<p>Transport Accident Commission (TAC) Empower</p><p>Empowering TAC clients by sharing stories and information</p><p>Edition 19: November 2010</p><p>Maintaining friendships and social networks</p><p>By Genevieve McMahon, Clinical Neuropsychologist</p><p>Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? Thought I was the only one.” C.S. Lewis</p><p>Acquired Brain Injury (or ABI) is sometimes called ‘the hidden disability’ and with good reason: it often results in changes to thinking, memory, behaviour and emotions which may not be obvious to the casual observer. Families can find themselves living with someone who thinks and acts in a very different way to the person they knew before the injury. The person with the ABI can also often feel very different following their injury and realise that their life is fundamentally changed from what it was.</p><p>One of the challenges often faced by people who have had an ABI and their families is that of social isolation: old friends can be lost and new friends can be hard to make. Friends and acquaintances can tire of repetitive conversations due to memory problems, or may become wary following an angry outburst over a seemingly trivial matter. Even good friends who have supported the family through all the ups and downs can find it hard to understand that some changes in behaviour are a result of the brain injury, especially when the accident was a long time ago and the person with the injury now looks fine.</p><p>Reasons behind shrinking social networks include:</p><p>• Reduced tolerance to noise and crowds mean that some social activities are no longer enjoyable </p><p>• Not being able to drink alcohol due to medications or reduced tolerance means feeling excluded at pubs or parties</p><p>• Don’t see workmates any longer because of inability to return to previous employment</p><p>• Reduced income and increased expenses means that there is no money for going out</p><p>• The demands of therapy and doctors appointments mean there is little time or energy left to keep up with old friends</p><p>• No longer being able to drive means not being able to get to social activities</p><p>• Embarrassment, shame or fear of rejection because of physical or cognitive changes • Feeling that others can’t understand or are not interested in the brain injury</p><p>• Life is so different now, that there is no longer much in common with many old friends </p><p> Some helpful ideas to stay connected with friends and family include:</p><p>• Keep up some social routines however simple – have a regular catch up with a particular friend for coffee, have dinner together as a family once a week, keep up with going to church or a social group if you did before the injury</p><p>• Be as forgiving and open minded as you can with family and friends. Don’t assume they will understand what brain injury means or how it has affected you or your family member – others may misinterpret brain injury related problems, for example mistaking difficulty remembering social engagements for rudeness or disinterest</p><p>• Take opportunities to educate friends and family – talk to them about your experiences, invite them along to information sessions or support group meetings, pass on information brochures, direct them to helpful websites such as the Brainlink website (www.brainlink.org.au) </p><p> Let friends and family know what they can do to help - often people don't say or do things because they are afraid of doing the wrong thing</p><p> Take opportunities to meet up with other people who have been in the same situation you can learn a lot from their experiences and you can often talk about what has happened to you without feeling judged or strange</p><p>(Editor’s note: Headstart is offering an opportunity to do this. See below).</p><p>• Think of other ways of doing things even if it is not exactly the same as it was before the injury – if it is too noisy in the pub to concentrate, catch up with friends somewhere quieter like a cafe or at a BBQ area in the park. Go shopping with a friend at a small shopping strip at a quiet time of the day rather than going to a big, busy shopping centre </p><p>• Take any chance for a spontaneous catch-up – if you bake a cake, call a friend to come and share it with you </p><p>• Make time for fun and focus on the moment – decorate cupcakes with the kids, enjoy some fresh air at the park, hunt down a bargain at the op shop</p><p>Remember the most important person in maintaining friendships and social networks is you!</p><p>Giving families a "Headstart" to reduce social isolation</p><p>The Headstart Team based at the Monash University Clinical Psychology Centre runs group sessions with people with brain injuries and their families to discuss the common problems people with a brain injury face and possible solutions to these problems. Every group session involves 5 to 7 families, who get together each week for 12 weeks. In this way families can learn from each others’ experiences, knowledge and wisdom to help improve coping skills and family functioning. Getting to know and relate to people who have been through similar experiences is a great benefit of the sessions.