On A Good Day

Having a serious illness such as a stroke or brain injury is a terrifying and life-changing experience but it can be even more frightening when it is experienced it while living or travelling abroad?  In this episode, you will find out the best ways to help protect yourself to help safeguard you against huge medical fees and the importance of travel insurance and tips on getting the best policy. Joining Elizabeth and Julia in this episode are Nathaniel Martindale and James Riley, from the solicitor's firm Irwin Mitchell working in the international serious injury team. Both Julia and Elizabeth have personal experience of their partners becoming seriously ill abroad which they share in this episode. They also delve into the different ethics practised in medical treatment in different countries. A must-listen if you are travelling or going on holiday in the near future. *Since this episode was recorded, Nathaniel has since moved to a different law firm, Leigh Day. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to ⁠episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever⁠. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On ⁠Instagram⁠ @onagood.day and ⁠X⁠ @onagood_day And you can join our ⁠Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life is busy. We all seem to be living increasingly hectic lives and when you add in brain injury, it can be even more overwhelming. In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia open up about their challenges as they try to balance life, work, children, managing a house and a husband with a brain injury. With searing honesty, the two hosts talk about managing fatigue, communication and trying to plan days and weeks. They also discuss the importance of taking time for themselves, although admit it is often hard to find. They share some of the ways the overcome the challenges but fully admit they don't have all the answers but know talking and listening really helps! They hope this episode helps you! Previous episodes referenced in this show include, Sara Chalice on Who Cares for the Carer, Serena Banfield story of finding the positives after stroke following her dad's brain injury when she was a teenager. Plus, Fleur Iananzzo's episode on how to navigate changing money situations On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are your emotions around money? How can you navigate changes in your financial situation when faced with a life changing circumstance such as brain injury? In this episode of On A Good Day, Elizabeth and Julia are joined by money coach and author Fleur Iannazzo to get an insight into our behaviours around money and how to recognise and work on changing them. They discuss the impact brain injury can have on finances and how this affects our emotions. Fleur talks about the grief and anger that can be felt following a change in a financial situation and how start having conversations with those close to you. Even though she has been in finance for over 20 years and is a money coach, Fleur is fully aware of her own challenges around money which has enabled to help others with theirs. Fleur is the author of The Money Pizza, the slice by slice guide to being your own money coach, available to buy from AND the founder of WTF money. In this episode we also referred to our conversation with Alice Hamilton from Citizens Advice about how to claim benefits. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's often perceived as one of the toughest jobs in medicine, but what does a day in the life of a neurosurgeon look like and how is it set to change over the next ten years? In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia speak to Kevin Tsang, a neurosurgeon working at Queen Mary and Charing Cross hospitals in London. He talks to them about some of the difficult conversations he has with patient's family and the tough decisions needed during moments of crisis. Seeing patients in his clinic following their operatinons has given him a renewed perspective on how far people can improve and how everyone's quality of life is different. Kevin also shares his insights into how far neurosurgery has come in the past ten years and what the future looks like with increased used of robots, virtual reality and Artificial Intelligence. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How would you like your 2025 to look? What small steps could you take to make progress? And what are the key areas you would like to focus on? It's the start of a new year and the time when people reflect on the past year and look ahead to future plans and progressing in life. In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia are joined by life coach Kim Stokes who gives some of her tips on how to set small, achievable goals for the new year ahead. By using the 'Wheel of Life' tool, she breaks down how to help identify parts of your life which you may like to improve and help put in place some manageable steps to achieve them. You can download and print Kim's Wheel of Life to complete and her micro moment tracker too. In this episode you will: Learn how to create your 'Wheel of Life' to help identity key areas to focus on The importance of making progress over perfection Find out how to create 'micro moments' in your life to reduce overwhelm Learn how to deal with potential challenges which could prevent you from taking steps forward How to track and build emotional resilience You can discover more about Kim, her strategies and what she can offer on her website, Kindness for Success and follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn. She has a complimentary 60min ‘Kindness Kickstarter' you can book with her. Kim is also offering listeners 15% off a coaching package (bundle of 3 or 6) if you reference 'On A Good Day'. ____ In this episode we spoke about the live show we recorded at the Irwin Mitchell brain injury conference about finding independence after brain injury. You can also learn more about positive risk taking in the episode with occupational therapist Roisin Hyde. _______ On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He was one of the most popular contestants on BBC series The Traitors but Andrew Jenkins reveals he hated himself for a long time after a life-changing car accident left him changed physically and he sustained a brain injury. In this episode, he talks to Elizabeth and Julia about how the impact of the crash, his recovery and how the physical scars may have healed but mentally he felt lost and impacted much of his life. He felt he lost his identity and had to put on a "mask" on for many years of his life until he started to find himself again, and not only help himself, but others as well. With honesty and emotion he talks to Elizabeth and Julia about all aspects of his life from family, his past relationships and how meeting the man who saved his life changed the trajectory of his life. It encouraged him to speak to his parents for the first time about the accident as well as his brothers and son. Andrew he then went on The Traitors, using it as a platform to help others who may be struggling with their mental health and challenges life can bring. When this was recorded, Andrew was about to set off on his Big Trek, walking 1,200 miles across four nations to raise money for the UK charity Headway which supports brain injury survivors and their families. You can support Andrew's challenge and the charity by making a donation. Andrew also mentions taking part in a documentary called Sound Lad with his son. _______ If you enjoyed this episode, you will also enjoy listening to former stuntman Joe Watts and Joe Borges who says he feels his stroke was a blessing. Plus, Elizabeth and Julia's husbands Paul and Hector on