Episode 1: Full episode - William Cole - Recovery from a farm motorcycle accident which resulted in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
In this first episode we meet William Cole, a 25 year old farmer from Bookaar in Western Victoria who had a farm motorcycle accident in 2017 resulting in a traumatic brain injury.
We meet William and hear about life before the accident, what happened and discuss his initial treatment in hospital, his ongoing recovery back at home and the things which have been most beneficial and most important in his recovery.
Transcript and show notes are available for each episode on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com
William's recommendations:
- 25:10 - Make friends with the people treating you,
- 28:42 - Watch movies or tv shows that you enjoy and have seen before with the subtitles and volume both turned on to help your brain reconnect the sound with the words,
- 36:22 - Don't compare yourself to before the accident/injury/event. Instead consider...what 'might' be possible. What 'might' I be able to do? (in a positive sense),
- 37:22 - Set small challenges and build up, and REWARD YOURSELF,
- 38:53 - 'Back yourself', in a mature but positive way,
- 42:13 - William discusses the enormous value in developing a good relationship with a neuropsychologist, and working through the challenges of living with and recovering from a neurological condition such as a traumatic brain injury together. This was William's 'knight in shining armour' and my own key takeaway from this interview,
- 49:30 - Exercise, do things that you enjoy, be in places that make you feel good,
- 51:1 0 - Movie recommendations: Something that you are excited about. For William this was Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (with subtitles) in rehabilitation,
- 52:17 - Gain learnings and inspiration from other peoples stories: https://constanttherapyhealth.com/brainwire/the-top-5-most-inspiring-ted-talks-about-brain-injury/
- 58:03 - Journalling has been very important in William's recovery. "Just start writing..." Put your thoughts, your worries and the things that are concerning you down on paper,
- 1:00:14 - Listen carefully to your doctors, treat them with respect and build a friendship,
- 1:01:00 - Let your interests guide your recovery,
- 1:02:10 - Don't be afraid to share your story. Telling your story and listening to others within the rehabilitation setting, and talking about your accident/injury/condition with family and friends in William's view "is one of the biggest parts of healing". It'll help you reflect on and process the injury or condition and connects you with those around you,
- 1:05:30 - Avoid alcohol and drugs for as long as you can following your accident/injury,
- 1:07:40 - Extending on the earlier recommendation regarding journalling, William suggests trying to notice if something is getting you down, writing it down and exploring it and if needed, taking it to a friend or a neuropsychologist to help you work through it,
- 1:08:43 - If you'd like to work with William to run events like this in the future, you can contact him at: willyjcole@gmail.com,
- 1:20:45 - Final thoughts from William: "Keep on being you, and you shall keep on".
For more detailed show notes, see the individual chapter sections on the podcast website.
