The reality of the daily grind is sinking in for Stuart Hughes, the BBC newsman who lost a foot to a landmine in Iraq:
What’s bothering me right now isn’t the loss of my foot. I’m slowly getting used to that.
It’s the fact that the smallest thing seems to take an age.
If I want to get from the bottom of the stairs I have to shuffle up on my knees or backside.
If I want to get to the car I have to negotiate my way outside on crutches and stuff my wheelchair into the boot.
If I want to travel just a few hundred yards I have to negotiate sloping pavements and steep curbs in my chair.
The simplest task is now a major undertaking. It’s exhausting.
The good news is that it will probably get better – he’ll get more used to new routines, he’ll get stronger, and he’ll adapt his environment.
