If you haven't listened yet, I urge you to check out Kinnie Starr and my co-editor Jane Cawthorne's conversation with Shelagh Rogers on CBC Radio's The Next Chapter. The full edited transcript is here. In the episode, Kinnie and Jane speak about loss, ableism, invisibility, shame, and reclaiming identity after concussion and traumatic brain injury.
One of the many powerful things Kinnie says is, "I don't know why that is so common [to try to push through] with injuries that are invisible. I think we feel a tremendous amount of shame and it can propel poor communication. I still feel embarrassed sometimes when my sentences go too long or slow. I'll just cut myself off. That's a shame factor. We should be able to take an extra two and a half minutes to explain our thoughts without feeling embarrassed."
Jane summarizes, "There’s lessons in here for everybody. There’s so much honesty and so much bravery. These women are role models. I feel so honoured to have had the opportunity to work with them So I think there’s a lot more beyond concussion for people who are looking for examples and a roadmap for change."
Kinnie Starr's piece in Impact: Women Writing After Concussion is "I was in the back of a taxi that went into a car that rolled a stop sign". Jane Cawthorne's piece is "Lost".