DaveA, I can very much relate to your story. I went through similar stuff with my wrist a few years ago. It was really smashed, and the initial reaction I got from the first doctor who saw it ("What a mess - it will never be the same again!") did nothing to inspire confidence. It took three operations, lots of angst and lots of physio before it came good - after about 2 years. I was lucky to have an excellent hand surgeon though, and it's back to 95% perfect, which is near enough - it functions so well that I just don't think about it any more.

Don't get discouraged. You may feel like it's too much to cope with at times, but you will cope, and eventually you will get to a stage where you can look back at it and realise that you did cope, and you are stronger for it. I think it's like that for anybody who has been through serious illness or injury. You are more aware of your mortality, but you grow from it.

Whereabouts in Oz are you? I'm in Sydney.