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Issue 3 - 2018
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Please note some of these articles are written by patients who are still in recovery. These articles are deliberately unchanged and may contain spelling,
In the past few months
punctuation and grammar mistakes.
one of the lessons we have learned is that if you keep
A copy of our medical disclaimer plus
repeating the same thing you will get the same
terms and conditions is on our website.
result.
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conditions please see:
publication.
For
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ARTICLE SUBMISSION FOR THE AUGUST ISSUE IS JULY 20th 1
MENTAL HEALTH
MANAGE YOUR CONDITION
IMPROVE COGNITION
IMPROVING AWARENESS
THERAPY
RELATIONSHIPS
Contents
1
THERAPY
Editors message
2
How Mind Mediation can change your approach to pain 39
MANAGE YOUR CONDITION Avoiding Making Your Head Injury Worse
IMPROVING AWARENESS 5
Unable to React / Respond quick enough when talking
8
Importance of a Routine (SLEEP)
10
Seated YOGA
15
Color Run
43
HEADWAY Derby - News
44
RELATIONSHIPS HEADWAY STUDY HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS 48
Black Teabags vs. Fresh Tea Leaves vs. Green Tea 18
REVIEWS & SUBSCRIPTIONS
IMPROVE COGNITION
Book Review
51
Movie Review
54
Brain Training
22
Subscriptions
55
Application Reviews
26
Key Contacts
56
MENTAL HEALTH How To Stay Optimistic
Your Business Could Advertise in
31
this magazine! Find out more by Dancing In The Dark
35
sending an email Sand@HealthisYourWealth.co.uk 2
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3
Manage YOUR Condition
YOU Are In CONTROL
Take your time about recovery- the brain is a complex organ, it takes a
Avoiding Making Your Head Injury Worse
while for it to recover. All the complex tasks and thoughts it orchestrates then that’s not surprising really is it. I wish I could say 'take as long as
An occasional article.
you need off work’ but in today’s
injury and its consequences and begin
economy that is a rare luxury. If that
the journey of recovery, often it's hard to
does apply to you then use all the time
know where to start or what it is that
you can.
needs fixing. You may be discharged
Try to get as much sleep as you can,
after initial hospitalisation with very
however you can get it. Try relaxation,
little useful information on what lies
meditation whatever you can to get
ahead. Sometimes you are told but it can
some sleep.
make little sense and you can't see how it applies to you. As a rehabilitation
Don't
therapist, often it can be a while before a
prescription drugs, avoid it for as long as
referral is actioned, or waiting lists
you can. Why add in something extra for
negated.
the brain to have to deal with.
Here is a personal view of what I would
What are the effects of alcohol
say to most people no matter how minor
especially?....
or severe their injury was.
drink
alcohol
or
exactly
take
all
non
the
things you say are difficult after 5
Head Injury.
Managing Your Condition
As you start to come to terms with head
Try
to
keep
life
simple... eat
Try not to let complications build up. If
regularly and drink plenty of fluids,
you need help with things you are
avoid caffeine (again it's a drug) Try to
struggling with please get someone
have a simple pattern to the day, walk if
to help you....worrying about things
you can, do simple tasks for yourself if
you know need dealing with only makes
you can. Don't attempt things that
things worse. Prime examples are
require a lot of your effort or energy,
housing/benefit/work related issues.
wait until you feel you have more of that Try not to get in confrontations with
energy.
family and friends, remember you need Try not to take completely to your bed
support and you may be not making
and avoid lights noise or things that
great decisions or thinking things
cause you discomfort. Try to minimise
through well in those early days. It’s all
your exposure to these things but don't
expenditure of energy you don't have
avoid them all together.
right now.
Use your smart phone to remember
Get someone to find some help for you.
stuff, who cares if you didn't need to do
Find your nearest brain injury team,
this before. If you are struggling to type
accept a referral to social services, is
use the Dictaphone facility. Try not to
there a Headway near you? It's not weak
miss your appointments with healthcare
or shaming. This recovery stuffs not
professionals, these days they will
easy, why not have someone in your
discharge you very quickly if you have
corner who seen this before?
failed to turn up for appointments.
6
If the accident was not your fault and
Ask about 'Direct
you need legal involvement, please
'Personal health budgets' and if
please,
they apply in your locality.
please
get
som eone
recommended by Headway or someone
payments'
or
Look at the advice on your driving
who has a proven track record handling
licence and DVLA website. Follow it. If
claims for people who have had brain
you follow the rules you are much more
injuries. It really can make a massive
likely to get support and things be done
difference to outcomes. If you haven't got
Also you do not want to put someone at
can start getting you the specific help
risk if you are not ready for returning to
you need quickly.
drive yet.
Look at the Headway website. They
There's a lot to this advice lark
have some excellent factsheets written
isn't there?
by experts in that particular aspect of symptoms.
Small wonder that after you've injured
Try not to put yourself at risk of hitting
your head all of the above is difficult to
your head again. If you are unsteady or
remember and follow. Get someone in
are having fits then listen to the advice,
your corner and let them help you
take medication as prescribed. Don't
through it.
cycle, go up ladders etc where you could hit your head again.
Gerry White, Team Leader
Get an 'assessment of need' from social services. Ask what is available?
