A Retrained Brain Story

Lynn

When she was 24, Lynn had a brain aneurysm that threatened her life. However, she recovered well and in a few years was married and gave birth to a daughter. A few years later she suffered a second, more severe aneurysm. She spent three weeks in intensive care and then three months at a rehabilitation hospital relearning to walk, talk, and think. Brain surgery was required to correct the aneurysm. This was followed by more in-hospital therapy. Finally after 7 months, Lynn returned home.

She had great difficulty in functioning on a day to day basis. She continued rehab through a day hospital program. Along with functioning difficulties and speech problems, Lynn had to deal with the extreme lack of understanding about brain injuries. People, including her husband and daughter, couldn’t understand why she couldn’t do all of the things she used to be able to do; why she couldn’t speak the way she used to.

Lynn became isolated, filled with frustration and anger. Depression and despair were daily companions. She felt alone, misunderstood and believed that she would never get “better”.

Then a fellow patient at the day hospital told her about the Head Injury Association of Durham Region. She attended her first support group meeting and immediately found that people understood what she had been going through. She realized that she was not alone or crazy or stupid.

As she became more involved with the Head Injury Association, she learned more about how to cope both with her own difficulties and with the lack of understanding of others. She received direction and assistance in connecting to other community services and agencies.

“Getting connected with the Head Injury Association and with other people who’ve experienced brain injuries has made a 100 % difference in my life. I found the understanding, acceptance and knowledge I needed to be in the happy place where I am now. I am fairly satisfied with my life in many ways: my relationships at home have improved; my speech while still a problem continues to improve; I now have hope for even better things to come.”

OUTCOME

United Way of Ajax-Pickering-Uxbridge had provided funding for a “Connections” program to assist brain injury survivors to connect with each other, with other services and with their communities to break the pattern of isolation.