Barry O'Connell

Thank God for SIA, is how I shall open this experience article.

Why until the start of this year 9 months ago, I was totally and utterly unaware of this so wonderful organisation, and it's team of wonderful listeners and helpers. Yes, listeners they listen with great intent on every word you speak, and then make you feel your not alone nor spoken to other than as a human being, that not condescending voice or one voice that appears to show a person looking a clock and thinking is it near my going home time?

Yes I can not ever speak more highly of this truly wonderful body and it's staff!

I say broke my back on 13th March 2005, when I hit the deck (excuse my forces lingo) drive, knew that all was wrong, but my forces mode kicked in, in other words 'old son you in trouble big time'. So thinking I was in some foreign field in conflict, I crawled behind my confer bush, that will give me cover my mind thought. Funny my mind never knew it was a quite Sunday in Clacton-On-Sea, and nobody was about to take shot at me.

Well, after a few moments I thought god how do I breathe and think old son do not let shock take over. Dam where was my Morphine vessel they used to give us. O yes I better move so I rose very steadily, how I did not break my teeth or jaw as I gritted them as I rose I will never know? A shout come over the fence by the old boy at the back of my property, "here you just fallen off your ladder" and with that went indoors, god how I love British sense of humour!!! then my neighbour at the rear of my home come out and asked "are you all right" god how my normally very blue lingo works when I do stupid things I do not know, I guess I was still smiling at the last remark.

So I went indoors so as not to worry my wife a bit I just said 'I think I pulled my back a bit" as I sat on my bed gingerly. She rushed to get a tube of deep heat and off with my shirt (I must admit I was worried in case she thought I might fill in the mood for love ripping off my shirt so quickly).

Well, after a few moments I said in whisper 'god I think it is worse than I thought I think we better go to hospital." So feeling a total utter dipstick, I drove to my local hospital, this hospital has no major A&E though we have over head of us all of London's aircraft stacking up. So the woman at the desk asked in most pleasant British way do I want a seat??

So after they unlocked the X-Ray department, I seem to have then got a lot more staff and then it seem to go mad, what had I done, I could not ask as thing were being shoved into me neck brace and head brace, being put in place. Then a medic from the ambulance service telling me had I been in a helicopter before god had she any idea how many times I spent in them?

So we went by road to my local airfield or Clacton Airport as we call it, about 1/4 mile away with all thing's going woooo wo so slowly in route. Then up a dirt track I felt I was meeting the flying doctor, transfer over to the chopper. I heard the words Stoke Manderville mention, then suddenly as like the British weather it change to Colchester, my poor wife missed out on the trip. She got another chance later, when things fitted to me went very badly wrong.

Well, on arrival I was told 'you've been so good not one word or groan'. What did they think? I was not about to give birth? So in to major A&E and then a top specialist told me after he spoke to me and asked how I felt about what I had done, only to be told by me I had no clue as no one had told me what had happen to me. He told the news of the damage and the fact he would not operate as it was far too dangerous.

Then I was whisked off to my ward in which I enter the world of Monty Python: to read and hear what happened in this hospital is a tonic to any one in a black or foul mood - it was sheer horror show.

So I hope my story does show to all not only disabled but to others who read this wonder paper who are lucky enough to not ever have the problem in the way I have had. Have I lost my smile? Never! Have I lost my humour? Never! Why? Because they, meaning those who treated me in the first place, were paid a kings ransom to look after my good being and welfare, yet they took it upon them selves to make things worse for me, so the best policy to treat that fact is to smile and have a twinkle in your eye at all times.