I’ve now been home for 8 weeks. It is nearly 19 weeks since the accident. I can’t believe I’ve been home for this long!
When I first came home, I was all fired up for doing EVERYTHING. All at once. I went in to work for a celebrity appearance. I went and got my hair cut properly, and coloured. I had an appointment at the fracture clinic the Monday after coming home, so more x-rays. The healing was going well, lots of lovely new bone. There was some talk of possibly loosening the ex fix at the next appointment (6 weeks on). And it was at this appointment that I got to see original x-rays (and some pics of them)….
Wrist (obviously!)
Femur (no wonder I hadn’t been able to move my leg at the crash site….)
Tib/Fib
Pretty impressive collection of fractures – never bothered seeing the rib ones. Ok, 10 of them were smashed, but I figure that I’m not going to see that much that clearly.
Finally seeing the original x -rays has made me realise how bad my fractures actually were. It still sounds bonkers when I say it, but, in my head, I wasn’t that poorly.
So, have I done much over the last 8 weeks? That depends on your viewpoint. I don’t think I have, but I did take a wee overnight trip down to Birmingham for a gig and stayed in a hostel. Discovered that being mobility impaired in certain venues is a massive pain in the arse (having to get someone to open a disabled toilet door so you can have a pee is frustrating beyond belief). I’ve slept quite a lot. Had wobbly moments. Walked to Maccies (daft!!). Got a lot of taxis. Had more flashbacks and got diagnosed with PTSD – which I’m having therapy for. I also went into Aintree hospital to tell student medics/nurses/physios, etc my story. There were a couple of medics who had been in A&E with me, plus one of the trauma team. I hope that it gave all of the students there some viewpoint of what its like to be a patient going through the trauma unit.
Recovery is pretty boring. My friend and I spend quite a lot of time watching videos on YouTube. I’ve watched all five seasons of Breaking Bad. I’ve crotcheted a bit. My friend and I have supported each other, and had a few tears together too (not just my life going tits up – my friend’s too). Having that friendship is good for me though – supporting someone else gives me diversion and stops me disappearing into myself. Selfishly, I like having my friend stay with me – I feel safe and secure.
My daughters have been pretty incredible through all this. They’ve grown up this summer, but maybe this isn’t a bad thing. They have gained some independence, and will go to the shops on their own. They wouldn’t have done that before. They have proven that they can be helpful. And my youngest daughter makes a mean cup of tea (or “uppy tea” as she calls it). She’ll charge you at least 10 pence for brew though!
My ex fix will stay on my leg for Christmas. I’ve told my consultant that I will put tinsel and lights on it. My mum says she’s going to hang baubles off it…… Hopefully, on 9th January 2014, I will have the ex fix loosened, and even more hopefully, have it removed 2 weeks after that – approx. 6 months after the accident. For me, the recovery end is nigh.
I Am Frog Princess 