"My treatment following an accident"

Following a blow to the eye from my dying horse, I was in severe pain and unable to see from that eye. On arrival at the Accident and Emergency Department I was seen swiftly and made comfortable in a cubicle. My memory is sketchy, but I was seen by various doctors, consultants, attended the Maxillofacial Department, the West of England Eye Unit and had a CT scan.

Throughout the day everyone was so compassionate, helpful and reassuring. Although not in the first flush of youth, I am embarrassingly not very brave in a busy environment, let alone in pain in a hospital, and upset at having lost a horse who I had had for 22 years. I am normally the person reassuring others!

Everyone was so kind, although clearly busy, they checked me frequently and even cheerfully collected the frozen peas I had trailed from the pack I was using on my eye. Someone even managed to find sandwiches and tea for my poor husband, who is in his 80s and was understandably shocked by my predicament.

I was diagnosed with a tripod fracture to my face, necessitating a repair to my orbital floor at a later date.

Upon returning to the hospital two weeks later to undergo the orbital repair surgery, I was again treated very compassionately. As I nervously waited in the admissions ward, embarrassingly my legs wouldn't stop shaking, but everyone was again kind and understanding, and the anaesthetist came to administer something to ease my nerves. The anaethetists who looked after me were again so cheerful and understanding, chatting away to me and keeping me cheerful until I fell asleep. Upon waking in the recovery ward, the nurse who looked after me was again so kind.

I spent the night on a ward as my eye needed hourly checks and I also required intravenous antibiotics to be administered during the night.

I was discharged the following day and have had several follow-up consultations just to check on my recovery.

My treatment and recovery have been nothing short of remarkable. Prior to surgery my eye had sunk, which upset those who saw me, and I suffered with severe double vision. Following surgery, I am now able to live my life normally and my eye now looks as it did before the accident. I am so eternally grateful for everything which was done for me and can never repay that debt.