Half a Mind to ..

Life after brain injury – one small victory at a time.

Tag: independence

  • The Three-Wheeled Lifeline(Strategy 032)

    The Three-Wheeled Lifeline(Strategy 032)

    An extra wheel sounds like a small change. For me, it gave back far more than cycling.

    My balance issues might have caused the end of my lifelong love of cycling. Instead, very shortly after the stroke, one of my sons suggested that I try a recumbent trike.

    I had been having problems with balance and proprioception – the sense of where my body and limbs are – for years before my stroke. After the stroke, weakness and fatigue added to the difficulty. An ordinary bicycle had become an unforgiving proposition. If I wobbled or stopped awkwardly, there was very little margin for error.

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  • Agree Workplace Adjustments (Strategy 002)

    Agree Workplace Adjustments (Strategy 002)

    When I went back to work after my illness, one of the most important things that happened was the process around “reasonable adjustments.” Occupational health got involved and set up a proper conversation between me and my manager. Together, we worked out goals that matched what I was realistically able to do with my new limitations. I’m not an expert in the legal details, but I do know that employers have some responsibility here — and being part of a large company definitely helped. We ended up with a living “reasonable adjustments” document, which we reviewed every month. The deal was simple: if I kept to the adjusted goals and did my part, then in the annual performance appraisals I’d automatically get a rating that kept me safe from being penalised or dismissed for underperformance. It wasn’t perfect, but it gave me security and a fair framework to keep contributing at work.

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    Help me to help you document (Strategy 011)