A short overview episode to introduce the podcast, explain what it is all about, and who it is for.

This initial five-part series (to be released weekly from November 20th) tells the stories of a young farmer involved in a farm motorcycle accident, a triple Olympian’s unexpected stroke on the operating table, an electrician’s long deterioration from a workplace (back) injury, a young professional’s exposure to too many concussions, and a newspaper editors emotional rollercoaster following the effects of a misfiring shotgun.

These are their stories, focussed on the tangible actions that helped them to regain their health. Content covers treatments, methodologies, resources, attitudes, practices and current brain science. Let us stand on the shoulders of those who’ve walked before us.

Transcript and show notes are available for each episode on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

Episode 1: Full episode - William Cole - Recovery from a farm motorcycle accident which resulted in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
In this first episode we meet William Cole, a 25 year old farmer from Bookaar in Western Victoria who had a farm motorcycle accident in 2017 resulting in a traumatic brain injury.
We meet William and hear about life before the accident, what happened and discuss his initial treatment in hospital, his ongoing recovery back at home and the things which have been most beneficial and most important in his recovery.

Transcript and show notes are available for each episode on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

William's recommendations:

• 25:10 - Make friends with the people treating you,
• 28:42 - Watch movies or tv shows that you enjoy and have seen before with the subtitles and volume both turned on to help your brain reconnect the sound with the words,
• 36:22 - Don't compare yourself to before the accident/injury/event. Instead consider...what 'might' be possible. What 'might' I be able to do? (in a positive sense),
• 37:22 - Set small challenges and build up, and REWARD YOURSELF,
• 38:53 - 'Back yourself', in a mature but positive way,
• 42:13 - William discusses the enormous value in developing a good relationship with a neuropsychologist, and working through the challenges of living with and recovering from a neurological condition such as a traumatic brain injury together. This was William's 'knight in shining armour' and my own key takeaway from this interview,
• 49:30 - Exercise, do things that you enjoy, be in places that make you feel good,
• 51:1 0 - Movie recommendations: Something that you are excited about. For William this was Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (with subtitles) in rehabilitation,
• 52:17 - Gain learnings and inspiration from other peoples stories: https://constanttherapyhealth.com/brainwire/the-top-5-most-inspiring-ted-talks-about-brain-injury/
• 58:03 - Journalling has been very important in William's recovery. "Just start writing..." Put your thoughts, your worries and the things that are concerning you down on paper,
• 1:00:14 - Listen carefully to your doctors, treat them with respect and build a friendship,
• 1:01:00 - Let your interests guide your recovery,
• 1:02:10 - Don't be afraid to share your story. Telling your story and listening to others within the rehabilitation setting, and talking about your accident/injury/condition with family and friends in William's view "is one of the biggest parts of healing". It'll help you reflect on and process the injury or condition and connects you with those around you,
• 1:05:30 - Avoid alcohol and drugs for as long as you can following your accident/injury,
• 1:07:40 - Extending on the earlier recommendation regarding journalling, William suggests trying to notice if something is getting you down, writing it down and exploring it and if needed, taking it to a friend or a neuropsychologist to help you work through it,
• 1:08:43 - If you'd like to work with William to run events like this in the future, you can contact him at: willyjcole@gmail.com,
• 1:20:45 - Final thoughts from William: "Keep on being you, and you shall keep on".

For more detailed show notes, see the individual chapter sections on the podcast website.

Episode 1: Chapter 1 - William Cole - Recovery from a farm motorcycle accident which resulted in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - Introduction & life before the accident.

In the first episode, we meet William Cole, a 25 year old farmer from Bookaar in Western Victoria. William had a farm motorcycle accident in 2017 which resulted in a traumatic brain injury. In this first chapter of the episode, we welcome you to the podcast, meet William and hear a little about his life before the accident.

Transcript and show notes are available for each episode on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

Shownotes:

• 5:00 - The article in the Weekly Times where I first heard about William's story (note: The Weekly Times online is now a paid subscriber views publication, so without an active subscription you may not be able to read this article).

Episode 1: Chapter 2 - William Cole - Recovery from a farm motorcycle accident which resulted in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - The accident & initial treatment in hospital.

In the first episode, we meet William Cole, a 25 year old farmer from Bookaar in Western Victoria. William had a farm motorcycle accident in 2017 which resulted in a traumatic brain injury. In this second chapter of the episode, William talks about his accident and we discuss his initial treatment in hospital.

Transcript and show notes are available for each episode on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

Shownotes:

• 10:50 - The air ambulance flew William to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Have you got an Ambulance Victoria membership? It's possibly the best value membership you'll ever own,
• 14:40 - The article in The Standard newspaper online which includes the images of William's scans (before and after the 12 hour surgery he underwent),
• 16:40 - William was moved to the Epworth Hospital in Richmond following his surgery, to begin his rehabilitation. He stayed here working with a trauma rehab team for 3 months,
• 16:51 & 18:36 - William's trauma rehabilitation team included: A speech pathologist, a neuropsychologist (another useful description of this speciality here), a psychologist, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and a dietician,
• ^18:08 - Make friends with your treaters (the people treating you),
• ^21:00 - Watch movies or tv shows that you enjoy and have seen before with the subtitles and volume both turned on to help your brain reconnect the sound with the word,
• ^22:27 - Time is a great healer.

