Jack
Jack sustained his injury at the age of 11 and wrote this aged 13 when trying to manage full time secondary education & also maintain a social life. He is now 17 and has completed sixth form education. He still experiences fatigue.
Fatigue
It feels strange, you’re confused because you know things are going on but you can’t access them very easily.
Everything becomes a jumble, it all gets muddled up and it gets worse as the day goes on and teachers try to give you more and more information.
I know people are talking to me but it’s not coming in,
it’s coming in one ear and out of the other.
I think I am listening but later there is nothing in my brain.
At school you just want to shut it all out, you just want to go to sleep.
I’m so tired.
When I’m reading sometimes I just drift away from what is actually happening in the book , I can’t concentrate.
And sometimes I say things that are really weird and that aren’t the subject because my mind has drifted off.
People are saying stuff to me and I can’t hear them and all my friends say “are you deaf or something!”
Teachers are talking so fast – please slow down..
I’m so tired
When everyone keeps on at me, I push it and do too much stuff,
I get headaches, my eyes feel strained.
My voice begins to slur and I can’t think of the right words. People say “ are you drunk or something!”
When I get home from school and I realise I’ve got homework I get really cross because I just want to sleep.
I don’t always understand my homework because they give it to me early in the morning and I’ve forgotten or in the late afternoon when I am too tired to listen.
My parents tell me off for not knowing what my homework is, they try to make me do some, I can’t take any more and I shout at them. Mum cries.
I’m so tired
I have to give up my football after school and my St Johns because I am too tired, I can’t even go out with my friends because I am tired and it takes me so long to get my homework done.
My friends get fed up with it, I’ve lost most of my friends now…
Sometimes when I get up in the morning I am still tired, I go to bed early and I’m still tired, some people tell me I have to go to bed earlier which makes me feel angry because it shows they don’t understand what it is like after a head injury.
I’m so tired
Fatigue is hard to describe to others. People think I am being lazy or I’m not interested. How would like that.
I get told off a lot but it isn’t my fault.
I feel let down by others who I think should understand my injury. I want to do well school. I want to get a good job…
I’m just so tired, my brain is so tired…
Jack /Penny Weekes
Penny Weekes Dip COT HCPC 08060