(music: www.bensounds.com)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
“Hi, I’m Jess, a survivor of Chronic Illness, and I am your host for this Topic Talk.
Now let’s talk about your first experience with grief post trauma. With us right now is Caleb Rixon, let’s call him Cal — a stroke survivor and the founder of our Genyus Community.
Cal, think of the first Grief you experienced post trauma, and tell us what was it?
“The first grief I experienced after my stroke was realising that I had a damaged vocal cord and realising that may have been permanent. At the time before my stroke, I used my voice because I was a professionally trained singer, so I had a lot of attachment to my voice spiritually, and also financially because it’s what I did.
So the beginning of my first grief was that realisation that the voice is fragile and that mine may no longer be there, but then the second grief I remember was wheeling out of my clinical psych’s office after our session and we’d been talking about grief, and I realised in this moment by myself — where I had no one near me or encouraging me — I was finally alone and I had this space to realise that I wouldn’t perform again in the capacity I had. So that was another beginning of quiet grief, of realising that I was no longer the person I’d seen myself to be up until that point.”
Jess:
“Wow, that is so significant Cal, and we appreciate you sharing that with us.”
Cal:
“Thanks.”
Jess:
“Now, Cal and I would love to hear from you! We’d love you to share your first experience with grief post-trauma, and what that meant to you, and why?”
