18 months on
Well – June 20th 2025 marked 18 months since the bump on the bike. There is little humour in this post – it’s a bit like the way I like my coffee – dark and bitter
Life is significantly different than it was – many things I used to enjoy pre-bump are just memories – martial arts, motorcycles, country walks, still can’t play my guitar (although there are those who would argue that I couldn’t before the accident either). The right wrist is still very stiff and uncomfortable/painful. General discomfort is commonplace and pain is not infrequent – although I believe somebody famous once said ‘Life is suffering‘.
Still dependent on the chair quite a bit and can’t walk at all without crutches, although practicing frequently with walking sticks too, and lately – several steps with just the one – stick, not leg (although that’s the case, too). Also still dependent on my support circle – (but don’t tell them that). Atmosphere at work is dark and brooding, cars suck and progress is slow (although still progress… so, yay.!).
Have an op on 4th Aug to remove the last of the metalwork from my left arm and late Aug back down to sunny Oxford for another look at the femur. Thought the next Oxford trip was just another review but apparently they’re planning on some work – bone grafts or titanium… who knows.?
But it’s not all doom and gloom. I refuse to let this beat me down. I’m spending a lot more time in an upright position now. The femur is still pretty messed up (not surprisingly) but I believe one of my consultants is going to go poking around in there to assess viability for bone grafts very soon – failing that we’re going to go down the titanium engineering route. I’ve been fortunate in that the metalwork installed by the trauma team has held up remarkably well to the punishment I’ve been giving it by loading the femur (walking and exercise). Lopping a bit more off the bottom to give more prosthetic options is still a possibility – as is the risk of having to go above knee. But, what the hell, here I am still being awesome.
36 Months On (Predicted)
Had a good chat with my AI and asked it to generate an image of how I might look in another 18 months. Best case scenario – on account of my generally optimistic nature. Based on what it knows about me from before the accident, how I’ve been pushing myself post accident and a collection of images of me on my bikes. I prefer this to the photorealistic one…
If I can get to this point then I too will be smiling like this, especially as it also seems to have taken 15 years off me.
It obviously didn’t understand the worst case scenario request either – just kept producing images of a patch of lovely grass.?
On a more realistic note – I’m seriously considering something like this bad boy below (Rewaco Trike – Automatic RF1 GT TURBO) – as an interim measure. Turbo-charged Mitsubishi engine, 7 speed box, and love that red-to-black paintwork. This is my configured version.
Never really got the trike thing before – the worst of both worlds: exposed to the elements, cold, wet (well, this is the UK) AND stuck in traffic while still experiencing the cold and wet – I miss the traffic parting like the Red Sea before Moses as I filtered up the M61 to Manchester.
But now I see it – at least I’ll still be experiencing the journey… first world problems maybe, but I don’t like the Merc (bland and uninspired) and not keen on the Q5 (big beast though it is)… I just feel too insulated and trapped in a car – maybe not the right words to describe it. Click it for a better view…
