- Image from Pixabay
Today I am excited to introduce writer Ruth Burrill. Ruth has agreed to share her early experience of life after brain injury, rehabilitation and working with a support worker.
Before I share Ruth’s story I will explain terms used for anyone outside of Victoria, Australia, who may be unfamiliar with descriptions used in the article:
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- Attendant Care Worker – is a person paid to provide support most often on a 1:1 basis for another person.
- Transport Accident Commission (TAC) – “… a Victorian Government-owned organisation whose role is to promote road safety, improve the State’s trauma system and support those who have been injured on our roads. “
- Aborigine – used within this article refers to the indigenous people of Australia[/unordered_list]
Ruth’s Story of Life After Brain Injury
It was having an attendant carer program that enabled me to believe in myself again in the darkest stages of rehabilitation that made the difference.
Attendant Care: Choosing Sarah
The Transport Accident Commission decided to do a separate program, which had never been done before, for me. I interviewed three ladies and chose Sarah in the end.
I chose Sarah because she held a passion for Canada. Sarah had me sold at that.
At the time my sister and I were in the Australian Girls Choir. My sister went over to Canada with the choir. On returning my sister had photos of Lake Louise and the beauty of Canada. When the Calgary Youth Singers came to Australia we billeted two Canadians. Basically I had a real passion for Canada as a child which made me think Sarah’s the one.
Also we had a lot of common interests. However one aspect I didn’t like was the English accent, Sarah was English.
After deliberation with my folks and family Sarah was chosen.
A Support Program; Life After Brain Injury
What set the program apart from any other rehabilitation encounter I was experiencing is the one-to-one contact, the support with relearning.
An attendant Carer is a person employed to help reintegrate a person. Assisting to relearn skills they’ve lost through their accident, integrating back into the community: the basic skills which are normal activity for most people. For example:
· Learning how to comprehend life as it is now.
· Not being too overwhelmed by how much you have lost.
· Sarah and I made a recipe book of all different dishes and without realizing I learnt how to cook again. Some meals where eaten at my family home, and some meals at Sarah’s boyfriend’s place.
· Learning to catch the bus from home to rehabilitation and back again independently.
I remember Sarah and I had practiced this numerous times. It came to the stage when I went alone, Sarah was going to meet me at the TAC Rehabilitation Centre bus stop in Glen Waverley. I realized I’d gone too far when I saw Sarah’s face grinning and waving at me outside the bus window.
Whoops, with this understanding I got off at the next bus stop. That was funny.
Binbeal Rehabilitation Centre
I attended the Children’s Section of the TAC Rehabilitation Centre which was named Binbeal, which in Aborigine means Rainbow. In the 1990’s the therapist’s doors where different colours: red, blue, green, yellow and purple.
A rehabilitation Centre is rather like returning to school. But it is a school for relearning what you’ve learnt in the past. Rehabilitation is a safe place where you are cared for. For a person who needs to build up strength, in their mind and physique.
Hope Lost, and Regained, After Brain Injury
A lot of hope is lost in rehabilitation.
In the midst of your rehabilitation, you believe this is all my life is now. I failed to see how wonderful my life would be in the future.
Numbness sets in through rehabilitation.
Everyone only concentrates upon what you are unable to do. All you want to be, is the person you were before your accident.
You ask: Why me? Grieving daily. You’ve never felt any distress like this before and no-one deserves it. It’s so foreign to you, but this is the way it is now.
In the midst of rehabilitation you have to endure it. Realize as you hold your breath in disbelief, that it will pass. You tend not to look at a bright future.
I’d like to take this opportunity to say a day will arrive when you’re no longer in rehabilitation. It will be a distant memory that you encountered once upon a time, which added character to your refinement.
You can look at yourself as a rock in rehabilitation. Through your process you’ve been chipped away. In your future you will shine brighter than a diamond.
It’s one brick at a time and a slow process. Although you didn’t ask for this you have been chosen. Embrace your experience with all your ability.
And never ever, ever say never!
What Was Helpful
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- What helped was having all the therapists being so supportive of my welfare with the activities we did.
- Enabling me to speak of what life was like before my accident helped immensely.
- It was having constant affirmation, with the belief in the client, that yes they actually can do this, made the difference.
- Overall rehabilitation was a place of healing. Different helpful therapists assisting me to get better.
- Sarah would always say: “You have to be cruel to be kind.”
- Sarah made me write out positive words and place them upon my wall, so I’d become them.
Assertive, Confident, Independent, Self Reliant.
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Why Me? The answer to why me? Is why NOT me?
We’re only given as much as we can handle in our lives. But at the time we think differently. We have control over how we will decide what our life will be like.
We have the opportunity to paint our lives with the colours of the rainbow on a daily basis.
More About Ruth
Thanks to Melanie for allowing me to share my story with you readers.
I’ll take this moment to allow you to understand a little bit of my life in a biography.
When my accident happened I was eleven years old. I’m now thirty six.
Before my accident I was in grade six and a house captain in my class. (That means popularity!)
I was a very bright student that had top marks, but always wanted to become a famous tennis player. I was in the McDonald’s Squad and loved tennis. The McDonald’s Squad is a tennis organization for young people who have been selected with their potential to play tennis in the future.
Stefan Edberg and Steffi Graff where my idols.
The biggest change over the years was becoming aware that life has changed and I needed to change to adapt to what I had become.
One huge aspect as a child I concentrated upon what I could do before my accident: I tried to play tennis again, and I could play again, but I was no way as good. I then power walked around the block. And did swimming.
I returned to the Australian Girls Choir for a bit. Life was different, so I left and continued to sing outside of choir.
I focused upon positive words and became them.
As an adult woman I write, as it is my great escape. With a writer’s group I’ve published four books.
There is hope in loss.
I encourage everyone who reads this, and is in their process of rehabilitation, or have family members going through rehabilitation:
DON’T ALLOW DISCOURAGEMENT TO OVERTAKE YOU!!!
We don’t have control over what happens to us.
We do have control over how we will approach what happens to us.
A song I’ll leave with you to listen to is: ‘When You Believe’, by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
This song sums up what you must do.
And Finally
Thankyou Ruth and I leave you with a link to the song ‘When You Believe’ that Ruth has recommended above.