^William's main tips

Episode 1: Chapter 3 - William Cole - Recovery from a farm motorcycle accident which resulted in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - Returning home. William's main recovery learnings.

In this third chapter of the episode, William has just been discharged from hospital and has arrived home. In this chapter we explore what has been most beneficial in his recovery.

Transcript and show notes are available for each episode on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

Shownotes:

• 00:35 - William describes shearing a sheep after arriving back home. For those who are unfamiliar with this term you can get a good description here. William explains that this highlighted for him some areas which needed more focus in his rehabilitation,
• 04:04 - Playing video games can help (see here), as it did for William. (Note: During the 48 hour period immediately following an injury this is not the case. During this period - absolute physical and mental rest is strongly encouraged by medical professionals),
• ^05:00 - Don't compare yourself to before the accident/injury/event. Instead consider...what 'might' be possible. What 'might' I be able to do? (in a positive sense),
• ^08:15 - Set small challenges and build up, and REWARD YOURSELF,
• ^08:41 - 'Back yourself', in a mature but positive way,
• 11:39 - William thanks the TAC (Traffic Accident Commission) who have provided great financial and emotional support, encouragement and advice during his recovery,
• ^13:08 - William discusses the enormous value in developing a good relationship with a neuropsychologist, and working through the challenges of living with and recovering from a neurological condition such as a traumatic brain injury together. This was William's 'knight in shining armour' and my own key takeaway from this interview,
• 19:10 - Helpful quote: "Your body is the best instrument you'll ever own and your mind is the best map, so nurture them" - William's quote inspired by Baz Lurhman's song 'Wear sunscreen',
• ^20:11 - Exercise, do things that you enjoy, be in places that make you feel good,
• 20:52 - Helpful quote: "Love many, trust a few, but always paddle your own canoe",
• 21:32 - Helpful quote: "As soon as you wake up, try to make someone smile",
• ^21:51 - Book/Movie recommendations: Something that you are excited about. For William this was Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (with subtitles) in rehabilitation,
• ^23:11 - Book/Movie recommendations: TED talks on brain injury survivors.

^William's main tips

Episode 1: Chapter 4 - William Cole - Recovery from a farm motorcycle accident which resulted in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - New habits & perspectives.

In the first episode, we meet William Cole, a 25 year old farmer from Bookaar in Western Victoria. William had a farm motorcycle accident in 2017 which resulted in a traumatic brain injury. In this fourth and final chapter of the episode, William talks about his new habits and perspectives following the accident, what he is aiming for now, and we hear about some of the work he's doing to share his learnings with others.

Transcript and show notes are available for each episode on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

Shownotes:

• 00:30 - Strangely enough, William now considers that things in his life have changed a lot for the positive since his accident. He cites greater maturity and appreciation for life, more respect and love for himself and other people, and more presence in the moment,
• 02:05 - "More, more, more". William's reminder to himself each day to be 'more understanding, more caring and more respectful' with those he encounters,
• ^05:10 - Journalling has been very important in William's recovery. "Just start writing..." Put your thoughts, your worries and the things that are concerning you down on paper. For William, it's helped him work through his issues and resolve them,
• ^07:00 - Listen carefully to your doctors, treat them with respect and build a friendship,
• ^08:00 - Ask a friend to go to the shops & get you 3 books (on topics that you are really interested) or which you really want to read (let your interests guide your recovery),
• ^09:15 - Don't be afraid to share your story. Telling your story and listening to others within the rehabilitation setting, and talking about your accident/injury/condition with family and friends in William's view "is one of the biggest parts of healing". It'll help you reflect on and process the injury or condition and connects you with those around you,
• ^12:40 - Avoid alcohol and drugs for as long as you can following your accident/injury,
• ^14:30 - Extending on the earlier recommendation regarding journalling, William suggests trying to notice if something is getting you down, writing it down and exploring it and if needed, taking it to a friend or a neuropsychologist to help you work through it,
• 15:48 - William talks about a public event he organised in his local community with the assistance of his neuropsychologist. The aim was to bring together people who had been impacted by brain injury and included guest speakers, the sharing of tips and tricks, and advice from his treating team. William's keen to run more sessions like this and needs help. If you'd like to work with William to run events like this in the future, you can contact him at: willyjcole@gmail.com,
• ^27:54 - Final thoughts from William: "Keep on being you, and you shall keep on".

^William's main tips

Episode 2: Full episode - Sally Callie - Recovery from a stroke on the operating table (Stroke).

