On a Count of Three: A guide for carers

Dr Lin Berwick MBE is totally blind, has Cerebral Palsy Quadriplegia, partial hearing loss, and is a permanent wheelchair user who has spent the whole of her life within the care system. Firstly, through the help of loving parents, then, with her husband, Ralph, and latterly, with care provided by private, 24/7 live-in carers. This book tells something of the struggles, pitfalls, and problems that Lin and her carers have to deal with on a daily basis. Sometimes life has been chaotic, and in terms of care - traumatic. Lin has to be handled with great sensitivity to her pain and when the carer is good at their job, it works wonderfully well. But when the carer has no real concept of how to deal with pain, feelings, and the completion of tasks, then it can be a recipe for disaster.

Lin is also a trained psychotherapeutic counsellor. This book draws on experiences that she has dealt with in many different areas, such as, grief and loss, and a striving to survive when others may want her to stay within a 'sick' system. Lin is not one for staying in bed - she still has an active mind and wants to experience the world in all its fullness, despite her disabilities, making the most of what time she has left.

She is now in her seventies and has remarkably defied the opinions of the medical profession that told her and her family that she would not live beyond her teens. She is still defying all the odds. She comes from a background as a writer, freelance journalist, and broadcaster. She has many experiences from which to draw. Lin hopes that the reader will find the book both helpful, and challenging.

Stop press! A great interview has come out in the December 2021 issue of 'The Lady' magazine featuring Dr Lin Berwick MBE, appearing on pages 93 and 94.

PLease click on the link below to hear my interview about the book with RNIB Connect Radio.

https://audioboom.com/posts/7971805-on-the-count-of-three-by-dr-lin-berwick-mbe