tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78719363080452212952024-03-28T05:50:17.074-07:00Victoria Williamsonvicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-9730275547012792102019-12-05T12:12:00.004-08:002021-03-31T07:47:42.947-07:00Switching Racesuits<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After 9 years of ruthlessly chasing my dream of winning an Olympic medal on the velodrome, i</span>t is with sadness, but a surprising amount of excitement that I am putting an end to my opening chapter in elite sport.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By no means has my journey been easy. Since crashing before the Rio Olympics I've come across physical hurdles which seemed so far out of reach and hurdles in my personal life which looked just as tall. Breaking point seemed millimetres away and questions cycled on repeat every time I'd wake up.Why did the crash happen to me? Will I ever make it back? Will I live a normal life again? Yet at the same time, when reflecting on the nights I'd stare at the ceiling, I stand now with an outlook I never thought I'd have. I simply wouldn't change a thing.Yes I would say the crash limited my potential to reach my ultimate goal in cycling, however I know that deep down everything happens for a reason. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have developed levels of resilience and perseverance that I didn't realise I was capable of, and most importantly I've learnt the true value of passion from the people that have come into my life as a result of my accident and have supported me throughout.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Its been an honour to wear the GBCT Jersey ever since I came through the Girls 4 Gold Talent ID Programme back in 2011. Although I didn’t make the Olympic Games, I can be proud of what I have accomplished. 4 World Championship Teams, World Cup Podiums & a World Championship Medal, the experience of a home CommonWealth Games in Glasgow and over 20 more medals at a Senior National & International level. My proudest achievement however is that I defied the odds that were put strongly against me. A</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">fter </span>breaking my neck, back and pelvis, <span style="font-family: inherit;">I returned to represent GB at a World Cup and a World Championships yet again</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Something even those close to me </span>weren't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> sure was possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> There are countless people I have to thank in every single area that have played such a huge part in my cycling career - for inspiring me, for pushing me on, for telling me to dig deeper, for telling me not to give up, and for believing in me. Thank you to my all my coaches, the BC support team (in particular the physio and medical team), teammates, competitors and athletes I met at the IRU for really emphasising the power and beauty of sport. Mr Sian (my surgeon) with his physio/medical team at Stepping Hill and the incredible Bisham IRU team who are very much responsible for delivering me back to British Cycling and keeping my dream alive. To my family and friends for always putting a smile on my face, and lastly my sponsors - most notably Under Armour for welcoming me into their family.
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> As the saying goes... as one door begins to close, another one opens. My journey in elite sport continues as I pull on a different type of race-suit after becoming a member of the GB Bobsleigh Team chasing the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. I am so excited and thankful for yet another incredible opportunity that has come my way. I can't wait to get stuck into this new challenge, kicking things off tomorrow with my first international race at the Europa Cup in Altenberg, Germany!</span><br />
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vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-67136378776506816742018-08-08T10:40:00.001-07:002019-08-13T13:22:05.411-07:00Bio-Oil <div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After what has undoubtedly been one of the most hectic, fast paced years of my life so far the blog has come out of hibernation and is back. It’s hard to know where to begin as so many new chapters have begun in my life but it makes sense to start it off with Bisham Abbey. I set the record time at the Intensive Rehabilitation Unit with a pretty tasty 9 months on site, and I seriously hope no one ever beats that both for my record and their health’s sake! Since coming out at the end of January I’ve been back with the team, back on the track and back to doing what I’ve spent that last two years dreaming of. Riding bikes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve just started a new partnership with a product that I’ve been worshipping ever since my crash and rehab period - Bio-Oil. It’s a well loved product for scars and stretch marks; I have big scars, and my legs grow faster than puppies so Bio-Oil = WIN. The bottom line is that the crash has left my body with imperfections and Bio-Oil has played a big part in keeping the scars under control.