Dear me...
Vicky sustained catastrophic injuries in a motorbike crash. She spent months recovering from serious injuries to her leg, becoming dependant on her family, including her 12-year-old daughter. The biggest challenge was the emotional impact on her mental health, feeling depressed, ashamed and embarrassed. As a Day One volunteer and fundraiser, she is now making sure others like her are
never alone during their recovery.
Dear Vicky,
I now right now you are frightened. I know right now you are angry. I know right now you don’t feel there is any value in whatever your future may hold. I now right now you believe you can never achieve your dreams. I know right now you think you will be a burden. And I know right now you can not understand how people will still want and love you.
I’m here to tell you that it is OK to feel those things. It is OK to question what the future holds.
You will dream again and you will achieve everything you ever hoped for, and more. Nothing is over!! It will take work, grit and determination, but you will get there!
You will feel loved to unfathomable depths from your friends and family. You are going to need to let them in. you are going to have to be vulnerable. But bit by bit you will heal.
Make no doubt about it.
The knitting of the bones and the formation of the ligaments will be painful. But that will be the quickest and easiest part to mend.
To heal – wow, now I’m not sure we will ever 100% heal. Now, don’t be disheartened by that. Life won’t ever be the same again. But that doesn’t mean the future is going to be less.
It will be different – you are going to have to be kind to yourself. But, lets face it, the energy, determination and refusal to be told you are less or not able are going to be the key weapons in your armoury.
You will get through this. You will do all you ever dreamed of and more. Nothing is over!!
Your relationship with your family will be better than ever before. But above all this, know you are worthwhile. All the amazing things you were before, you still will be. Just with a story to tell and the ability and opportunity to help others. Buckle up kidda, it’s going to be a bumpy ride – but who wants plain sailing?! That’s all a bit too tame right?
The highs will sometimes be hard to find, but there will be more than you realise. Look for them and appreciate every step forward, no matter how small. This is a marathon of indeterminable length.
Be patient (I know we find that hard) and when you are finding it hard, breathe and look at how far you have come.
Don’t compare yourself to old Vicky – that won’t help – you don’t have those same abilities. In time you will find peace with that – honestly you will.
This is a chance to explore who you are now and what you can do.
You are formidable. You are capable. You are worthwhile.
Remember that always.
You’ve got this!
From Vicky
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