Article Title: Living with Long-Term Brain (Head) Injury
Submitted by: Craig Lock
Category (key words): head injury, brain injury, William Fairbank, effects of brain/head injury, neuro-psychology, brain, cognitive difficulties, medical information, medical resources (enough there now, craig)
Web sites: www.williamfairbank.com
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 and https://headbraininjury.wordpress.com/
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at
https://craigsblogs.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/craigs-list-of-blogs-updated-sept-2011/
Other Articles by Craig are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.selfgrowth.com
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, spiritual, ‘spiritual writings’ (how ‘airey-fairey’), words of inspiration and money management, how boring now, craig!)
Publishing Guidelines:
I hope that the following piece may be informative to others. This article may be freely reproduced electronically or in print. If it helps anyone “out there in the often very difficult, but always amazing ‘journey of life’ in any way, then we’re very happy.
“We share what we know, so that we all may grow.”
#
LIVING WITH LONG TERM BRAIN (HEAD) INJURY
INTRODUCTION
Here is some “info”, that I summarised from a radio interview with a UK film-maker by the name of William Fairbank (http://www.williamfairbank.com) talking about the “hidden handicap, the silent epidemic”. (“It could have been me speaking” . . . but not nearly as eloquently* as William!)
*big word, eh!
Head injury has become a common problem throughout the world. Many of the more severe injuries are related to road traffic and horse riding accidents. As an example, in Great Britain about 15 patients every hour are admitted to hospital for observation, because of head injury and every 2 hours one of these will die. Head injury is implicated in 1 of all deaths and 50% OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT DEATHS. Head injury is particularly prevalent in the age group between 10 and 25. CONCUSSION has occurred, whenever patients cannot remember the actual blow that made them unconscious.
*
WILLIAM FAIRBANKS Interview with Kathryn Ryan on National Radio (4th Feb 2010)
LONG-TERM BRAIN INJURY
“There is excellent medical care immediately post-trauma. However, there is little follow-up after the initial trauma. Every day I have to come to terms with my brain injury, to learn. I don’t handle interruptions. It’s like being in a movie. Each person with a brain injury is different…and is affected in different ways. I do one thing at a time – break into little tasks. I really live in the present. No-one ever explained to me how to cope, how to deal with everyday living. I had to learn strategies for myself.
Difficulties in ‘making connections’:
I can only handle “one-on-one” situations. I can’t hold two thoughts in my mind at the same time. A ringing phone will interrupt my thought and sequence. I easily lose the ‘flow’ of the task I was engaged in. Then I have difficulty wondering what to do next! I have to clear clutter to simplify my life. Get easily ‘thrown’ Head injured people are often self absorbed. (Probably helps them cope with life through focussing??)
NB
Everyone with a head injury is affected differently.
No-one can understand my problems, because I appear to be a lucid, intelligent man. I’m fine here now doing ONE thing.
I want to contact artists: musicians, sculptors, poets, writers who have had a brain injury. So many people who have suffered a head injury write and draw; they channel it into some form of art.
Even doctors don’t really understand brain injury and especially the effects, the cognitive difficulties people have; because the effects are so subtle (yet can have a huge effect on their lives). Head injury acts as a filter, a “block”. It’s such a fine-line brain-injured people have compared with normal-thinking people.
I can’t visualise and have big problems with my short-term memory. It can be so FRUSTRATING (GRRRR) and often leads to mood swings and severe emotional problems.
Finally…
“Still don’t let what you can’t do, interfere with what you CAN do…best”
from
http://www.craigsquotes.wordpress.com
“The important thing in life is not to triumph but to compete…it’s not victory but combat…not to have vanquished but to have fought well…not winning but taking part.”
― Pierre de Coubertin (French Educator, primarily responsible for the revival of the Olympic Games in 1894. 1863-1937)
Don’t see head injury as a ‘handicap’, but just another challenge to live with, work around and overcome in the amazing journey of life.
With knowledge comes understanding and acceptance.
Shared by “information distributer and incorrigible encourager” craig
“Success to others may be apparent in what you DO; but significance, meaning and purpose lies, then reveals itself in what you ARE and BECOME down the ‘river of life’ – how and the spirit with which you face, then overcome the daily obstacles, the frequent trials and tribulations along the often rocky path-way of life’s magical and mysterious journey. Light your path brightly.”
– c
from
http://www.craigsquotes.wordpress.com
PS: To end off, enjoy these thoughts…
“We have it within; but we get it all from without. There is a well-spring of strength, wisdom, courage and great imagination within each one of us; but once we draw on this truth, it gets watered from without, by a Higher Source – the Source of Life and Love, which is God, the very Ground of our Being.”
“When you can see no light at the end of the tunnel, light your own candle and let your light illuminate the world, like the radiance from a window at midnight.”
That’s a metaphor, BTW”
“The task ahead of you can always be overcome by the power within you…and the seemingly difficult path ahead of you is never as steep with the great spirit that lies within you.”
“When the world is filled with love, people’s hearts are overflowing with hope.”