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>My Fitness Regime</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Being a professional athlete really is a 24/7 job. If I want to turn this set back into a comeback, my training regime and lifestyle has to be pointed at being at the top of my game day in day out. This mindset and lifestyle means discipline with every aspect of training, as well as every aspect of day-to-day life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Recovery is everything. Diet plays a major part in this - refueling the depleted energy systems. Sleep is of course absolutely key and last but not least, well-being; positivity and motivation are key to being happy. Happy head definitely means fast legs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We train 6 days a week combining strength and conditioning as the fundamental training tool to be as powerful as possible. If this step is executed well then the numbers quickly show on track and when the numbers and splits look good you can quickly determine where you stand. On top of this we do our track training, road rides for recovery, and mobility to keep the body from any future injuries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With 6 days of two to three sessions daily my saviors from above come in the form of physios to keep my body in reasonable shape and give me a chance to recover and be ready for the next session. My scars are treated every day to break down build up under the surface as well as using Bio-Oil to minimize surface damage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><br /></u></span><u>My Scars</u><br />
Following my crash in 2016 I was left with a pretty tasty collection of scars. For those interested heres a little brief of my collection. Picture these on Margot Robbie's 5"9 physique rather than a 5"4 track cyclist, please and thank you.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An abrasion burn on my leg from the friction, a scar on the back of my arm, entry and exit scars over the base of my back from the 3 back operations, raised scars on my lower spine and la piece de resistance – a 7.5 inch long, 2.5 inches wide scar that came from my back splitting at impact with the wall on the edge of the Velodrome ripping open down to my spine. Lovely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My scars have gone through changes as they have matured, but are still very much permanent in nature, however Bio-Oil has without a doubt significantly improved their appearance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At first as you might expect, I was very uncomfortable with the my appearance. I was constantly paranoid and would do anything to try and keep them covered. I felt like people were constantly looking and cringing at the sight. Yet over the last few years Bio-Oil has really helped me physically by allowing the scars to heal better as well as emotionally letting me to wear my improved scars with pride.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />I was told that I might not be able to walk again, and subsequently that I would certainly not be able to cycle again. My scars represent me, they represent what I’ve overcome and with “strength is what we gain from the madness we survive” now tattooed on my back I am proud of where I am now and where I am heading. Roll on the road to Tokyo..</span></div>
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vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-12072435837974925952016-11-25T09:00:00.000-08:002017-10-12T02:17:12.278-07:00One step closer.With it being a year on January 9th that I crashed, I am hoping to have an early Christmas present in the next few days and finally get the good news that I'm desperate for.<br />
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As always the support off everyone has been great, and people always want to know how I'm getting on. My bone graft is yet to fully heal in my pelvis, so I can't fully stress the joint as the right side of my pelvis is only held together by a screw! I did have a CT scan in August to determine if the bone graft had healed, and unfortunately it wasn't good news. Mentally I took a large blow as I was convinced that I would be able to return to training. When I look back now, I was irrational and didn't take into account the fact that bone graft can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a year to heal.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shows the importance of wearing a helmet - they are life savers!</td></tr>
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Despite the bone not actually being healed, the past few months have seen my body go from strength to strength. I can still only do a limited period on the <a href="https://www.wattbike.com/uk/home" target="_blank">Wattbike</a>, but my glute power is improving daily. I have actually managed to gain some muscle size too which is also another bonus! My core is slowly getting there, however my body needs to find a way to compensate for the fact that I no longer have a large section of oblique muscle. My L5-S1 nerve route got crushed during the crash, which caused me to loose nerve sensation down my left leg ( from knee down to my foot). This has definitely showed signs of vast improvement as I now have control over my foot flexion, and can walk on my heels.<br />
