Monthly Archives: December 2013

Events

Hi Russ

 

Seem to recall a story of Dave T staying at Andy W’s mum’s house and Andy laying one in the middle of the lounge after a particularly large night out.

 

His mum’s resigned comment?  “Not again Andy”.

 

Really hoping to hear you master the skiing.

 

All the best

 

Nicholas 

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Hi mate. 
Commiserations on your unexpected in flight experience.  However not as bad as Jaymo who shst himself while asleep on the New Dehli to Darjeeling 36hr train epic. It wouldn’t have been that bad but there were 3 Indian gentlemen in the bunk underneath. They were too polite to wake him.
Must be a welsh thing?
Dan


Sent from Samsung Mobile

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Hey Russ boy, just read blogarooney – in my 20 plus years of being an air  hostie I don’t think I would be able to count on two hands the amount of times I HAVENT had to help someone who has accidentally weed,pooed or vommed! All kinds of weird things unfortunately happen at altitude. Also the blog would have been dead boring if you hadn’t added an element of drama! Love you lots Russ boy xxx 

The Big Apple ( as seen by a fella with no core). There’s a joke in there somewhere.

Events

It’s 5.40 pm in New York. 

I’ve given up, am too tired, the bloody wheelchair digs in to my disfigured rib cage on my right side, at the back, hurting all the time. 
I’ve been pushed 7 miles today ( I know cos my phone has an App….. )   That’s been pushed, not even pushed myself. 
We’ve been to Central Park ( icy, slippery paths ), FAO Schwarz ( the massive toy shop ), the Uggs store, Nike Town, a restaurant for lunch and God knows where in between… I’m not grumbling, but I am tired out. 
Dani booked tickets for 5.30 for us all to go up the Rockefeller Centre – the new best view of the city, and of the best Xmas tree in NY. She and the girls have just dropped me at the room. I’m in too much discomfort to have enjoyed it, and didn’t want to spoil it for them by grimacing thro the next 2 hours. 
This city is busy, packed with shoppers. It’s hard even being pushed, as I have to try to push my body back in the chair to stop myself falling forward, particularly at the many, many road crossings. 
 An awful lot of people are preoccupied by their mobiles so are on collision course with me until the last few feet. The consequent nervous tension in my shoulders steadily wore me down. 

I’ve had a good day, seeing my girls have fun. I’ve no interest in shopping now, for myself, it just seems pointless. I’ve got plenty of clothes, and fashion in a wheelchair.. well it just doesn’t seem the same. There’s no room for vanity in my life now; you have to be able to look into the mirror and like what you see, right?
Well that’s not the case any more. 

A lot of people got in touch with me after a lady (?) called Babs M called me arrogant. She’d taken offence to a flippant comment I’d made about dementia. Ive spent nearly 30 years of my professional life in the company of largely elderly people, and have had a very large ‘following’ for many years. Invariably they openly say that I’m honest, trustworthy and just plain nice and respectful, with a lot of fun thrown in. 
To allege that I’m anything other than the above is wrong. 
I actually made a joke about the prospect of MYSELF ending up as a wheelchair patient with dementia, and NOT making fun of other people who suffer this awful fate. 
Nothing would be further from my intention, and I removed my ‘joke’ and apologised. 

I didn’t start this blog, I inherited it. I sort of took it over from my hospital bed, simply to keep my mates posted as to my progress. 
I’ve not set out to be a social commentator, or to be profound or learned. I certainly didn’t intend for people I didn’t know to read it or be interested in it. 

Now I’m not sure what it’s purpose is. It’s definitely NOT supposed to be controversial, so I’d like everyone to resist being annoyed by anything they read on it. If you are, then please stop reading it. 

It’s just a diary written by a guy who fell off his bike when he should have been at home with his daughters. He wrecked his  life in the process, and very nearly the lives of  those he loves most. 
It may serve to educate people about the awful thing that is Spinal Cord Injury, and may be a help to other people who, God help them, befall this fate. 

I know it veers from manic depression to moments of contentment, interspersed with sometimes black humour from me, and other contributors.   But that’s how life is now for me… up, down and unpredictable. 

I don’t know how long I’ll keep it going for, I mean how interesting is some bloke’s life?  So if it just stops don’t be surprised. It doesn’t mean I’ve topped myself, it just means I think you’re probably bored. 

For now it stops me going f’ing mad though. 
Please, no comments about trivialising  insane people. 

Events

Russ,

Been reading blog and comments on same and totally agree!

The fact that you can fly defiantly in the face of all this by sharing
stuff that many others would struggle to even mention shows an inner
strength which must surely be rare! 

Your girls will surely grow up with a better understanding of love and life
than most and that is a rare gift to give them in a society where is all too
easy to be selfish and vacuous!

Good on you old chum!

Merry Xmas

Mel

:)

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Two people go cycling in France. One gets back safely.

The other suffers a horrific crash. He nearly dies, is airlifted to hospital where upon he does in fact die and is brought back to life again. He then is on lift support for weeks. He suffers broken ribs, punctured lungs and severers his spine. Eventually he ends up in Stoke Manville, in a wheel chair and has to go through the agony of relearning the very basics of living again.

Come the end of the year GUESS WHICH C*#* GOES SKIING FIRST?

John

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Well you made it. Albeit not a pleasant journey. Your girls are only seeing the relationship of caring between their mother and father; it’s not about cleaning up shit. Russ- your showing them what life should really be about. That’s a gift. This is a massive endurance test for you mentally and physically. Hang in there.

Cheers John. Merry Xmas to you too, my friend.

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Russ

Read the blog. I have to just say that I’m impressed. Despite hitting inflight turbulence mid-Atlantic you can still blog about it! Once again proving that as life lobs hand-grenades at you, you just keep picking them up and throwing them back.

Embarrassed, depressed, angry, sad…….ok, and perhaps I know bugger all about how it really feels.

But I’m still impressed!

Merry Xmas
John

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My wife just said something that made me happy. 

 

She said that pre accident I’d always told her about people in wheelchairs whose eyes I’d examined, and how nice I’d always been ABOUT them, as people. 
I’m glad she reminded me of that.