Monday 13 August 2012

The day my life changed forever

It was a normal Monday morning, I had just finished my usual routine of walking my dogs, then getting dressed for my bike ride to work. As I pushed my cycle out of my driveway I said my 'good morning' to my neighbour, popped my head phones on and began listening to Terry Pratchett's Discworld book.
The morning was clear and not too cold, and I was quiet relaxed cycling down Manchester Road in Bradford.  It was only this year that i had picked up the nerve to drive on the road as i had found traffic always came a bit too close for comfort. But i stuck to the cycle lanes and if the road looked a bit too busy i always nipped onto the pavement.

As i was concentrating on the road ahead i didn't pay much attention to the traffic at the side of me. I carried on cycling when i heared a clicking sound, like the sound your cycle makes if you put a playing card under the tyre as a kid to make it sound like it had an engine.

The sound started to get more repetitive so i looked to my right and my vision was filled with a wall of white. (the side of the arctic truck) It was inches from my face.

What happened next took only seconds, there was a blur, i felt myself flung backwards. There was a sensation like a tight ring was wrapped around the top of my left leg and travelled quickly down to my ankle.
Then i hit the floor on my back. I was still wearing my yellow high vis ruck sack with my lunch box and other bits in and landed with my back arched.

(Just a warning what i am about to describe is really graphic) As i lay there i knew something was wrong with my left leg, and i went to grab it with my left hand, and my hand went right through my thigh bone and came out the other side. My Lycra legging had been ripped off and all i could see from the top of my thigh to my knee was a red bloody mess. Then with horror i saw from my knee down there wasn't anything just a flob of tissue that hung down like a rag. That's when the pain rushed in, and all i could do was tilt my head back and scream. Breath in and scream, breath in and scream.

Then there was movement, from my right two ladies, Alison McAuliffe and Natasha Copeman had stopped their car. Even though what they had seen must have been horrific Natasha told me to hold her hand whilst Alison called an ambulance. All the while all i could do was breath in and scream out.
Next to my left came a work man in an orange suit. He knelt over me and told me to 'let go of your leg sweet heart and hold on to me, you scream as much as you want, just hold on to me.'

All i wanted was the pain to stop and managed to say between screams 'knock me out, please knock me out!' I couldn't understand why i hadn't blacked out. The workman kept saying 'your going to be all right, the ambulance is coming, i cant knock you out sweet heart, you are being very brave.'

What seemed like hours was only minutes when i could hear the sirens of the ambulance behind me. Then i was suddenly surrounded by medics. The work man began to stand up and i managed to say 'dont leave me'.  it was then that i noticed my hands were covered in blood and had stained his orange jacket leaving bloody hand prints. He said  'i have to stand back so these people can do their job, but i wont leave you I'm right here'.

I then began to scream again and the medics did their best to try to ask me my name and address. i managed to say 'Sue' but couldn't say anymore. They then began to cut up my high vis top, up each arm and up my chest. 'i managed to cry 'KNOCK ME OUT, GOD PLEASE KNOCK ME OUT!'.
One lady said calmly 'we are going to love, your going to be alright'.

Whilst they began sticking needles and tubes in my arms i noticed between the legs of one medic stood over me my right foot. It felt sore so i managed to flick off my shoe, my Lycra leggings were still intact on that side. It was then that i also noticed the back end of the large arctic truck that had collided with me, then that's all i remember.



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