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October saw me go back down to Norfolk for a while, during which Radio Norfolk and ITV were keen to get an update on my recovery. ITV's report is <a href="http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2016-10-14/norwich-cyclist-vicky-williamson-in-no-rush-to-get-back-on-the-track/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. My large scar is also not only looking very good, but also feeling great too, as the sensation in the scar tissue is coming back. I owe this progress to the team at <a href="http://www.dermaluxled.com/" target="_blank">Derma Lux®</a> for their LED Phototherapy machine, which is working wonders, so thank you again!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnAnGUaEdEkD3jxTqdpvGP8SU9SZywVzJqhSnlQCz09Jbzuy9JSitCyVsAhGt55NgwIMoaLZcF7IfEYESupLIm8J_kHp2UAlxmhF-PnYeefRtn5wIutYcz2NQHLIZg1v8At0Sh4JCQLQ/s1600/IMG_0773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnAnGUaEdEkD3jxTqdpvGP8SU9SZywVzJqhSnlQCz09Jbzuy9JSitCyVsAhGt55NgwIMoaLZcF7IfEYESupLIm8J_kHp2UAlxmhF-PnYeefRtn5wIutYcz2NQHLIZg1v8At0Sh4JCQLQ/s1600/IMG_0773.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The healing process of my flank wound - Derma Lux®</td></tr>
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During the last few months my time has come to an end with Paul Hadfield, from <a href="http://www.bridgephysio.co.uk/" target="_blank">Marple Bridge Physiotherapy</a>, who worked closely with me during the early stages. So another big thank you to him for putting in the very important initial movement patterns. Johanna Wilkinson, my advanced nurse practitioner at Stepping Hill, has also been invaluable with getting me in for regular scans and check ups. Furthermore, giving credit where credit is due, I can't thank <a href="http://didsburyphysio.co.uk/rob-sheridan/#.WDcuATawf1w" target="_blank">Rob Sheridan</a> enough for all his time and effort. He has gone above and beyond to help me out, doing my weekly massage at Didsbury Village Physio and hydrotherapy sessions at Stepping Hill hospital. He has kept me motivated and determined for the last 11 months, as well as making sure my body is in a great place!<br />
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Now onto the very exciting news.. the repeat CT scan is taking place on Monday 28th November! Although the scan is coming on Monday, I will have to wait a week or so until I get the results, as they need to thoroughly be analysed by the radiographer. So until then I have everything crossed and I'm hoping for the best!<br />
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vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-84494884563419988042016-07-22T18:00:00.000-07:002017-10-28T09:24:55.882-07:00Rehab Update.2 weeks ago it was exactly 6 months since I crashed. I would say I am definitely back to being a 'normal' human again, and now have very limited spells of pain. Its such a relief to know that I will not have to endure a lifetime of chronic back, neck or pelvis pain.<br />
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The last month or so has been slightly more difficult than the previous ones, as the hype of the Olympics is starting to build. Naturally, I'm devastated that 4 years of hard work came to an abrupt end and ruined my chances of making my first Olympic team. Rio 2016 will be an amazing Games and I will be cheering on all of Team GB, especially the cyclists, and of course my team mates.<br />
I can confidently say I gave 110% in every training session, so can only hold my head high as I continue my recovery. Don't get me wrong I have cried my fair share of tears from pain, disappointment, and frustration, however I know I have become stronger as a person, which I can only be thankful for. There are hundreds of athletes across all sports that are in the exact same circumstance, and we can now just keep our heads down and come back stronger for Tokyo 2020!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Getting great ROM in the hydro pool</td></tr>
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My rehab over the last 2 weeks has dramatically gone up a gear, and finally I think my glutes are doing something! Rob, my Physio at Stepping Hill, can now only just withstand the power I push through his chest when doing my floating single leg leg press. With regular massage my scar tissue and muscles have also relaxed significantly, giving me a much wider range of movement. Mr Sian is astounded by my ROM for someone who has had not only had pelvis surgery but back surgery too. I can also walk now for over 2 hours which I do for general fitness. I really couldn't ask for any more at this stage.<br />
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I am currently awaiting a CT scan of my pelvis before my rehab can progress any further. We are hoping the scan will show that the bone graft has bridged the gap in my pelvis and therefore it will be completely stable. This will allow me to begin to train again! If the bone graft has fully healed I will have an operation in ASAP to remove my pelvis pin, which will slow things down slightly, but also means 1 less operation next year. My scan is due to be around the beginning of August - so fingers crossed!<br />
