ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the development of acceptance of a new concept of self and the interaction with visiting friends to the hospital. The author's crash made him feel as though his brain was assaulted in some dark alley and he had been mugged of something core to his being. If someone had asked him what his greatest vanity was, he would have replied that it was his intellect. He treasured it so dearly, it being all that was really him. James Cracknell has spoken about this in his book Touching Distance, where he suffered a severe brain injury while riding a bicycle. Ironically his incident was on the same day of the year as him. The author's own recognition of his temporarily reduced mental capacity was difficult for him personally to comprehend and accept. It was demonstrated to him by atypical scores in various tests he took when compared to the expected results based on his educational and occupational history.