7
Derby Head Injury Team
Managing Your Condition
more timely than if you try to fudge it.
a brain injury team near you then they
I’m very good at filling gaps with waffle,
Unable to React /
asking people to clarify what they mean
Respond quick
what they said, and making generic
as oppose to just asking them to repeat
“hmmm” type noises whilst I sort out
enough when talking
what I’m supposed to be saying, so, the majority of the time, I get away with it, but throw in any background noise and
There’s always that one person who
you’ve no chance of getting much to sink
doesn’t get the joke straight away, who
in, and then it appears I’m just
laughs after everyone else has finished,
disinterested in the whole conversation,
who leaves uncomfortable silences in
as
phone conversations, almost like they’re
I’m
desperately
trying
to
a foreign correspondent on the news,
isolate what’s being said from
and are a few seconds behind due to
everything else that’s going on,
needing a translation.
and then I miss the opportunity to respond.
Well that’s a bit how my brain works nowadays, more so when I’m overtired (which is majority of the time!); it’s like I have to have a second or two to translate
In these situations, I tend to nod and
what’s been said before I can respond
smile and not say a lot, which anyone
appropriately, and it can come across
who knows me will know is out of
like I’m not listening properly, but really
character for me!
I’m just processing what’s been said. 8
I watch people on television doing these
asking of it, and is always a couple of
quiz things where they’re answering
words behind when you’re typing.
questions against the clock, and I think
Yep, that’s me!
that I’d have no chance at anything like that nowadays, as I’d be one question
I’ve seriously thought of getting a t-shirt
behind all the time! The
knowledge
printed with a screen shot of that very is
still
in
thing on it!
there
somewhere, but it takes a bit more
Jill Hughes, TBI Survivor, UK
it used to, as I have to wake it up first. The other thing I’ve noticed I have a delayed reaction with is telling the time. Something I’ve done without thinking about since I was a small child, yet I can glance at a clock, or pull my phone out and look at the screen, three or four times before it actually sinks in. It’s a bit like having a computer running on Windows XP, yet trying to run software on it that’s been designed for Windows 10 - it does that fuzzy screened spinning circle thing for a few minutes whilst it fathoms it out what you’re 9
Managing Your Condition
coaxing to appear out of my mouth than
you have a whole different ball game.
“Importance of A Routine”
Once you get out of step, it can be harder to fall asleep or wake up at the
SLEEP ROUTINE
right times again.
I understand that the majority of brain
The following tips can help you
injured people have sleeping problems
get back on track.
on a regular basis. This is not really 1. Stick to a Routine
surprising given consideration to the fact that a life changing event has
"Go to bed at the same time and do the
occurred. Plus on top of this there
same activities every night before bed,
maybe financial issues plus relationship
this way
issues and additionally you may still be "Your body is getting a cue that it's
trying to complete rehabilitation.
time to fall asleep."
There's a lot happening all at the
To prep your body for bed, do something
same time!
to relax. Take a warm bath or listen to Certainly with so many moving parts
calm music.
it’s totally plausible that getting a stable 2. Make Mornings Bright
sleep pattern is extremely difficult. However its not impossible, sometimes,
Light tells your body's clock when it's
your sleep cycle can get thrown off its
time to wake up. You can help this
normal rhythm. Then you know how
process. In the morning, turn on bright
groggy and out-of-sorts you feel the next day’ add brain injury into the mix and
10
lights, open the shades, or take a walk
workout interferes with your sleep do
in the sunshine.
your runs and step classes for the morning or afternoon.
"That's a very healthy way to reset your
Aim to do something calming before bed
clock"
instead. 3. Keep Nights Dark
"Stretching before bed is great"
At night, dim the lights to cue your body that it's time for sleep. Also switch off your screens. E-readers, mobile phones,
Sleep isn't the only routine that follows
and other devices that may give off a
the clock. Your liver, pancreas, and
blueish light, which makes your brain
other organs have their own clocks that
too alert for sleep.
respond to food. A big late-night meal 4. Work Out
can throw them out of rhythm.
Exercise builds muscle and trims fat,
When you eat late, your body also stores
and it could improve sleep, too. People
more fat and you can put on pounds. Get
who exercise at least 150 minutes a
most of your calories early in the day
week sleep better at night and feel more
and then have a light supper. Try not to
alert during the day.
eat after 7pm until your breakfast the next morning.
The timing of your exercise can make a difference.
A
high-intensity
cardio
6. Keep Naps Short
workout late in the day can disrupt An afternoon nap can give you a burst of
sleep. If you find out that an intense 11
energy to get through the rest of your
Managing Your Condition
5. Watch What, and When You Eat
8. Reach for the Right Sleep Aid
day. But if you snooze too long, your body will see the nap as your main sleep
Sleeping pills may be OK once in a
time. "Then it becomes harder and
while. They can help you avoid jet lag on
harder to sleep during the night"
a long flight or get some rest the night before a stressful meeting. But they're
A power nap is about 20 minutes.
not ideal for long-term use.
"Short naps give you a little bit of
Try some forms of meditation; breathing
restoration, but they don't let you
exercises; see the YOGA article in the
get through all of the sleep
Exercise and Nutrition section.
cycles." Additionally try taking a Mindfulness Because you don't sleep too deeply with
class which will teach you relaxation
a short nap, you won't feel groggy
skills and techniques which will aid you
afterward.
getting into the right frame of mind for sleep time.
7. Limit Caffeine The cup of coffee that wakes you up in the morning has the same effect at night. Cut out the bed time tea and
Sweet Dreams !
coffee entirely, try to avoid anything with caffeine for at least 6 hours before bedtime.
12
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