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Again a massive thanks to all of the support around me, I couldn't of done it without you all. Also a special mention to ASM (<a href="http://www.agilesportsmanagement.com/" target="_blank">Agile Sports Management</a>) with whom I've just started a new partnership.<br />
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I am determined to get back competing and can't wait to start my official rehab back on to the bike, which will hopefully very soon!<br />
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V x<br />
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<br />vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-27772839315131532352016-05-01T21:00:00.000-07:002017-10-28T09:52:18.052-07:00Weeks 12/16 - Back in the Saddle.Things have gone unbelievably quick over the past 4 weeks. Suddenly everything started to fall into place and my strength was significantly improving as I pushed through my daily rehab and weekly hydrotherapy sessions. My scars are also now fully healed and looking much better.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUWy2nTEAp-39n0Lf-3E4GcQS3ypMaSytuSeUXi-kXmuXsNKFQ_AmVVIMqFRPRIajJrtN2a6AxJQZftIgYB8EWe7Fmhyphenhyphen3Bgf0L6241zAt9-KHmAJIJ_XSF6gSPEuFTBPc0yGHmGcgDgM/s1600/FullSizeRender+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="922" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUWy2nTEAp-39n0Lf-3E4GcQS3ypMaSytuSeUXi-kXmuXsNKFQ_AmVVIMqFRPRIajJrtN2a6AxJQZftIgYB8EWe7Fmhyphenhyphen3Bgf0L6241zAt9-KHmAJIJ_XSF6gSPEuFTBPc0yGHmGcgDgM/s640/FullSizeRender+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scars left from my degloving injury (right) and my final back operation (middle)</td></tr>
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I've completed 5 hydrotherapy sessions now, and definitely seeing the benefits. I have such a wider range of movement and my pelvis control has gone from virtually nothing to almost normal, with only occasionally pain. I am also looking pretty much straight when I walk now too which is great.<br />
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The major target of my physiotherapy was beginning to fire my glutes to help prompt the repair of my nerve route down the left side. This strength in particular has dramatically improved, and I'm definitely seeing some muscle growth again.. no more pancake bum! Paul has given me a wide range of general movement exercises as well as some great specific ones.<br />
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Tuesday 12th April saw me back at my second home Stepping Hill Hospital, for some more scans and results from yesterdays MRI. More positive news! Back position looked great, and there was no further opening of my SIJ joint. On the left side there was still mild weakness at EHL muscle in my shin but my ankle dorsi flexion was almost normal with regards to power. We marked the area which was still numb on my EHL, allowing us to track the area overtime and see the nerve regeneration (see pic below). Then came the answer that I was hoping for...Mr Sian gave me the all clear to get on a watt bike!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marking up the area which is still numb</td></tr>
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The following Friday my watt bike arrived. I was nervous at first as I was scared that I would get pain or something just wouldn't feel right. However I was very wrong! It felt completely normal other than the scar tissue on my back being slightly tight. I owe a massive thanks to <a href="https://www.wattbike.com/uk/home" target="_blank">Wattbike UK</a> for supplying me with a great low resistance bike perfect for my 15 min easy daily spin.<br />
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I also met up with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anthonybarnespersonaltraining/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Anthony Barnes</a>, a family PT in Cambridge, who gave me some more exercises to further aid my rehab without stressing my back and pelvis. This was my first time in a gym since before the accident.. I was absolutely buzzing! The glute and core workout was great. I also had a great upper body circuit which included exercises such as lat pull downs and inclined DB press. It is important that I still don't go into the gym all guns blazing as I am by no means 100% healed until my bone graft has fused, so all weights are sub maximal and controlled.</div>
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I do still still get occasional pain in my pelvis when I do too much, particularly being on my feet for too long, but this just serves as a little reminder that I need to take it easy. Things are looking good and I'm definitely the happiest I've been for a long time!</div>
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vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-20170116987206426712016-04-03T21:00:00.000-07:002017-10-11T14:06:01.381-07:00Weeks 10/12 - Rehab Begins.Now I was back in Manchester I could properly catch up with all my friends here. I went out for a numerous lunches, dinners and coffees, and really appreciated being able to get around and socialise again - everyone who knows me knows I like a good chat!<br />
