Thanks
Posted by: hungryhalibut on 17 December 2016
I'd very much like to thank all those Forum members who have sent me messages or wished me well following my accident at the end of August. It's been a challenging few months and the fact that people have spared the time to write to me, or post on the Forum has cheered me up no end. From a position where I was in a coma on life support and not expected to make it, I can now do most things again. I still find riding the bike a bit scary but I'm doing it, and I can walk continuously for about two hours. And just this week I've managed to run for a couple of miles. Walking has been my greatest enjoyment and I'm so lucky to live somewhere with a beautiful coastline and countryside. Because I had seizures I had to surrender my driving licence, and if I have no more I should get my licence back in the spring. Thanks to a suggestion on here I've managed to get a disabled person's bus pass, which is fantastic. I've discovered that the 700 from Emsworth stops virtually outside the Audio T in Portsmouth.
As a result of the fractured skull I have an acquired brain injury. I'm getting wonderful support from my occupational therapist, who takes delight in giving me challenging exercises to do, and in the new year I'm starting neuropsychology with a clinical psychologist. I've discovered a lot about the workings of the brain and have learned that you never really recover from an ABI, rather you find ways to cope with it as your brain finds new pathways. The challenge for me is how to process information and I find that unexpected or very complex things are very challenging and my brain literally shuts down and I can't handle them. After an hour or so the information has somehow processed and I can then have a conversation about it.
This means of course that I am still off work and it is unclear whether I'll ever be able to return. At the same time there is the legal claim against the driver to pursue which has been rather challenging as the driver's insurance company is doing everything they can to avoid admitting liability. The police have been fantastic and have visited me at home and called a few times to see how I'm getting on. Their accident report is now written and is clear that the driver was at fault, so once my solicitor has that, things should start to move forwards. It's incredible how long everything takes, and we are so lucky that we have savings and that Hilary works. Goodness knows how people without savings or a working partner cope with the loss of earnings following an accident, as it can take up to three years to settle.
So that's where we are. As my doctor friend said recently when I was moaning that I can't paint the ceiling (if I look up I get dizzy) - 'stop thinking about what you can't do and focus on what you can do, I'm surprised you are still alive and can still walk'.
Lying on the ground thinking you are going to die and then waking up and realising that you haven't is not an experience I'd recommend, but it certainly puts things in perspective. I've got so much to be thankful for; a wonderful family, great friends, a nice house and of course my stereo and nearly 3,000 albums to play. And tomorrow we are off to Vienna for a few days, which we've been really looking forward to.
Thank you very much, you've been great.
We've just got back from the most wonderful trip to Vienna. Such a lovely city and such friendly people. We had a super time and much to our surprise it was really good for veggies. The State Opera was delightful, as you'd expect, and one evening we set off on the tram to Grinzing (on the 38 tram - thanks Simon!) and had a meal in the Brandl restaurant and drank their own Grüner Veltliner, which was very good indeed. It was bloody cold on the way back though!
I thought I'd add a couple of pictures, one in the park and one of Hilary outside the State Opera after the performance. She has stood by me these past months, as she has for the last thirty years, and while it's me who gets the sympathy, it's her who has held everything together - goodness knows how.
If I've learned one thing it's that you shouldn't put things off. If you want to do something then do it, as you never know what's around the corner.
Merry Christmas to you all, and all the very best for a happy and healthy 2017.
Keep going Nigel you're doing well.
Very unfortunate about that bus stopping so close to Audio-T 
Regards,
Lindsay