My name is Caroline, I am a happy, sociable single mum of 1 boy and girl. I also have a disability caused by brain damage which I sustained in an RTA when i was 21. The doctors painted a very black picture, were there to be a miracle and I survived, they feared I would always need 24hr care. My parents thought long and hard about organ donation!!!!!!!!!!. I stayed at that hospital for 3 months, and remained in a coma all the time. I do however recall snipets, one such time as my bruv gave me a pen and paper, and I wrote 'y me?' and 'lager and black' :)

I was eventually moved to a rehabilitation unit where I was to learn to speak, and 'walk' again. But I know now, I couldnt walk, merely prop myself up on a walking frame and shuffle.

I had to use the Tesco bus to go and get enough shopping for my children and I. It only runs once a week, so it's a lot, when I first struggled with the shopping, I fell off the bus, in the mud. I lay there in tears, the driver parked the bus up, picked me up, and walked me home, trying to comfort me. I recall, my ex told me where he was living and who with, the eve of my little boy having a 4 and a half hour operation, on his kidney. I was a mess!! My friends pitied me, and soon the novelty of helping me wore off. Unfortunately, I became totally dependent again, he wasn't mine to depend on, so I let him go.

Very gradually for the past year, I've been reastablishing myself as a strong 'bird' with my own circle of very funny, and loyal mates. And I'm happy to say, I'm 'there'. It was during this transistion, that I wished to get slimmer, or slim full stop. I needed something that I would incorperate into my everyday life, that didn't depend on whether someone else felt like doing it. Apart from Thursdays, I collect my children from school everyday, (I used to take them, but now they go alone on their bikes.) If only I could walk the mile to school, that would keep me trim. But alas, I wasn't gonna try, there's too many curbs to step down, and divets in the pavements. I'd really end up in Casualty, and when I go to hospital, believe me it isn't pretty.

I remembered hearing of a guy about 10 years ago who had a customised trike made at 'Butterworths' I think. But it had cost him £1000. I tentatively started asking folk, would they laugh? And yes they would, but out of admiration, and in a strange way jealousy. Because I had the bottle to do something, they couldn't ever do. In other words, they couldn't be that practical and humble at the same time.