the progress they have made in the last year. _______ On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Watts was a successful stuntman working on films such as Mission Impossible and the Star Wars franchises when it abruptly ended after a stunt went horribly wrong. Joe fell 25ft onto concrete and was left with a severe brain injury, ending the career he so loved. In this episode, Joe opens up to Elizabeth and Julia about what happened on the day of his accident and the impact it has had on him and those around him. Having made a remarkable recovery, he tells Elizabeth and Julia how he is rebuilding his life using a concept he has developed called the Mountain Method. His goal now is to help others using this method and sharing his story through public speaking. Joe also speaks honestly about the anger he has felt following his brain injury and how art has helped him channel his negative energy into something positive and purposeful. He shares his outlook for the future and why he is glad to be the person he is now, rather than the one he was before. Connect with Joe on instagram @Joewattsart, check out his linktree page and download Joe's Mountain Method worksheet If you enjoyed this episode, you will also enjoy listening to Charlie Well's story of managing his mindset after brain injury as well as Satinder Sanghera in episode 2 who went on to complete her medical studies after her stroke. Plus, Elizabeth and Julia's husbands Paul and Hector on the progress they have made in the last year. There's also Joy and Ross's honest story of stroke, love and overcoming negativity towards disability in episode 12. _______ On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brain injury changes lives in an instant and not only for the survivor but those closest to them. In this episode of On A Good Day, Elizabeth and Julia share an episode from the Able To Care podcast which they were invited on to talk about their experiences as a carers. Hosted by Andy Baker, they talk to him about their personal journeys and how they navigate the challenges of being with someone who has a brain injury. Elizabeth and Julia explain how they connected and set up On A Good Day and the importance of being about to speak and hear from others who have been in similar situations. Listeners will gain insights into the complexities of brain injuries, the emotional and practical adjustments and the invaluable support networks available. Get ready for a heartfelt conversation filled with resilience, understanding, and the importance of community support. ____ Find out more about Andy Baker and Able Training. Listen and subscribe to the Able To Care podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify and watch on YouTube: _______ On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Becoming independent is one of the most important things brain injury survivors strive for - but how can independence be achieved? In this special episode, Elizabeth and Julia go on the road to a Brain Injury Conference and speak to some of the speakers and those in attendance about how they are helping support brain injury survivors and some of the key issues. Hosted by Irwin Mitchell, a law firm which specialises in brain injury claims, the theme of the conference was independence, on Independence Day (and also polling day in the UK). The event bought together experts and those with lived experience of brain injury to discuss the elements of rehab and post brain injury support that have helped survivors regain their independence. Some of the issues discussed include: How important family support is in helping brain injury survivors to recover What charities are doing to help ABI survivors and their families Why sexual relationships need to be talked about after brain injury Key health issues which the new government could address Why tapping into an individual's interests can boost recovery How you can get help after a brain injury when on holiday or working abroad Some of the episodes discussed in this one include, Living With Locked In Syndrome and Claiming Compensation After Brain Injury. _______ On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How much progress can brain injury survivors make over time? It has been six years since Paul had his brain injury, and nearly 15 years for Hector, and despite that, they both identify things that they feel have improved for them over the last year. In this episode, they join Elizabeth and Julia (their wife's) to talk about the progress they have made in the last year, some of their continuing challenges and also the impact of some major life events. Some of the topics discussed in this episode include. Acceptance of brain injury how life has changed The importance of continuing to try new things Neurofatigue Volunteering Grief after a parent has died Epilepsy and driving after epilepsy Future planning including travel _____ On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What benefits could you claim after you've had brain injury or are a carer? The system in England and Wales can be mind-boggling, especially if it's your first experience of applying for benefits. In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia speak to Alice Hamilton from Citizens Advice to get her insight into what financial help the government can provide. They quiz her on some of the financial issues which may arise following a brain injury and what benefits are available both in the short term and long term. Alice is based in Cambridge and can talk about the system in England and Wales but the system in Scotland can vary. In this episode, you will learn: What financial help you can get from the government in a moment of crisis and longer term, including housing costs Advice on filling out forms for Personal Independent Payment (PIP). How to appeal a decision from the Department from Work and Pension and why it can be worth doing. Why it is important to focus on the negatives when undergoing a health assessment and what you can no longer do The links to the benefits calculators Alice mentioned in the podcast are below. Benefits Calculator - entitledto - independent | accurate | reliable Turn2us Benefits Calculator The information in this episode is specific to the United Kingdom in particular but we hope that for those living outside of the UK they still find it a useful and thought provoking episode. Citizens Advice started in 1939 and is supported by a small number of paid staff and over 14,000 volunteers. It can give advice on a range of other issues but this conversation focused on what can be claimed following brain injury. _____ On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is locked-in syndrome? How does it affect someone? Locked-in syndrome might be a condition you have heard of - but may not know much about. This episode will help you understand more about locked-in syndrome and what it is like to live with or support a family member with the condition. To shed a light on the topic, Georgie Tyler-Collings joins Elizabeth and Julia to tell them about her inspiring dad, David Collings. He was left with locked-in syndrome after suffering an ischemic brain stem stroke aged 59 while on holiday in France. Although paralysed, David is fully cognitive and communicates using his eyes. Alongside her wider family, Georgie talks about what happened, how they got him home to Sheffield from France and the impact it has had on her and other family members. She says: "It's tough, but if my family can do it, then you can too". Before his stroke, David would take part in various cycling and swimming challenges - and his motivation for a challenge has not waned. In 2018, he used a special motorised bike to cycle two hours a day for 80 days from his care home and, using the same method, he is currently clocking up the miles to get to New Zealand. This is a story of a family coming together in crisis for a special man, the ups and downs, the impact and loss. But it is also a story of plenty of laughs and support to help David live a happy life with locked-in syndrome. Do leave a comment if this episode resonated and subscribe to ensure you don't miss future episodes. ___ You can read a bit more about the family's fight to get David home from France when it covered by BBC news. