Dear Fiona,

I hope you are starting to recover from some of the black-outs and that they have started to subside. Can you remember the first time I saw you? I remember it very well. It had been on the way to work, on the cycle path. I always choose that way, because it is so much quieter than walking up the bridge and along the main road, where it is so noisy at that time in the morning. I love the cycle path in the autumn in particular, there are so many different colours in the leaves as they turn russet, gold, brown and orange. The Pyranthia bushes along the cycle path look wonderful as I cycle past them on a crisp, frosty morning.

It was completely unexpected to find someone lying there. It is so unusual, especially to come across somebody unconscious as you had been that day. The strangest thing about the situation was that the paralysis kept coming and going, and I felt so sorry because you were obviously in a great deal of pain. My job as a doctor is to help people get better or at least cope with pain, but in your case I felt completely useless. My first responsibility, if I couldn’t do anything for you personally, was to get you appropriate medical help. At least your house wasn’t very far away from where you fell. You are incredibly brave, it must be so frightening not to be able to feel anything underfoot. My apologies for suggesting that you might be able to walk to the car. It was completely insensitive.

I hope that by now you are more comfortable, that you have started being able to move around a bit more.

Do let me know, without any hesitation, if there is anything I can do to help you. I will contact you soon.

Yours,

Peter.