They put me on new pain medication which makes me drowsy for most of the day. It's kind of a choice between the pain in my left arm, or being awake. At least I can now transfer onto the bed myself, and I sleep between therapy sessions. Apart from the continual drowsiness, life is ok at the moment. My arms are getting pretty strong, and I am wheeling myself up and down Anzio Road, which is very steep - cars struggle. I can almost smell the rubber burning as I inch down slowly. We zig-zag up which makes it less of a gradient to climb, but a whole lot longer! My arms, while far from huge, are now bigger than they have ever been.

I now have a release date: 20th December and am going home every weekend as kind of test runs. I am getting more independent, but it is different at home. I am a bit worried, but I am sure I will be fine - I don't have a choice really - I have to make this work.

Great news - we got a call from the Argus wanting to chat to me. Apparently summonses have been issued to the boys who did this to me, and they wanted my comment. I had heard all sorts of rumours that they had been planning to go overseas. I tried not to let it worry me, but I am feeling so much better now that I know that something is happening. It's not about revenge, it's about taking responsibility for your actions, and ensuring that this doesn't happen again - not at the hands of these boys at least.

I'm going to the first court appearance today. It's been a long haul, but finally the wheels of justice are turning. My mom and Clive came to fetch me, and we went through to Wynberg Court. I continue to be absolutely overwhelmed by the support of the press - they were out in full force, as well as the support of my friends, both new and old, my work colleagues and my family. I almost feel like I'm back at the Theatre, except instead of running the restaurant, I am playing a leading role in a farce. There were even some supporters with placards like "Posh School Education - Gutter Morals" lining the pavement.

There were a few delays because the Defense Attorney left some papers at home, and the court room had to be cleared because the boys had to be charged together, and the one is only 17. Only one person could stay with me, and I chose Nicholas, as we had been in this together from the beginning. I know that he has suffered too. Besides having sustained severe bruising around the kidneys from being kicked while on the ground, he also can't bear to see me like this. This boy turns 18 on Friday 22nd, and can therefore appear in court as per normal on the next court date - 8 February 2007.

It was interesting seeing the accused, and I was absolutely blown away by their plea of self defense. It was also interesting that one boy changed his lawyer at the eleventh hour and resubmitted a statement. Hmmmmmmmmm!

We saw Michael Enslin at Cavendish after the court appearance. Obviously being charged for attempted murder is not a big deal. I wonder if these boys have done this sort of thing before. I went back to my mom's house, slept most of the afternoon, and then returned to the hospital after supper.

I am going home today.

I am excited, as I want to start living my life again, but do have some concerns about managing. I might be sitting in a chair for the rest of my life, but at least I'm not worrying about being someone's unwilling girlfriend in jail. I've had offers from a few strangers, including a member of the Americans Gang, who want to "sort the boys out" for me. Personally, I have faith in the Justice System and would like it to run its course. I don't believe in violence now, and never have. It's amazing - these are worlds that I have never been aware of (other than in the movies), until now.

My first day at home was bad. My brother, Nicholas and Janelle were here to help me, but I kept getting dizzy and passing out. I think it may have been the stress of coming back home, as it seems now to have sorted itself out. It is a bit scary and dangerous though, as it can happen at any time - in the shower or during a transfer. Thanks to that little setback, I got saddled with a carer - supposedly for a week, but she only came for one day. I don't think that there was enough for her to do and she got bored.

I also managed to tip my wheelchair over backwards and hit my head on the wall, when trying to make a quick getaway when the washing machine pipe burst and started flooding the laundry. What a first day! There was some good news however, later that evening, I was able to lift my right lower leg about 30 degrees and hold it up for a few seconds.

I am proud to say that since that time, I have been pretty independent - I can get in and out of bed on my own (a feat in its own right as I don't have a headboard or sides, and there is nothing to hold onto when I transfer.). I can shower on my own - the shower is over the bath, and I transfer into the bath chair and shower while sitting. I can dress and undress on my own, but I do struggle to pull my trousers up. I have to go onto the bed and flip onto my stomach to get them up. Putting on my shoes takes a really long time. It's so strange; I've been doing all these things for myself since I was in preschool. Now 20 years on - it's something that I have to relearn again. It's times like this that I feel so angry. It's not like I was driving drunk, or doing an extreme sport where I could pre-determine and accept the risks - I went to the shop to get a pie! How dangerous can that be!

I've spent a lot of time using the electro-therapy on my legs. This tires me out and I have been sleeping quite a lot too.

My moods have also been up and down. It's a combination of not being able to do really simple things, and also impatience to start walking. I just know that I'm going to walk one day and I want it to happen now. I also kind of feel caught in the middle of everybody's good intentions. I know that everyone is just worried about me and concerned for my welfare, and I don't want them to disappear, I just sometimes feel that I need time on my own to try and put this stuff together and work out the best way to handle this different way of life. I'm a little more grumpy than usual, because the pain in my left hand has come back with a vengeance. Pain is tiring, which is probably another reason why I am sleeping.

I was completely sheltered in the hospital, and at home I am constantly made aware of what I can't do - drive my car, get into my house on my own, go to work, get around work (up and down the stairs) on my own. I have been spending quite a bit of time at the Theatre. It's wonderful to chat to everyone, but my neck gets really sore looking up at people to talk to them. I'm sure they don't realize the strain.

I went in the pool at my mom's house on Christmas Day and was able to move my leg almost freely in the water. Still nothing in the left leg, but the right was like that to start with and I will not give up hope.

Kelly has been bringing me information on therapies with promising results. I will put some of these into practice and hopefully the results will be as good as the research shown on the web.

We got the most interesting call from Anthony Netto, a South African, now based in Germany. He was a professional golfer who was hit by a car and has been paralyzed for a while. He has developed an outdoor wheelchair called a paragolfer which allows you much more mobility and independence. He had been out to deliver it to Vic Perrett in Britannia Bay (near St Helena Bay) and put us in contact. On Wednesday, we drove out there to see this device and meet Vic and June Perrett and their daughter Suzy. It was really fantastic and I could certainly recommend it to anyone wanting more outdoor mobility. While I would love one, it's very expensive and I wouldn't be able to get it in my house - the doorways are too narrow. I was however able to stand in it for the first time in two weeks. (See gallery). I was very dizzy at first, and then tried again successfully half an hour later. I hate those dizzy spells - your hearing goes, the world becomes a haze, and then it seems like in the movies where everything is in slow motion and if people are talking, you can't hear them, you just see their mouths move. It's amazing how quickly your body deteriorates.

I've had two sessions of Cranio-Sacral therapy at home. I just know that it's helping my body to recover. It feels like acupuncture without the needles and I can feel the energy moving around my body.

I've been going into work everyday. I haven't really been doing much, just getting my body acclimatized to the working hours. I need to get my day upside down again - as it was before.

Well - off to work now. New Year's Eve is coming up and we have lots to do at the Restaurant. Janelle's been doing a fantastic job keeping the Restaurant running while I've been in hospital. All the staff there are really pulling together and making sure that everything runs smoothly. This is a great weight off my shoulders as I don't need to stress.