In hospital and in & out of hospital
May 1999 - December 1999
My Accident
I jumped over a wall thinking that there was a road at the same level on the other side…. Well, there was a road, but it was an underpass so on the other side of the wall, instead of landing on tarmac a few feet below the height of my jump, I landed about 28 feet below.
I didnt remember much at the time, apart from a friend leaning against my leg trying to help which caused me a lot of pain, as it was literally smashed to pieces (as I found out afterwards).
The next thing I did remember is waking up looking at a strange ceiling and I thought to get up to have a look where I was and a woman pushed me back down. I was very confused at the time and asked here what here problem was and she told me that I had broken my leg and my back and if I moved then I could lose the control over my legs.
So when I saw the consultant I asked him “what now”. He told me that I had two options:
1) They operate on my back to try to fix it and if they slip up then a nerve could be cut and I will lose my legs.
2) I lie on my back for about 2 months without twisting, turning or leaning up and it will fix itself.
So, I took the latter option and spent 2 months on my back doing EVERYTHING !
My leg was scaffolded to hold it together and then once it was together it was put in plaster to heal and then when they took the plaster off, I found that I has lost my ankle (it has fused - no movement whatsoever) and it took me about 2 years to literally get back on my own feet, with the aid of crutches, lovely physio girls, the doctors and the help of my family.