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On the 21st March I got a call from the hospital with lots of good news. As it was 8 weeks since my final back operation I could fully weight bare through my right side again. Mr Sian was also happy for me to remove my collar around the house, and when I was out as long as I was careful. Furthermore, my rehab could now officially begin!!<br />
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My hydrotherapy sessions are based at Stepping Hill hospital with Rob, a great Irish guy, who's fantastic at his job and a good laugh too. The first one was just a gentle introduction to check if I had any reactions in the following days. The second session I was able to really get stuck into and push myself - I've definitely missed exercising a lot!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd Hydrotherapy Session - pushing myself for the first time in 3 months!</td></tr>
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Easter Monday, 28th March, was my first physio appointment with Paul at Bridge Physiotherapy. As expected it was my glutes that needed to be worked on first. This was needed in order to help me walk straight again and re-fire the chain from my back to my legs. The tiniest little exercises which I would normally find very easy, were now incredibly hard.They were painful to begin with but once I got into a daily routine they became a lot easier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simple side glute exercises were really hard!</td></tr>
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This week I also met with Arabella, the GB Teams Lifestyle Advisor, to begin some studies outside of my recovery. Being injured has given me a lot of free time, so I decided to use it wisely, and start qualifications for personal training with Premier Global Training.<br />
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On Sat 2nd April it had been 12 weeks since I crashed. I still can't believe how far I've come in such a short period of time. Thanks to everyone close to me for keeping me so positive! Im really looking forward to cracking on with all the recovery and hopefully I will be back on the saddle very, very soon!<br />
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V x<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-69356844811913107382016-03-13T21:00:00.000-07:002017-10-12T02:14:11.705-07:00Week 9 - BBC News & Scans.The last 4 weeks have actually flown by! This Saturday marks 9 weeks since the crash. I've been recovering at my parents house back down in Norwich, as my parents both work from home they have been able to help me around the house.<br />
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I moved back up to Manchester this week as I was becoming pretty self sufficient and no longer need 24/7 care. BBC Look East came to follow me for a couple of days for a news report. Tom Williams and camera man Kevin were great to work with, and we managed to get some filming done at my house, the velodrome, and my follow up hospital appointment on Tuesday. The link to the clip on the news is below..<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBC East Report on my crash, full clip below<br />
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This was the second appointment I had following my release. The plan was to have a CT scan on my pelvis and Xray on my neck to check that both areas were healing well. The scan results brought some good news which meant I could now partially weight bare and begin to walk without crutches! My neck also looked good on the scan however Mr Sian wanted to complete the full 12 weeks in the collar just to be safe, meaning that it was on until the end of March.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After good results I could now begin to walk!</td></tr>
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Even if I wasn't very straight.. I was super happy to be leaving the appointment without using crutches! Roll on the next few weeks!!<br />
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<br />vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-71816926234753247602016-02-05T21:00:00.000-08:002017-10-12T12:52:38.387-07:00Week 5 - Hospital Release.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The moment had finally come - exactly 8 weeks early - I WAS RELEASED!! After 4 weeks of being in hospital I was free to continue my recovery at home. No one could wipe the smile of my face today!</div>
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Obviously I still couldn't get around very well so I had to live downstairs at home. Oli pitched up a day bed downstairs which was perfect! I had so much TV to catch up on, which was perfect as I wasn't going to be doing a lot else any time soon.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy as a pig in shit!</td></tr>
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I was pretty immobile which meant I was still very reliant on other people and not very self sufficient. It was also very important at this stage that I didn't push myself too hard as I was still recovering from massive surgery.<br />
