A chef who lost his arm and hand in an A14 motorcycle crash in September is planning to get his life back.
Speaking from his Addenbrooke's Hospital bed, Adrian Camplin said this week he has few memories of riding his motorcycle at around 10.20pm on Sunday, September 19 before he crashed.
Suffolk police said at the time he was in a critical condition before he was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge from the eastbound carriageway at Rougham.
At the teaching hospital and research centre, he has had several surgeries on his torso, and his arm and hand needed to be amputated, leaving him with life-changing injuries.
"I don't think it's really sunk in yet," he said. "Things are starting to come back with my memory."
He does remember being trapped between his bike and the barriers, which caused damage to his stomach and body but no head injuries as his helmet bore the brunt.
"My crash helmet protected me very well," he said. "I'm very lucky."
He also recalls the wait for paramedics feeling like a long time but said police were there with him.
While waiting for more surgery – his most recent one was on Friday he has had a lot of time to think about his life.
The chef with 30 years experience said: "My life was very work orientated. It was built around work that has been like that for a very long time.
"I had been trying to take time away for a long time and slow down. I feel I was getting to that age."
But as he still has a "great passion" for being a chef, the 51-year-old wants to give back to everyone who has helped him succeed.
"You're constantly learning with being a chef and I have a lot of passion for this that drives you forward constantly," he added. "I just want to thanks everyone for all the support they've given me in and out of the hospital.
"They're all amazing. I will never be able to thank them enough."
His friend Sharon Wootten, who is one of two visitors due to Covid restrictions along with his girlfriend, has organised a Go Fund Me appeal to raise money for Adrian to retrain as a cookery lecturer and a prosthetic arm.
She said: "Everybody that knows him, loves him, he makes an impression on you that you can not forget.
"He is larger than life and always has a funny story or comment to make."
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