My little black book in which I keep my “to do list” tells me that, by now, I should have updated the home page of this website and written blogs drawing (something of) a line under my own Clipper adventure, a blog introducing the Halberg Rassy 62 Stormbird, another discussing Orca (Killer Whale) attacks on yachts off the south coast of Portugal and Spain (which was the reason 4 of us joined Stormbird in Huelva not Malaga), and a blog about sailing from Huelva to Funchal, Madeira, and on to Isla Graciosa and Puerto Calero in The Canaries. I’d even planned to write one about the latest edition of the Clipper Race which left Portsmouth for the start of their Leg 1 on 3 September.

I got back home from The Canaries very late on 23 August. Work and life got in the way of blog writing and then ……………. I fell off a ladder.

Descending, and about halfway down, I started to turn well before I reached the security of the floor. Don’t ask why. I simply have no idea. The ladder went one way and I, falling backwards, went the other. My legs went from a 6 o’clock position anti-clockwise to about 2 o’clock and my head from 12 o’clock, anti-clockwise to 9 o’clock as I fell backwards. I hit my neck on the edge of a wooden bench seat, landed on top of part of the ladder with my back, and attempted to break my fall with my right arm.

I have already posted too many medically related blogs on these pages (Blogs 112, 113, 114, 117 and 118 for example) so I will spare you all the medical details of the last 14 days. The headlines are: after two days completely immobilised in a head and neck brace while the swelling died down, a CT scan revealed no permanent damage to my neck. My spine and my right wrist are both fractured.

The medium to long range prognosis appears good. The wrist will be in a wrist-splint for 4 weeks and the spinal fracture is stable and unlikely to require surgery. Recovery will be at least 6 weeks. I am now at home and pain control/pain management is ………….. challenging.

I am back into the spinal unit for my first review on 2 Oct. All a bit extreme but with my diary clear now for weeks, I have plenty of time to write. 😜