Since Charlotte became ill, she’s been brilliant at fooling medical staff and keeping up appearances.
This is great on the one hand because it’s given her that determination we’ve all seen and marvelled at and which has, undoubtedly been a factor in how she’s recovered so well.
On the other hand, however, it’s holding her back from getting the support that she needs because she refused to tell people how she feels or what she needs, even when it’s obvious.
This week Charlotte came to talk to her sister and I about her life before the stroke, the things her sister can do that Charlotte can no longer do, the things she wanted to do but now isn’t able to do and how the stroke has changed her whole life.
She had a good cry and we talked it over, coming up with new pathways for her to take through her life and how she could still do some things but we just need to do them differently now.
She then looked at me and said, “It’s ok, I feel better now I’ve just let it out”.
What a breakthrough and what a brave girl to face those thoughts! We can now go forward positively and constructively.
She’s even gone off to school today happy and ready to tell her therapists that she’s in pain a lot and that she struggles and that, for little girl who wants to do it all herself, is huge. Well done, Charlotte !
