A Second Chance

A message from James Poole – 1 December 2010 (Bulletin No.13)

Right, it's James here – signing in for the first time and obviously pretty excited to be still alive - hooray! I’ve Just read the preceding diary entries, so the bar is high.

My memory is a bit shabby. I’ve totally forgotten my accident and 5 subsequent weeks as well as (amusingly) the week or so beforehand. The reason that this is amusing is that I badgered my brother and girlfriend to come round, on the Saturday before my paragliding debacle to watch the Ironman (triathlon) World Championships in Hawaii on the internet. Of course 9 hours watching TV isn't that exciting and they both fell asleep - with me, sad as it sounds, glued to the action. Well anyway, our (British) girl Chrissie Wellington, the two times defending champion wasn't racing because she was ill (big shock, because she was expected to win the race). But it was a full 7 weeks after the triathlon that my brother told me this and it registered in my head!

I have also been reminded by a couple of colleagues I worked with at Cooper Gay that I spent the week before my accident nicking a bit of their business in Qatar off them. They were very gracious during their recent visit I might add.

So it's memory, my walking, talking and my eyesight that the head injury is affecting. I really wouldn't recommend a head injury if you can possibly avoid it. It's pretty frustrating, trust me. I also get a bit emotional. I feel as if I am in two places, one – glad to be alive, determined to get better and pleased with how my recovery is going, and a second which is at times despondent and frustrated. This is a pretty negative place. I simply want to be better but recognise that there are going to be highs and lows, they're just unavoidable.

Physically I'm doing well considering the state I was in: broken neck, 10 broken ribs and a broken collarbone. I'm over the moon with the way everything is healing. I went for a 100 metre walk on day 1 out of hospital and 1km on day 4. I was so pleased and felt like I'd broken my personal best for the marathon - amazing! I'm clearly going to have to re-think my ideas about exercising, or at least the measures because my training log for the week leading up to my accident includes a session that says: "25 miles at average pace, ok run". I'm now in a different world.

I’m getting a second chance – in this new world and I'm hugely appreciative of the support that my family and girlfriend have/are giving me through the recovery phase. I've been let out of hospital on the basis that an adult oversees me, so my Mum is working from my home (not the Lakes) during the daytime and my girlfriend looks after me overnight. I'm hugely thankful for this - I'm just so pleased to be out of hospital.

I'd also like to thank all my friends who have visited me – in Newcastle and in London. Having people over is something I look forward to, enjoy when it happens and remember afterwards. This is improving my life and I'm sure it's speeding up my recovery. Thanks also to everyone who has been thinking of me - I really appreciate your support.