A little embarrassing

Very cold this morning but decided to use the bike to go to church. Got up to North Road and closed the choke. Bad idea. the bike stalled and I was not quick enough in getting my foot down and the bike and myself ended in a rather untidy heap. No major damage, just broken mirror and bent brake lever and a scratch on my leg where I tried to pick the bike up. I must say thank you to the young lady who came and helped me lift the bike up and the driver of the Shell tanker who came over to make sure I was OK. It goes to show no matter how short the journey ALWAYS wear safety gear.

Health Update

If you have read any of my posts you will be aware I have had my fair share of hospital visits. One of the things I found helped me recovering was not only the excellent medical treatment, but the wealth of information posted on the internet by normal people giving their story, so if you are reading this while sitting in hospital and wondering what the future holds I hope it helps.

In March 2010 I was involved in a motorcycle accident which resulted in my ankle being fractured in three places. You can read about my progress in earlier posts. So, what is life like two years on?  I have full movement in it and do everything I could do before. However, I do suffer with a far bit of pain and stiffness. This seems to be mainly in the morning or after long periods sitting. It is also affected by changes in the weather or should I say changes in pressure. There is a large amount of metal still supporting the leg so that of course may be causing some discomfort.

December 2011 was probably the worst point of mine and my family's  life, when after an ear infection I became extremely ill with Viral Meningitis. This illness does everything it says on the tin, and more, it was the actions of my Wife and our Doctor that saved my life. I and my family knew nothing about it, so the information on the Meningitis UK and Meningitis Trust web sites was a real comfort. So how am I getting on after six months? This illness has really left it's mark on both me and my wife. We both look at life in a different light and realise you really do not know what tomorrow brings. The medical effects at present are headaches, which have reduced over time, stiff neck and tiredness. These of course could just be down to my age. The most worrying aspect though is memory problems. This shows as short term memory loss and lack of concentration. Again both these could be down to other factors. However, not withstanding these the main thing is that I survived and am leading a pretty normal life.

One year on

Today is the 17th March. This marks an important milestone for me. It is one year since I had my motorcycle accident which left me with a badly broken ankle. The last year has been a roller-coaster. This time last year I was told that I may not walk for six months and work for twelve. However I was back driving within three, maybe  the staff didn't wish to raise my hopes, or perhaps thought it would make me more determined to get well. Whichever it was the result was the same. So how is the ankle now? Not too bad but still aches in the morning and I still get days of pain, but these are minor when you consider I can now walk and drive without any problems. I now have the option of having the metal work removed. However, I think 'if it is not broken' rule applies perfectly here.

Three Month update

Ok, it is now three months since the motorcycle accident. Pretty much back to normal now able to walk without much of a limp and over any ground. The only problem I have is some swelling and some pain. The pain is not too bad and easily controlled with Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. I thought I was working today and tomorrow but appears I got it wrong. Will have to double check my duties to make sure I turn up at the correct times! So for the first time in a long time things seem to be going my way. ankle