The day everything changed
by Anonymous
What happened?
My partner was in a road accident on the way home from work. One phone call, and by the evening we were living in a hospital corridor. The injuries meant months of rehab, and a lot of things we'd taken for granted were suddenly gone.
What was the hardest part?
Not knowing. For weeks nobody could tell us what 'normal' would look like. I kept trying to plan and there was nothing to plan around.
What actually helped?
A friend who stopped asking what she could do and just turned up on Thursdays with food. And writing things down at night so my head would let me sleep.
What didn't help?
People telling me everything happens for a reason. And reading every forum post at 3am.
What do you know now that you wish you'd known then?
That it's okay to not cope well. I thought I had to be the strong one every minute. Nobody can do that.
What happened next?
Life is different. Some of it is harder, and I still miss how things were. But we laugh again, properly, and I didn't think we would. It's a different life, and some days it's a good one.