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The following Sunday was Valentines Day! By the end of this week I was getting around a bit better and had been out a few times in a wheelchair and on crutches, so definitely wanted to go out for lunch. Oli booked us in for afternoon tea at the Mere Golf Club, which was amazing, even if I did have to sit there in a neck brace!</div>
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Over the next few weeks I gradually pulled myself off paracetamol and the nerve painkillers, pre-gablin. The nerve pain was still very noticeable, and I'm sure for a while it will be. The nerve root from L5-S1 joint was extremely damaged and repairs at around a mm a day. So I could have a numb foot and ankle for a while!</div>
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Yet again I would just like to massively thank all staff at Stepping Hill hospital. Your care was second to none and I will always be grateful for this. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back to visit when I am walking properly and back to my normal self!</div>
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<br />vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-49090319159925058442016-02-04T21:00:00.000-08:002017-10-12T02:12:06.128-07:00Week 4 - Learning to Walk.HUGE progress to start the week! Monday 1st Feb saw me get OUT of the bed and INTO the chair! Wow it felt amazing to finally be out of bed after just over 3 weeks!! I sat in the chair to eat my breakfast, and for the first time didn't have to be fed.<br />
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Things just went full speed ahead from here! The following day I again got out into the chair for my breakfast, and this time without assist from the physios. Now came the time to actually walk. I used the frame which I had been using to stand up to begin to walk. I was incredibly weak, wobbly and sore but I managed to get all the way to the door and back - absolutely over the moon! To be beginning to walk just 24 days after all the injuries I had was unbelievable. I think Mr Sian, my surgeon, was in just in a state of shock!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking on my frame</td></tr>
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This also meant that I was able to have my catheter out and have my first proper shower in 3 weeks and 4 days! YES!</div>
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Wednesday again saw me make another huge step! I was up and straight onto crutches. Admittedly they were a lot harder than using the frame to walk, but I certainly like a challenge.<br />
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The final ending to possibly one of the best days of my life saw me go outside on a wheelchair for some air! Despite it being about 5 degrees outside the fresh air felt incredible!</div>
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What a day! This just proves that things do get better.. so never give up!<br />
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vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-84739854633927580612016-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:002017-10-12T12:48:23.941-07:00Week 3 - Post Operation. Finally after 16 days in hospital, and an 8 hour back operation, all my surgery was complete. I remember coming round for a few minutes after I had come out of theatre, and was waiting to go back to the ward. The pain was excruciating. It wasn't just my back, it was my legs too. This is when I began to panic as they were in so much pain I physically couldn't even move them. I vaguely heard nurses insisting to me that I would be ok whilst trying to get me to calm down. With all the drugs I blacked out again..<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempting to get up for the first time</td></tr>
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Wednesday 27th Jan -The following day not much happened as I slept pretty much all day, but by Wednesday it was time to try and sit up!! As I felt ok laying down I was quite looking forward to seeing the physios and learning to walk again. However this was soon not the case. They began to crank my bed up and my back and legs were in agony along with feeling really faint and pretty sick. I was pulled up to sitting but after about a minute I was back down again.<br />
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Friday 29th Jan - The Thursday was a similar story to attempt 1, but Friday saw some progress!! I had dulled down the medication which actually made me feel less dizzy. I sat up relatively well and was ready to try and stand up. With my zimmer frame in place, and with a fair bit of gritting my teeth I WAS UP! Even though it was only for a few seconds and it felt awful it was great to be up again. Things were finally starting to look up for me!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing up for the first time!</td></tr>
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Sunday 31st Jan - I don't know why but today I had a good feeling! I was determined to get to my next target of sitting in the chair, and walking. I was desperate for the physiotherapists to come round so I could crack on! Again I sat up and the room wasn't actually spinning.. I was sure I was onto a winner. I went to stand up and for about a minute I had relatively good control until everything became blurry..I hit back down on the bed and suddenly alarms starting going off and I had fainted. Damn it!<br />