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-38557886 And more about his first cycling challenge post stroke in 2018. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-44288944 On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's it like to be the partner of a brain injury survivor? The truth is, some days are not so good. There are times which can be challenging, frustrating and upsetting. In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia acknowledge the (not so) good days and share with honesty some of the challenges they face living with a brain injury survivor. They share their own vulnerabilities and struggles in this bite-sized episode in the hope it will resonate with others and help people feel less alone. Some of the topics discussed include: The strain brain injury can put on marriages and relationships Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated Being the main decision maker Dealing with mood changes and altered emotions How little things can build up to dampen the good days Why sharing and talking always helps _____ In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia mentioned their conversation with Dr Fergus Gracey which you can listen to in episode 11. Hear more about Allison's story of parenting young children after stroke in episode 27 Connect with Us On Instagram (@onagood.day) and X (@onagood_day) And you can join our Facebook community too! On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Do go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What part does mindset play in recovering from brain injury? In this episode Elizabeth and Julia hear from entrepreneur Charlie Wells. He was running a 5km race dressed as Santa when he had subarachnoid haemorrhage, aged 30. He underwent ground-breaking surgery to keep him alive. With sheer determination and a strong mindset, Charlie's recovery included doing daily jigsaw puzzles starting with simple children's jigsaws and progressing up. This helped him get his 20/20 vision back and 16 months after his brain injury he ran the London marathon to raise money for the National Brain Appeal, something he told us was "terrifying". Charlie shares his extraordinary story and how it has changed his outlook, given him added purpose and a renewed philosophy of life. He has since gone on to set up his own therapy company HelloSelf to help others with their mental health challenges which has had high success rates in preventing relapses.  In this episode you will learn: How Charlie set his own outcomes and worked consistently in his recovery to achieve his goals.  Strategies Charlie used to overcome pain and get him off medication How family members helped Charlie recover and motivate him  Inspiration for turning brain injury into your superpower The idea behind HelloSelf and how it is revolutionising the world of therapy. Charlie Wells is the founder of HelloSelf, an online therapy service helping people to get tailored support and reduce the risk of relapse. _____ If you liked this episode then you'll enjoy listening to Satinder Sanghera's story in episode 2 who went on to complete her medical studies after her stroke and Andy Tudor in episode 31 who is living a hugely fulfilled life after brain tumour. There's also Joy and Ross's honest story of stroke, love and overcoming negativity towards disability in episode 12. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Epilepsy is a common side effect following brain injury and a condition which affects 600,000 people in the UK. In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia speak to Ley Sander, a Professor of Neurology and Clinical Epilepsy and Medical Officer with the Epilepsy Society. Some of the questions we ask include: what is epilepsy? Why do some people get seizures after brain injury and how can you help someone when they have a fit? Professor Sander also gives us some of the science around the condition, how to treat it and reveals insights into the research, including the role of genetics. He also talks about some of the facts and myths around epilepsy including how safe it is to drink alcohol and the side effects of epilepsy medication. Listen to this episode to discover more about epilepsy, its causes, treatment and, surprisingly to us, how our brain and skin are similar. Visit the Epilepsy Society to find out more about its work including their vitally important campaigns, including changes in law and policy that mean positive changes for people living with epilepsy. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Elizabeth and Julia are partners of brain injury survivors bringing their lived experience to conversations with the aim to help others navigate this life-changing journey. Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X (formally Twitter) @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Tudor thought be might be getting early onset dementia or having a stroke when he was eventually admitted to hospital. When he was told he had a huge 7cm tumour in his brain it was almost a relief, he tells Elizabeth and Julia in this episode released during Brain Tumour awareness month. Seven years ago Andy had life-saving neurosurgery to remove the growth. He is beating the statistics which show just 12% of adults diagnosed with a brain tumour survive after five years. Andy has since gone on to have an active role in raising awareness of brain tumours through volunteering and as the co-host of Let's Talk about Brain Tumours - a podcast run by the Brain Tumour Charity. Andy tells Elizabeth and Julia how his life feels more fulfilling now than before his brain injury but the worry of regrowth is always there and two years ago he had to have radiation when some was found on a routine scan. Andy talks about some of the symptoms he experienced and reveals some of his strategies for dealing with fatigue, one of which includes a can of baked beans! Listen to find out more. In this episode you will learn: Some of the key symptoms of a brain tumour in adults and children How humour can help in tough times Finding new purpose in life after brain injury Ways to deal with the process of grieving your old self and embracing new after brain trauma. Strategies for dealing with neuro-fatigue. Why a supportive family can help life you up and give you hope. Andy is the co-host of Let's Talk About Brain Tumours - run with the Brain Tumour Charity Connect with Andy on X @Meningioma_host You can listen to the episode we did with Andy and Sarah for Let's Talk About Brain Tumours, Life After Brain Injury On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X (formally Twitter) @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Getting legal advice is not usually your first priority after a traumatic brain injury but, as Elizabeth and Julia discover, making that call could help hugely with a person's recovery - and an initial call costs nothing. In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia look at the importance of getting specialist legal advice and the difference it can make to people's lives. Joining them to dispel some of the myths and give the facts are Richard Biggs and Adam Shelverton from Irwin Mitchell Solicitors in Manchester. Some of the questions discussed include: what costs are included in a compensation claim? How does 'no win no fee' work? How long do you have to make a claim and what length of time will it take to get a settlement? This episode sees them cut through some of the legal jargon and bring a human face to a process which can be overwhelming.  