Hi Everyone. I wouldn’t normally dream of posting on here but for some reason felt I wanted to LOL.
I know my hubby (suzukisi) has put a thread on here today about giving up road biking and sticking to track days. To a lot of you I know that must seem really strange and something you could probably never contemplate doing, but it’s been good to see how many of you have expressed your respect for his decision.
Obviously, Si’s accident in 2002 has had an impact on his enjoyment of biking but not enough to stop him ever getting on a bike again! In fact, the first thing he wrote when they reduced his sedation in Intensive Care (couldn’t actually speak as had a tracheostomy tube down his throat!) was… “Hows my bike? Is it gone?” Charming I thought! Where’s your expression of undying love that they always declare when they come out of a coma in the films?! Lol
Si’s recovery was a very long and painful process. Not only physically but mentally and emotionally. We knew his body would heal eventually but, when you’re told someone has brain injuries, you are left from that moment on wondering how much of a recovery they will make. When someone is brain injured, after the initial euphoria of them actually surviving, you then struggle to recognise the person they’ve become. He went to a brain injury rehab unit and that was the most fantastic place and somewhere that I still feel we owe so much to. They helped me as much as they did Si and gave me a good understanding of what lay ahead. By the time Si left there he was able to be independent although still needing a lot of support.
What no one can prepare you for is the way an accident such as his impacts on the whole family. Not only was I living with a person who I didn’t actually “know” anymore, but all the children were left with a father they didn’t “recognise” either. He was a totally different person with a different personality and they all found it very difficult.
It has been a very hard struggle at times and (this sounds mushy – be warned!) I had to fall in love with a “new man”. I had fallen in love with a strong, confident, reliable man but here I was with a man with a crushed ankle, no sense of humour, no self-confidence and unable to make decisions or remember where he was half the time. We are now six years on and, although he has recovered considerably since then, he still struggles with decisions and has memory problems and will never be the man I first fell in love with. However, I actually grew to love the guy he has become and, as you know, we got married in September.
The hardest part for Si to get his head around has been not being able to remember what happened that day. (He actually has no recollection of the 2 weeks prior to the accident or for about 2-3 months afterwards either!). All we were told is that he wasn’t speeding, the driver admitted he had seen him coming, but thought he had enough time to pull out!! Nothing happened to him… the police family liaison officer actually admitted to me that, as it wasn’t a fatal accident, they didn’t do a full investigation as they didn’t have the resources and the only way to look at it was “accidents happen”! To say I wasn’t impressed is an understatement but I’ve learnt to let it go. Simon, on the other hand, still feels very bitter about it as he feels his life was taken away by this idiot and it plays a part in his not enjoying biking on the road anymore. I can’t say I’m unhappy with his decision because I know he hasn’t felt as confident on the road like he used to. However, if he said he was giving up biking completely, then I wouldn’t be so sure. Yeah, it scares the hell out of me every time he goes out on track, but that’s who he is. He might not be out on the roads anymore, but he is still a biker and that will always be a part of him, and is possibly the only “original” part that has stayed intact!
Well, if you haven’t died of boredom by now, I apologise for rambling on. Enjoy your bikes, stay safe and if you ever see us at Brands or if we ever venture up to the BMM together, please come and say hello!
Sue x
