by findingmysparkle | Sep 9, 2023 | Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
Hey warriors! It’s been a minute (ahem, 6 months) since I last blogged but I’ve been hearing a bit of a theme in my social media comments and DMs and I wanted to address something. Don’t worry, I’m not getting on my soap box for long and I have a wee challenge for you...
by findingmysparkle | Mar 21, 2023 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Hey warriors! It’s been a minute (ahem, 2 years) since I’ve written a blog and I’m now back from my blogging hiatus with a health update. It wasn’t a deliberate decision to stop blogging. I’ve been sharing life and health updates on the gram. I just unintentionally...
by findingmysparkle | Mar 28, 2021 | Living my best life with a brain injury
A new challenge for 2021: kayaking on Scotland’s lochs Do you have any fears that you haven’t been able to get past? Has your attitude to your fears changed since having your brain injury? Have you embraced new challenges that the old you would never have done? This...
by findingmysparkle | Apr 5, 2020 | Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
Coronavirus: 9 top tips to help you survive self-isolation Coronavirus is a pandemic reaching far across the world. Many of us are being told to self-isolate for the first time and here in the UK we’re in lockdown. I’ve had to self-isolate many times over the past 2...
by findingmysparkle | Jan 15, 2020 | Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
Five tips to help you accept your new life with a brain injury A traumatic brain injury is life changing and learning to accept your new life with a brain injury can be challenging. Many aspects of your life change overnight, you feel like a completely different...
by findingmysparkle | Jan 5, 2020 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Where have you gone, girl? Day 673: Sunday 5th January 2020 Where have you gone, girl? Where is your spirit of adventure? You used to love dragging your ass up the beautiful mountains of Scotland to see the views you couldn’t see from the roadside. You’d fall in the...
by findingmysparkle | Sep 27, 2019 | Living my best life with a brain injury
Fun and laughter at Headway BRAW 2019 Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending time with fellow badass brain injury warriors at Headway BRAW 2019. It was my first Best Relaxation and Activity Weekend experience and I had so much fun! BRAW is an annual event where...
by findingmysparkle | Sep 4, 2019 | Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
Strength training helps my brain injury Do you want to exercise after a brain injury and feel like it’s never going to happen? Perhaps you’re so tired and in so much pain that it’s a massive effort to stand up in the shower? I have a brain injury post-concussion...
by findingmysparkle | May 23, 2019 | Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
My brain injury fatigue makes me talk like a robot Headway Action for Brain Injury Week 2019 This week is brain injury association Headway’s Action for Brain Injury Week. This year its campaign Brain Drain: Wake up to fatigue! is raising awareness of fatigue, which is...
by findingmysparkle | Mar 20, 2019 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Brain injury life is hard. Would not recommend Day 382: Wednesday 20th March 2019 Time for some real honest talk. Ever since I hit a year with my brain injury a couple of weeks ago I’ve been finding things real tough emotionally. I am so grateful for the progress...
by findingmysparkle | Mar 5, 2019 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
All the emotions of a year with a brain injury It’s been a whole year since my accident and a whole year I’ve been living with my brain injury, post-concussion syndrome. I went away for a few days’ break to Skye so I could be somewhere positive and I wrote a journal...
by findingmysparkle | Jan 26, 2019 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
11 months with Post-Concussion Syndrome Day 329: Saturday 26th January 2019 It’s been a couple of months since my last blog where I said I would try to update you more often and, well, things don’t always go to plan. My brain doesn’t like sitting in front of my iMac...
by findingmysparkle | Nov 18, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals, Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
Crutches, accepting my brain injury and celebrating wins Day 260: Sunday 18th November 2018 It’s now 8 ½ months I’ve been living with my brain injury post-concussion syndrome. It’s safe to say I’ve fallen off the blogging wagon the last couple of months. Not having...
by findingmysparkle | Sep 26, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
UKABIF Film Award 2018 Not just a bump to the head: the fall that changed my life In March 2018 I had a fall in the snow and ended up with a brain injury, post-concussion syndrome. The United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum Film Award 2018 is open for entries...
