14th October; a day that is marked in many ways.
My name is Rachel, I am 30 years old from Dublin Ireland. 3 years ago, I was on the trip of a lifetime, loving life care free. I spent 4 and a half months travelling South America and then made a big move to Australia with a group of friends. We honestly had the best time, towards the end of my year in Australia, to stay on for a 2nd year and obtain a visa you need to do regional work on the farms for a 3 month period. I was so lucky, I ended up being on a great farm, the farmers where so good to me, I made some amazing friends and believe it or not was really enjoying life on the farm. With about 10 days left of farm work to go, on October 14th everything changed. I was driving an ATV Buggy on the farm grounds, I rounded a corner at a moderate speed, when I hit a patch of unsettled ground which caused me to loose control, I over stirred the Buggy and it flipped, throwing me from it. I landed on the ground arms stretched out and the buggy landed on my left arm, It burst my arm open and toppled over. I was blessed it hit my arm and not my head. I sat in the field of the farm, looking at my bones handing and broken from my arm and half my skin gone from my lower arm. I did not pass out – but my first though was my mam is going to be so worried. My friends on the farm rallied round, as did the farmer to my aid while we waiting on the ambulance, I was conscious the entire time. I remember asking the farmer to “promise me, I was not going to loose my arm” I ended up compound fracture to my arm, and severed my radial nerve. I spent a month in hospital in Australia, where I under went 5 surgeries, 1 blood transfusion, I ended up needing skin graph surgery & was now also somewhat paralyzed in my left hand as a result of severing my radial nerve. Eventually I got to go home to Ireland, where I spent a year recovering and focusing on my arm & my mind. Everything was different now I attended Physio every week to regain the bend in my arm and was awaiting further surgery for my hand. I had a tendon transfer a year later and about 4 months after this my hand recovered more then they ever thought it would. 3 years on, I have adapted to life being somewhat different with my hand and arm function. My scarring is something that troubles me deeply as its something that will never go away. My arm is the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night, my biggest regret is ever driving the buggy. I tell myself I am sorry at least once a day. I tell my family how sorry I am too. My care free life is very different now, I spend my normal day filled with anxiety and fear of what might happen. 14th of October is a day that is marked for me, I am now marked physically & mentally from it.