In this episode we meet Sally Callie, triple Olympian, a world record holder and an U23 world champion in the sport of rowing, who's also a mother, a teacher and a stroke survivor. Following the birth of Sally's second child in 2011 she experienced a seizure and upon returning to hospital discovered that she had a blood vessel deep within her brain which was ready to rupture. Sally needed to undergo brain surgery to remove the blood vessel and though this was successful, she awoke from the surgery to find that she could not move half of her body.

We meet Sally and hear about her Olympic career and the lessons she learned. We hear about the stroke itself, what caused it and we discuss her rehab, her determination and the lessons she was able to draw from her sporting career to assist her to regain her high quality of life.

Full transcripts and show notes are available for each chapter on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

Sally's recommendations:

• 12:41 - Work hard on your mindset "We can't choose what happens to us, but we can choose our response to it",
• 13:35 - Use visualisation to picture yourself in a powerful, confident state to prepare yourself for difficult/scary situations (in Sally's case a 7 hour craniotomy with a 20% chance of stroke, paralysis, coma or death),
• 19:15 & 27:30 & 36:20 - Use the initial 90 day period to push hard for all the improvement you can (Sally pretended that she was training for the London Olympics), and know that you WILL continue to recover after this time with dedicated effort,
• 20:45 & 33:45 - Visualisation - the beginning of Sally's recovery & how to do it. Visualise an activity which you are already very familiar with (using all of your senses),
• 31:30 - Read (or listen) to the book 'The Brain That Changes Itself - by Norman Doidge',
• 32:55 & 37:30 & 1:01:15- Take ownership of your recovery and your rehab. Set goals that YOU are motivated by (for Sally this was to run again, and to wakeboard again),
• 39:30 - If you are angry, channel it into your recovery. Take charge of your recovery,
• 46:00 & 1:12:00 - Set and be strict with your habits. Sally recommends making a checklist and ticking each item off each day: getting 8 hours of sleep, eating healthy and nutritious food, speaking positively and supportively to yourself, writing down three things that you are grateful for each day, and writing down the tiny 1% improvements,
• 47:10 - Read up on the latest research on stroke recovery and apply it yourself,
• 47:55 - Constraint Induced therapy (CI therapy) is very helpful recovering from stroke,
• 50:00 - Know that "being a stroke survivor is twice as hard as going to three Olympics",
• 52:18 - Read about Kintsugi and Wabi-Sabi. Redefine your perceptions of imperfection,
• 54:20 - Practise Sally's acronym of GOLD (Gratitude, Obstacles have meaning, Leading from within & Daily habits - the biggest one),
• 57:00 - For someone leaving the rehab centre: 1. Get your daily habits right (sleep, food, good support, books, positive self talk etc.), 2. Try to make sense of what has happened. Look for the opportunities and positives in your new situation to find meaning, 3. Begin to redefine imperfection and celebrate your point of difference. Own your new self,
• 1:15:19 - Start an AWAP Journal - 'As many Wins As Possible'. Celebrate the 1% wins.

For more detailed show notes, see the individual chapter sections on the podcast website.

Episode 2: Chapter 1 - Sally Callie - Recovery from a stroke on the operating table (Stroke) - Rowing, life & suffering a stroke.

In this second episode, we meet Sally Callie, a triple Olympian, a world record holder and an U23 world champion in the sport of rowing, who's also a mother, a teacher and a stroke survivor. Following the birth of Sally's second child in 2011 she experienced a seizure and upon returning to hospital discovered that she had a blood vessel deep within her brain which was ready to rupture. Sally needed to undergo brain surgery to remove the blood vessel and though this was successful, she awoke from the surgery to find that she could not move half of her body.

In this first chapter we meet Sally and hear about her life before her stroke and how she got into the sport of rowing. She describes the events leading to the stroke itself and her time in acute her immediately following it.

Transcripts and show notes are available for each episode on the podcast website: storiesofrecovery.buzzsprout.com

Shownotes:

• 10:20 - Sally's seizure was a result of an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) which needed to be surgically removed,
• ^12:41 - Work hard on your mindset "We can't choose what happens to us, but we can choose our response to it",
• ^13:35 - Use visualisation to picture yourself in a powerful, confident state to prepare yourself for difficult/scary situations (in Sally's case a 7 hour craniotomy with a 20% chance of stroke, paralysis, coma or death),
• 16:30 - Stroke can happen to anyone, at any age, in any health,
• ^19:15 - Use the initial 90 day period to push hard for all the improvement you can (Sally pretended that she was training for the London Olympics), and know that you WILL continue to recover after this time with dedicated effort,
• ^20:45 - Visualisation - the start of Sally's recovery. Visualise an activity which you are already very familiar with (using all of your senses),
• 22:36 - Sally was in hospital for two weeks before being moved to a public rehabilitation centre.

^Sally's main tips