Now I have to be honest here, up until December 20th, 2007, I hadn't thought much about the disability system or who did and who did not get what or why.
That is the day my life changed forever, I just didn't know it yet.
I will never forget that day, through all the pain and my partially operating body, it is still fresh in mind as if it was yesterday, I can even taste that slightly sweet it's just been raining effect the air takes on.
It was a normal day, nothing special, I was asked to do one of thousand and one things my employers asked me to do. I loved my Job, I was a Close Protection Officer, I know it sounds exiting, fine woman, fine wine, world travel, meet famous people. Okay, now you have this image of me, lets come down to earth, the real job is walking up and down hotel hallways for 12 hours, sitting in cars waiting, sitting in hotel lobbies, waiting, sitting in kitchens, waiting, standing outside famous restaurants, being ignored by famous people, because you don't exist, oh and did I mention the waiting.
This particular client was a nice easy job, I was operating as a close protection driver to a nice elderly gentleman, so I wasn't very busy, so when I wasn't with the gentleman, his company, run by his son's would get me to odd jobs, I didn't mind as it gave me something to do, did I mention the waiting.
So on this particular day, the 20th of December, 2007, was just like any other.
I was asked, by one of my employers to meet his brother, also my boss, at the first one's new house to assist in unloading a pair of Turkish Urns his brother had brought back from Spain for the new house. Of course I said it wasn't a problem and dutifully drove over to the house to await the arrival of the brother coming in from Spain in the range rover.
I guess I should give you a description of me at this point, I was 6ft, 15 stone (210 lbs, 95 kilos)
About to turn 45 but fitter than people half my age, trained in both weapons and hand to hand combat.
so I am not a small guy, my daughter used to complain I scare boyfriends away, I always thought that was a good thing. Okay, you get the idea.
When I arrived at the house I was met by the brother who instructed me to assist with the unloading of the urns, I politely suggested that we wait for his brother as those were my instructheons.
The brother then instructed me to assist immediately with the unloading.
During the 1st move everything went without incident despite the weight of the urns, (150lbs each) however during the move of the 2nd urn, the brother was twisting me and as I tried to turn with him my foot slipped on the wet driveway and I almost dropped the expensive urn. I tensed up and grabbed the urn handle to protect the employers property and place it carefully down on the ground, I didn't think about it, I just did it.
No I didn’t drop it. (Wish I had now)
I was asked by both the brother and the other brothers wife if I was okay.
I answered that I had just pulled a muscle, - how many of us have done that and that is what it felt like.
My therapy team have said it probably did, as I would have definitely pulled the muscle as well.
A couple of days later my employers went away for xmas and the I was off for 3 weeks, during which I experienced twinges of pain consistent with what I thought had happened, a pulled Muscle.
Over the first 2 weeks of January the family were in the majority away and I put in a few days here and there, to take care of all those things we do when are clients are away, prior to there return.
Upon their return in mid January I experienced increasing pain and an unexplained pain in my left arm and, like most of us, made a note to go see a doctor about it soon.
However a week later I was unable to grip properly with my left hand and took 3 days off. At this point I thought it was something to do with a table I'd recently moved.
I returned to work on the 4th day, feeling not quite perfect but as Close Protection Officer, our client’s come 1st us 2nd. My boss, the nice old man sent me home.
I went straight to the doctor this time and was signed off work for 1 month, diagnosed with a suspected nerve impingement, and was referred to an osteopath.
After a month of treatment I was not improving, I was actually getting worse. I was referred for an MRI so they could have a better look at my spine and see if there was another cause.
The damage was found to be expansive, and that I had in fact totally destroyed both the C5/C6 and C6/C7 cervical disks. (the last 2 disks in your neck before your shoulders), I had also damaged C4/C5 and C7/T1
I was then referred to a spinal consultant specialist surgeon who gave me only 2 options.
1.) Was to weld the spine, limiting my neck movement to about 1/3rd or less of normal in either direction.
2.) The 2nd option was to remove the damaged disks and replace them with a new technology based on hip replacements, the technology was less than 2 years old but they had proved to be quite successful.
Well it doesn’t take a genius to figure out which option I took.
The surgery went well at 1st and the I was happy that the new technology seemed to be working. However this was to be short lived, new technology doesn’t always work.
I am left being unable to turn my head to the left at all, my left arm will not rotate from the shoulder, I have severe nerve damage to the Ulna Nerve caused by the prolapsed disks which effects the use of the left hand and I am required to wear a wrist brace to stop the nerve being aggravated. My fingers on my Left hand work when they feel like it, except the thumb and fore finger, luckily the radial nerve is OK. I cannot go out without my arm in a sling as my shoulder can no longer hold the weight of my own arm.
The nerve damage effects both my arm and my neck and I am in constant never ending pain, ranging from a good 3 to 4, to a totally debilitating 9 to 10.
If I try to go for a walk it has to be in short bits and if it is longer than 800 meters, then forget it, the pain in my neck caused by the damaged nerve will quickly go from 1 to 9. A bit like this, 100 m = 2, 200 m = 3, 300 m = 4, you get the idea!
So here I sit, in pain, like most of us, trying to live with an accident that changed my life for ever. It can happen to anyone, in less than 10 seconds. I know, it has happened to me.
Instead of being supported by my government and community, I am made to feel like a cheat and a liar. Questioned at every turn despite the medical evidence to prove the point, oh and the 2 pieces of titanium in my neck are a bit of a give away. I am about to go through my 3rd, yes THIRD, appeal in 4 years.
With regret I have to say at this point that we don’t know the outcome, because this story has yet to end, I have the feeling it is just starting.
No comments:
Post a Comment