Impact

Obviously there is the impact of the collision with unyielding metal on my head. I'm waking up with an awful headache every morning. Being vertical does seem to make it recede eventually. Yesterday I had two episodes of flashing lights which are usually the precursor to a migraine. My shoulder is still painful & really limits what I can do. I'm trying not to take too many pain killers, but can only get some sleep at night if I do.

The other impact is on my life. Now, after almost a week, I am really fed up with being confined to the house seeing no one. Normally my life is quite busy. I swim 4 or 5 times a week & usually see friends at the pool. I volunteer at the community centre once or twice a week. I'm a volunteer usher at the theatre most weeks. I am doing a Psychology course in a group. I normally go out of the house at least once every day & would usually meet people I know. I need to go into Oxford to do a couple of things, but don't feel fit enough to face that yet.

If I am ill or have hurt myself, although it's not necessarily my fault, I can accept it. I am, after all, used to years of coping with chronic conditions & pain. This is different. This has happened to me through no fault of my own, but because someone else did something thoughtless or even negligent which put pedestrians at risk. I still don't understand why I didn't see the cycle rack - was I distracted by something? I know I tend to look down at the pavement when I'm walking because the pavements in Oxford are so full of pitfalls for pedestrians & I don't want to trip up - How ironic is that?

The big consolation is my friends who have read my Blog. So many have emailed or phoned to commiserate & see how I am. Without exception they have encouraged me to take this further, either report it to the police or get legal advice or both. Their support is wonderful & much appreciated.

So some good does come out of adversity.