Did anyone listen to James Cracknell on radio 2 today talking about his Bi with his wife and Jeremy Vine. It was really interesting how he was talking about his personalty change and his recovery, I could relate to a lot of it especially the personalty change and most of all the way things didn't used to bother him but now they do. Mess was one of them mess in the house from the kids and stuff like that he just couldn't cope with it. The outcome of brain injury.
I understand the intolerance of things and now I have to accept them and try to understand them but not over analyse it which is difficult. While listening to the show it really made me think about how my personalty has changed and how difficult it has been for my immediate family they are on their own journeys with it too and that has its own problems. My wife said last night when I asked her what she wanted for Christmas I just want the old Nick back. I was chocked. we had a good chat though and we do need to talk to headway hopefully I can get there next week as Iv spoke to them this week. It just really hit home on how my life changed on May the 16th this year. Its like my whole spiritual being has been knocked out and the new one is tame and restless my confidence and identity have gone and I want them back. It sounds awful but its not that bad just difficult some times because its my thinking thats changed and I'm accepting its going to take time and I'm a work in progress, ill get there. Its easy to put a brave face on and when people ask you how you feel to say I'm great and its all ok but its not its bloody difficult sometimes...
Sorry rant over just letting my feelings show to you guys on here because you will understand and not judge me.
The interview really hit home for me and took me back to how I felt and thought after the accident which wasn't very good at all, felt lost and the thoughts well thats another storey, it scared me too and made me realise how lucky I am. Time is a great healer here an fortunately I have time.
Thank you fellow forum users and Headway. N XX
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I read their book and also identified with a lot of the changes James has experienced. He was lucky to be able to access all the specialist help though which is not available to a lot of us.
I suppose its a different world in the private sector. I was impressed by his motivation though to prove everyone wrong and get back to a normal life, well as normal as possible.
Hello, I couldn't read TD when it first time out as their experiences were still too raw for what was happening to me and the impact on my wife and son. A few years on and I'll give it another go as I do feel a lot different in my personality. That irritability appears less often and I am more sociable.
I'm still learning about the types of noise and tone that affect me, the exhaustion after certain types of socialising (how well I know the people and size of group) and how to pace my life so that I don't turn down invites because of the effects a few days later. It's taking a long time but the learning continues
Thanks for posting this programme. I have followed a lot of James's excellent broadcasts.
I have always felt very lucky that my natural upbeat personality returned after the initial illness subsided 3 years ago. I am sure I have come across as something of a stresshead loony ! ! with my recent relapse of illness but am starting to feel half human again and less scared as the ill feeling/symptoms subside to a more manageable level.
I would love the old Angela back too, as I'm sure my family would agree.
I had come to terms with Angela mark 2, now it appears I am wrestling with round 3 !
It does knock your confidence, after all it is a reminder that we are fragile beings, not immortal. It alters your outlook, changes the way you have to do things to work around the residual problems, puts a new perspective on your priorities.
The urge to want to get back to 'normal life' is so strong, yet we need time to heal, time to adjust to the new state of being and time to accept that it may not always be a 100 % fix in the end, yet still a satisfactory compromise. Sometimes others don't always understand this and can be impatient, which can make us feel under pressure or perhaps like we are not trying hard enough. I have certainly experienced these kind of unfair expectations.
One thing I do know, your personality comes over very well in your posts, as does your spirit.
Yes, I do the obligatory ' I'm good, thanks' when people enquire how I'm doing - it is standard procedure. We know differently but are aware that others don't really want to hear the reality. I think these truths can be explored with Headway, an outlet for both your concerns.
I know you managed to get back to work early and all credit to you but are you finding it too tiring ? Do you have any energy left for home life ? Fatigue often makes us feel worse.
You took the words right out of my mouth Angelite, its just how I feel. Thats the beauty of this forum people understand what your going through and what your thinking, its a massive comfort for me.
You could be right there with the work thing, we have just finished a large project and I have been working on the tools (Carpenter) for the last 10 weeks with Saturdays throw in for good measure and running the project and just started another one 2 weeks ago, its caught up with me. I feel so much better now though. Onwards and upwards.
There are quite a few celebs both major and minor whom have had an head injury of sorts. It would help to raise awareness so much if they would be more talkative about their injuries.
Going public with the details of a BI is a HUGE step for anyone...and it does not only affect the BI survivor but also their family and friends too.
Celebs generally do not want to risk their careers being damaged by openly talking about their problems...and so often when a celeb experiences something like this we are given a whitewashed version of the facts... and that does not help raise awareness of the true facts and does not help us one bit when we are left wondering how/why the hell they made a full recovery and we can't just bounce back...
Yes I completely agree, the awareness yesterday for me was pretty immense, asking everyone to shut up at work so I could hear the radio. Talking to why work colloquies about it too although it does help me by talking about it even if they aren't to sure what I'm on about, though thats nothing new. XX
Of course I appreciate the need for personal privacy and the need to safeguard their careers.
As one of the forgotten walking wounded, i was somewhat jealous when I saw some of the treatment and therapies some people got in relation to my "go home and take some paracetamol". But unless there is more information our there to educate the injured, carers and most importantly the doctors then we won't really progress. The best and most experienced people of getting a message across into the media are the celebs
I find it amazing that having been quite severely affected when he sustained the bi that James now claims to be fully recovered!? No residual effects at all! It was public when it happened because he did have a film crew with him at the time and it was in the News. But maybe now he needs to state that he is 'fully recovered' so he can get a career re established. Think Richard Hammond was similar. Both have made money during their rehabilitation time by writing books and doing radio and tv interviews which is good as it spreads the word about bi but am not so sure that 'fully recovered' is helpful as puts it out there that it bi is overcomable and isn't long term. Have they been able to afford such brilliant private care that they have been able to take their recovery so much further than most of us who rely on the limited, postcode lottery NHS services??
Yes - he stood in the Euro elections and sought a safe seat for the last General Election, using his Old Boy Network in the Party and Telegraph. He confuses me; half inspirational, half embarrassing. To me anyway...
Hey Man I'm a bit late as I didn't see your post so I'm adding what I posted a day later to your comments!
Thanks to my old neighbour for letting me know about Jeremy Vines radio show on Friday...
...James Cracknell and his wife were talking about his recovery from brain injury. I agree massively with much of what he said especially regarding prognosis being worse case...
I think from that point it's up to each of us affected to choose our approach to our own recovery based on what we have and what we want from life.
I don't know much about Cracknell but I always remember him saying he wouldn't be defined in life by his Olympic achievements and then similarly not by his brain injury. Inspiring as there is so much more to us all than just what's happened...
Also spare a thought for our friends and family who I think go through more than is generally. While we are getting care and attention, they fight for information, worry and then have to get to know us again....
only you get to decide what you want, where you want to get to and don't overlook the opportunity to change anything you didn't like about the old you along the way....take something good from the experience do your best not to resent it and above all see the positive in everything as often as possible...it's far easier on you and others my friend.
Ironically I love my life now I had the chance to have a second go at life as I see it and I'm sure as shit going to enjoy it now and do what I didn't like differently. Yes I have problems but don't we all??
Hi - just listened to the Jeremy vine interview. Pretty upbeat and inspiring. I just finished his book and the left me feeling a little low, as his injuries were really impacting on this life. There clearly has been considerable recovery since he complete the book. This gives me hope! Normally medical opinion would suggest 2 years of recovery, not the case with Cracknel! I'm 18 months into recovery - hope to continue to recover for some time - great stuff!
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Any ideas on helping dad accept help at home?