It also explains why getting a financial settlement isn't just about the money. About Richard and Adam Richard is a partner at Irwin & Mitchell, the Manchester branch, and is a solicitor who specialises in brain and spinal injury cases. Adam is a physiotherapist by background and a team manager for Irwin Mitchell's Support and Rehabilitation services in Manchester. Look for a specialist solicitor at the Law Society or Headway. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Elizabeth and Julia are partners of brain injury survivors bringing their lived experience to conversations with the aim to help others navigate this life-changing journey. Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X (formally Twitter) @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When someone has a brain injury, families need more support than ever with friends rallying to help at a very difficult time. But what are the best ways friends can help when someone has a brain injury? In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia are joined by their close friends Emma and Helen as they discuss how the friendships helped them in dark days - and continue to support them - following brain injury. They go back to the moments of crisis they experienced when their husbands were in hospital and talk about the support they received, including a lively debate on how best to communicate information to wider groups of friends. They also reflect on some of the positives and how it has ultimately brought them closer together. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X (formally Twitter) @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The impact of brain injury on the family is at the centre of this podcast and one of the reasons Elizabeth and Julia started On A Good Day, so they knew the next guest would be a good match. In this episode, they are joined by Susie Hayden, a neuro speech and language therapist with 23 years experience working in the NHS. Specialising in aphasia, Susie saw there was a need to work with the whole family system so retrained as a family therapist to get better outcomes for the whole family. She has set up her own practice helping people who have speech and language difficulties, using an holistic approach to therapy. Elizabeth and Julia talk to Susie about the dynamics of family relationships, how they can change after brain injury and some strategies to implement to help them heal. Susie Hayden You can find out more about Susie and the work she does by visiting her website. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Some related aphasia episodes include Strengthening Recovery After Aphasia with Professor Leff and How to Improve Communication After Stroke with Speech and Language Therapist Bindi Patel. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X (formally Twitter) @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Navigating parenthood with young children can be a huge challenge for all parents but even more so when you are living with the affects of brain injury. In this episode, Julia and Elizabeth talk to Allison and Rob Allan. The couple had been together for just two years when Allison had a stroke, aged 25, leaving her with some physical and cognitive impairments. Now they have two young girls aged six and three, Allison is finding her cognitive abilities are being significant tested with the demands of family life. She talks candidly about her struggles: navigating noise, toddler demands and entering a new social community at the school gates. Rob, who is a physiotherapist, talks about how his job has helped Allison and the couple explain some of the strategies they are implementing to help with overwhelm and fatigue. Allison has a degree in fashion design and learning to sew again was a huge part of her rehabilitation. She is using her skills and passion to make accessible clothing for disabled people, you can read more on her blog My Accessible Wardrobe. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X (formally Twitter) @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth and Julia talk about their journey with brain injury as guests of the Brain Tumour Charity's podcast, Let's talk about Brain Tumours. In the episode, they open up about their experiences as partners of brain injury survivors, detailing some of the challenges they have faced along the way and the progress made. Co-host of Let's Talk About Brain Tumours, Andy Tudor, talks about his life following his brain tumour aged 52 and some of the strategies he uses in his everyday life as well as the difficult conversations he's had with his family. It's also hosted by Sarah Gubbins who works as a support worker for young adults at the brain tumour charity. Listen and subscribe to its podcast Let's talk About Brain Tumours and visit the Brain Tumour Charity website. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X (formally Twitter) @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chevaun Greenhill was still in primary school when her father had his first stroke. Over the years, she helped care for her beloved dad. In this episode, she talks fondly of Barry's persistence to live his life as he had done before - sometimes with hilarious results. As well as the humour, she also tells Elizabeth and Julia about the pain and struggles she - and her family- experienced which were compounded when she lost her brother when he was only 13 years old. The West End actress, entrepreneur and mother of three reveals some of lessons she has learned and how, in the face of tragedy, she has gone on to live a life of appreciation and gratitude. In this episode, prepare to laugh and cry but also be inspired. Thank you for listening! Please do help us grow the podcast by leaving a review on Apple podcasts, share it, subscribe and follow us on social media. Thank you! On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and X (formally Twitter) @onagood_day And you can join our Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christmas can be a very stressful time of year for everyone but for someone with a brain injury and their family it can cause additional pressures. In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia give On A Good Day's 12 days of Christmas with brain injury. They look at aspects of the festive season, sharing their experiences and strategies on how to deal with them. This Christmas, Julia and Elizabeth will have celebrated a combined total of 21 Christmases with a brain injury survivor. Some of the topics they cover include dealing with fatigue at this time of year, planning, financial pressures, cooking, shopping and alcohol. So sit back with a mulled wine (or cup of tea) and mince pie and enjoy this festive episode. As ever, please do help us grow the podcast by leaving a review on Apple podcasts, share it, subscribe and follow us on social media. Thank you! On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. Please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day And you can join our NEW Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SameYou co-founder Jenny Clarke talks to On A Good Day about the day she found out her actress daughter, Emilia Clarke, suffered a brain injury in her early 20s and the family's "disbelief". Emilia had just finished filming the first season of Game of Thrones, with a starring role as Daenerys