A simple drive home changed my life forever. I was newly married; we had brought our first home and we both shared the excitement of our own children in the future. After being involved in an horrific car accident my life was changed forever after a simple drive home 23 years ago on November 27th 1996. My car was t-boned by a reckless P-plater doing a 360 degree donut maneuver from the other side of the road. My life changed in an instant from a simple drive home. I was transported by a micro-ambulance to the intensive care unit at a public hospital.
Due to the visual display of my x-ray of my right knee, the Orthopedic Surgeon’s medical advice was to amputate my right leg from the knee down because of the compressed structural crush to my right knee and the many fragments of bone appearing on the x-ray. The reality of walking normal had no guarantee because my right knee revealed years of surgery and rehabilitation. It was the worst structural damage to a knee the Orthopedic Surgeon had seen at the time in Australia. A knee replacement was not achievable because of my age and it was also a complicated break.
I was in the Prime of My Life
I was a 27 year old young vibrant woman in the prime of my life therefore because of this rationality, the Orthopedic Surgeon decided to reconstruct my right knee. Bone graphs from my left hip were surgically removed to create the opportunity for bone fragments to knit my right knee together. Today my right leg is not fully straight vertically or horizontally. My knee flexion is at a 90 degree angle to enable me the ability and freedom to sit in a chair. How do you smile after this sudden loss of mobility? I stumbled across an inner strength because adversity gives you the opportunity to develop resilience. I believe to experience tragedy and trauma is not uncommon but resilience takes time to learn, master and understand.
Gaining a New Perspective
I had to relinquish control of my life physically, emotionally, psychologically and financially. I had to gain a new perspective because it was a drastic and agonizing change to my life. Rehabilitation is not a straight line because running, jumping, climbing, dancing and walking long distances is merely a dream for me now. I grieved the person I was before the car accident. My injuries I sustained are permanent. I am reminded each day by the scar on the top of my right eye lid because of the shattering of my car windscreen in the collision.
The recuperation of this magnitude requires determination, tears, disappointments, time, patience, courage, choice and chronic pain but most of all you have to grasp pure gratitude, hope and faith without knowing the destination. I am not represented in my book, A Simple Drive Home as an exceptional person but rather an ordinary young woman who was compelled by circumstances to rise above misfortune. My book is not just an autobiography but a self- help book because of the life lessons I have learned through this challenging incident.
Submitted by: Lisa Constantine, Author
Lisa Constantine is a member of Crash Support Network and we thank her for her support. Lisa Constantine is an author, writer and inspirational keynote speaker. For more information please follow her at: Simple Drive Home.
If Lisa’s story resonates with you and you are interested in sharing your own recovery journey, we would be honoured to hear from you. Your experience has the power to inspire hope, encourage others, and remind crash survivors that they are not alone. Please reach out to us. We’d love to help share your story.
The Crash Support Network is a truly unique platform that brings together survivor-focused support and road safety education in one accessible space. Created for individuals and families affected by motor vehicle collisions, it offers online support groups, a crash survivor blog, a quarterly newsletter “ Sharing Our Recovery,” and a growing library of informative articles. Built on a foundation of connection and compassion while amplifying the importance of road safety, the Crash Support Network goes beyond a website; it’s a community united around support, education and making our roads safer for everyone.