</p><p>Involving the whole group to tackle common problems using a structured problem solving approach is also very effective.</p><p>Themes that have been frequently discussed include coping with social isolation, looking after yourself in times of stress and staying connected with friends and family.</p><p>Participants have said the group sessions allow them to:</p><p>• talk in an open and honest way</p><p>• feel listened to and less judged than anywhere else in their community</p><p>• feel accepted, have fun and share a laugh</p><p>• make new friends and no longer feel alone</p><p>The Headstart team aims to use this feedback to provide evidence for a program which aims to reduce some of the negative impacts of brain injury including social isolation.</p><p>Headstart Team</p><p>If you and your family would like further information on Headway’s group sessions, please contact Genevieve or Amber on 03 9501 2428 or visit www.cpc.monash.org. </p><p>TAC Wheelchair Challenge closest on record</p><p>The closest race in the three year history of the TAC Wheelchair Challenge took place in May as part of the Great Ocean Road Marathon.</p><p>Geelong’s Richard Colman and Canberra’s Richard Nicholson raced neck and neck throughout the 14km challenge, which started and finished in Apollo Bay, with Richard Colman winning by just 4/100th of a second.</p><p>The first and only female to finish was Geelong 18-year-old Jemima Moore. Nine wheelchair athletes started the event which has grown in popularity since its inception in 2008, six reached the finish line.</p><p>From wheelchair novice to handcycle champ </p><p>Michael Taylor’s journey “The terrain was difficult – gravel, gutters, ramps. I kept falling out of my chair,” he says.</p><p>Now, Michael has completed a six-race aggregate in the National Hand Cycle Series in Echuca Moama, and just returned from Canada having represented Australia in the 2010 UCI Para-cycling Track and Road World Championships. He was one of 16 Australian athletes to represent the country.</p><p>The championships are a long way from a life skills day at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre, where Michael first tried hand cycling. He was looking to try a new sport after a motorcycle accident in 2003 left him paraplegic.</p><p>After one turn at hand cycling, Michael was hooked.</p><p>“I had tried snow skiing, motorbike riding, and finally, hand cycling. Once I tried it, I didn’t look back. I enjoy riding with the other guys. It’s a great way to share experiences.”</p><p>Before his accident, he and his wife Tina were developing a business and he was working 13 to 14– hour days.</p><p>Michael was returning from a family holiday when he had the accident. “I was told about my injuries when I was in hospital, but I could not remember what I had been told. I kept waking up and asking what had happened.”</p><p>Accepting that his life would never be the same was challenging for Michael. His wife was six months pregnant and the prospect of being unable to walk again was daunting. But the support of fellow patients, who were only too willing to wheel Michael around the wards and answer any questions about treatment, helped put in him the right frame of mind for recovery.</p><p>“The other patients in hospital were very helpful. They told me stories about their treatment and took me for strolls around the ward. They were happy to talk and answer any questions.”</p><p>A move to the rehabilitation centre and the birth of his daughter provided further incentive to “learn something different every day.”</p><p>“Being at the Talbot was like another step forward. I was in there for about three months and learnt how to get into a chair, how to sit, how to sit for periods at a time, how to fall out, and how to get back in. I also learned how to get dressed in bed.”</p><p>Changing his outlook on life has been one of Michael’s biggest challenges, but also one of his biggest motivators.</p><p>Michael credits his family and friends’ support for helping him move from an amateur to a professional hand cyclist.</p><p>“The world is still open and it’s a chance to look outside the box. If you want to do something, you need to work out how to get there.”</p><p>“I still dwell on things. It’s disappointing sometimes, but there’s nothing that can be done. Life’s not over after you’ve had an accident. It’s just a different world. The quicker you accept that, the better off you are.” Handcycling Australia</p><p>Like to learn more about handcycling or think it might be the sport for you? Michael is one of the organisers for the National Handcycle Series contact him on 0418 881 985 or email [email protected].</p><p>Visit websites www.australianhandcycleracing.com and www.handbikeoz.com. </p><p>Young talent bounces back</p><p>Wheelchair basketballer Jannik Blair</p><p>If ever there is a role model for bouncing back after an accident, Jannik Blair is your man.</p><p>The 18-year-old has achieved many great things since breaking his back in a car accident six years ago.