– craig
from
http://www.craigsquotes.wordpress.com
and
http://www.beyondthezonespirit.wordpress.com
About the Submitter:
Craig has a close personal interest in this area and has been researching and studying in this field for well over twenty years stemming from a long-standing head injury (closed). Craig likes to share knowledge and insights from his life experiences to try and help others through simple encouragement. He hopes that by sharing this information, it will make some difference in those lives affected by brain(and head) injury.
The various books that Craig “felt inspired to write” (including his books on head injury and ‘My Story’ are available at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B005GGMAW4
and http://www.craigsbooks.wordpress.com
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at
https://craigsblogs.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/craigs-list-of-blogs-updated-sept-2011/
“Together, one mind, one life at a time, let’s see how many people we can impact, encourage, empower, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials…and strive for and perhaps one sunny day even achieve their wildest dreams.”
This article may be freely reproduced electronically or in print. If through sharing a little of my experiences, it helps anyone “out there in the often very difficult, but always amazing ‘journey of life’ in any way, then I’m very happy.
PPS:
“Do not what you can’t do stop you from doing what you CAN do… best!”
http://www.itsalwaysdarkestbeforethedawn.wordpress.com
www.lifeisgodsnovel.wordpress.com
and www.awritersdreams.wordpress.com
Sharing some Information and Thoughts on Head and Brain Injury 
Thanks for the comment??/follow/link/like/reblog and/or kind thought(s)
(but if you are following me, my close friends say it would be far more entertaining with a video-camera*!)
* By the way, do they still make them in today’s ever-faster changing world..or is it all done with mobile phones?
“total non-techno” c (who doesn’t possess a mobile phone, after a rather eventful’ experience some years back, whilst trying to walk and talk at the same time )
Men…Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em!
craig
Thanks for the follow/link/like/reblog/comment and/or kind thought(s))
Hi
CAN’T KEEP UP…BUT THANKS FOR THE “THANX”
Many many comments with thanks received on this blog daily
+
I’ve had many many hundreds of thousands of comments on my various other WordPress blogs at https://craigsblogs.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/craigs-list-of-blogs-updated-sept-2011/
in recent years …true!) …a few of my blogs went “balistically viral” a few years back.
Obsessive or WHAT! Am really pleased you are enjoying my writings, as the reason I write is to share. However I am unable to keep up with the comments and was spending entire days just on replies on my various blog pages.
Though I’m rather “driven”, I still get really, really fatigued (there’s a few books there). so sorry can’t reply individually to all you good people scattered around the planet, but DO try to read as many as possible daily (and even moderate a few when I get a “mo”), I got swamped with comments on my various blogs, so have had to close them off on all of my blogs, except for one or two of particular interest to me – sorry and hope you can understand.
* “Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
~ Franz Kafka
I do really appreciate your liking, linking to and/or following this blog (and “writing in”), so “thanks for the thanx”
“As we live and move and have our being, so from this vision, we create heaven in our own lives… and perhaps even heaven on earth.”
– craig (as inspired by Acts 17:28 and the words of Felicia Searcy)
“Aim at the earth and you may not get off the ground.a
“Aim at the stars and you may reach the moon.”
“Aim at heaven and you’ll have earth thrown in…
and you may even hit the stars.”
– craig (as inspired by the famous quote by CS Lewis – 24th May 2012)
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
– Leonardo da Vinci
When (or if ever) you arrive in heaven, let faith, hope and love be the wings that carried you there.”
– as adapted from the inspiring words of Jonathan Edwards, former minister in New England, Massachusetts
“The Greatest Race: Living by (with) faith, hope and love is the highest podium any person can reach, God’s podium that anyone stand on.”
– c
“Having pursued the goals, the dreams set before us and run the race with persistence and endurance, after giving it all. Then one day standing on the summit of life, breathing in the pure sweet oxygen of achievement, totally satisfied in running the greatest race, the race of life one that ANYONE can run and win.”
from http://racetothechequeredflag.wordpress.com/
and http://www.godandformula1.wordpress.com
“If a man is called to be a street-sweeper,
he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,
or Beethoven composed music, or
Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He should sweep streets so well
that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,
here lived a great street sweeper
who did his job well.”
– Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
PPS
Instead of trying to reply to each one of you, I’ll just keep on writing
“If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I’d type a little faster.”
The various books* that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=%22craig+lock%22&sitesearch_type=STORE
http://www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books
and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children –
MINE!
“When the writer is no more , the value of your purchase will soar! ”
Don’t worry about the world ending today…
as it’s already tomorrow in scenic and tranquil ‘little’ New Zealand
PPS
“I wish you well on a rainy day
I wish you rainbows to brighten your day
To feel your quiet moments with a special kind of warmth
to remind you that happiness can happen
when you least expect it.
I wish you rainbows to make you laugh and smile
to show you the simple beauty of life
and to give you the magic of dreams come true.
I wish you rainbows
I wish you well.”
– Larry S. Chengges
”Since I can never see your face,
And never shake you by the hand,
I send my soul through time and space
To greet you. You will understand.”
– James Elroy Flecker (1884-1915)
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