a year and a day since my crash....
Discussion
well, 9 dec 2007 wasnt a good day for me, after i crashed my saxo (i hit a bridge and it ripped the car into bits, fortunalty my bother (who i was following home) saw me in his mirrors and turned round and stopped. he actually pulled me out the car becasue of the smell of petrol and called the ambulance, if i had been on my one and not found for a while it would have been worse).
It was a little touch and go, as both the police and the ambulance thought it was a fatal accident. the ambulance people actually came looking for me in a&e later that night to see if i was still alive (and it funny, that memory of the lady paramedic leaning over me in a&e wishing me well is crystal clear!) the next few days are a blur of various people fussing and shouting at me.
at one point they even considered having to remove my lh leg below the knee due to the damage to the leg and foot, it got a bit messy later when the skin graft failed and my foot went greeny blue and started to smell, then amazinly (over a few weeks) it healed and they didnt need to do another graft.
after spending 2 weeks in hospital (where the care and staff where 100%), including a three day (i think) stay in a high dependancy unit (after a second stint in theatre, the first was 7 hours, the second 11 hours, my blood was deoxygenated (i think thats correct) i was sent home - still very poorly, but the beds where needed for the xmas rush - i also suspect that they get people out asap due to the worry of mrsa etc.
so, i had christmas day at home, in bed (and unconcious mainly, due to wild painkillers) for the month i had daily visits from district nurses to dress my wounds (another fantastic and caring service)
during the first couple of months i had many visits to various hospitals, the main one for bones, another for the plastic surgery to my foot, and another for physio.
4 months after the crash i finaly managed (to the amazment of the consultant) to walk (okayish) without the need for a stick, and to return to work.
since ive returned to work ive had a couple of vists for x-rays and what not, finally yesterday i was discharged by the consultant - once agin he underlined to me how pleased he was with my progress and how having a positive frame of mind has helped me, he said so many people just give up and resign them selves to a life of incapacity benefits and moaning that its good to see a positive result.
i still ache, and have to be carefull, but am driving a manual car again (after starting in a wheel chair adapted auto), not yet racing my mini, but if i get my fitness up to an acceptable level im sure i will again.
so, a big thanks and a merry xmas goes to all the staff on ward 9 of hull royal infirmary, the staff in a&e, the physio girls, the nurses in the bones day surgery, the nurses at the castle hill plastics place, the district nurses who came to my house, the ambulance staff, the fire staff, the police, the physios at Beverley westwood, a big thanks to mr Gopal (bones) and mr Hart (plastics) who where my consultants.
and the biggest thanks of all go to my family, who went to hell and back, and made some real sacrifices this year as i recovered.
my list of damage....
broken lh fibia - two places, one a compound fracture
broken lh tibia - two places
broken rh humerous - two places
dislocated lh shoulder
various broken toes and metertarsals in rh foot (plus strange hammer and sickle scar where something punched through the top)
all broken toes and metertarsals in lh foot
all skin and meat ripped of top of lh foot (ouch!)
very bad deep brusing down rh side of body
oh, and one black eye.
my arm and leg have been 'nailed' these will stay in for ever, my lh foot was wired up, with wire poking out, due to the problems with the skin graft the new skin grew over the wires, so rather than pull them out with me concious, i had to go back into theatre later to have them done, another day in hospital!
so, all who have taken the time to read this, drive carfully, its not the driving fast or stupid that gets you, its the driving down familiar roads, not really paying the attention that you should that gets you!
have a good christams - i will this year!
It was a little touch and go, as both the police and the ambulance thought it was a fatal accident. the ambulance people actually came looking for me in a&e later that night to see if i was still alive (and it funny, that memory of the lady paramedic leaning over me in a&e wishing me well is crystal clear!) the next few days are a blur of various people fussing and shouting at me.
at one point they even considered having to remove my lh leg below the knee due to the damage to the leg and foot, it got a bit messy later when the skin graft failed and my foot went greeny blue and started to smell, then amazinly (over a few weeks) it healed and they didnt need to do another graft.
after spending 2 weeks in hospital (where the care and staff where 100%), including a three day (i think) stay in a high dependancy unit (after a second stint in theatre, the first was 7 hours, the second 11 hours, my blood was deoxygenated (i think thats correct) i was sent home - still very poorly, but the beds where needed for the xmas rush - i also suspect that they get people out asap due to the worry of mrsa etc.
so, i had christmas day at home, in bed (and unconcious mainly, due to wild painkillers) for the month i had daily visits from district nurses to dress my wounds (another fantastic and caring service)
during the first couple of months i had many visits to various hospitals, the main one for bones, another for the plastic surgery to my foot, and another for physio.
4 months after the crash i finaly managed (to the amazment of the consultant) to walk (okayish) without the need for a stick, and to return to work.
since ive returned to work ive had a couple of vists for x-rays and what not, finally yesterday i was discharged by the consultant - once agin he underlined to me how pleased he was with my progress and how having a positive frame of mind has helped me, he said so many people just give up and resign them selves to a life of incapacity benefits and moaning that its good to see a positive result.
i still ache, and have to be carefull, but am driving a manual car again (after starting in a wheel chair adapted auto), not yet racing my mini, but if i get my fitness up to an acceptable level im sure i will again.
so, a big thanks and a merry xmas goes to all the staff on ward 9 of hull royal infirmary, the staff in a&e, the physio girls, the nurses in the bones day surgery, the nurses at the castle hill plastics place, the district nurses who came to my house, the ambulance staff, the fire staff, the police, the physios at Beverley westwood, a big thanks to mr Gopal (bones) and mr Hart (plastics) who where my consultants.
and the biggest thanks of all go to my family, who went to hell and back, and made some real sacrifices this year as i recovered.
my list of damage....
broken lh fibia - two places, one a compound fracture
broken lh tibia - two places
broken rh humerous - two places
dislocated lh shoulder
various broken toes and metertarsals in rh foot (plus strange hammer and sickle scar where something punched through the top)
all broken toes and metertarsals in lh foot
all skin and meat ripped of top of lh foot (ouch!)
very bad deep brusing down rh side of body
oh, and one black eye.
my arm and leg have been 'nailed' these will stay in for ever, my lh foot was wired up, with wire poking out, due to the problems with the skin graft the new skin grew over the wires, so rather than pull them out with me concious, i had to go back into theatre later to have them done, another day in hospital!
so, all who have taken the time to read this, drive carfully, its not the driving fast or stupid that gets you, its the driving down familiar roads, not really paying the attention that you should that gets you!
have a good christams - i will this year!
t.
I have seen the pictures of your crash and wondered what the damage was.
Thanks for your post, especially the thanks passed on to the people that helped you.
Well done for (obviously) having the right attitude for recovery and good luck for the stages that follow.
Jon
ETA: I have had no involvement in the team that helped you and am not even a member of the emergency services or a medic. I just like to see people expressing gratitude to those that help.
Thanks for your post, especially the thanks passed on to the people that helped you.
Well done for (obviously) having the right attitude for recovery and good luck for the stages that follow.
Jon
ETA: I have had no involvement in the team that helped you and am not even a member of the emergency services or a medic. I just like to see people expressing gratitude to those that help.
Edited by Jesus Christ on Thursday 11th December 11:46
. Glad you're better. I will definitely be more alert on the road from now on 
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