She is facing more surgery on her shattered wrist but Sally Pearson considers herself lucky.
Olympic hurdles champion Pearson revealed on Monday she thought she would lose her hand following her traumatic fall in a Diamond League race in Rome nearly two weeks ago.
"That was my first thought, that I'd have to go to the Paralympics now," said Pearson.
"When I got onto the stretcher, my hand started going blue so I was screaming even more because I thought they were going to have to amputate.
"But I do put things into perspective and think I am very lucky with what happened.
"If it had been the ankle, it would be a completely different story right now and I'd be telling you something different."
Pearson confirmed on Monday that her "bone explosion" will rule her out of August's world athletics championships in Beijing.
The 28-year-old is set have another operation on Tuesday with surgeons keen to "revise" the procedure she underwent in Rome last week.
Pearson said it was the first time she'd ever had stitches, let alone surgery or a broken bone.
A return date may be pencilled in after the surgery but the injury is so severe that doctors are reluctant to put a time frame on it.
It came after 2011 world champion crashed at the fifth hurdle of her race and was left howling in agony on the track.
The cause of her fall was a "feeling" in her calf muscle that was later revealed as a minor tear, with scans to determine the full extent of the damage.
"I haven't seen (footage) yet, I'm not planning on looking at it either," Pearson said.
"What I felt and probably acted like was completely different.
"All I felt was my hand touch the ground.
"I didn't actually feel the break or the dislocation.
"The reason why I was probably screaming so much was more the fact I was terrified, seeing my hand going in a different direction, and trying to get attention from any of the volunteers working on the track to come and help me because I couldn't get up because the calf was sore as well."
If there is an upside, it's that Pearson will now get her first extended break since her international debut at the 2003 world youth athletics championships before she prepares for the Rio Olympics next year.
"I'm just going to wrap myself in cotton wool until (Rio) and not break or injure myself," she said.
Athletics Australia head coach Craig Hilliard said the loss of team captain Pearson would be felt at the world titles.
"She hasn't had a break for a long, long time so it's important that she gets over that, then refocuses for Rio and gives her body every chance to recover properly," he said.
"She can still keep training once she gets the all-clear from the medical team and, knowing Sally, she'll be already plotting and scheming ways of keeping herself fit and doing what's required to get herself there."
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