Andew Penman’s Long Unwinding Road

At a very young age, I always knew I would have an accident and would be doing everything that I am doing at present, from health and fitness to aikido. My first physiotherapist, Debbie Harris (maiden name), got me on my feet and taught me to walk again, saying, 'The rest is up to you.' People with damage to the right temporal lobe are partially psyched, I am also in a mildly euphoric state (which me means I am happy all the time). Old friends I had before the accident said I have exactly the same sense of humor. I suppose it is the brain’s way of keeping me in the dark about the situation I was in. I would like the give my mother special thanks as she gave up her life to look after me. My wife, Lalita, who says there is no one else on this planet like me. My aikido sensei, Peter Gillard, who always stood by me, Kenetsuka Sensei, who overcame cancer through his aikido practice, and the countless others who have helped me at vital stages and important times during my long and winding journey on the road to recovery The aim of this book is to give able and disabled people hope as when I had the accident, I had no one to guide me or to follow as surviving a traumatic brain injury was virtually unheard of, but now they are keeping people alive on a ventilator. I had to learn by my mistakes. Fortunately, they weren’t many. It’s all been a very slow job. No pain, no gain. 3