A Carnoustie High School teacher feared she may lose some of her fingers after a fall in the Angus hills.
Caroline Thain, 55, was also told by surgeons that her elbow was “blown to bits” after falling at the Airlie Monument.
She had to be rescued after slipping in freezing conditions while walking with a friend.
Caroline said: “I had one slip and my arm went underneath me.
“It then popped up on the other side. I’ve never felt pain like it.
“It was very cold and it was snowing on us. My friend quickly called 999, something she hasn’t done before.
Carnoustie High School teacher’s elbow ‘blown to bits’ after fall
“It took 20 minutes for the mountain rescue crew to arrive, there were around six of them.
“They gave me gas and air but it wasn’t touching the area, so they gave me different painkillers that kicked in.”
Caroline, an English teacher at Carnoustie High, was transported by ambulance to hospital.
She said: “The surgeon told me that my elbow was blown to bits and that it looked like there was a load of debris around it.
“I didn’t know that your hand works by using the ligaments in your elbow so I had to work on getting my hand better.
“Two of my fingers weren’t working and I was sure I was going to lose them.”
Following the drama in January, Caroline had to undergo months of intense physio before going back to work.
She said: “I had weekly visits to Arbroath Infirmary as well as monthly visits to the surgeon, even then they had to wait until the swelling went down.
“I needed to continue with the physio or my arm wouldn’t set properly.
“It took six months for me to return to work. The school have been very helpful and have given me a table that goes up and down as well as a chair I can move.
“I’ve never been pain-free since the fall but I get used to it.”
‘It’s funny how one step can go wrong and your life changes’
Caroline has since been raising money in aid of the Scottish Mountain Rescue team.
As well as setting up a JustGiving page, she has roped in pupils and teachers to help with fundraising performances.
She said: “I was really keen on getting the kids involved, particularly the ones going through their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. They were more than keen to help.
“We have a couple of teachers at school who are musicians so we did a couple of songs.
“We filmed a TikTok video doing the Deadpool dance routine to NSync’s Bye Bye Bye.
“After that, we got on the stage to do a singalong of Sweet Caroline.
“The children loved it. I’m always up for doing something silly for a good cause.”
Caroline has raised hundreds of pounds so far.
She added: “I’ve completed both the East and West Highland Ways and climbed hills across Europe – and it’s the one close to home that got me.
“It’s funny how one step can go wrong and your life changes in a nanosecond.
“I’m lucky to have a son who would always visit me in hospital and my husband who looked after me.”
Conversation