Another brain injured person here! Happened in April, but cognition is so slow, and memory wrecked, that it's taken me this long to search for online help like this. Looks great.
I'm in London, trying to do a PhD but might have to drop out unless I recover soon.
I love all kinds of music. Based in London.
See what supports your education provider can offer you. I have just had a TBI just do what you can an face one hurdle at a time
I can do it. But I'm really really slow. I will take 3 years at this rate whilst most people write up in 4 months. I have 6 months left.
Is there anyway they can give you an extension I'm from NZ but I'm sure if you have an advocate on your side that can explain to them the impacts your brain has gone through. Memory and cognitive development take a while to come back just do a line a day to keep your mind hand and cognitive function working. CBT therapy is great to help with memory. I have just studied my psychology degree so I understand the pressure of study just see what support services are available to you within your community
Looking into that now, but already had loads of extensions.
Hi
Im no expert. But I suspect that (both under the reasonable adjustments duty in the Equality Act 2010 and under your uni's own extentuating circucmtances procedures/regulations) you will be entitled on account of the TBI to a considerable extension. April was not that long ago in recovery terms. Alternatively or in combination you could ask to take some time off sick and so ask that the clock on phd time is stopped. You can then resume when you feel able. Having said that, asking for extension may have the advantaget that you stay involved in the subject and can make progress at your own pace. This in itself might be motivating.
Maybe speak to your phd supervisors, to the uni diability office, and your PGR NUS rep, and discuss options.
cheers
rupert
ps
I had TBI last year on top of TIAs from autoimmune disease and have been struggling with part-time phd that started in 2022. But supervisors have been supportive and I feel that will be posisble to complete, just that it might take bit longer than would otherwise have been the case.
feel free to message me if want to share any strategies for phd with brain problems .
Thanks for the advice. I'm in dialogue with the university. It is a very famous one, and they are extremely uncaring (They are meritocracy and ranking obsessed). We have very little support except for a few nice people thank God. They have a system for medical breaks, but these are limited to 10 terms per student during my time here (I have 3 terms left), and getting a break requires evidence from a specialist. Which I don't have. So I'm desperate to find a private bTBI specialist, no luck so far. bTBI is mostly a military issue. 300k+ UK and US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan got bTBI during the wars, often from IED blasts and mortar blasts. I talked to the British Legion, and they recommended a hospital they use. I'm trying to contact them asap (No luck today). It's going to cost a fortune just to get a diagnosis, but it might give me a year to just rest and do some therapies. And I've got to organise this whilst having bTBI
Hi RJAnderson, there was someone a few weeks ago completed there dissataion on there brain injury, hope I’ve got that right, I’ve just tried going back to find it but didn’t get very far, I’m not very good with technology or memory sorry, but I know headway will probably be able to help or I’ve just noticed the colon on the right with topics if you put in phd, or along those lines sorry I’m waffling hope you get some help love Alice xx
Pinkvision, Brain injury rehabilitation research thesis, 19 days ago.
Hi Pairofboots, knew someone would remember this thank you, so it can be done xx
I don't now what thesis Pinivision did, although I added my congrats and eagerness to read. Was it undergrad honours? Masters? PhD? A PhD is 60,000 - 80,000 words. 130 pages. It's like writing a book. Also, every case of TBI is different. The fact she PV was able to complete any thesis suggests they were doing pretty well. I have two masters degrees, and right now, I can't write a single page or remember half of what I'm doing.
She might know where you can get the help from, it would be a shame to have put all the work in and only have six months left, is there not a welfare officer at the uni that can help xx
I'm talking to the uni. They need medical evidence from a specialist in TBI. Desperately looking for one now in the UK. If you think PinkVision might know of one, perhaps I should ask. But I've found a few but search continues to find the right one, at a price I can afford!
As I'm not from the UK are u able to pull your own hospital/health records or call the hospital you were admitted to and get evidence from them. Just take it all one step at a time or you will end up overwhelmed. Your doing great so hang in there be kind to yourself you have gone through so much
Welcome! Another survivor?!! Good luck with y recovery, to SMILE to spite the injury is all I can offer because it helped me greatly!! & this site kept me focused!!
Hello there. Have you taken the max sick leave available? I'm also a PhD researcher (at a University of London college) and I was granted 13 weeks funded sick leave last academic year (the max permitted per academic year). I then took an unfunded interruption - no stipend during that period but the length of time added on to my thesis submission date. I was entitled to up to 2 years interruption, although I only took a few months. I know leave is harder to get authorised once you're into the writing-up period, but the college & funders should be willing consider a claim, backed up with evidence, of exceptional circumstances. If your supervisory team are not being considerate, I suggest contacting the post-grad student welfare officers and/or the doctoral school. The university should be supporting you through this difficult time, not adding to your difficulties. I wish you all the best - with both your recovery with completing your PhD.
I've got a year's worth of medical leave. But I have to find the right consultant to assess me and write a diagnosis. But that is proving really hard as I have Blast TBI, only two specialists in the UK. I've taken 2.5 years of breaks (Both parents died during program, and pandemic). Fingers crossed I find a consultant who will see me.
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