Targaryen, when she had her first brain aneurysm. She later had life-saving surgery to treat a second. Jenny speaks to Elizabeth and Julia about the "catastrophic" impact it had on the family, how it still affects her today and the role she played in supporting Emilia as she went back to film Game of Thrones after her first brain aneursym. The life-changing event opened their eyes to the lack of rehabilitation provision and aftercare for people living with an acquired brain injury, inspiring them to set up the charity SameYou. It is helping to raise awareness of acquired brain injury, challenging the stigma around it and helping to train and education health professionals. Jenny explains more about the charity's vision, the challenges they face and how it is looking at improving mental health care which can have a long-term impact on survivors and creating more community connections. SameYou is inviting anyone impacted in some way by brain injury to fill out a questionnaire to better understand the recovery experience for a new project it is working on. SameYou SameYou launched as Emilia publicly shared her story, inspiring other brain injury survivors to do the same. The website has a section to share your story to be read in its survivor stories. You can follow on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. On A Good Day Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. To help us grow, please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day And you can join our NEW Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Borges tells Elizabeth and Julia how his brain injury gave him a new appreciation for life and why he believes it was a 'blessing' allowing him to have a life "reset". The NeuroNerds co-host divulges his feelings of being lost and 'surviving' rather than living prior to having a brain injury but how he is now able to live a purposeful life. He reveals the highs and lows following his brain injury and why mindset plays such a key role in recovery. Joe is one half of the successful The NeuroNerds podcast and is committed to connecting with other brain injury survivors and has built a global community which he says has become his purpose in life. He talks about the importance of connecting with other brain injury survivors and how it continues to help him in his journey. Despite his positive outlook, Joe acknowledges he has dark days and talks about how he navigates them as well as overcoming ‘toxic positivity.'  Joe is constantly giving back and next month has organised a ground-breaking virtual event, called Brain, Body, Soul festival, raising funds for The Aneurysm and AVM Foundation (TAAF) to help support other brain injury survivors. It will take place on December 9 in the Metaverse, visit the Brain, Body, Soul Festival website to register for free. Joe Borges You can follow Joe on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and visit his Joe So Rocks and NeuroNerds website. Go listen and subscribe to The NeuroNerds podcast On A Good Day If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, rate and review this podcast. Do share it with other who will benefit. do go back and catch up on any missed episodes. Connect with Us on Instagram (@onagood.day) and Twitter (@onagood_day) and join our Facebook community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth and Julia return with a second season of On A Good Day raising more questions around brain injury and continuing to seek answers. In this new series, they'll be hearing more about the lived experiences of guests to help them with their mission to raise awareness of the impact of brain injury on all involved. In this episode, they reflect on some of the themes they will be tackling and what is resonating for them right now. Julia and her husband Hector are navigating a new stage of their journey as they now have an empty nest while Elizabeth talks about Paul adapting to his new identity following his brain injury and how to help with wellness and mindset. They talk about some episodes and guests featuring in upcoming episodes and reflect on the importance of connecting with others in a similar situation. Julia reveals she is taking part in a challenge run by the charity SameYou. The 'Walk for Brain Injury' fundraiser is to raise money to develop better mental health recovery treatments for survivors. If you want to join in, sign up on the website and start walking. It begins on November 1st and involves walking 6,000 steps every day throughout the month. Thank you for listening to On A Good Day! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. For a full recap of Elizabeth and Julia's stories, listen to episode #1: How Brain Injury Came Into Our Lives - And Changed Them Forever. To help us grow, please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! We'd be so grateful! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As season one of On A Good Day comes to a close, Elizabeth and Julia look back at some of their highlights and how the podcast has positively impacted them. Julia reveals how listening to episode 3 on positive risk helped shape her decision to take a family trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. While Elizabeth reflects on the episode when she spoke about the five year anniversary of Paul's brain injury and how she is beginning to feel a level of acceptance for this new life. In this episode, the hosts talk about how sharing their story has helped them and the impact left by the guests they have interviewed to give knowledge, perspective and inspiration. Thank you for listening! Please go back and catch up on any missed episodes. To help us grow, please share this podcast with others it will benefit and subscribe, rate and review to help make it more visible! Connect with Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conor Madden was playing his dream role of Hamlet when a sword fight went wrong and he suffered a brain injury on stage. In this episode, the Irish actor, who was 24 when it happened, tells Elizabeth and Julia his honest story of living with brain injury for the past 12 years . With humour and ease, Conor opens up about the challenges he has faced and how he has learned to love himself again after struggling with his identity. He talks about how therapy played a pivotal role in helping him manage the new behaviours such as anger and other effects a brain injury can bring. Recently a father, Conor says his daughter has had a huge impact on his life and recovery and he is eternally grateful to his wife Zara and the support she has given him over the years. In the episode Conor mentions the incredible therapy and support he received from Headway Ireland and ABI Ireland.  