coma for the first 3 weeks and stayed in hospital for 5 months. For the first 3 months I had no memory and could not recognise my own daughters.
My Mates would come to visit, these were grown men who did not normally show much emotion and they would cry like a baby, my Mum who was experiencing her own grief would find herself comforting them.
Like many who have a Traumatic Brain Injury, I had to relearn how to eat, walk and talk again and regain control of my body functions. For the first two years I would shuffle as I walked.
I did not like going out in public as I thought people were looking at me, I ended up not leaving the house much at all and withdrew from life.
In the early days I also thought “I should not be here” and often had suicidal thoughts. I am glad that I did not follow through with those suicidal thoughts. To this day I still have them, less and less often and I am now able to dismiss the thought quickly and feel confident that I can manage my thought when it comes.
My Mum tells me I have changed and I have, I don’t take life for granted now, I am a lot more emotional too and cry at sad movies, and talk to people from all walks of life, and abilities. Something I could not or would have done in the past.
I am very thankful to my Mum who in desperation to get me out of the house and start living again, went searching and made enquiries to see what help and services were available out there to help me.
We first started with the local men’s sheds, I was in the building trade and this allows me to work with my hands again and chat to the others who enjoy this type of work also. My mates aren’t available through the week and I am enjoying the company of the men at the shed.
The biggest impact on my life was when we found Headway ABI and I started using their Rehabilitation services in their Wings Wellbeing Centre. Scott, the Clinical Exercise Physiologist also has an Acquired Brain Injury, like me he had to relearn how to eat, walk and talk again, we share stories and I know how hard it is after a Brain Injury, I look at him and see where he is now and it motivates me every time, I tell everyone what an inspiration he is for me and it makes me want to do more and better.
It has been valuable meeting and talking with others who have had similar experiences as I have and I have made some good friends in the process.
I consider myself one of the lucky ones, it has been 6 years since my accident, I am living independently, regained my driver’s license, I can smell again and I walk, run as I did before my accident and my memory is pretty good now too.
I would say don’t give up, there is always hope, in the beginning it really is one day at a time, it does get better, it may be a different life, it can still be a good life. NEVER GIVE UP
John