Diary Chapter 4

By the second week, they were allowing me to go to the loo with only a single companion. Each day, they commented on how much more quickly I walked and attributed this to gym. At some stage during the second week, they decided that I was pretty fine to leave. Sandy on the other hand, had fairly significant brain damage, which especially affected his right eye. He had constant double vision, and he always had to cover an eye in order to see. He was still playing games with the medical staff though.

Early in the New Year, Stef and Chris hired a car to drive to Whyalla and check out the accident site. The photos they took are horrendous. Apparently on the way to Whyalla, a road train had been overturned by the wind, just like us. When they got there, some of our stuff was missing! It must have been stolen from the police tape area or compound.

I was gutted and between them Mum and Sandy tried to help me. Mum bought phone card after phone card so I could check account balances. Sandy had phone numbers and the details of his own accounts. I spent around 2 hours on the phone, wracking my brains for the details of our accounts. What was the s.1, s.1.1, s.2, s.3 etc. When had we used them last? Had anyone stolen from them?

In the end I cancelled everything. I thought some money had been stolen, but I also knew we had transferred some. I told Mum and Stef that I thought money was stolen but couldn't be certain. By the next morning I had slept on it and thought about it and realized I was wrong. Our last transaction was for about $190 in Port Augusta. Everything else was just an internal move. The next morning, I rang the banks for balances again and was very happy with the information I received.

Saara was a blooming hero during this time. She cuddles Nina at night and loved her and listened to her. I think they bonded during this period in a way they probably have never done before. In fact, all three of the children did the same thing. It was lovely to see Saara and Chris re-establish their sibling relationship. I think Saara finally realized that Chris is quiet and he sometimes seems aloof but that is because he keeps his thoughts and feelings (which are very deep) to himself. This is because he doesn't want to burden anyone with them and he doesn't want to indulge them. I love them all very much- I have raised 3 complete individuals!

Chris went home for New Year's Eve and I am so glad he did. The world did not just end because we had been injured. Also, we would recover and he would never be 22 again! He asked me whether I understood that he could go home and still love us. Of course I could, and I encouraged him to go.

The family tried to keep the week full while we healed. They went to the Zoo and Botanic Gardens. The children were mostly kept out of our way, poor babies. They watched TV in the waiting room. Eventually Jo, Damien, and the girls left. I was glad for Jo that that they did. The strain of caring for us while fulfilling their family responsibilities must have been enormous. Jo and Damien stayed at a hotel in North Adelaide. Mum and everyone else stayed in a kind of boarding house near the Adelaide Children's Hospital- OK but pretty dull I bet.

Dad left for Melbourne before Jo, but I do not remember when. It was before my parents' their wedding anniversary though. He took care of the garden, fielded phone calls and took care of home stuff, while Mum stayed in Adelaide. By the end of the first week or so in Adelaide, we were down to Mum, Stef, Nina, Saara and Chris.

Most of the scabs on my left arm were down and my resemblance to a sausage had lessened a bit. I looked in the mirror and I was so ugly. But Sandy still behaved as if I was cute and at least I had that!