by findingmysparkle | Sep 16, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
How my brain injury affects my walking and balance Day 197: Sunday 16th September 2018 It’s been over 6 months since my failed surfing on snow attempt gave me a brain injury, post-concussion syndrome. I use my blog and YouTube channel to share my recovery journey and...
by findingmysparkle | Sep 2, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
The highs and lows of living with a brain injury for 6 months Day 183: Sunday 2nd September 2018 I cried myself to sleep last night, had a nightmare about going to prison and have woken up today in all the tears. There’s no hiding this one. I’m finding this weekend...
by findingmysparkle | Aug 20, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
What my brain injury is teaching me about love Day 170: Monday 20th August 2018 I’ve been living with post-concussion syndrome for over 5 months now and recently I’ve questioned my ability as a partner. How long can I realistically expect JP to put up with me while I...
by findingmysparkle | Aug 5, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals, Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
How to deal with the emotions of Post-Concussion Syndrome Day 155: Sunday 5th August 2018 It’s just gone 6am, I shed a lot of tears last night and I’m stealing a line from Jessie J as a reminder to myself and all my brain injury warriors that “it’s ok to not be...
by findingmysparkle | Jul 24, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Tweet Finding My Sparkle Day 143: Tuesday 24th July 2018 This morning I had my first appointment at the Brain Injury Clinic following my accident in March and I feel it marks the start of the next chapter in my post-concussion syndrome recovery. I’d been sent...
by findingmysparkle | Jul 16, 2018 | Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
“Other people know you better than you know yourself” – Ahmed Khalifa It’s nearly 5am, I should be zonked out in the land of zzzzz and instead I’m wide awake like a kid at Christmas. We’re getting the keys to our new flat today and soon I’ll be getting shipped...
by findingmysparkle | Jul 12, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Finding My Sparkle Day 131: Thursday 12th July 2018 Last Thursday I had a chat with my doctor on the phone. My walking had been worse since I saw him a few weeks before and he asked me to go in the next day so he could do a review. I’ve now been living with my brain...
by findingmysparkle | Jul 5, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Finding My Sparkle Day 124: Thursday 5th July 2018 Today I finally got the call I’ve been waiting for and I can’t tell you how relieved I feel. I have a brain injury, post-concussion syndrome, following a sledging accident and if you read one of my blogs from last...
by findingmysparkle | Jun 28, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals, Tips for living with Post-Concussion Syndrome
Finding My Sparkle Day 117: Thursday 28th June 2018 It’s mid-afternoon, my body is knackered, my hair is a state, my legs are so sore I want to rip the skin off them and I’m sitting in a garden that doesn’t belong to me on a scorching hot day when I should be in the...
by findingmysparkle | Jun 27, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Finding My Sparkle Day 116: Wednesday 27th June 2018 It’s been a few weeks since by last blog and I’d love to say that I have progress wins to report but I’m not really sure I’m making progress with my post-concussion syndrome recovery. I’m definitely learning...
by findingmysparkle | Jun 2, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Finding My Sparkle Day 91: Saturday 2nd June 2018 This weekend marks 3 months since I took a tumble in the snow and ended up with a brain injury and I’m not really sure how I feel about that. I’ve been looking back at the videos I’ve shared on YouTube since around a...
by findingmysparkle | Mar 9, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Finding My Sparkle Day 6: Friday 9th March 2018 It’s 11:30 and I don’t know where the morning has gone. Time seems to move so fast. I had a bath with Epsom Salts which are meant to work their magic through my skin. I’m sure that was about 10 o’clock. I set an alarm on...
by findingmysparkle | Mar 8, 2018 | Finding My Sparkle Journals
Finding My Sparkle Day 5: Thursday 8th March 2018 Today was a bad day, a fucking bad day. Hopefully the worst I will ever experience in my life. I had a bad night’s sleep. Possibly only had a few hours. When I woke up my head was sore in a new place at the back of my...