Ello Guys
Firstly I find myself very humbled by the replies to this post. For me it was very touching to receive all the
well wishes and
positive posts to my leaving the game. Many of the replies are buy guys I know and some are by guys I barley recognise.
A chap by the name of aamack with just 1 post to his credit said
Lynx
I think you will be missed here more than you may know
He's dead right. To me I was just another geeky WWII wanna be. A 47 year old going on 12 (according to my Mrs we're all 9 year olds). OK! I understand I was a player with some experience of the game but 11 pages of good wishes makes the point for aamack, to which I was somewhat taken aback. I must stress I am very greatfull and humbled to the point of having a lump in me throat. I can't thank you enough for your good thoughts other than to express a heart felt
I started this thread on the day I went to hospital Sunday 6th. My operation was scheduled for Tuesday 8th of September at the University Hospital Walsgrave in Coventry, my home town. Having checked in at reception I was meeted and greeted at my designated ward and lead to a 4 bedder side room. I noted I was the youngest. One of the beds had a curtain around it and didn't pay much attention until some nurses and porters came in and drew everyones curtains. Requesting patients and visitors to remain behind our curtains. This is polite hospital etiquette for removing a dead guy off the ward. The guy behind the original closed curtains. Charming omen I thought and the last thing I wanted Karen to see.
On the 8th at 5PM I was wheeled down to theater to be parked up in the waiting area. After 3/4 of an hour a guy in theater blues comes up to me and says "the guy before me has complications and they may not finish with me until gone 11PM. Would I mind if they canceled?" The last thing I wanted was my surgeon falling asleep at the scalpel. Bearing in mind I had seen him at 9AM for a pre op check and chat. Although slightly disappointed who was I to deny the guy before me. Who was I to kick off about it. The theater guy then goes on to tell me they would do me later in the week or the weekend. This was somewhat of a relief as I was thinking they wouldn't get back to me until January or February of 2010. I most defiantly didn't want a knackered surgeon working on me after a 14 or 15 hour day. I was put back on the ward where I spent a few days swapping ailments, life stories and thoughts on death with the other patients. Two of the guys were terminal
I've been dead for 30 seconds when I was 12 but thats perhaps another thread for the officers club.
On Saturday 12th September I was in theater at 9AM prompt. The op had gone to plan and lasted close on 5 hours. Apart from the odd hour here and there I slept for 4 days straight. It's fair to say I didn't feel my best with all the tubes, vomiting, shoulder pain and bloody hiccups. Apparently hiccups is a common thing after the diaphragm has been moved about following abdominal surgery. Also, shoulder point pain is common because they sometimes tweak a nerve whose name I can't recall. Man! it felt like some bad arsed viking had buried his axe in me collar bone. Like I'd broken it again.
In the middle of the week over a two day period I had all the pipes and tubes taken out of me. One of the funny moments I'll relay to you, with a cheeky proud smile . It came to having my catheter tube taken out me knob. It's an embarrassing thing to have to go through. It's a strange sensation and it can be painfull as this plastic tube gets pulled out. You can feel it unfurling itself from ya sacks all the way up the one eyed tube. So there I am with me dressing gown tucked under me chin and me meat and two veg on display to this nurse. Good job my teenage years are long gone and the nurse was an old timer close on retiring. Having deflated the balloon that keeps it in place she grips the tube, looks me in the eyes and says "ready?" I grip the base of me flaccid member and give her the nod. Up comes her hand pulling the tube out as she does so. I felt the tube coming out me sacks and up me knob then she stops. She's still looking at me and I at her. I have to tell her to "keep going". Astonished she looks at me knob and pulls out the last couple or three inches of tube.
A proud moment
On Friday 18th my surgeon comes up to me and tells me all seems well and would I like to go home? I was like WTF
I know they need the beds but this was taking the piss. I said "no" in a polite but serious manner. I had to remind him of my slow heart beat. Been MRI'ed at 43 beats per minute but it's usually around 53. If I'm over 70 beats per minute I'm stressing. The surgeon goes OK. We'll discharge you Sunday with some meds to take home. That's 1 week and a day after surgery.
So...here I am chaps. I spent all of last week at home cabaged on some pretty poky drugs. I find myself in minimal pain but very tired. I fall asleep at odd moments. I find it uncomfortable to sit in a chair preferring to be reclined or laying down. I've had to leave writting this a couple of times because of sitting at the PC
I see my practice nurse every other day to have a dressing changed over a hole in me belly where me artificial arse used to be. I have a minor problem which should resolve itself in time. As for my arse...the real one. It doesn't quite know what to do. It can't make it's mind up weather to fart, dump or turn itself inside out. Man! when that happens its a tad painfull and really feels like it's trying to dump my insides out.
As for the short term future I'm looking forward to e-baying and promoting a photo manipulation website. The wife is getting very good at that. I'm also going to have a go at writting. This is quite funny really because I'm lycdexis
but I think I can do it. Even if I don't get anywhere I want to give it a shot. It will be time consuming on all 3 fronts. As for the long term I'm hoping to get back in the job market early to middle of next year.
I'm afraid playing Aces High doesn't fit in any equation just yet but I'm not saying never....maybe this time next year....who knows.
Anyways! gone on long enough. I'll be about the boards from time to time and once again ...thank you all and especially me old squaddies for the "behind the scenes support"
