Chapter 11

The next few months went by in a flash, I started the 6th form with my friends, loving the fact that I could now wear what I wanted at school. I carried on with sit volleyball and wheelchair basketball, becoming very good and playing on the county team for both. As I was disabled I was allowed to get my driving licence at 16, so after applying for it and doing some lessons I passed my test. Mum and Dad bought me a cornflower blue, VW Golf GTi adapted with hand-controls. I absolutely loved it and the freedom it gave me, as I was the only one to drive in year 12, I would drive my friends up to the high street at lunchtime before heading back to school. At weekends I would drive us somewhere different, a few times we headed to a beach, like Southend or Brighton where we’d have a great day sunbathing and messing around at the beach.

Finally, my case against the hospital was in court, they’d offered to settle but my solicitor felt their offer wasn’t good enough. I was horrendously nervous that morning, nearly throwing up several times and was fighting off a migraine, I had to use all the techniques I’d learnt to reduce my anxiety before even getting into the courtroom. I’d worn a pair of black Calvin Klein bikini knickers, a white Calvin Klein bra, a black skirt and an ivory, long-sleeved, fitted shirt. I sat with my solicitor listening to my oncologist, the hospital manager, various nurses and the surgeon answer questions, I nearly threw up again when the surgeon walked up, it took everything in my arsenal to not have a full blown panic attack, which the judge definitely noticed, even going so far as to offer a recess. When I was called up it took me a few minutes of square breathing and grounding before I was able to get up there.

As my solicitor asked me to talk about the impact on my life I nearly cried, but was able to get through it, thankfully we’d rehearsed his questions and my answers. Afterwards, court was adjourned and we were told we would get a call when the judge had made her decision. I was very surprised, when, during lunch, we received a call to say that the judge had made her decision and to be back in court at two. At 2pm sharp we were sat in the courtroom waiting for the judge, the hospital legal team looked worried. Just after 2pm the judge came in, everyone but me stood for her, after telling everyone to sit she read her verdict. I was awarded £15,000,000, I couldn’t believe it, I had never expected that amount of money, I was also awarded costs which meant the hospital would have to pay my legal team, so all the money was mine. After we left court my Dad took us out to dinner to celebrate before we headed home in a taxi.

A week later we attended the General Medical Council hearing, which was very short, during which the surgeon was struck off and told he would never practice medicine again. What struck me most, and upset me most, was that, at no point in court or at the GMC hearing would he make eye contact with me, he never even apologised, even when the verdicts were read out, he just looked coldly straight ahead. As he left the GMC building, he and his wife just hustled past me, him looking directly ahead again, refusing to look in my direction, his wife caught my eye once and just glared at me, like I had done something wrong. Unusually for me, I stood my ground and glared at her back. The hospitals legal team had talked about appealing the decision but, a few days after the GMC hearing, a cheque for the full amount arrived by recorded mail, I headed straight to the bank to pay it in. Dad then helped me get the most from it by putting it into certain accounts and investments to make sure it lasted, though I did get taken on a West End spending spree. Chapter 12

It was soon Christmas and we broke up for the two week Christmas holiday. On Christmas Eve I met up with my friends at a restaurant for dinner, we all decided to dress up and I found a sexy little elf outfit to wear. It was funny seeing what everyone was wearing. After dinner we exchanged gifts then sat around talking before heading home. Christmas morning I work up, put my Christmas pyjamas on, which was a pair of green and red tartan shorts with white fluffy trim and a tight white vest top with the same tartan trim on the pocket over my left breast and around the hem. Caitlyn and I made breakfast, I sat on the counter in charge of everything on the hob while she was In charge of getting stuff out of the fridge and the stuff in the oven.

After eating we opened presents, I felt very spoilt and got lots of lovely things which made me quiet emotional again about almost never having made it to Christmas, especially as last year I’d been so ill in hospital with neutropenic sepsis. Mum and Dad cuddled me and cheered me up before Zack, Caitlyn and I spent the morning lounging around while Mum started cooking dinner, I offered to help a few times but Mum wouldn’t hear of it. Late morning family started turning up, Caitlyn and I realised we weren’t suitably dressed so went upstairs for a quick shower, after which I curled my hair, which was still too short for my liking, and put make up on. I put on a red lacy bra and thong with red and green tartan skirt and a tight, long-sleeved black top. When I got downstairs the rest of the family had arrived so we celebrated with mulled wine and mince pies. Afterwards I sat on the floor playing Lego with my young cousins while my Nan, Mum and aunts were in the kitchen and my Grandad, Dad, Uncles and Zack went to the pub.