Update… well I lost my password

I’ve been thinking a lot for a while and after loosing my password last years… it was hard getting back to update my blog…. until today… and after reading my stats I noticed this page is still receiving lot’s of readers (please hit the like button), but after my last post you might have noticed I did finish the London Marathon, and left delighted…. only to go on and run the Asics Manchester Marathon as well. I’m busy training hard again and joined a running club. But stuck for a what Marathon for 2018… (didn’t get a ballot this year so returning to London and get a personal best is out of the question)…. but what do you think… should I enter the Snowdonia Marathon and raise some more money (to help others) … mind you theres still Rome, Paris, New York, and Brighton (for a flatter route)..

And if theres anything you would like me to post just say… I’ve checked all of the links (on the Links page) and they are still uptodate.

 

Raising Money for Headway!

Hi Everyone

You might all know that in 1997 I was attached and left with a fractured skull in three places, I was in a coma and spent over 5 months in Devonshire Royal Hospital.

Who would have thought I’d be running the Virgin London Marathon (24/4/2016), and raising money for Headway!

PLEASE SPONSOR ME !! OR SHARE THIS SO YOUR FRIENDS CAN!!
Every single penny goes to Headway – the brain injury association

Simple Click on this link below – it’s that simple!!

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/steve.hughes7

Martin Kemp: I’ve had two brain tumours

Martin Kemp from Spandau Ballet / East Enders talks about having had two brain tumours and have left him epileptic and dependent on medication.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/martin-kemp-ive-two-brain-3885763

also heres Epiliepsy Action from Facebooks page
https://www.facebook.com/epilepsyaction

Employment after Head Injury

I’ve just had a thought after struggling to get my business off the ground, and thought if you or know someone who had just gone through severe Head Injury. Employment is a different picture to those with Head Injury.
Telling the interviewer that you have had Traumatic Brain Injury reduces you chances of employment and if you have to tell them you have Autism, Depression, Schizophrenia, Epilepsy, Dyslexia the interviewer often tells you their first aiders aren’t trained enough or some other excuse.

But I found this page from HeadWay rather useful:

https://www.headway.org.uk/employment-and-education-after-brain-injury.aspx

Links for Friends and Family

SUPPORT WEBSITES
FOR
FAMILY AND FRIENDS

www.icusteps.org

CritPal

www.icnarc.org/patients

www.afterintensivecare.org

uksepsistrust.org

Head Injury and Dementia

I’ve just read some more news about Head Injury and Dementia.

We know that victims of head injury can become very vulnerable to brain tissue damage depending on the severity of the damage. Most often than not thinking, remembering, understanding, (expressive and receptive dysphasia), along with behaviour and cognitives combined are related to dementia……….. cont

Here is the article.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/dementia_in_head_injury/article_em.htm

 

Twitter, and search for ‘seizure’ tweets!

A short while ago (April 2011), a twitter search using the words ‘seizure’ or ‘seizures’, were used to see what the response would be….  and over 1712 tweets came back with a number of comments…. and 41% of the comments were derogatory towards epilepsy.

How ever there were a number of positive comments fighting back at those with the STIGMA…

Epilepsy Talk went in to more detail and here is there link:
http://epilepsytalk.com/2012/06/04/epilepsy-in-twitter-times/#comment-7760

And for those wanting to know what stigma is… here is the Dictionary definition:

STIGMA |ˈstigmə|noun
1 a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person:the stigma of mental disorder | to be a nonreader carries a social stigma.

Head Injury Compensation

If  you or a relative has been involved in a accident that wasn’t your fault, caused by negligence or assault and you’ve seen the tv advert…. I think you should ignore it, you’ll get a pittance most of the time – but get advise before you sign anything.

The compensation depends of the severity of the injury, physical or mental. When they  list the injuries each one has an effect on the next claim.

Claims can go into tens of thousands (£1,000 – £500,000) – but all this depends on the severity, wether it was negligence, losses of limbs and countless other things.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority delt with my claim, and they held a tribunal for me. It took 4-5 years after the accident but I think was worth their time, respect and professionalism. The CICA are a Government Organisation.

Links:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/victims-and-witnesses/cica
https://aboutheadinjury.wordpress.com/links/cica/

Head Injury Statistics (link from Headway)

Each year an estimated 1 million people attend hospital A&E in the UK following head injury. Many more head injuries go unreported and are not assessed by medical professionals……. read on!

Head Injury and Self Harm

I was attached in 1997, left with Head Injury and spent a long line in hospital recovering. I challenged lots of hurdles and met a lot of people who were finding life harder than others.

Depressed, or getting to the point where you believed no one can help, and the only way out is to harm yourself – doing so much damage, then try contacting or reading some of the links and helplines below.

Self harm or deliberate self harm and self-poisoning is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue, most often done without suicidal intentions.

Self Harm – Links & Help Lines

http://www.nshn.co.uk/

http://www.nshn.co.uk/contact.html

http://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/self_injury.php

http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/self-harm

http://www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/helpline-self-injury

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/mentalhealthandgrowingup/self-harminyoungpeople.aspx

http://www.bpdworld.org/real-life-support/helplines/111-uk-helplines

http://www.itsgoodtotalk.org.uk/helping-you-with/a-z/#depression

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/mentalhealth/Pages/Helplines.aspx

http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/

Prosopagnosia – is the inability to recognize faces of familiar people… read on!

