How do you survive against the odds?
In my case it was by the skill and prompt action of the air ambulance and the NHS. Two and a half years ago I was cycling to work as normal when a car pulled onto a roundabout and caught my back wheel. I was thrown through the air and landed on my back, but my head kept going and slammed into the road, knocking me out. I was airlifted to St Georges and was in a coma for nearly a fortnight, whilst surgeons reacted to the severe brain trauma (by removing part of my skull to give my brain room to swell). When it was time to revive me they had problems getting me out of the coma. It got to the point where a family conference was called, explained that I looked like a hopeless case and if I didn't come round by Monday they were switching the life support off. This was accompanied with scans showing how my brain had been sheared by a significant rotational force, such that the symmetry between the right and left hemispheres had been wrecked. It was shear luck that over the weekend I began to show signs of consciousness. My head followed a nurse walking around my bed, and when another nurse held my hand I responded with a squeeze. From then on it was a case of remarkable recovery, and after seven weeks in hospital, a follow-up operation to put a metal plate in my head, and a few weeks recuperation time I was just about back to normal (took three months to regain the lost weight). I am extremely lucky that despite the brain damage I don't have any life-debilitating consequences, and because I personally did not see the accident, I have no flashbacks or nightmares, because I have no concept of being hit, it was a case of cycling along, BANG, knocked out.
The driver was charged with careless driving and received a fine and penalty points.
One of the things I remember from my stay in hospital was the huge support I received from family, friends and colleagues. I tend to live a quiet life and am reserved by nature (i,e, not very social or talkative), so have thought of myself as someone who exists in the background and is easily forgotten. That incident made me realize that even though I have few close relationships outside my family, there are still a lot of people who care about me, it was very touching.