Where Did I Go? : Rediscovering My Identity, Lost After a Traumatic Brain Injury

"8 December 2011: I went to a small horse competition in the morning. That much I do remember. After that absolutely nothing..." Wife, mother and horse trainer. These were the three vital points that defined Polly Williamson's life on the morning that a dramatic incident with a young horse was to forever alter her life. Polly spent eleven days in a coma after a strike to the head resulted in a horrific brain injury. When she woke, Polly found that her accident had robbed her of her independence. She had suffered what doctors term a 'traumatic brain injury', which for Polly meant that for a time even breathing was a struggle. Walking was impossible and the long months ahead were set to be filled with a daunting programme of rehabilitation. This was the easy part. By far the cruellest injury was the loss of the emotions that are a fundamental part of life with young children. Polly had been outgoing, passionate and absolutely driven but now even her sense of self had been stolen away. But eventually, with difficulty, she began to heal. In recent years, several high profile sportsmen and personalities have endured traumatic brain injuries.Some have been lucky and picked up their former lives with barely a missed step. Others have had everything that holds them to who they were stripped away by brain damage. This is the story of a mother's accident and recovery; the story of how Polly faced an extraordinary challenge to rediscover her lost identity. With a special foreword by HRH The Princess Royal.