That is the spare. The main one is broken.

22 October 2011 Saturday, Day 10

The orthotic guy gave me a walking frame, took me out of the room and we walked around in the corridor.  This was my first walk after the accident. It was a big step as the walk was about 40 metre long. He told me I could do it on my own for as manys time as I wanted during the day. That was also the first time I saw Grace’s face since the accident. Though our beds were side by side and we talked every day, due to the fact that we both could not turn our heads, we never saw each other.

The nurse encouraged me to walk to the toilet in the room and use the facilities there. That was the first time I saw myself in the mirror. My left eye was almost all filled with blood and the left face was obviously swollen. Looking into the mirror, it was like 畫皮. At one angle, I saw a ghostly face and at another when my right face was facing the mirror, I saw the normal me.

Dizziness was a big problem when I moved. Therefore I had to be careful balancing myself to make sure I would not fall.  

Mark was shooting in Campbell Town and a Chinese student from Launceston helped target marking. One of the shooters told Mark that he saw “me” running around on the rifle range and reckoned I was well again. He mistook the student as me. “Oh, that is the spare. The main one is broken. Don’t worry; they all look the same to me too,” said Mark.

A couple who are my friends came and offered to help if I needed any as they live close to Hobart.  That was really kind of them.  I told them regrettably the accident did not involve a facial reconstruction as I have longed for a long nose and big eyes. Mark said I have to make sure I had an extremely good photo on my driving license because that will be the look they will reconstruct to. Okay, it is not a good idea for a free plastic surgery then.

Grace was still bothered by the brace and the throat problem.