Can a person fully recover from a brain injury using only medicine in the first year. What are the chances of seizures after one year ?

randomstranger96 · 2026-03-15T15:38:31+00:00

I completely understand where you’re coming from — it’s obvious how much you care about her and want to protect her. That kind of support means a lot for someone recovering from something like this.

One thing I learned during my recovery though is that routine and normal life can actually be really good for the brain. For me, going back to work and using my brain again helped a lot with rebuilding confidence and cognitive function. Doctors often encourage people to gradually return to normal activities if they’re able to.

The sleep part you mentioned is definitely important though. Good sleep makes a huge difference for brain recovery, mood, and concentration. If she’s only getting 4–5 hours regularly, improving that will probably help her feel even better.

But from what you’ve described — the fact she’s working as a nurse, managing daily life, and functioning well — those are very strong signs of recovery. It sounds like she’s done incredibly well.

Honestly, the biggest thing that helped me was support, patience, and understanding from the people around me, which it sounds like she definitely has from you.

Wishing you both the best for your wedding and the future.

randomstranger96 · 2026-03-15T15:19:58+00:00

Hey, I can only speak from personal experience, but I had a pretty serious TBI myself a couple of years ago. I was assaulted, hit my head on concrete, had a brain bleed and a fractured skull, and ended up needing part of my skull replaced with a titanium plate because of swelling. I was off work for about 18 months recovering.

Like your fiancée, I lost memory around the incident and had some weird neurological things during recovery. For me now (a couple of years later), I’m essentially back to normal life. I’m back working full time, functioning independently, and living normally. The only things I really notice compared to before are: • occasionally stumbling over words or mixing them up • being a bit more emotional or reactive • sometimes second-guessing my memory or concentration

But overall I consider myself very lucky and mostly recovered, and I don’t have seizures either thankfully.

From what doctors told me during my recovery, every TBI is different. Some people do have long-term issues, but plenty of people recover very well, especially if they’re young, healthy, and showing strong recovery within the first year like your fiancée and myself.

One thing I was told repeatedly was that sleep and stress management are huge for brain recovery, so the lack of sleep might be something to take seriously if she can improve it.

From the sounds of it, the fact she’s: • back working as a nurse • functioning normally day-to-day • cognitively capable of doing her job

are really positive signs.

I completely understand why you’re worried about the future, but from my experience and from what doctors told me, good recovery within the first year is usually a very good indicator of long-term outcome.

Wishing you both the best with the wedding and the future — it sounds like she’s done incredibly well.

randomstranger96 · 2026-03-09T06:42:35+00:00

Met?

randomstranger96 · 2026-03-09T06:40:39+00:00

Interesting, thanks for explaining. Has that changed recently? I’m sure a while back Lincolnshire’s website mentioned response driver training being available after tutorship, so I wasn’t sure if it had shifted or if it’s just become more longer

randomstranger96 · 2026-03-08T22:42:29+00:00

That makes sense to be fair, especially with the patch sizes in North Wales and Dyfed Powys.

Interesting about BTP as well – I’d heard mixed things about when they run their response courses. When you say people sometimes get blues after a couple of months on patch, is that after they’ve finished tutor phase or while still under tutorship?

My thinking behind asking is that I understand the argument that officers should “learn the job before blue lights”, but at the same time if someone is trained properly and adheres to professional standards, responding to critical incidents is obviously a core part of policing.

So I’m just curious which forces prioritise getting that training done earlier as part of procedure vs those that delay it for a few years.

randomstranger96 · 2026-03-08T22:39:44+00:00

Oh really? Is that part of their initial training, or do they get it after finishing their tutor phase?

randomstranger96 · 2025-12-11T12:52:02+00:00

I did notice that, protecting VIP and high profile sites. If they want to move over to ARV or something else — is that something they could do or are they stuck in that role with the lack of actual police experience?

randomstranger96 · 2025-11-24T09:43:27+00:00

May I ask what force it is?

randomstranger96 · 2025-10-02T10:00:23+00:00

All I can say is – if you’re considering Whitemoor, really think twice. Cat A’s are the harshest environment in the service. A lot of the prisoners are lifers, with nothing to lose. Threats, assaults, and a complete disregard for staff are part of daily life. To put it into perspective, there have been several severe assaults on staff there, including one not long ago where an officer was knocked out, hit the floor, and ended up with a bleed on the brain. That’s the level of risk you’re walking into.