</p><p>Back in 2002, Jannik was driving his grandfather’s utility in a dirt paddock when it flipped and rolled. His friend was also in the car when the accident happened. Jannik broke both his back and wrist, suffered a collapsed lung and was placed in an induced coma for a week. He then spent a further two weeks in rehabilitation.</p><p>Did the accident change his life? Of course, but it did not stop him pursuing his dream of becoming a successful sportsman. “I don’t think it was too bad after the accident. I actually found the adjustment okay.” </p><p>Jannik always “wanted to go further” in sport while he was at school. He did not let the accident hold him back. After the accident, he tried hand cycling, track racing and then wheelchair basketball.</p><p>“Basketball was the winner. I enjoy team sports.”</p><p>Jannik joined the Victorian under-14 wheelchair basketball team and then moved into an under-18 side, before training with the Dandenong Rangers team. The only way was up with Jannik receiving an invitation to train with an Australian wheelchair basketball men’s squad. This would see him compete in the under-23 world championships in Paris.</p><p>In May this year, he was part of the ‘Australian Rollers’ – a national men’s wheelchair basketball team that came third in the 2010 Paralympic World Cup. But even better than that, he is now at the University of Missouri on a partial scholarship that will see him play in the United States wheelchair basketball league.</p><p>The competition is tough. Jannik will train each morning to ensure he’s up to the league’s 48-game season. Meanwhile, he will study a pre-engineering degree.</p><p>“It’s exciting, but also a little scary. It’s a whole new world, a whole new life.”</p><p>Wheelchair basketball To get involved in wheelchair basketball contact Wheelchair Sports Victoria on 03 9473 0133 or visit www.wsv.org.au. </p><p>For more information on the Dandenong Rangers call Andrew O’Brien on 03 9794 7192 or visit www.dandenongbasketball.com.au. </p><p>Steve’s best day</p><p>Story by Nia Karahisarlis</p><p>Late last year, my brother Steve took a big step forward and took part in ‘Spring into Shape’. The event was a 5km walk around the Yarra River in the CBD.</p><p>Steve had set this event as a rehabilitation goal and he trained three times a week in the gym in the lead up to the event.</p><p>Steve wasn’t confident that he would be able to complete the 5km walk, but he was determined to give it a go.</p><p>He had the support of his physician, Doctor John Olver, his carer, Mekete, and the physio team at the Epworth Hospital.</p><p>On the day he was surrounded by many other competitors and was nervous. The start gun went off and so did Steve and Mekete. Along the way there were a few stops but Steve could see the finish line and wasn’t going to give up. Other people walking and running past encouraged him to keep going. And keep going he did – all the way to the finish line.</p><p>It was an enormous achievement for Steve as he had to overcome many physical and mental obstacles to complete the walk. It was rewarding and helped build his confidence toward moving forward in his long recovery. Steve had a horrific accident that has changed his life but has not stopped him from achieving things and doing the things he wants.</p><p>Steve continues to improve and has continued to do regular events with his carer. I hope this inspires all who think, at any stage, that something is not possible after a serious injury.</p><p>This is a true story about someone who, through determination, achieved his goal.</p><p>In Steve’s words, “It was the best day.”</p><p>Upcoming events</p><p>20 & 21 November: Accessibility Weekend</p><p>About Accessibility Weekend</p><p>As part of Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week, major Victorian tourism attractions will open their doors for free to people in wheelchairs and their carers for Accessibility Weekend. The initiative aims to showcase venues who are ‘Doing it Right’ and being accessible for people in wheelchairs.</p><p>About Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week</p><p>Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week will take place between 15-21 November 2010. Proudly sponsored by the TAC, the week is designed to raise awareness and promote the prevention of spinal cord injury. This year we have an extensive program of activities including Accessibility Weekend.</p><p>Please see our website for details: www.independenceaustralia.com. </p><p>About Independence Australia</p><p>Independence Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that supports people with a spinal cord injury or other physical needs to achieve their optimal quality of life.</p><p>For further information about any of these activities, visit www.independenceaustralia.com or call our Communications Department on 1300 704 456 or email [email protected]. </p><p>Transport Accident Commission (TAC)</p><p>Phone: 1300 654 329 or 1800 332 556 (toll free outside the Melbourne metro area)</p><p>Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm</p><p>Website: Visit www.tac.vic.gov.au</p><p>Empower is published three times a year by the Transport Accident Commission. </p><p>© Transport Accident Commission, 2010.</p>