As I write this book, I am thankful to God that He has healed me from my disabling back pain and many of the other issues written about within these pages. They no longer define my life as they have in the past. Writing this book has been a great catalyst for healing, as I have begun to process more fully the events surrounding my accident and some of the complicating factors of recovery, which I detail in the following pages. I thought I had moved on from much of what I have described, only to realise I needed further healing. As my experience unfolded, doctors told me they could not give an indication of how long my pain would last; later, they said I would be living with the effects of the accident for the rest of my life. Processing this information in my thirties was a huge challenge. Most would have said I had the rest of my life before me, with my full potential just around the corner. Yet I found myself dealing with the challenges of a life-altering disability and was told the limitations were likely lifelong. I would need to learn to live with my pain and limitations. The reality of this was incomprehensible and difficult to hear. I started to lose hope of being able to contribute meaningfully to society in any way. I wondered what the future was going to look like. Initially, things looked and felt very bleak. There were so many things I dreamt of, enjoyed, and desired to do, but they all seemed for nothing, and most seemed totally unattainable. What was I supposed to do for the remaining time I had left to live? I did not want to waste my life; rather, I wanted to contribute in a meaningful way. This often did not seem possible, but part of me knew if I was still breathing, God had a plan and purpose for my life.
