Weds., 21 March, 2007, Nashville, TN USA~

Dear Journal~

G'day, mate! Tottie here. Tottie Weatherspoon from Sydney, Australia, now stuck in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Not by choice. Came here for holiday and it has been extended due to a bloody accident on the way to the hotel from the airport. Seems the cabbie fell asleep at the bloody wheel and we smashed into the side of a truck. I don't remember anything except a loud bang, searing pain, and screams before I blacked out.

I think the screams were from me.

When I awoke, I found myself in hospital, tubes in me arms and body. Smarting all over, worst pain I'd ever felt. Felt like I'd been runover  by said truck!

Also discovered I was minus a leg. Me leg had been cut nearly off when we'd hit the truck, according to my physician. Could not be saved; too much damage. Now I am a bloody amputee; am having a hard time with that. 

Also me spleen was ruptured and lots of internal injuries. Member of the sipper club; you should see me scars on me tummy! Lost a lot of blood, given several units to stabilize me.

I am still in hospital; am out of the bloody ICU, minus most of the bloody tubes (thank God!). I still have the IV in me arm, and a urinary catheter in me bladder. Bloody thing is so annoying!! GRR! I want to rip it out by the roots; did that with several of the tubes, got a rise out of the nurses when I did that, too!

I am off the heart monitor, off the breathing machine; think I am doing better; but not really. I still have no leg; can't very well get out of bed, or I will fall down right on me arse!

Have been going to physsie therapy; bloody bastards won't leave me alone. They cause me more pain, more grief, say I have to work harder when sweat is already pouring from me head! I hate physsie therapy; those therapists are terrorists!

Don't know when I'll be released from hospital, but I am missing me friends, me family in Oz. Oh, the Yanks are treating me well enough, but this isn't me home; people here talk weird, can't understand a bloody thing they say half the time!

I do have a good friend in Louie. Louie Sandusky. She has been one of me nurses; she is funny, spontaneous, ready with a smile. She is a little thing, not much bigger than me nephew Corey. Yet she is all business when it comes to her work. She was the one who suggested I keep a journal, she says I am angry.

Well, I wonder why. I lost me leg. Don't you think that would make me angry? You bet! It would make anyone angry! I am a cripple now; my life is over!

Well, I'll write in here another day.  Therapy's here for fun and torture. They been teachin' me to sit up. That's been a joy..NOT! #$%^ Tilt Table--

Cheers (but not for meeeeeeeeee...)!

~Tottie.