With a significant proportion of the world’s population currently in some kind of “lockdown”, many people are experiencing new and unwelcome challenges - from the denial of their usual freedoms through to loss of income, illness - and of course, ultimately for some - loss of life. As we have all struggled to adapt to … Continue reading Chapter 8: The tortoise and the bear →

Over the last 18 months or so, my physical condition has deteriorated. Walking has become increasingly difficult – when my brain is tired, my legs feel like they belong to someone else and I have difficulty controlling them. When my brain is particularly fatigued, my legs feel like they are “full up” with fluid, with … Continue reading Chapter 7: A different kind of bear? →

There are so many people who have helped me over the last 3 years and deserve my thanks. Unfortunately, I have forgotten most of their names! Only kidding - but I do know that if I try to name them, I will miss some out, so best that I leave it there. They know who … Continue reading Acknowledgments →

Over the festive period, I had relatively little planning, information processing and decision making to do - just interacting with family and playing the odd board game, interspersed with frequent breaks to rest the brain. That made getting back into the swing of things after Christmas all the more difficult. I had got out of … Continue reading Chapter 6: Making the bear work for me →

Whilst I had observed several positive developments in the form submitted to my income protection provider, I had also been quite surprised by how little I was doing each day. Somewhat predictably perhaps, over the next couple of months I found myself trying to find a way of fitting more into my day. I tried … Continue reading Chapter 5: One more go at beating the bear (November 2019) →

In September, I was asked for an update on my condition by my income protection provider. Below is what I submitted: /***Start***/ Activities of daily living Whilst I am able to carry out the majority of the individual activities involved in daily living, the cognitive load involved in doing so is very high, resulting in … Continue reading Chapter 4: Living with the bear (September 2019) →

So, I’m sticking to the rules (mostly) and doing a better job of anticipating which tasks are likely to be excessively fatiguing for my brain and avoiding them where possible. All well and good. Except the reality is that this is leaving a pretty limited range of things that I am able to do, which … Continue reading Chapter 3: Accepting the bear (July 2019) →

For the next few months, I do my best to stick to the rules. Although I step outside of them fairly regularly - I’m only an apprentice bear fighter at this stage, remember - each time I do, it helps to embed into my brain the importance of sticking to them. Life is still very … Continue reading Chapter 2: Getting to know the bear (March 2019) →

In my experience, adjusting to life after a brain injury – and in particular, dealing with the effects of cognitive fatigue – is a bit like learning to fight a bear. The first 6 months or so is spent focussed purely on physical recovery and so your brain lets you off having to fight the … Continue reading Chapter 1: Fighting the bear (December 2018) →

I am the Brain Injured Bear Fighter. I have a brain injury. Just over 3 years ago, I came off my bicycle at 45 mph and landed on my head. Turns out that’s not a very clever thing to do. This is how I normally introduce myself at the group sessions that I attend at … Continue reading Prologue: Resolutions of the Brain Injured Bear Fighter →