I am still in the woods. Or in the doghouse. I cannot be sure which. I very much wish that I could speak with Dr H but I do not see her for another week.

I am in the doghouse for a number of reasons. In no particular order these reasons include the following.

There are no brain injury rehabilitation clinics in Gatineau. Dr H attempted to refer me to the only known rehabilitation clinic. Her referral was refused. I later sought assistance from this same clinic and was informed by them that they could not provide me with any services. Based on their interrogation of me, I do not believe they have any understanding at all of the nature of brain injury, or the basics of how to interact with persons suffering from a brain injury. A previous post details this earlier interaction.

In place of a formal rehabilitation program, I am attempting to manage my own rehabilitation. This involves me serving as a volunteer in a variety of different capacities. And this is where I have run into problems, problems that would be more appropriately addressed were I to be “practising with reality” (Dr D’s wonderful term) within the context of a setting designed to support brain injury rehabilitation. In essence, I am creating an imposition the organization is not equipped, or prepared, to fulfill. To make use of a prior analogy, I am like a child learning to walk and, as I learn, I am bumping into the furniture, knocking over the flower vases, and dumping books and the tea tray onto the floor.

In a family setting, this behaviour would be loved, tolerated, even applauded: “Look Johnny is almost walking!” In the context of an organization undertaking a set of real world tasks, the metaphoric displacement of the furniture is less welcome, less appreciated, less wanted. I may end up being fired from an unpaid volunteer position.