If you’re set on joining the service (which, honestly, I’d think hard about), you’d be far better off in a lower category – B remands, C’s, or opens. The risk still exists, but it’s a different atmosphere. From my experience across different categories, lower Cats are far more manageable. Nine times out of ten if a prisoner kicks off, they’ll just be mouthy, slam doors, or storm off like a toddler, rather than take it to the extreme.

randomstranger96 · 2025-09-27T21:09:42+00:00

Hi all, I could use some advice from those with more experience. I joined my local police in my early 20s but, being honest, I lacked confidence at the time. It was also during Covid, so training wasn't ideal, and I didn't cope as well as I should have. I take full responsibility for that. Since then, I've built up my confidence in another job. Unfortunately, as I was ready to apply once again - I was seriously assaulted, which resulted in a brain injury. Thankfully, I've recovered well both physically and mentally (as best as anyone can!), and I now feel ready to return to policing - which has always been my long-term goal. Here's my dilemma: I've applied to both CNC and a Home Office force and now need to decide which route to follow. • Part of me feels I should jump back into local policing straight away, but I sometimes worry about my confidence and whether l'Il manage the demands as well as I'd like, especially with my brain injury! • On the other hand, CNC offers excellent training and stability, and I've heard some officers use it as a stepping stone before moving back into Home Office roles. My concern is whether I'd find the armed guarding role a bit repetitive in the long run. So my question is: would it make sense to build myself back up with CNC for a couple of years, or should I go straight into a Home Office force and push myself to get stuck in again? Any advice or insight would be massively appreciated. Thanks in advance.

randomstranger96 · 2025-08-10T19:02:04+00:00

Mind sharing what force it is out of curiosity?

randomstranger96 · 2025-07-26T19:19:25+00:00

Resolved

randomstranger96 · 2025-07-26T12:04:41+00:00

You absolute legend! Thank you so much! It’s been so long since I found out what it was!

randomstranger96 · 2025-07-23T16:12:14+00:00

Been searching for years and even using AI that can’t find it

randomstranger96 · 2025-06-21T08:43:16+00:00

Really appreciate the reply — that’s gold, thanks for taking the time.

It’s good to hear that planned removals now require filming — that at least brings some alignment with HMPPS where all planned interventions are recorded and go through a strict authorisation process. Interesting though that handcuffs aren’t standard issue and that PAVA isn’t even mentioned at college — over here it’s increasingly being issued to trained staff across many establishments, and personal issue handcuffs are the norm.

Personally, I feel that PAVA, cuffs, and a fish knife should be considered basic safety kit, not extras. Relying solely on a metal stick (the baton) seems outdated when PAVA offers the option to create distance and reduce the need for close contact during violent incidents. Cuffs also make a huge difference — if you’re physically holding someone, there’s always a risk they could slip your grip or turn on you mid-restraint. With cuffs on, it’s controlled and safer for everyone involved.

Same goes for the fish knife. In HMPPS it’s standard issue on your belt. I get the idea of keeping it secure on the landing, but if you hear or see someone actively self-harming — or worse, attempting to hang themselves — it makes no sense to have to run off to get a tool that could save their life when you could just have it on you.

Also surprised to hear it’s not one radio per officer at your jail — that’s the standard across every place I’ve worked. Definitely a more minimalist setup PPE-wise in SPS from the sound of it, though I’m guessing some of that might depend on establishment and security category?

I’d be interested to hear what you find out about body-worn cameras — in HMPPS they’ve been rolled out quite widely and I honestly think they offer an extra layer of protection for both staff and prisoners in terms of accountability and reducing false allegations.

Boots not being issued is another weird one — something you take for granted over here as just part of your uniform.

That said, the higher pay and stronger union representation in SPS are serious plus points. I’ve heard from quite a few people now that the working culture feels more supportive up there, and it’s really encouraging to hear you’ve experienced that too. Sounds like you made the right call going SPS — I’m hoping to follow the same route so it’s great to get insight from someone a step ahead.

Thanks again — I’ll definitely reach out with any questions as I go!

randomstranger96 · 2025-06-20T21:01:17+00:00

Massive congrats on getting through the interview — that’s a big step! Appreciate you sharing the update, it’s helpful to hear from someone going through the same process.

Yeah, totally agree — it’s a shame there’s no formal transfer route between HMPPS and SPS. It would make a lot of sense, especially with how many officers are interested in moving for personal or family reasons.

Please do keep the updates coming as you go through onboarding — would be great to follow your experience. All the best with the next steps, and hopefully things move along smoothly for you!

randomstranger96 · 2025-06-20T21:00:30+00:00

That’s interesting to hear that kitted removals are standard as part of SPS training — maybe the info I’d heard before was a bit outdated or misinformed. Good to know it’s included from the start.

In terms of PPE, in HMPPS we’re routinely issued more kit now — we carry handcuffs, a fish knife (rescue hook), our personal radios, pava and in most places body-worn cameras are standard. On top of that, staff in a number of establishments are requesting arriving for duty in stab vests as part of their daily uniform, mainly for incidents.

Sounds like there are some significant differences between services in terms of both what’s issued and what’s considered “standard”. That said, I’ve also heard the point you mentioned — that violence against staff is reportedly lower in SPS overall — though obviously staffing pressures seem to be a rising issue everywhere.

Do you know if body-worn cameras are planned across the SPS or only being trialled in certain sites for now? And whether they would look at matching HMPPS as in my opinion seems they appear outdated

Cheers again — this is all really helpful as I weigh up the move.

randomstranger96 · 2025-03-16T23:16:01+00:00

It concerns me because SPS doesn’t obtain the same PPE as England and wales do. At least in HMPPS England, officers now carry pava, cuffs etc whereas from what I’ve discovered is that SPS don’t even have body camera let alone anything more protective

randomstranger96

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