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It wasn't the end to the week I had hoped for but tomorrow was a new day and new week.. game on!</div>
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V x<br />
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vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-67800576394002094752016-01-24T21:00:00.000-08:002017-10-12T02:09:28.487-07:00Week 2 - Stepping Hill Hospital.Ward D4 Spinal Unit, bed 15 was now my home for a while. At this stage Doctors had told me that I was going to be in hospital for a minimum of 3 months. This came as quite a shock but obviously there was no point dwelling as it was only going to make the process worse. They echoed what had been said in Rotterdam and were in just as much disbelief at how I wasn't currently showing any signs of paralysis, or even temporary paralysis.<br />
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With my neck and back still needing operations I still had a way to go and wasn't completely in the clear yet. However some good news did come at the end of the following week! On the 22nd January my surgeon, Mr Sian, told me that the plan was to leave my neck and not operate. This was in order to give me the best possible range of movement afterwards - plus one less operation which was a bonus! I was for certain in the best hands possible, with particular mention to Johanna Wilkinson, who was there for me from Day 1.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 100mm pin put in to secure my right SIJ joint</td></tr>
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Being back in the UK meant that I could finally see everyone. For the whole time I was in hospital I think I had someone in every day which definitely helped me to stay positive - so thanks everyone! Nearly all my team mates and staff came to visit, and it was safe to say I had more cards and flowers than probably the whole hospital put together!<br />
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By now I had got used to having a wash on the bed, however my hair was still full of blood from a small cut I had across the back of my head. A little paddling pool was brought in onto the bed and my mum helped wash my hair - I felt like a goddess!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some goodies from my best friend,Helen Scott</td></tr>
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As my pain became relatively under control we did have some laughs this week, some of which can't be repeated.. Living just down the road, Helen Scott, visited every other day, leaving me howling with laughter. Even if my back did hurt it was worth it! Either my mum or Oli stayed overnight with me too, so I had company 24/7!<br />
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By Monday 25th January my final operation was able to take place as the stitches could come out of my back wound. My family came with me to the waiting room, I said my goodbyes and was left in my bay. I remember being rolled into the preparation room before entering theatre, having the cannulas put in, and within a few seconds I was gone..<br />
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V x<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-78885146705337045132016-01-17T21:00:00.000-08:002017-10-12T12:41:30.759-07:00Week 1 - Erasmus Hospital, Rotterdam.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the early hours of Sunday morning I had my first operation which was to secure the wound on my back, stitching all the layers back together. There was a severe amount of muscle damage, some of which had already died and had to be removed, along with complete tears through the all the ligaments.<br />
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By 10am my mum, fiancee Oli and coach Justin Grace were over. Oli told me how doctors and surgeons sat them down in a room before they came to see me to inform them of exactly what had happened - I can't imagine how bad this must of been. As I woke up I kindly greeted them with projectile vomiting! All the injuries meant that I had to lay flat so I was unable to direct it anywhere other than a fountain all over myself..nice. I then had the joy of having a gastro nasal tube put in which was equally as bad.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blood being drained from around my spine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The joys of the gastro nasal tube</td></tr>
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I was completely wiped out from the fentanyl right up until my second operation, on Tuesday 12th, involving stabilising my pelvis/SIJ joint. This fixation saw a large screw come into my pelvis, after a thorough debridement.<br />
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By Thursday 14th I was ready for some visitors. I had so many nice flowers and gifts off everyone, in particular a sweet elderly couple who had witnessed the crash that night, Henk & Irene, who actually visited me twice. Secondly Shanne and Elis, the girl I collided with came. Elis was only in hospital overnight and had minor injuries which I was pleased to hear. Next came the rest of the Dutch sprinters who had a card signed by all the 6day riders which was great to read.<br />