Conor would like to thank: Zara, Aurora, my parents and the rest of my family, the staff at Cork University Hospital, The St Camiluses rehab team, ABI Ireland and, especially, Headway Ireland. On A Good Day If you enjoyed this episode, please help us to grow: subscribe, rate, review and do share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"With the right help, at the right time, there can be life after brain injury," says Luke Griggs, the Chief Executive of Headway, the UK's leading brain injury charity. In this episode, he speaks to Julia and Elizabeth about his vision for Headway which provides much needed support and information for all affected by brain injury. The charity helps survivors, carers and wider family members for, as Luke recognises, the ripple affect of brain injury goes "far and wide". Luke has worked at Headway for the last 16 years but only recently took on the top leadership role. He reveals his own personal experience of brain injury, realising after he joined Headway that his grandmother had lived with the impact of a brain injury for the majority of her life without help or knowledge. Luke also talks about how he and Headway are lobbying government for more help and funding for brain injury survivors, asking for people affected by brain injury, to get in touch with their local MP and tell their story. Headway Visit the main Headway website. Luke spoke about the personal testimonies which people may find useful from its A New Me campaign. On A Good Day If you enjoyed this episode, please help us to grow: subscribe, rate, review and do share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Carers Week, Elizabeth and Julia pay tribute to the incredible work unpaid carers do and speak about their own personal experiences of caring for someone. There are 5 million carers in England and Wales who contribute a staggering £162bn to the economy but as Elizabeth and Julia discuss, the true number is likely to be far higher. New research from Carers Week show 73% of people providing care to others do not identify as a carer ( Elizabeth being one of them as she discusses) and therefore could be missing out on additional support and information. The hosts also look at some of the challenges facing carers as they juggle many other responsibilities and talk about some of the help available to them. Carers Week Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. For more information, visit Carers Week We spoke to Sara Challice on episode 7, author of Who Cares, about being a carer and ways to manage self-care. Listen to the episode with Sara Challice on Spotify and click here to purchase her book Other useful links: Carers UK On A Good Day If you enjoyed this episode, please help us to grow: subscribe, rate, review and do share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Volunteering has a huge range of benefits which Elizabeth and Julia explore in this episode of On A Good Day with their guests. They discuss how taking on a volunteer position, especially after brain injury can give survivors purpose, boost confidence, help improve communication and can positively impact the people they are in contact with. Elizabeth's husband, Paul Callaghan, and Julia's husband, Hector Ajayi, talk about their experiences of volunteering. Paul in the hospital where he underwent his neurorehabilitation and Hector at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge. Elizabeth and Julia are also joined by Kate Phizaclea who works with Hector at the museum as the Visitor Services Manager. She gives her take on the benefits of volunteering and why they are needed. Kate also reads a very touching feedback message from a visitor about Hector. For more information on volunteering visit: https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/ On A Good Day On A Good Day is the podcast which delves into brain injury and its impact on all involved. If you enjoyed this episode, please help us to grow: subscribe, rate, review and do share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author, Jon McGregor, set out to write about the Antarctic but it was to become a novel about stroke. Jon sat down with Julia and Elizabeth for On A Good Day to discuss the book, Lean Fall Stand, with many of its themes resonating with both hosts. Lean Fall Stand looks at the impact of stroke on survivor Robert and his wife who suddenly takes on the role of carer. It explores the challenges of communication post brain injury and its impact on the family and community. Jon tells them about the research he did to help create characters which were "real people" including an eye-opening group session for people with aphasia. In the novel, Jon refers to the lack of services available to help rehabilitate stroke survivors, speaking of his sadness at discovering how stretched they had become. Lean Fall Stand is an insightful exploration of stroke and with a potential film version of the book in the pipeline, is sure to reach an even wider audience in the future. You can buy Jon McGregor's book Lean Fall stand here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/lean-fall-stand-jon-mcgregor/5752546?ean=9780008204945 About Jon McGregor Jon McGregor is a writer of novels and short stories, including Lean Fall Stand, Reservoir 13, and If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things. He won the Dublin Literature Prize in 2012, and the Costa Novel Award in 2017. He is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Nottingham, where he edits The Letters Page, a literary journal in letters. He lives in Nottingham. You can follow Jon on Instagram and Twitter: @jon_mcgregor In the episode, Jon talks about some of the research he did while writing the book including the Rosetta Life organisation, and the Stroke Odysseys show : https://strokeodysseys.org/about-stroke-odysseys/ Jon's Antarctic research was with the British Antarctic Survey 'Artists & Writers Programme'. His 2004 residency was part of: https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/experience-antarctica-in-london-and-plymouth/ On A Good Day If you enjoyed this episode, please help us to grow: subscribe, rate, review and do share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow Us On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aphasia may not be a familiar word for many but it IS a common condition which affects many brain injury survivors. So what is aphasia and how can it be improved? In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia are joined by Professor Alex Leff who explains more about the condition which impacts language and how it affects lives. He gives advice on how carers can help survivors, ways to get further therapy and he dispels some of the myths surrounding aphasia, including improvements made over time. His intensive aphasia programme, funded by The National Brain Appeal, has seen significant outcomes with survivors improving months, years and even decades after having a brain injury. Listen to this episode to learn more about aphasia and how to help people living with it. For more information about the charity, The National Brain Appeal: https://www.nationalbrainappeal.org/ If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating, review and do share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow On A Good Day On Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a brain injury, family roles and dynamics can change significantly with the partner of the survivor usually taking on a caring role as well as additional responsibilities. In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia discuss how their roles changed after their husbands, Paul and Hector, had a brain injury. Some of their discussion covers being the sole driver, managing financial affairs, planning for the future and dealing with passwords! They also talk about the importance of doing activities individually and helping brain injury survivors to regain independence. Both Elizabeth and Julia have children and talk about balancing family life with being a carer and managing additional tasks, some of which have helped them gain knowledge of areas they'd have normally left to their partner. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do take a screenshot to share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode Elizabeth and Julia speak to an inspiring couple, Joy Alliy and Ross Methven, who were impacted by brain injury when Joy suddenly had a stroke aged 42. She was living in Tanzania at the time with Ross who initially found it hard to believe she'd had a stroke because she was so young. They share their story of what happened in September 2020 and what medical help Joy did, and didn't, receive following her stroke. During their time in Dar es Salaam they experienced some negative attitudes towards disability and mental health. Joy has since relocated to the UK and with Ross' help has fought back and made an incredible recovery, inspiring others along the way. Ross has been by her side every step of the way and shares some of the challenges he has found in this new role as a carer and how they have created a new life together.  