CATCHING UP WITH CORNISH (APRIL 27): A CASE OF MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

By Graham Potter | Thursday, April 27, 2023

It wasn’t good news. You might think that would not be the case when you hear from your doctor that your broken back has healed and that he doesn’t have to see you again ... but, when your body is telling you something different ... well, it is not a happy outcome. Jasmine Cornish is now six months into her rehabilitation after a horror fall in a trial left her stricken with a broken back, amongst other injuries. On April 26, she received the latest review of the scans on her back ... and it seemingly has left her with more questions than answers.

“When I went in, because of the pain I’ve been having, I expected them to say it needs more healing,” said Cornish.

“It is still just so sore. I can’t even go a day without being in pain. Like I say, I was expecting to go in there and be told it needs more time to heal, so I was surprised when he said it appears to be fully healed and that there is nothing much else that will change.

“I said, right ... so why am I still in pain then?

“You know, I do have a pretty high pain tolerance, so I deal with it every day, but does that mean if I don’t want to be in pain, do I just take pain killers? Am I just meant to keep pushing through and eventually I come out of pain? I just wanted to know my options, but I didn’t really get many answers.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting to go back and be told it is healed so, as crazy as it might sound, it was very disappointing to hear that given the way my body feels.

“He did say afterwards that maybe the reason I am in pain is that maybe the bolts in my back are not in a nice place. He said I could have them taken out, but that could cause a lot more muscle and tissue damage ... and I said, well, I don’t want to be feeling like this. If you think this is the best it is going to get, I don’t want to be feeling like this for the rest of my life ... I cannot handle it anymore!”

A big part of the driving force behind Cornish’s rehabilitation effort has been keeping the dream alive of a return to race riding. It is hard to imagine where Cornish would without that light at the end of the tunnel, but, for the moment at least, that option remains some way off.

“In essence, at this stage, it has basically been left up to me when I can get back on a horse, but if you saw me lying in bed at night in pain ... saying, ow, I need a heat-pack to put on my back because it is hurting so much ... you would realise what a crazy idea that would be for me to do right now.

“It is not just any horse we are talking about. They are racehorses who are taught to go fast ... and if I try and can’t handle it and the horse just bolts on me, I’m screwed. I’ll could end up paralysed or something.

“The horse requires a lot of muscle to control and you can’t be restricted in any way if you are going to ride ... so it is a no-brainer given my current situation. I’m not going there.

“What I will be doing is making some phone calls to work-cover. The doctor I have been dealing with said he didn’t have to see me again. He said that’s it.

“That’s his assessment and I accept that, but I do feel that getting a second opinion wouldn’t do any harm.

“Disappointed ... I’m more than that. But what can you do.

"I’ve just got to keep trying to find a way to get better.”

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