"I Know I'm Lucky To Be Alive" - Susan Wood

Susan Wood has spoken for the first time about her fall down the stairs six months ago which left her with a brain injury.

And it has been revealed she will be back at work this weekend, with interviews on Sunday's Q+A, the show she fronted until the accident.

Posing for a cover shoot in this week's Woman's Day, the broadcaster said: "I know I'm lucky to be alive. I know I've been given a second chance at life, and I'm so grateful."

She added: "I've taken to giving complete strangers hugs because they gasp and are happy to see I'm alright."

There are still gaps in her memory for a six-week period around the accident and she has artificial hair on one side of her head to cover a scar. It was revealed a neurosurgeon had removed a chunk - 10cm by 10cm - from her skull to release the pressure.

"My hair's a bit off," she joked.

The mother-of-two has not yet ventured out at night, but finally has her driver's licence back this month after not being allowed to drive for six months. She has taken things slow, with trips out to lunch with friends and to the supermarket.

Wood says she always holds on to the rail now when walking down the stairs in her Auckland home.

"I used to tear up and down those stairs, but not anymore."

More details also emerged in the magazine about the night of the accident, including the fact her niece Madeleine, visiting from Dunedin, was the one to find her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs.

Wood's eldest son, Alex, 24, was out with his father Duncan Beck, while her youngest son Matthew, 22, was out with friends.

Mr Beck said they believe Wood had been cleaning up the mess her sons had boiling the kettle to make a cup of tea as they had found the kettle on the stove the next day.

Madeleine was in the shower when the accident happened.

"We got a call about midnight from Madeleine saying Susan had fallen and was injured, bleeding and unconscious," Mr Beck said.

"We raced home. The ambulance arrived at the same time we did and we followed it straight to the hospital."

Wood was on the operating table at 1am. Afterwards, she was on life support and wore a helmet to keep her brain in place.

She did not regain consciousness for 10 days.

Wood does not remember being in hospital but does remember parts of her stay at the ABI Rehabilitation in Ranui, west Auckland.

She used a walking frame after the first week before slowly regaining movement. She had daily sessions with occupational and speech therapists who helped her recover her speech and mobility.

Alex became his mother's power of attorney and led key legal and medical decisions, the magazine said.