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Seriously...

The Vet with Two Brains

Seriously...

BBC

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.1885 Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2018

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Adam Tjolle is a vet with two brains - who once starred on the BBC's Animal Hospital. His second brain - in reality a slow-growing tumour - was discovered by accident on a scan when he fell off his bike.

The presenter of the programme, his friend (and psychologist) Claudia Hammond is really interested in what's going on inside his head, so has kept a record - before and after the life-changing surgery.

Adam's biggest fear is losing his memories - so he asks friends and family to send patches of fabric to make a special hat - to remind him of them as well as keep his head warm in chilly Edinburgh.

The surgeon will operate while Adam is wide awake - being careful to cause the least damage possible to the area of his brain which controls spatial awareness, time perception and his decision-making skills, while also removing as much of the tumour as possible.

Producer: Paula McGrath Presenter: Claudia Hammond.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This was an impregnable fortress. The only way you get out was in a wooden box.

0:05.0

The controversial maximum security prison impossible to escape from.

0:09.0

And one of the duties of a political prisoner is the escape.

0:12.0

The IRA inmates who found a way. of a political prisoner is the escape.

0:12.5

The IRA inmates who found a way.

0:14.5

I'm Carlo Gableer and I'll be navigating a path

0:19.5

through the disturbing inside story of the biggest jailbreak in British and Irish history.

0:25.0

The narrative that they want is that this is a big achievement by them.

0:28.5

Escape from the Maze, listen first on BBC Sounds.

0:34.0

This is the BBC.

0:42.0

Hi, I'm Riana Dylan, and welcome to Seriously.

0:46.0

At the time I didn't feel lucky at all when we found it, because I thought the world was falling down around me.

0:52.0

That's Adam. He's talking about his brain

0:55.0

tumor. But in the hindsight I feel really lucky that I can sort this out before

0:59.2

you know I had a fit and drove into a tree or something. Today's seriously interesting story follows Adam through his treatment.

1:07.0

Because surgery isn't always a clear-cut decision for this patient.

1:11.0

There are pros and there are cons to weigh up, difficult choices to make.

1:15.0

You know, one of my biggest fears isn't actually a physical fear or I won't be able to catch

1:20.3

something or I won't be able to get dressed which is one of the issues is

1:24.6

my memories. You know all those magic moments in your life like seeing my daughter born.

1:29.9

This is a very honest and intimate program but it's Adam that made me love it so much, and I hope you do too.

1:37.0

It's brought to us by Claudia Hammond, who's spent many years reporting on developments in psychology. This is the vet with two brains.

...

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