Table Of ContentAdjusting to Brain Injury
This important book in the After Brain Injury: Survivor Stories Series
tells the story of four people who suffered acquired brain injuries: Karl
Hargreaves and Ashraf Sheikh as a result of road traffic accidents, Lisa
Summerill because of a stroke and Meg Archer as a result of meningitis.
Each person tells their story in their own words, describing what
happened to them, how they dealt with it and how they experienced
the recovery process. The cases represent very different types of
people and severity of injury but are alike in providing raw accounts
of the challenges faced whilst also highlighting their resilience and
determination to carve out new lives. Alongside these inspirational
stories are contributions by friends and family, as well as several
members of the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team to give a broader
view of the whole process of recovery. By combining expert commen-
tary with real-life experiences, this book points towards sources of
support, normalises the experience and provides a context for under-
standing the challenges and successes in each case.
This book provides support, understanding and hope for patients
who have suffered a brain injury. It is valuable reading for any pro-
fessional involved in neurorehabilitation and students of clinical
neuropsychology.
Dr Katherine Dawson is a clinical neuropsychologist and treats pa-
tients in various rehabilitation settings with a range of neurological
conditions, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury
and brain infections. Katherine has interest in cognitive rehabilitation
and works with individuals and family to manage emotional and be-
havioural changes following acquired brain injury. Katherine is cur-
rently involved in research with the NHS regarding telerehabilitation
and acquired brain injury.
After Brain Injury: Survivor Stories
This new series of books is aimed at those who have suffered a brain injury, and
their families and carers. Each book focuses on a different condition, such as face
blindness, amnesia and neglect, or diagnosis, such as encephalitis and locked-in
syndrome, resulting from brain injury. Readers will learn about life before the
brain injury, the early days of diagnosis, the effects of the brain injury, the process
of rehabilitation and life now. Alongside this personal perspective, professional
commentary is also provided by a specialist in neuropsychological rehabilitation,
making the books relevant for professionals working in rehabilitation such as
psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, social
workers and rehabilitation doctors. They will also appeal to clinical psychology
trainees and undergraduate and graduate students in neuropsychology,
rehabilitation science and related courses who value the case study approach.
With this series, we also hope to help expand awareness of brain injury and
its consequences. The World Health Organisation has recently acknowledged
the need to raise the profile of mental health issues (with the WHO Mental
Health Action Plan 2013-20), and we believe there needs to be a similar focus on
psychological, neurological and behavioural issues caused by brain disorder and
a deeper understanding of the importance of rehabilitation support. Giving a
voice to these survivors of brain injury is a step in the right direction.
Series Editor: Barbara A. Wilson
Published titles:
Life After a Rare Brain Tumour and Supplementary Motor Area
Syndrome
Awake Behind Closed Eyes
Alex Jelly, Adel Helmy, Barbara A. Wilson
Life and Suicide Following Brain Injury
A Personal and Professional Account
Alyson Norman
Adjusting to Brain Injury
Reflections from Survivors, Family Members and Clinicians
Katherine Dawson with Karl Hargreaves, Ashraf Sheikh, Lisa Summerill and
Meg Archer
For more information about this series, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/
After-Brain-Injury-Survivor-Stories/book-series/ABI
Adjusting to Brain Injury
Reflections from Survivors, Family
Members and Clinicians
Katherine Dawson with
Karl Hargreaves, Ashraf Sheikh,
Lisa Summerill and Meg Archer
First published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14
4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis
Group, an informa business
© 2021 Katherine Dawson, Karl Hargreaves,
Ashraf Sheikh, Lisa Summerill and Meg Middleton
The right of Katherine Dawson, Karl Hargreaves,
Ashraf Sheikh, Lisa Summerill and Meg Middleton
to be identified as authors of this work has been
asserted by them in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form
or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names
may be trademarks or registered trademarks and
are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 9780367629304 (hbk)
ISBN: 9780367629298 (pbk)
ISBN: 9781003111481 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Donations viii
Foreword by Michael Oddy ix
Introduction by Katherine Dawson xii
PART I
Early-stage treatment and referral 1
ABAYOMI SALAWU
PART II
Fractured 9
KATHERINE DAWSON
1 Karl’s story 15
KARL HARGREAVES
2 Getting life back on track 43
ANNE-MARIE BURNETT
3 Working with Karl 51
KATHERINE DAWSON
PART III
The rehab team 87
KATHERINE DAWSON
vi Contents
4 The chartered physiotherapist 89
NICOLA HUNT
5 The vestibular system explained 96
NICOLA HUNT
6 The occupational therapist 105
LOUISE WATKINS
PART IV
Community-based rehab 111
KATHERINE DAWSON
7 Ash’s story 115
ASHRAF SHEIKH AND SAMEERA SHEIKH
8 The rehab assistant 135
TIM PATTLE
PART V
In sickness and in health 139
KATHERINE DAWSON
9 Lisa’s story 145
LISA SUMMERILL
PART VI
Surviving and thriving 161
KATHERINE DAWSON
10 Meg’s story 165
MEG ARCHER
Afterword 180
KATHERINE DAWSON
Rehab teams involved with Karl, Ash, Lisa and Meg 182
Bibliography 184
Index 186
Acknowledgements
To all my clients I work with; your experiences have
shaped this book and my practise: I have learnt such a
great deal and continue to do so. Huge thanks to Chris
Lomas for recording these stories and his commitment in
completing the book. Also, a very big thank you to Mike
Oddy for reading the manuscript and writing the fore-
word (and for also being a fantastic supervisor). F inally,
I am very grateful to my family for their ongoing sup-
port and enthusiasm (and a very special thank you to my
mum).
Donations
Karl, Ash, Lisa, Meg and I have decided to donate our
proportion of sales of the book to the following charities:
• SameYou
• Headway – the brain injury association
• Meningitis Now
• Paul For Brain Recovery
• Different Strokes
Foreword
Michael Oddy
The process of adjusting to a brain injury is never easy;
not for the family and especially not for the individual
concerned. As this book shows no two people are the
same, no two brains are the same, and the rehabilitation
required is never exactly the same. This makes it diffi-
cult to help those new to brain injury to understand what
they have been through, what they are currently going
through and where they must go next.
This book is aimed at the person with the brain injury,
but it could be equally valuable for relatives and profes-
sionals as well. For the latter it reminds us that their in-
ner strength is frequently retained by the person with the
injury. Indeed, this strength is often increased as people
find greater reserves within them.
This book reminds us of the paradox that brain in-
jury changes people, yet it doesn’t change people. There
is almost always still part of the original person shining
through. The four people contributing to this book cer-
tainly shine through. Karl’s confidence returns as he bat-
tles to salvage a life after brain injury. Ash shows that
he has never lost his desire or ability to help and sup-
port others. Lisa finds ways to create a new normal and
maintain strong relationships with her husband and her
