Don't ignore the niggling thoughts...

Recently a friend had a close call on a country road. He’s a busy man – a farmer trying to get a crop in and dealing with the inevitable breakdowns. At the same time, he’s active in the community, taking the lead in trying to bridge the city/ country divide. Perhaps he has spread himself too thin.

On this day he was fitting as much into 24 hours as possible, pushing the limits of human biology and believing like so many of us do that another 30 – 40 minutes won’t make much difference to our fatigue. He fell asleep whilst driving and hit a tree. Luckily, he survived but was not unscathed. Now lying in the trauma ward in hospital, receiving treatment for the significant injuries received that night, he’s had the courage to record his story and agreed to it being told in this article in the hope it may help others listen to their instincts. This is his story:

‘It’s been around 10 days since this happened, late at night on a country road. All the little evils in place. At 3.00 am I start heading to the big smoke to do a few things – too busy to eat, doing what I had to and more. Heading home in a roundabout way, the phone rings. G’day we need this, this and this picked up from here, and then there is some stuff at the main farm that needs picking up too. Can you pick it all up please? Yep sure no worries. So of course, I do it.

stop for chat. I then realise I still haven’t eaten since dinner time last night - mental note; grab some tucker at the roadhouse. I get there and it’s shut. Ok, could go to the pub and get a feed, or just keep going. I decide to keep going. I suppose I’m getting closer all the time.

As for the actual time of events of the day... they are blurry from now on in.

I came too, I guess somewhere around 9 pm. Not sure, as the phone was mangled. I knew I’d hit something, but I didn’t know what. I’ve had some struggles in life, but when it’s pitch-black and you’re in a smashed up ute and you have no idea how you got there... life takes on a whole new perspective.

Then the pain kicks in. Oh, the bloody pain. I could feel every little movement. Now how the hell did I end up on the ground beside the ute? I found my phone - oh the joy! Then, the sadness, anger!! I burst into tears as I realised it wasn’t working. That little carousel ride went on for a while. I’m cold! Nothing I could do except think of something else... oh the pain!

Will someone find me? Will I bleed to death? Oh shit!!! Am I bleeding? Examination of myself. Yes, I am - but not a lot I think, or is that just the pain taking over again. Lights!! Glorious lights!!! Then I realise that it’s the lights coming over the hill to get me! Agony... and I’m out.

I’m dreaming again. I can hear people around me. Well, one anyway. The voice of

my wife and her sweet soft hands on me. I thought I was dead and dreaming over and over... then lights. Holy shit maybe I’m not dead. I replied with yes.

I don’t remember much from then on, except when they dosed me up on pain killers and that terrifying flight to RPH. Never again.

I’m on the mend now. Slowly but surely. The staff here are awesome. It could have been so different. You could all be listening to my eulogy today instead. You know what? It could ALL have been so different.

The conversation I’d had with myself earlier was... “I should really just go back to Walgy, cook some dinner and go bed ... but then what the hell, it’s only 40 min. I’ll be right.” Worst decision I ever made was bloody nearly my last!!

I know we are all busy. Flat out trying to make a buck. Trying to get the crop in... but please... do me a favour. Remember those little niggling thoughts. Do something with them. Listen to them. Please don’t ignore them. I did.”

We are so happy our friend survived. His injuries will heal in time. Not everyone is as lucky. The photos of this accident suggest the accident could have been much worse had he been going faster. The powerful message from this story is “when you are feeling tired, do something with the niggling thoughts. Don’t ignore them, they could be your last.”