You can follow Joy's journey on instagram @stroke_fighter_joy If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do take a screenshot to share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth and Julia are joined by Dr. Fergus Gracey, a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Associate Professor at the University of East Anglia. In this episode, they discuss a wide range of topics from identity, connection and wellness. Fergus shares his knowledge and research into brain injury rehabilitation, giving guidance on creative ways to get the best out of brain injury survivors to help motivate, progress and boost their wellness. He also draws on some of the research he has conducted on social connections and families living with brain injury survivors and their journey of adjusting to a new identity. You can connect with Fergus on Twitter @dr_f_gracey For more information on AnchorPoint for families affected by brain injury https://ukabif.org.uk/page/AnchorPoint Follow on Twitter @anchorpoint_abi If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do take a screenshot and share with others who it will benefit. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Hosted by Auddy https://auddy.com/shows/inspiration/onagoodday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do relationships and life change after a brain injury? In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia talk openly about their changing lives following the brain injuries sustained by their husbands. Elizabeth shares some of the realisations which have hit her as she marks five years since Paul had his stroke. In a raw and emotional episode she talks about grief, acceptance but also the progress they have both made in that time. Julia talks about some of the lessons she has learned after 13 years of being with Hector following his brain haemorrhage. She shares her wisdom about love, family and relationships and reveals some of the strategies they use to have more of the good days. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do take a screenshot to share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Serena Banfield was studying for her A-levels when her dad, John, had a stroke, changing her family's life forever. In this honest and uplifting episode, she relives the events surrounding her dad's stroke with Elizabeth and Julia, finding that going to school and continuing her daily routine helped her get through the difficult times. Serena reveals how the relationship with her father has changed but strengthened. The experience has also helped her apply different strategies to her work life. Her hugely positive attitude shines a light on the subject with Serena saying the event has made her a better person and brought her family closer together. She feels she's now better equipped to help others surrounding her through difficult times. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do take a screenshot and share with others who it will benefit. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Hosted by Auddy https://auddy.com/shows/onagoodday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What can you do to communicate better with someone who has aphasia following a stroke? In this episode, speech and language therapist Bindi Patel explains some of the techniques she uses with stroke survivors to communicate with them and improve their speech. She talks to Julia and Elizabeth about strategies to help loved ones recover both in hospital and when they return home, emphasising the importance of finding time to spend together and involving stroke survivors in purposeful tasks. Bindi, who works for the Stroke Association, also gives tips about visiting patients in hospital, how best to work alongside therapists and how friends and family can better communicate and use technology to assist the rehabilitation. She has been a speech and language therapist for the past 28 years, helping patients with aphasia and other communication difficulties. In her current role with the Stroke Association, Bindi helps stroke survivors and their families with information and support. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do take a screenshot to share with others who it will benefit, tag us with the social media handles below. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 For further information and help, visit the Stroke Association: https://www.stroke.org.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and speaker Sara Challice cared for her husband, Neal, for 13 years after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She knows first hand how many carers can fall ill looking after a loved one as she reached crisis point herself. In this episode, she talks honestly about her experience and how putting herself last led to her becoming mentally and physically ill. She shares how she came back from her lowest point to continue caring for Neal and has put all that she learned along into her award-winning book, Who Cares? Sara shares with Julia and Elizabeth invaluable information, insights and tips on what carers can do to look after themselves, become more resilient and how you can still enjoy life while looking after someone else.  Elizabeth and Julia also discuss with Sara about identifying as a carer, why some of her and Neal's friendships didn't last and why having the right support network is so important in helping you to have more of the good days. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do take a screenshot and share with others who it will benefit. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Sara Challice For more on Sara Challice and the courses she offers, visit her website. https://www.whocares4carers.com/ Sara's book, Who Cares? is available to buy on Amazon and Hammersmith books where you can read the first chapter. https://www.hammersmithbooks.co.uk/product/who-cares/ You can find her on instagram and Twitter https://www.instagram.com/sarachallice/ https://twitter.com/SaraChallice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth and Julia reflect on 2022 and some of its highlights and what they have been grateful for in the past year. They share their plans, intentions and strategies for 2023 to help them have more of the good days. Inspired by episode #3 with Occupational Therapist, Roisin Hyde, Julia is going to take more 'positive risks' citing one of our inspirational guests, brain injury survivor Satinder Sanghera (episode 2). Elizabeth has pledged to take more time to talk, listen and connect with Paul but the hosts admit patience can be a big challenge! Looking at the festive season, they discuss the great aspects of Christmas but also some of the challenges it can present. For the episode which discusses 'positive risk taking' with Roisin Hyde, listen to episode #3 or click the links below. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-can-family-and-friends-help-brain-injury-survivors/id1649194652?i=1000588278309 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3zMb42u78JCrspIS0XvMKM?si=31b280d43d2c4ce2 To listen to the episode with the host's husbands, Paul and Hector, about living with a brain injury, click the link below. