ABSTRACT
Fifteen months after the author’s acquired brain injury (ABI) during a football, or soccer, match, she attempts to return to employment with the support of a Vocational Rehabilitation Team. Despite a heatwave exacerbating her cognitive fatigue and vestibular migraines, the author is able to complete weeks of preparation and guidance to improve her stamina for the office.
The graduated return requires changes in the office both for her and her colleagues as the author is not able to simply resume her previous career. She is separated from her team and moved to a new role to match her reduced capacity and working hours following a Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the planned workload is increased by an employment insurance case and government bureaucracy.
The author finds that the impairment to her memory and stamina means she must adapt her working methods. Additionally, she must now rely on public transport for her commute which adds to the length of the working day and stretches her physical and cognitive energy. The Fatigue Management Planner is neglected as the author’s working hours increase, which exacerbates her symptoms further. Reluctantly, under the guidance of the Neuro-rehabilitation therapists, the author’s return to work is adjusted to match the slower pace of her neurological recovery.
