When I suffered a severe traumatic brain injury from a fall 6 years ago I was only 27 and I really struggled for the longest time to accept that I was different from the old Kirsty. I wanted to cling on to everything I had always known, my relationships, my career and the things I had always loved to do like travel to Italy or the annual Reading music festival with my friends.
I denied a lot of my problems for years but I soon learned that a brain injury isn’t something you can “beat” and I felt very alone in it because unless you live through a brain injury (or stroke!) It’s very hard to understand just how deep it impacts.
I have amazing friends and family who have supported me more than I can say but I have to admit, finding a group of people who just “get it” like the people I have met at the stroke group and the Wasp team has genuinely felt like a breath of fresh air in my life.
Harrie bless her, listened to my story when I was still nervous to say it, and she pointed me in the direction of so many services I didn’t even know I could take advantage of. I have just started at the therapy sessions Wasp have invited me to and the sheer relief of being able to sob my heart out to someone who was so kind but who also UNDERSTOOD how different neurological problems can be was another big relief thanks to the team at the Stroke Group/Wasp.
I’ve also spent some time with Ronan from the digital reablement team who has helped me overcome things like forgetting to take my medication on time and he now has AleXa shouting at me aligned with the time I have to take them.
Everyone at the group on Wednesday have been so unbelievably welcoming to me and it really does mean the world to have a place to go where I don’t feel anxious and like I have to “pretend” all the time.
I want to thank everyone, all the kind members of the team who run both WASP and the stroke group, and every single amazing and kind fellow survivors who I’ve probably talked the ear off of on a Wednesday! I loved the sunflower seeds session probably the most because I’m now spending my free time in the garden more trying to keep my new sunflower plant alive!
Please feel free to say hello to me next time! (You can’t miss me with my mop of hair!) And I’m really looking forward to the future events.
Massive big thanks again! Kirsty Williams-Henry