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/life-as-a-brain-injury-survivor-with-paul/id1649194652?i=1000590224367 https://open.spotify.com/episode/71BM7z4toomIkCNlUAMCj7?si=ce5ff090141b4b58 Satinder, who had a brain injury when she was a medical student, talks about living a fulfilled life. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/from-brain-injury-to-doctor-living-a-fulfilled-life/id1649194652?i=1000586514676 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5GU9akGXAi3jkF4ZD3KNMH?si=30537fb5c3504982 If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do share with others who it will benefit. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Please join our NEW Facebook community too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216439455622395 Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uDAT8nt7Ibk3NbgmhqjCf?si=e2072a3837484bea&nd=1 Listen on Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/on-a-good-day/id1649194652 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When brain injury hits your life it's a time of huge uncertainty with days, weeks, even months spent in hospital. In this episode, we look at that time of crisis following brain injury and how best to support family members, friends and the patient themselves when they are in hospital. Joining us to discuss the topic is Suzy Barker, an adviser at Addenbrookes hospital, who helps families and patients after they have had a stroke or other brain injury. She gives advice on how best to deal with this life-changing event including... Positive ways families can help loved ones when in hospital The most common questions she gets asked after stroke and other brain injuries Tips on taking children to see parents or other family members in hospital. How friends can help when making hospital visits and when the patient is home Suzy was working with the brain injury charity, Headway, when she recorded this episode. Visit the Headway website for more information and support. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do share with others who it will benefit. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uDAT8nt7Ibk3NbgmhqjCf?si=e2072a3837484bea&nd=1 Listen on Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/on-a-good-day/id1649194652 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's it like to live with a brain injury? In this special episode, Julia and Elizabeth's husbands, Hector and Paul, join them in an honest conversation about life as a brain injury survivor. They share the moment they realised they had suffered a stroke and speak candidly about how it has impacted them and the people around them. Paul shares his struggles with accepting his stroke and being unable to do many things that he used to find "easy". Hector tells how he recovered with the support of his two children and Julia who has been his "rock”.  Both feel that having near death experiences has given them a different perspective and gratitude for life when it was so nearly taken away.  In this must-listen episode, you will get an insight into how a brain injury survivor feels and some of the obstacles they have faced and, for them, what it means to have a good day. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review - and do share with others who you think it will benefit. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uDAT8nt7Ibk3NbgmhqjCf?si=e2072a3837484bea&nd=1 Listen on Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/on-a-good-day/id1649194652 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Specialist Occupational Therapist, Roisin Hyde, talks to Elizabeth and Julia about how families and friends can help brain injury survivors in their rehabilitation, months and years down the line. She advises on continuing to reset goals, working on achievable tasks and helping survivors push themselves further - but she also reveals some of the ways progress can be hindered. Roisin worked with Elizabeth's husband, Paul, when he first came out of hospital and speaks honestly about some of the "terrifying" moments she experienced during his OT sessions at home but how his determination and drive helped him to succeed. She also talks about the importance of 'positive risk taking' and discovering the 'just right challenge'. Roisin has a wealth of tips and knowledge to enable carers, family and friends to help brain injury survivors reach for their goals and gain more independence. Roisin Hyde is a specialist Occupational therapist working with Richmond Community Neuro Rehab and Early Supported Discharge Team. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram @onagood.day and Twitter @onagood_day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This guest episode features the inspirational Satinder Sanghera whose life was turned upside down when she had a brain injury aged 20 while studying medicine. With hard work and determination, she defied many members of the medical board by qualifying as a doctor and going on to have a successful GP career.  Satinder tells Elizabeth and Julia her story of brain injury and talks about the challenges she faced in the early days and some of the prejudices she has experienced. She gives advice on how brain injury survivors want to be treated by friends and family and opens up about the stigma surrounding stoke and how we can break down barriers surrounding disability. Satinder talks about the role her parents played in her recovery, without being “cotton woolers”, but enabled her to be more independent. A huge champion of others who've experienced brain injury, Satinder works with the charity Different Strokes where she has helped encourage others in similar situations to go out and enjoy life. She is determined to continue living a fulfilled life and doesn't want the condition to hold others back from doing the same. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram and Twitter https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Satinder is a trustee for Different Strokes, a charity which helps younger stroke survivors. https://differentstrokes.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth and Julia tell their stories of brain injury and why they were inspired to create On A Good Day podcast. Both had young children when their husbands suddenly suffered severe brain injuries. Miraculously, both men survived although the impact has reverberated long afterwards. In an honest and deeply personal episode, they talk about the moment their lives changed forever and what helped keep them going when the outlook looked grim. They talk about the advice they were given, trying to positive and present in the moment and showing strength in the face of adversity. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. Follow On A Good Day on Instagram and Twitter @onagood.day https://www.instagram.com/onagood.day/ https://twitter.com/onagood_day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On A Good Day is the podcast delving into brain injury and its impact on all involved. Hosted by Elizabeth Callaghan and Julia Ajayi, our lives changed forever after our husbands suffered a brain injury. It also had a ripple effect on others in our wider family and community. We'll be sharing our experiences to help others feel more connected, get inspiring stories from people affected by brain injury and learn more about the condition from our specialist guests. Expect honest conversations about what goes on behind closed doors: the challenges and triumphs, the good days and the not so good days. Come join us as we aim to strengthen the communities of people impacted by brain injury and empower others in a similar situation to help them feel less alone and better equipped to take on any challenges - so we can all have more of the good days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices