Another Chance at Life, Why Waste It?

Part One of an Interview with Fellow TBI Recoverer, Johanna O’Connor – Her Accident, Recovery and Overall Attitude

Johanna, can you start by telling us about your accident?

Ok, my accident:
I was a 20 year old university student and most of my friends were starting to turn 21. The first of my friends to have his 21st party was a good mate from high school. On 9 August, 2003, Jared, my boyfriend, and I went down to Hamilton for the party. We arrived about 3pm and headed out for a walk down River Road……

My next memory is my mother asking me if I wanted to put my running shoes on, as they had finally found the second shoe. This was on the 20th of August; I had been in an induced coma for 10 days and suffered multiple injuries.

Both Jared and I had been out walking; but, when I woke, I was the only one still alive. We had been hit by a car that swerved off the road and ran into us on the footpath.

Jared had been declared brain dead and was held on life support till his sister arrived back from Scotland. On the 11th August, the life support was turned off. His funeral was held on the 15th August, so I had missed this and still can not bring myself to watch the video of it.

Starting at the bottom of the body up, I dislocated my left knee and lost all the ligaments and cartilage in both knees, fractured my right hand and shoulder, dislocated my right shoulder, and I completely smashed a plate in my face (this is what nearly killed me). I also suffered from intense bleeding on the brain - leaving me with a very bad head injury. For the first 5 days out of my coma, I had no control and no recollection of anything that happened. As my family later explained to me, I was extremely honest and a wee bit crazy (in a funny way).

I was in hospital for three weeks. This was a very short time considering I was to be in the hospital for up to 6 months. My Mum is a nurse and could take care of me, plus I was determined to go home. It helped that I had amazing support from my friends and extended family. I think I ended up with over 100 soft toys and over 100 bunches of flowers. It was amazing!

I guess we should all be so amazed you even managed to survive. Yet you've astounded everyone by performing incredibly well at your sport. We’ll talk more about that in a moment, but can you tell us now about what guided you, overall, in your recovery?

With my head injury, my intolerance and stubbornness came out in a big way. I could not tolerate sitting on the couch, something I have never been used to. I felt as though I was wasting my life away, I had been given another chance at life, why waste it? I had always been a sporty, outdoors sort of person who would try and achieve everything I could. This was the only way I knew how to live.

Most normally, recoveries are about downs as well as ups. What are your regrets? God willing, it won't happen, but what would you do differently if you had your recovery again?

This is a very hard question, regrets..... I don't have any really. I have learned to live without regrets. If I am to look back on my life if I didn't make those mistakes I would not be the person I am today.

There are things, though, that I wish I could have done differently, but I would not call them regrets. I wish I had more control over my head injury and could tolerate things, especially my friends and family.
But I figured out it is always those that care about you the most that will take the time to understand what you are going through and will support you through it all.

The other thing I may change, is how far I pushed myself some days, but in saying that if I didn't push myself that far would I have gotten as far as I have today or got there as quickly I did?? I had to learn my limits and I guess I always tried to exceed them. Some days I would get a little further some days I would not.

You've already done so much amazing stuff already! Where will your recovery take you next?

Where will it take me...... I don't know, I wish to start my own business sometime soon. I want to travel the world (I'm half way there). There are so many things I want to do, I don't think my short life will allow me to achieve everything this world has to offer me. As for my sport, I have many years left in me, I still suffer from my injuries, with a number of operations still to come.

My recovery will be an ongoing thing, something I will always have to deal with. All I need to do is to take things day by day because tomorrow who knows what the world will bring.

The head injury I suffered from is not over, but there is no way I will let it stop me from living life to the fullest.

Part Two of our incredible interview with Johanna relates to her sporting achievements. It continues here.