I always have an 'Anniversary Party'

[Flumptious]

I've just been reading a load of the blog posts here, which really made me feel lucky. I am pleased this site has been opened!

I just thought I'd share this: my accident (falling off my bicycle, in France) happened on the 20th July 2005. Now on the 20th July every year, I book a day's holiday from work, and I go through to the rehab. hospital in Woking, where I spent 6 or 7 months in 2005-6. I wasn't sent there until quite a while after my accident. I was in France, and then in an intensive care unit back here. But I was in the rehab. unit when I 'came back to myself'. It took quite a while, of course, and I spent a long time there having no idea why it was that I was in a hospital. OK, I knew I needed to be in a hospital, as I couldn't walk, and I had to wear a patch over one eye, because my eyesight was doubled. But *why* was I like that?

Anyway, I now go back on my 'anniversary' every year, to say 'Thank you!" to the lovely medical staff. I know I didn't go there until a while after the accident, but still, it means more to me than the hospitals that had earlier helped save my life. I am including a photo of my visit in July this year. I am the one in red. Of course, everyone else is clearly medical staff! Some lovely nurses, a doctor, a physiotherapist... I love going in to see them, and I think they enjoy it, seeing 'a survivor' come back.

Next year, my anniversary will be on a Saturday, so I said that I will take my daughters in with me. The lovely receptionist said "Oh, yes, if you remind me, I will come in specially. It would be wonderful to see how big those little girls are now!". Catherine was a baby, and Lizzie was a toddler. They are both so big, now!

Anyway, I just thought I'd tell you about my 'anniversary party', every year.

[ncmurphy1951]

well done you indeed i take every oportunity as possible to visit and say thank you to all the staff at the wellington who took such good and patient care of me i probably won't have the opportunity to visit the university hospital alicante to give my thanks - it was there i was operated on by annually on the 13 dec i do raiuse a glass with friends viusit church to say a prayer and i will do for every year i am allowed to neil murphy

[Jigsaw]

Hi

I think that is a lovely idea! I visited my hospital 6 months after my op - it was lovely seeing them again, very emotional too. x

[lisa85]

Hi I love that you go back to the hospital every year to pay a visit to all the staff who helped you when you came back to the uk. Every year on my accident date I have a 'Birthday Party' 27th January this year I turned 7. As I have no memory of the first 20 years of my life so I started my life again, I see myself as two people 'Lisa 1 before my accident & Lisa 2 now', when ever I speak to anyone and they ask about me I say to them do you mean Lisa 1 or Lisa 2? And they always look at me as if to say what are you talking about and it always makes me laugh.

xxx

[Flumptious]

Really? Twenty years? I am 'only' missing a few. Thankfully, I knew my husband and our toddler, I just didn't remember that that cute little baby was ours. I love her to pieces, now, but I still don't have any memory of her being less than one. Did you still know how to read and everything, and remember your family? Sorry, I'm just nosy!

[2012gee]

We celebrate our son,s new life every year the whole family get together and it will be six years next week, We don't go back to the hospital as it was in Oman and then Birmingham. but we do send a card to thank everyone who helped save and all the re-hab team in Surrey

[SpirallingUp]

We celebrate with a big family meal and party every year. We always send flowers and cake to the NCCU x