Just been texting the author of the link below and found I had similar effects myself when I came out of the mild comma I was under. Thats not being able to recognise similar faces. I didn’t recognise my Mum, parents in law, neighbours, old colleagues etc.

My symptoms improved and chunks of my memory came back as days, weeks and months passed. No 17 years on, chums are still missing.  Faces are no longer a problem, but if you have similar effects or know some one who does… read on or give them the link below!

http://findingstrengthtostandagain.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/defining-communications-as-altered-by-prosopagnosia/

Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness – calling!!!

Just had a message from Michelle asking if I could pop this on my site… So here goes! “Hello! I am working on a project for Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness month in March and we are asking people to share their stories in video form for our YouTube Channel as well as join us on Facebook for discussion. Would this be something you are willing to do?” Here is Michelle’s Facebook page where you can read more or contact her personally!

About Brain Injury

What causes Brain Injury, Types of Brain Injury, Effects, Living With Brian Injury  and Caring for some body with Brain Injury. Helpful phone numbers and links.

All these topics are now covered, all on one easy to explain page by Headway.
There is a downloadable PDF at the bottom of the page (which is printed in English, Turkish, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, French, Gujarati, Chinese and Spanish.

http://www.headway.org.uk/About-Brain-Injury.aspx

Click here for the PDF

Epileptic Nightmares?

Just been reading about hallucinations, flashing lights and pin’s & needles. All epileptic sleep related, not meaning that every one get’s them…. but a colleague of mine wrote a page about them… what to read more?

http://epilepsytalk.com/2012/02/15/epilepsy-nightmares-why/

New Challenge (Read On!)

Firstly appologies for not adding any posts recently, but after being a guest at a wedding, a Christmas Party and a lot of constructive criticism from friends. I’ve been told after suffering head injury, working for yourself is a hurdle, but at least you don’t have to tell any one you have head injury. You can finally show your best sides and . . . . . Here’s mine!

http://www.madebystephenhughes.com

I now have a workshop and create with my hands (not my head), hand made, bespoke, wooded bowls. Have a look, see what you think… get your mind active and see if there is a path you can follow, what have you got to loose!!!

Merry Christmas

Ellie Simmonds – Come on!!

If you are new so swimming like me and felt like you need some enthusiasm and incentive! Read On!

If you haven’t seen or heard Ellie Simmonds – who is our Paralympics contender!
Who Won Golds Medals, swimming in the 100 metres and 400 metres at the 2008 Paralmpics in Beijing and becoming World Record Holder for the 200 metres individual medly and becoming The BBCs Young Persons Personality of the Year award 2008 – then I hope you’ll get the incentive I did!

There’s plenty more on Ellie at Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellie_Simmonds 

and http://www.swimming.org/swimfit/ also have an interview with Ellie
http://tv.swimming.org/video/ellie-simmonds-storms-to-second-gold-and-second-world-record-in-the-sm6-200m-individual-medley-on-day-four 

 

 

Swimming

Since all the injuries I’ve had, from stumbling, slipping along side injuries running and lifting way too heavy object and injuring my back….

I’ve re discovered swimming again (mostly as I miss the sea – since relocating from Cornwall to the Midlands)! I can’t express how much good it has done for me and my confidence and fitness – along side the rehabilitation my body has had over the last 3 months and helped me enormously.

Swimming talks all the body mass off all of your joints and excersizes the muscles you don’t use.. (which are the muscles that probably injuryed me in the first place)!

So have a go… and try! – contact your local centre and se what times are suitable and if they can cater for you and you ability!

Epilepsy triggers: Link

Just received a link telling me about usual things that trigger a seizure. Click on the link, I think it’s worth it!

http://epilepsytalk.com/2011/09/19/weird-epilepsy-triggers…/

Psoriasis… Tips

Hello every one…

Just found some not so ground breaking news but hopfully will help if you have mild psoriasis like me.

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells.

Basically Psoriasis is a disorder of rapid skin growth & shredding – it affects just about any area of skin from mostly Elbows and Knees also develops on the head, body and some times genitals.

Normal skin reacts to simple things like alcohol, aftershave, perfume, lots of coffee and chlorine from swimming, amongst other products that simply help dehydrate or dry the skin.

Vegetarians and non… taking Vitamin A & D (with Fish Oil Supplements) are a good start and all help add oil back to the skin (not guaranteed to stop ageing).. but help stop the skin from drying out which causes itching and so on. I take Cod Liver Oil as it contains Vitamin A, D and Cod Liver Oil. I have also taken Coal Tar Cream (of which stains clothing)! – But cools the sensation!

Lots of websites tell you that psoriasis comes and goes continuously and stoping and starting your vitamins/mousturiser can help. How ever many suggest taking chinese herbal remedies or tropical ointments.

For a more details description:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoriasis

For a link to the NHS page:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Psoriasis/Pages/Introduction.aspx