British endurance athlete James Cracknell wrote a column for The Telegraph in London about his serious cycling accident on Route 66 in Arizona in July.
According to initial reports, Cracknell suffered a fractured skull when a truck hit him when he was trying to go across the United States in 18 days for a Discovery Channel program. But apparently his injury was worse than just a crack in a bone.
When the truck’s wing mirror hit me on the back of the head some of the impact was absorbed by my helmet. Had it not been, this article would have been submitted by a ”ghost writer’’, and I’ve never wanted one of those.
I had several MRI scans in the States that confirmed I had “rung my own bell”. In other words, the brain had acted like a bell’s hammer, swinging forward and damaging the frontal lobes. This area controls personality, decision-making, planning, concentration and motivation. […]
Although I was very disorientated and agitated for some time, just knowing I’d been hit by a truck made me feel lucky to be alive. This gratitude was only strengthened by seeing my fellow patients on the rehabilitation ward: stroke victims and amputees who might never regain their independence. Their stories really put my injuries into perspective. […]
Tests and conversations with a neurologist revealed some harsh truths. There is a crucial window of three weeks from the accident to regaining consistent memory. Within that window a full recovery is on the cards; outside of that and there are no guarantees. I have ”islands of memory’’ but no consistency, so there are no guarantees. I can’t drive and will have to be reassessed. I can’t drink for between six months and a year as the neurons in my brain rejoin. I will never be able to work at the same pace as before or be able to grasp complex theories. Although to be honest I’ve always tended to steer clear of the latter.
The aural tests revealed that my vocabulary is now below average. I had always tended towards ”concrete thinking’’. This means my flexibility of thought, stubbornness and impatience are now in the bottom 2 per cent. (Regarding the last two as positive characteristics, I said: “Surely you mean top 2 per cent!”) I protested that I was no more stubborn or impatient than people I associated with. This was met with a polite smile by the medical team – until Steve Redgrave paid me a visit and then they could see what I meant.
The whole thing is worth reading. It’s apparent Cracknell, his family and his handlers are trying to take a long-term approach in ensuring he recovers fully from his brain injury, if that’s indeed possible.
I’d be remiss to not mention 66-to-Cali owner Dan Rice, who went through his own trials after a brain injury years ago and wrote a book about his experiences. Perhaps Rice and Cracknell can contact each other and trade notes. And it seems a bit ironic that Cracknell started his aborted journey from the Santa Monica Pier, where Rice runs his business.
This definitely hits home, yes. The bad news is that if this happened in July, things are going to get worse for him before they get better. The good news is that he’s been seen quickly and tested to see the extent of his damage at this point. That first 6 month to 1 year window is crucial for getting help and he’s gotten it with lots of time to spare. The best news is that I am proof that recovery is possible. Don’t listen to what they tell you James…the Doctors and those around you will attempt to “propagandize” you from their own academic perspectives with their own beliefs about the potential for your recovery…I’m here to tell you that if you work hard during rehab, you can get it all back AND MORE. You are only limited by your own level of belief in yourself. And just for the record: I wouldn’t trade what I went through for anything. It redefined my life and gave me clear vision for the future. It was the catalyst to what would become the best life I could ever live. Good luck and know that I’m here for you if you need a sounding board.
At such a moment, it seems to me that stubbornness would be more asset than liability.
One thought: I’ve worked with enough children with developmental disabilities, TBIs, and various other obstacles to know that there is no such thing as “never.” There might be “scary,” “difficult,” “time-consuming,” or “more effort than it’s worth to me in light of my current needs or my plans for the future,” but there is no such thing as “never.”
“Never” is a spooky campfire story that other people like to tell when you start sounding too optimistic. It is permission to fail. Don’t accept it. If you’ve been gifted with stubbornness, that’s a pretty good sign that “never” is not for you.