All posts by Russ

Back there report

Events
I’m back home already for the weekend!

Quiet one ahead. Phew!

First one and a half days there were fine to be honest. 

Was messaging for 6 hours straight last night, I  had so many people contacting me to check I was happy.

Ah, what it is to recieve love. 

I had various blood tests, a bladder test involving a radioactive tracer, some physio, a bit of ‘standing up’ in the Stand Frame, a change of wheelchair to a slightly more comfy one, and 2 short gym  sessions too. 
Brian didn’t snore either,  and I got to grips  with the shower and bog facilities in this new ward. 

Additionally, the nurses are far better looking, though that can make you more self conscious when you’re bollock naked in a compromised position in front of them.  

If I could come home every 2 days, I reckon I could stick it out there for months. Sadly that’s not an option as far as I know. 

A lot of the ‘younger’ patients have been discharged, so it seems different now. 

Reason: young people tend to break their backs doing sporty stuff in the summer, go to Stoke Mandeville, are re-hab’d and get discharged at Xmas. 
Autumn’s admissions are ‘older’ people who slip and fall in the wet weather, and are there through to March… 
Ok, that’s a generalisation, but statistically significant enough to do so. 

Suppose I’m in the middle somehow there. Crashed in June with the kids, but was so f’d up bone-breakwise  that I wasn’t in a wheelchair til September, and now there with the Old Folks. 
Ah well, it makes me look suddenly younger in the population there. 

Guess I’ve become ‘wheelchair candy’ all of a sudden.. 
😉

Cheers Blair. :)

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Morning russ. I loved reading about your USA adventure, great to see you on the snow again where you belong, I reckon you are still faster than me !! It didn’t seem right to intrude upon your family time there but maybe now you are back at SM it is time for people like me who do read your blog continually with a sense of awe to remind you that not only do you have a fantastic close circle of family and friends but also a wider circle of fiends who think of you daily and marvel at how you keep managing to knock those new boundaries down. Stay strong buddy and keep pushing for all the new adventures that still await you. I hope Brian works out to be a better roomie !! Blair 

Here again.

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I wheeled into my new ward, St Joseph’s, at 2pm, with Dani and my gorgeous Amber. 

They were expecting me. 
The nurse said ‘ here’s your bed ‘.
 Jesus, the bloke, Paul, who has haunted my every night with his interminable snoring at night and total ignorance during the waking hours in my last ward was……. My room mate here in Joseph’s. 
I looked at the Paul. I said hello. He just looked away. Same old then..
Even Amber was shocked. 
Dani and I had a quiet word with the sister. Please, not again. 
It worked. 
I’m now in the next room, a wall away from Paul. Thank God, I really couldn’t take any more. 
Having said that, who’s to say my new room mate, Brian, won’t be the same after dark?
I’ll soon find out, but at least he’s a friendly soul. 
I can’t figure out why people here should choose to be unfriendly, given we’re all a variation on the same tragic theme – spinal damage. 
Lots here can walk ( badly ) and lots here have a real chance of physical mobility recovery to some degree. 
I don’t, I’m stuck in the chair, but I’ve gotta get better at ‘transferring’ – to beds, cars, seats etc, and to get the right drugs to control the pain I’m in. 
And to wheel my chair a lot better too 
That’s this month’s objective. 
Then they’ll chuck me out. 
🙂

Happy New Year!

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Back to hospital tomorrow for up to 6 weeks. 

A sense of dread is overcoming me. 
I’m not ‘ready’ to be home, but I still want to be here. 
Just been to see The Hobbit Part 2. 
Really good, except I’ve got to sit at the front, practically next to the screen, from where I miss half the peripheral action and feel like the dragon’s main target is me. 
Yesterday I powered up my hand held video camera. Guess what was on it?
About 25 clips I’d filmed during the morning of the day I crashed.. Footage of us messing about, the cycling, and the incredible scenery. 
I can’t remember ANY of it, so I watched in morbid fascination, knowing that probably 2 hours later my spine was broken and I was in cardiac arrest. 
Still, it looked like a top start to the trip. The sun shone, and the banter flowed ( largely from me, as unofficial every year film maker/ commentator ). 
Didn’t know I’d shared a room with Q, til I saw the footage. 
If I post the video, I’ll edit out shots of his arse, and substitute in Naomi Campbell’s instead. 

