Coming of age

25 March 2012

Last Sunday on our way driving from Corryong, Victoria to Wollongong, New South Wales, I got a text message from my new neurosurgeon that I did not need to wear the neck brace anymore. It was like coming of age 成年 when all of a sudden one is given free rein 脫韁. While welcoming the freedom and independence, one is unsure of what the future may hold, having to farewell the usual support and protection.

Ifelt dizzy and tired easily without the brace. However, this was a critical and hopefully final step to my independence and I embraced 擁抱this freedom with optimism 樂觀. I still could not turn my head but hoped I would be able to drive again soon.

This trip was a trip for my husband ’s match rifle competition. After the competition, we continued our journey to New South Wales and had dinner with Grace on 19 March. I had not seen her for almost 5 months since I left the Royal Hobart Hospital. Grace told us the good news that her neurosurgeon confirmed that the bone in her cervical spine 頸椎 had healed and that she has a “new neck”. Shewould soon start physio for her neck.

While in New South Wales, we stayed at friends' place.  They went to the dinner with us. Before dinner, we did some Chinese grocery shopping in Hurstville. There I also had a haircut. In the salon, that was the first time in 5 months I saw my neck and chin in the mirror. The person in the mirror looked strange, like a statue with no neck movement and a bronze head on a marble body.  Covered under the brace for 5 months, my skin looked very pale.