Hears a rather alarming statistic for you: –
Every 90 seconds someone in the UK is admitted to hospital with a brain injury – “that’s a staggering 350,000 people per year”.
It’s funny, actually it’s far from being funny but, a brain injury is something that I had never heard of before my accident.
I very wrongly assumed that you were born with a disability, how wrong was I….?
Brain injuries fall under two main categories: Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), caused by an external physical force such as my accident, and Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI), which occur after birth from internal medical events like strokes or oxygen deprivation.
I should be thankful having seen the condition of my motorbike, my helmet, boots, gloves and leathers that I am still alive, it just goes to show that investing in quality equipment is a must.
When I was living in Frimley Green, Surry I was a regular at Newlands Corner located 4 miles east of Guildford town centre just off the A25, also Box Hill just outside Dorking, Surry.
Both had an excellent caffe, I used to meet Simon the guy I was with when I had my accident, we’d meet at Newlands Corner on the motorbikes usually on a Sunday have some lunch, or just a coffee then race over to Box Hill which, was about 10 to 12 miles of mind blowing twisty roads, where we’d sit and have another coffee before heading off to cause havoc to Sunday drivers.
When you see some of the sites riding motorbikes, there’s little wonder that there aren’t even more fatalities.
Before my accident the amount the amount of people I used to see riding their motorbike in shorts, t-shirt and a pair of trainers was ridiculous.
The craziest thing I used to see, actually I often see now, was guys riding in their leathers with there I assume girlfriend riding pillion wearing nothing but a short skimpy skirt a vest or a t-shit and a pair of trainers.
It was always very pleasing on the eye, but have they never heard of gravel rash and the damage it causes?
I had to be surgically removed from my leathers, so as you can see from the attached photograph they are now in tatters, in fact the only things that are still intact are my boots, gloves and my spine protector, everything else just like my Ducati 1098s motorbike are a complete right off.
What I’m not sure of is out of the 350,000 people who are admitted to hospital each year with a brain injury, is how many of those end up as fatalities, I’m sure if I spent enough time trawling through the internet I could find out.
I was wearing the best equipment that money could buy, and look what happened to me…..
The craziest thing that I now see on almost a daily bases, is takeaway food delivery people, Deliveroo employees bombing around on mopeds or those ridiculously dangerous electric scooters with absolutely no protection.
Whenever I rode my motorbike, I would always wear protective clothing, even if it was just down to the local shop.
I bet personal injury solicitors are rubbing their hands together.
Brain injuries can happen to anyone at any time, with causes ranging from falls and accidents to strokes and tumours.
In the UK, 350,000 people are admitted to hospital each year with 1.3 million people living with long-term disabilities caused by these events, how scary is that…?.
Key Impacts of Brain Injury
- Hidden Disabilities: Physical symptoms are not the only challenge. Survivors often face memory loss, extreme mental fatigue, and changes in mood.
For me extreme mental fatigue is the most difficult, and debilitating thing that I have ever had the dissatisfaction to endure, I can cope with being disabled but mental fatigue is a killer, made 10 times worse when an event that is beyond my control happens but indirectly affects me….
Memory loss has always been a problem for me, it’s bizarre because I can remember things like my bank details from the time of my accident, (address, bank cashier that I would always deal with, bank account number and sort code, even the 16-digit card number, but I sometimes forget what I had for dinner last night).
Last night I had oven cooked salmon, salad and potatoes….(see I don’t always forget). LOL
Fatigue is my worst enemy, anybody I don’t care who you are suffers trying to remember things when you’re extremely tired.
I like to think that I am generally quite a placid guy, but on the extremely rare occasion that I lose my temper, all I say is duck because whatever I have in my hand is launched across the room, yapping dogs always used to be the reason for me losing my rag, thankfully that is no longer a problem.
- Personality Changes: Brain injuries can alter how a person thinks, acts, or regulates their emotions.
I can definitely vouch for this, my temper often reaches boiling point, and my emotions, what can I say about my say about my emotions…?
An episode of Lassie could bring me to tears. LOL
- Impaired Self-Awareness: Some survivors experience a condition called anosognosia. This means they cannot perceive the reality of their disability, making it hard for them to understand why they need help.
This I’ve got to be honest is something that I struggled with for many years, I wrongly assumed that I’d somehow make a miraculous recovery, and as if by magic my disability would just disappear.
When I was in rehab, I remember distinctly well having a physiotherapy session, and saying to the therapist, when I get out of here, I’m going to enter the London Marathon again, now if that isn’t being disillusioned then I don’t know what is.
For those of you that don’t know, in 2003 I was fortunate enough to complete my first and my only London Marathon recording a time of 3:38:21, 3 hours 38 minutes and 21 seconds, WHOOP WHOOP…
“Absolutely everything changed”: Headway launches Every 90 Seconds campaign.
Headway’s Action for Brain Injury (ABI) Week is an annual campaign designed to raise awareness and understanding of brain injury and to help give survivors and their loved ones a voice.
This year’s ABI Week campaign entitled Every 90 Seconds, took place from 15 – 21st May and highlighted how common brain injuries are and how they can affect any of us at any time.
Brain injuries can have many causes including strokes, tumours, falls, road traffic collisions, assaults, and concussions and can have life-long consequences for survivors and their loved ones.
Throughout ABI Week, Headway shared real-life stories from brain injury survivors and their partners, talking candidly about brain injury and how Headway is helping them to rebuild their lives.
Headway Tyneside interviewed some of their members, who shared their stories of brain injury and how their lives have changed as a result.
I’m a regular speaker at Headway Bedford.
Colin Morris, Director of Communications at Headway – the brain injury association, said: “Every 90 seconds, someone in the UK is admitted to hospital with a brain injury” – it’s a startling statistic that I’m sure will stop many of us in our tracks.
People tend to think these things only happen to other people, but the reality is brain injuries can impact any of us at any time – and it only takes a second for someone’s life to be changed forever.
“During the campaign, we hope people will take a second to learn more about brain injury through hearing powerful stories. We want people to see how they can support our work to rebuild meaningful lives and to take a second to consider donating their time volunteering with Headway or simply to share our message.”
For me personally I have been able to create a new, and some might argue a better life for myself as a public speaker sharing a story about my life before, during and following an accident that I should never have survived.
I’m also a serious cyclist on my recumbent trike….
I’m also quite a renowned blogger with over 4000 followers….
As you can see, even with a Traumatic brain injury (TBI) I’ve notjust sat back and thought my life was over, I have made the most of a truly shocking set of circumstances creating a new life for myself.
Please if you are reading this blog, sit back and consider your life as it is now, then think about what you have read in this blog then try to imagine if you yourself had a TBI.
Everything, and I mean everything that you probably take for granted, simple things like taking yourself to the bathroom, or making yourself a cuppa is taken from you.
I pride myself on being 100% self-sufficient in all of my personal care, but let me tell you it all comes at a price.
Before my accident I’d probably take a shower to waken myself up, I’m confident that anybody reading this blog is exactly the same.
I can tell you that because of my TBI, whenever I take a shower, I need to sit and relax for 15 – 20 minutes afterwards because I am invariably completely and utterly wiped out.
I do hope that you have enjoyed reading my blog, and please remember that this could happen to anyone none of us are infallible.
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