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Friday was the day that Erasmus deemed me stable enough to fly home! I waved Oli and Mum off in the early hours, and waited for Air Med UK staff to come and collect me. A really lovely lady and man were the ones looking after me for the journey (I was so high on drugs I can't remember their names!!). Both kept me fully entertained and tried to keep me as preoccupied and relaxed as possible whilst flapping around in the wind in a tiny plane!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrapped up and ready to go in my private plane!</td></tr>
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Eventually I arrived at Stepping Hill in Manchester with pain levels now pretty high. Oli, Mum, Dad and sister Amelia, were all waiting for me which made my arrival home even better. After using the fentanyl for only just under a week I had severe withdrawal symptoms which was quite scary. I was shaking and punching the sides of my bed along with unbearably itching everywhere. After what seemed like a lifetime I managed to get over this - morphine I'm sure helped! Now the journey continued in the UK..<br />
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V x<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7871936308045221295.post-92015678404799984482016-01-09T21:00:00.000-08:002017-10-12T02:17:22.106-07:00The Accident.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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An early morning flight saw myself and Ellie Richardson off to Rotterdam for the Ahoy 6day race! After a quick journey over there we were greeted at Amsterdam airport and taken to our hotel. We quickly unpacked our bikes, and our lift was here to take us to the velodrome. There was time for a quick ride on the track, which I’m glad we had, as I’ve never been on a 200m track and it certainly felt different. The atmosphere was great and the stadium seemed pretty much full - perfect for a great evening! Firstly I raced Laurine Van Riessen in the head to head sprint, which I managed to win.<br />
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After this I was then into the final and racing Elis Ligtlee, also from the Netherlands. Unfortunately this is where the evening took a turn for the worst. I remember leaning on the fence ready to roll up onto the track after watching the others finish their race.. and then next I was in hospital blurring in and out of consciousness. Elis and myself had collided and been in a severe crash.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Cycling Tips.com </td></tr>
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At this point I wasn't in any pain as I was conscious for only a matter of seconds at a time. Fentanyl is deemed to be 50 times stronger than morphine so its pretty good stuff! Ellie told me the first thing I said on the way into hospital was 'did I win' shortly followed by 'can you take a picture for banter'.. at least I could see the funny side!</div>
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Having never crashed previously other than at the Senior Europeans in October last year, I had definitely made up for it with this one causing more damage than was initially thought.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lAjw8_5jcXeUfJ2Rj4npegeJwLEthpYGf_bxJvnKzWvEVh1_zs_LM29LajkT0INxtN-H08_TvGNkJpBdH_X_GSGg9XSAIFrO0-HQkxxE989_UndYENNcWV-8cFHIQF-JtKGpoFm8t9c/s1600/Image+300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1600" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lAjw8_5jcXeUfJ2Rj4npegeJwLEthpYGf_bxJvnKzWvEVh1_zs_LM29LajkT0INxtN-H08_TvGNkJpBdH_X_GSGg9XSAIFrO0-HQkxxE989_UndYENNcWV-8cFHIQF-JtKGpoFm8t9c/s640/Image+300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Cycling Tips.com</td></tr>
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The first obvious injury was the large degloving cut to my right flank which went as deep as my spine exposing my lumboscrmal vertebrae. It can definitely be described as looking like a shark bite! To my neck I suffered a fracture to C3 and a C5/C6 prolapsed disc. My pelvis had also been fractured and dislocated. However, it was my back that took the worst hit. I had multiple fractures of the transverse processes from L1-L5, L4/L5 spinous process fractures as well as a L5-S1 dislocation. So yeah pretty much everything!<br />
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Doctors and surgeons were unable to confirm longterm outcome as paralysis was still an uncertainty, with the damages to my neck AND back being millimetres from my spinal cord. Whatever the outcome I was in the best place possible - as Erasmus hospital was ranked highly for trauma in Europe. For this I will be forever thankful.<br />
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A big shout out to Ellie who deserves a massive thank you for staying so calm and managing to contact all the important people in my life..<br />
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V x<br />
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vicswilliamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13240132729131594254noreply@blogger.com50