Life in a different gear: Mike’s journey after brain injury

Rally car enthusiast Mike Dickson said his ‘world was turned upside down’ when he sustained a brain injury in July 2025.

Mike, from Galashiels in Scotland, had had ‘a cracking run’ with his rallying, winning two rallies in a row in Scotland before placing second in the top 15 in his category over in Ireland.

It was five days after coming home from his rally successes that Mike started to have a sore head, while him and wife Maria were preparing to take their dogs a walk.

“I just put it down to being a long day”, he said.

“I told Maria I was going to go into the house to get some painkillers.

“As soon as I stepped into the house it was like the Incredible Hulk was crushing my head. The pressure in my head was unbelievable.

“I tried to lie down and fell off the bed and was getting dizzy. I then fell in the bathroom, smashed my head on the floor and cracked my head open.”

Maria quickly took Mike to their nearest hospital and after having scans, Mike was transferred to the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, which has a neurosurgeon department.

A 16mm brain aneurysm on the back of Mike’s head had burst and required a six-hour operation to remove.

Doctors also found another aneurysm behind Mike’s right eye, which was around 6- 7mm and required a second operation some months later via a craniotomy.

“It just turns your world upside down,” Mike said.

Mike initially spent 12 days in hospital, but says his recovery truly started at home.

He said: “I get sporadic migraines and constant ringing in my ears.

“My fatigue is steadily getting better. It can just hit you like a brick wall and is frustrating more than anything as it disturbs your day if you’re out doing something.

“One of the other things I struggle with is ‘survivors’ guilt’. I’ve spoken to other people whose loved one had the same injury as me but didn’t make it, and I think ‘why her and not me?’ Sometimes your emotions can be up and down."

Mike said getting back to work as a car technician was a challenge.

“I went back to work initially for 20 hours a week,” he said.

“But I just couldn’t cope with it. Certain noises would affect me, and it just didn’t work out when I went back.”

Mike has always had a love of cars, particularly rally cars, a passion that was fostered by his godfather when he was younger.

“I’ve done rallying for 30 years,” he said.

“My godfather is an ex Scottish champion co-driver, so from an early age I was in and out of rally cars. As soon as I turned old enough, I was rallying. I did a wee bit of driving but mainly stuck to co-driving.

“The rally community is small but they’re very supportive, loyal and helpful.

“I’m aiming to get back in a car. I don’t know if it’ll happen, but my neurosurgeon seems to think it’s feasible. It all depends on my head and my recovery because you have to be 100 per cent in the car, there’s no way I’d jump in if I wasn’t 100 per cent.

“It’s something to aim for!”

Mike has been supported by Borders Brain Injury Service (BBIS), as well as attending Headway Borders’ monthly support group, and is also a Headway UK Brain Injury ID Card holder.

He said: “Finding a group has helped me. It was nice to speak to other folk who are going through the same or similar, because getting people to understand brain injury is quite hard.

“I feel like because I look the same as what I did last year that nobody sees the injury or the challenges. Folk just assume that I look fine so then I must be healthy- it’s a bit like mental health being a hidden illness

Mike says his brain injury has given him and Maria ‘a different outlook on life’, one they are trying to navigate best they can.

“I think the biggest thing for people in recovery is to accept that you’re different now”, he said.

“I tried to do stuff that I was doing before straight away, and I’d hit a wall and almost be in bed for two days afterwards.

“It’s just trying to manage what you can and can’t do now. I just try to take baby steps instead of bigger steps.

“You have to embrace a new you. And take your time.”