Hi, my name is Derek Brennan.

I am from Ireland (south) I have read some of your stories with great interest on Brachial Plexus. I myself have suffered the same injury to my right arm in 1993. The pain Ross Rebbeck and David James talk about brings it all back to me. I had my accident off my motor cycle when I was an apprentice joiner. As you can guess this changed my outlook to life, job etc.

 For a year I wondered how will I get over this? Will I get over this? But now that I look back my friends and family helped me no end to get back on my feet. The only thing I was thinking was 'would I ever ride a bike again?' With the help of my friends (one a bike mechanic) I have finally done it. In June 2000 I did it!

CBR 600, brake, throttle and clutch all to my left hand, no problem. Now two years later I ride a bandit 1200 and am sitting my test in a few weeks, Yippee! I am now well over my Brachial Plexus problems as it never stops me doing anything. But just as I thought my life is back on track, last September l fell in my flat banging my chest off the sofa (full of good old Guinness) next morning I woke to a very sore chest, but of course I left it a week or two before going to my doctor until it got unbearable. 

My doctor sent me to my local hospital to get an x-ray, the result was no broken ribs, just badly bruised. But (this is the good bit) The doctor asked me "Does anybody in your family suffer calcium?" "Errm no" I replied, he went on to tell me that the main aorta to my heart had some sort of blockage, and sent me for a CT scan. Then they decided to send me to Dublin hospital to see a specialist. 

The following Wednesday I woke up after a 5 hour operation thinking 'Well I'm back, that has to be a good sign'. I was in ICU for two days, then I met the man who saved my life (Mr. Woods) he told me that another few weeks (or even days) and it would have been good night shirt. The slang term for my condition is "the seven day killer" i.e. that about seven days after a major road traffic accident the bodies blood pressure goes back to normal and this causes the weakened valve to burst. Only an unusual build up of calcium had strengthened my aorta or I would have been long gone. 

So now I'm back on the bike after another six month break and looking forward to the TT in 2 weeks, haven't missed it in 6 years and this is my first time to bring a bike, I can't wait. God Save the Doctors, Surgeons and the rest.