"At first, I sometimes didn’t realise that I wasn’t capable of it."

“He saved my life.”

In the waiting room for her acupuncture appointment In the acupuncture waiting room, Mrs Bernard suddenly lost consciousness. She had been showing signs of severe exhaustion for some time.

“Your time has not yet come. Go back. Your son will be waiting for you.”

Mrs Bernard has a vague recollection of seeing a light that told her she should carry on living.

Coverage under disability insurance

People with a brain injury often face limitations in their ability to work – even when these limitations are not visible to the outside world. This lack of visibility can lead to challenges when dealing with the disability insurance scheme (IV) and is sometimes found to be stressful by those affected. In Ms Bernard’s case, the brain injury was so severe that her disability was immediately recognised by the insurance scheme.

Gardening, Nordic walking and self-help groups are also a form of therapy for Mrs Bernard

Ms Bernard regularly attends various events for people with brain injuries. As well as the therapeutic benefits of these events, she particularly values the opportunity to talk to other people in a similar situation.

It took her a while to recognize her family

Mrs Bernard spent eight months in a rehabilitation clinic. There, she underwent numerous therapy sessions every day and gradually learnt what her new daily life might look like. Because she could no longer remember her former life at all, she not only had to relearn everyday tasks – but also had to get to know her own family all over again.

Mrs Bernard could no longer understand the words

When people are no longer able to understand words following a brain injury, this is referred to known as aphasia – a language disorder caused by a dysfunction in of the brain. Mrs Bernard was affected by a severe form of aphasia. After Mrs Bernard said she could not understand her therapist, the therapist began writing to her instead of using other words. This example illustrates how communication difficulties can have a negative impact on the therapeutic relationship.

Mrs Bernard takes her family with her to important meetings

Due to cognitive impairments, Mrs Bernard finds it difficult to understand complex information. To enable her to participate actively in discussions with the medical staff, she brings along people she trusts to help ensure she understands.

Mrs Bernard had too many visitors at the start

Mrs Bernard’s family wished that the staff had limited the number of visitors.

In the self-help group, he meets other people in the same situation

Mrs Bernard finds the support group very encouraging. Talking to others in a similar situation helps him to find hope, to focus on the possibility of a fresh start, and to view life in a positive light.

"At first, I sometimes didn’t realise that I wasn’t capable of it."

At the onset of her illness, Mrs Bernard did not realise that she was unable to make decisions. Since becoming aware of this, she has been weighing up her decisions carefully.

There were times when she felt she couldn't go on

Mrs Bernard had reached the point where she wanted to give up the fight on several occasions. Her neuropsychologist showed understanding for these feelings, which are common in such situations, and offered to be in touch at any time. At the time of the interview, Mrs Bernard knew that she wanted to keep fighting for as long as possible.

Long-term outcome remain difficult to predict

Mrs Bernard suffered from severe memory problems. The fact that healthcare professionals wanted to assess her ‘for research purposes’ five years later shows that even doctors can only make limited predictions.

“A light told me, Your time has not yet come. Go back’”

The difficult period of her illness and the vision of a light strengthened Mrs Bernard’s faith and her active role in the Catholic Church.

Mrs Bernard learned that the signs of burnout must be taken seriously

Mrs Bernard explains that she was already showing clear signs of burnout before the incident. However, she didn’t have time to address them. Her experience shows that she should have listened to her body’s signals.

A quiet area for stress relief

Ms Bernard’s colleagues were deeply shocked when they heard about the incident. As a result, a ‘stress zone’ was set up – an area where people can recognise warning signs and relieve stress.

“We can do it”

It is a great comfort to Mrs Bernard to know that her family supports her and was by her side during the most difficult period. This is particularly evident in a picture her son drew for her whilst she was in hospital.

A badge for identify individuals with brain injuries

Brain injuries are often invisible to others. To make it clear that she has a cognitive impairment, she wears a badge that indicates this and asks for consideration.

He has to have everything under control

Mrs Bernard is proud of her husband, who has taken on the responsibility for the family since she fell ill.

Memory impairments

Mrs Bernard compares her brain to that of an elderly person, as her memory has been significantly impaired since the incident. To this day, she has significant memory gaps, particularly regarding the period before the incident. Although she can vaguely recall her son’s birth, she no longer remembers who was present at the time. Furthermore, she finds it difficult to distinguish genuine memories from images she has seen later. This uncertainty in dealing with memories makes it difficult for her to clearly draw on past experiences.

“It was clear that I could never return”

When it became clear that Mrs Bernard would not be able to return to her previous job, her boss asked her at an early stage whether he could fill the post. At the same time, he promised her that the “door would remain open” should she wish to return to the same institution at a later date. However, Ms Bernard had to admit to herself that the commute was already too exhausting for her.

A blessing in disguise

Mrs Bernard is grateful that she no longer has to rush through her daily routine and has learnt to set boundaries. Despite her health issues, she is enjoying her ‘second life’.