From my Mum :)

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Glad to hear that you all arrived safely . Dad and I miss you , Dani and the girls very , very much . It’s certainly quieter without Amber’s antics ! 

What a Xmas it has been , utterly incredible . The Russell Dawkins has come back to us in a huge way as we always believed that he would. Well done you darling. I wonder what 2014 holds for you all. It’s going to be a pretty exciting and eventful year of that we can be sure. 

Alwyn’s accident shook us to the core , it was just unbelievable. Thank God he is ok . He skied yesterday in spite of his aches and pains,
much to my amazement but I don’t suppose he has all that much skiing fun time with his mates so must make the most of every opportunity. 

Yesterday we skied most of the day too. The conditions were very difficult, very lumpy ,  following a massive fall of snow. I did fall once but managed all the lumps/ moguls and I felt rather smug about that ( that’s not arrogance but confidence as you would say and you are right ) .

Today I have succumbed to a very heavy cold so am not skiing , it’s a cosseting day . It’s bitterly cold out there and dad’s knees require a rest ! I hate the limitations of age but am glad I am still here to experience them!  Every day is a beautiful bonus for me .

Being with you all for Xmas was a joy . 
Happy New Year to you all.

See you as soon as we return
All our love as always 

Mum and dad xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Its NYE! Almost missed this one altogether, didn’t i?

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Made it home from the US of A. 

Been in the kitchen bed for about 16 hours now. Well ok, just got up  
Just watched ‘Home Alone’ with Amber – a true classic movie. 
Uneventful and fun flight back, thank God. 
And spending NYE with Andrew and Lisa tonight. Should be chilled and cosy. 
Always had a crazy NYE every year before this one, all except one. 
We stayed in once, and watched Jools Holland. 
I said to Dani ‘isn’t it amazing all those celebs give up their NYE to be on this show?’
She said ‘don’t be stupid, it’s pre recorded!’
I said ‘what, and they’re all ACTING!?  I don’t believe that!’
We argued for about an hour, then went to bed at 12.01. 
The next day at a party, the FIRST person we talked to was ‘in TV ‘ and guess what… Worked every year on the December 7th pre-recording production of the bloody Jules Holland NYE Show…. cue satisfied, smug, all day wife smile….
Moral. : don’t argue about something you know absolutely nothing about, and ruin your night, unless you’re happy to feel like a nob when proved wrong shortly after. 
Hope you all have a top one, with the ones you love/ have most fun with. 
Russ 

Too many good men die young.

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God I hope Michael Schumacher pulls through. 

I hate hearing now about people crashing and injuring themselves. It’s so much closer to home than I ever felt pre injury. 
Thrill seekers and speed freaks by definition put themselves in the firing line for a life changing injury without weighing up the consequences first – look at me.  
I’ve been thinking about him all day. 
Good luck Michael. 

Oh Jesus. The unimaginable almost happened twice in the same year to the same family. I’ve re read this email 4 times and filled up every time. Guardian angel, or is someone out to get us?

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Russ,
Glad you made it to Boston safely.
I hesitate to write this, but thought you should know.
I just spent the last 2 hours in an ambulance.
While driving back from town to our house, up OKEMO ridge road in the heavy snow, I had to make a u-turn as the road was blocked by cars that had skidded off the road.
I drove back down the hill toward Jackson Gore. Half way down there was a Chevy suburban stuck in the snow with a woman and girl in the front seats.
I backed my car up to them to see if I could help.
I opened the drivers door of the stranded suburban and was leaning in the car to change their 4 wheel drive settings. All of a sudden I was flying through the air! A snow plow truck, out of control coming down the hill slammed into the car door behind which I was standing, hitting it so hard I flew 20 feet in the air. When I came round, amazingly I was ok, badly bruised ribs and leg, shaking from shock and cold, but otherwise ok!
I swear someone is looking out for us. 10 seconds earlier or 2 feet to my left, I would have been a gonna.
As it is I’m just very sore and very grateful!
Love you bro,

Alwyn
Xxx



(If there is a God, then I thank you for stepping in and sparing us another unbearable blow. 

Russ. )