Sitting here in the waiting room of PhysioFunction set me thinking how had I got here? I was born in the mid-60s after what I am led to believe was a traumatic birth which resulted in my Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). As I grew up I learned the effects the ABI had on me, I found crowds of people intimidating and busy atmospheres - both visual and auditory hard to cope with. My ABI also caused me to be moody and perhaps a bit abrupt at times. My stamina is certainly reduced as is my ability to find words, I also find that I consume a lot of food and do not add weight, which I am told (from someone who had attended a lecture on nutrition for people with head injuries) is a symptom of ABI. I have epilepsy too, however this is controlled with medication.
After much frustration at fitting my square peg into a round hole (the NHS) I found myself at the Chris Moody Centre discussing a totally unrelated matter. Whilst waiting for the appointment I found a leaflet describing what PhysioFunction could provide. Almost immediately I contacted them and a few days later I found myself back at the PhysioFunction seeing a physiotherapist about my leg. After several sessions I mentioned how quickly I went through shoe heels - the physiotherapist talked to the Clinical Director of the company and he came back with a list of suggestions, one of which was a SAFO. So after a trip to the South Coast for a consultation which proved most fruitful and a return visit to collect the SAFO, I find that in the three years that I've had it I have not needed to replace my shoe heels.
At more or less the same time the physiotherapist told me about something called NeuroFit, run by a personal trainer and a physiotherapist, which I likened to a gym session for people who have neurological injuries and a competitive nature. It also has improved my mental wellbeing. Initially the physiotherapist would hold my hemiplegic knee, which had a tendency to swing outwards when I did squats. After six months of NeuroFit I could see how much stronger my hemiplegic knee had become.
Another chance conversation with the Clinical Director of PhysioFunction led to a visit to a surgeon who has rebalanced my wrist so that now I have a lot more use of it.
As I write this the rehab continues, what further places will I visit on this incredible journey I have no idea but it is safe to say that there will be plenty of them.
