My accident

[peckerwoo]

23 pages of amazement!

Yet although you would ask "no heroes medals be pinned on my chest" you cannot stop the inspiration you have given all us good folk on here!

On a rather poignant st. Georges day i share all our good thoughts of honesty, thoughtfulness, kindness, chivalry & loyalty in lifting you, our comrade, knowing you will fight to get on your legs one day and never surrender to perish on your knees.

I know what to read now when i have very little & times are bad! You cant put a price on things like that,,,, thanks to "sean"

Fight on!

[TIMON]

Thinking of you Sean, lifting you up in prayers as often as you come to mind. Keep fighting mate.

Timon

[Minotaur]

I have not been on AT for over a month, not sure why! I logged on this morning and yours was the first post I read. To say your attitude and strength of personality are inspiring, would be an understatement!

I fought off a very evil form of cancer, quite a few years ago now, but I believe that a positive mental attitude and the will to survive are the key to keeping your sanity and surviving, whatever gets thrown at you!

You seem to be doing an amazing job, the love and strength of your wife, kids, family, friends, acquaintances and fellow Artalkers will see you through.

Good luck Sean, I hope your prognosis, recovery and development continue to improve every day.

 

Chris

[headgroundsman]

18th April

 

Another week ticked off, complete. A lot of progress this week. An hourly increase in the wheelchair which will culminate tomorrow at 8 hours per day although once I reach 8 hours I can effectively stay in it as much as possible. Getting the hang of it but being a natural born show off and never one to take things slowly had a couple of near misses and at one point had to shout for Charlie as I was teetering on the two front wheels about to be tipped out. Well saved Charlie I knew I could rely on you. Bloody hard work sitting in a wheelchair for hours after laying in bed for weeks on end. The chest brace doesn't help as far as the pain is concerned as it compresses my fractured ribs. Have to wear it for a couple more months whenever I'm in the chair as it stops me from slouching, keeps everything aligned and makes me look like robo cop .

 

I have now moved and am residing in a smaller room with nice views. After the humiliation of being dragged out the kitchen by the Sister I have weighed up my options. Do I A) fight my corner, kick up a fuss by insisting I should be allowed in the kitchen and therefore onto the main ward or. B) enjoy the benefits of having my own room whilst at the same time being out and about all day and meeting people. Ummm no contest really, make my own coffee and toast versus total privacy and no snorers. Decision made.

 

Had a bit of a scare the other night. I thought I must have had a serious relapse during the night and the grim reaper had come to take me away. I awakened from a dream to see a black cloaked figure at the end of my bed staring at me through the darkness. Wtf is that I asked myself. I must have been having a disturbed sleep prior to this as I let out a scream. Nobody came. I then realised it was my brothers all in one motorbike leathers he had left hanging from the coat hook earlier that day. I let out a sigh of relief at this realisation but then it occurred to me that I can't actually do anything about it. Under normal circumstances I would have gotten out of bed and moved them out of view, just as I did as a kid. But I cannot move, my legs do not work. I cannot buzz for the nurse either. What was I to say? " Umm could you please move those motorbike leathers for me as they are freaking me out". No cannot do that will just have to shut my eyes and hope for the best. As it happens the nurse came in the morning, saw the leathers and said ' blimey, I don't know how you slept with them there. They would have freaked me right out!".

 

Started physio yesterday which like anything here was met with mixed feelings. Fantastic to be sitting on the the edge of a bed but I felt like a little toddler learning to sit up for the first time in its life. I felt like I was sitting in a chair that only had one balancing point. Rocking backwards and forwards and side to side arms outstretched until I managed to balance. Very frustrating and very tempting to give up but perseverance paid off and I soon nailed it. Small achievement but meant so much. I then had to sit catching and throwing a ball. Bizarre. At the end of the session the physio asked if I would like to do a bed to chair transfer on my own. She said she didn't expect me to do it and I should not actually be doing it for a week or two but she was happy for me to try. This is where I have an advantage over some others. Due to the nature of my work I still have good upper body strength despite being in bed for so long. I managed to lift myself by pushing down on my knuckles, move myself along the bed and into the chair. She was amazed and so pleased which made me feel great but also sad as a realisation that something which would have been a complete doddle a month or so ago was now seen as a major achievement. She thinks I will breeze through the physio. Let's hope she is right.

 

In just want out now. Get my work done and get home. My days still veer from one of complete positivity to doubts, sadness and wobbles but on the whole I am buoyant and relatively happy. I get in well with most of the nurses and have lots of laughs with staff and visitors. Susi pushed me to the end of the land in my chair so I could view the landscape beyond the closed gate. Was really nice to be able to see wide open spaces. Definitely worth the bumpy ride which jolted me about a bit and hurt but hey ho.

 

Still utterly gobsmacked by all the love and generosity being sent our way. The fundraising has been astounding. Love you all and many thanks. Until next time. X

 

Hi Sean

 

Make the most of your time in rehab and ask for some of the more advanced skills that I am sure you will need especially floor to chair transfers. I used them to get on the floor and play with daughter then get back into the chair as well as getting back in the chair after falling out whilst stretching my boundaries a bit too far:001_tt2: Once that chest brace comes off there is a lot more you will be doing

[sean]

April 27th

 

So there I was this morning laying starkers having a bed wash when a hairy arsed builder appeared on some scaffolding staring through my window. Cheeky git. If he was taking a sneaky look in the hope of catching a glimpse of some nubile young babe he was sorely disappointed. Not entirely sure who was the most shocked, him or me. I don't think he will be back in a hurry though.

 

Quite an intensive week with regards physio although some of the exercises would be a breeze for a 3 year old. It's during physio to be honest when I have my lowest points. Only momentarily I might add and only because what is being asked of me is so easy yet so bloody hard! I never realised for instance how much my bloody legs weighed. It is only having had to lift them with one hand onto the bed from the floor for instance that this became apparent. Believe me it isn't easy.

 

 

I did a car transfer today, again ahead of schedule. The car in question is a wreck of a convertible with bucket seats. I think I would have struggled to get into it if I had control of my legs but managed it in the end. Lost count of the amount of times I smashed my knees on the steering wheel but I'm glad I have no feeling there anyway. At one stage I suggested that it might be easier if I got into it Dukes of Hazard style. She wasn't having any of it. Once I have done a town trip with the Occuptional Therapist and another one or two car transfers I will be a free man. Well, relatively so. It will mean that when Susi and the kids or any visitors for that matter come to visit we can go out and about in the car which will be a god send I'm telling you.

 

 

Although I try to remain as positive and buoyant as possible there are still many times when my situation hits me out of nowhere. Whatever I do I will be reminded of the fact that my legs do not work anymore. I am paralysed! I be reading a book and the author will start talking about scrambling over a load of boulders. I will have to put the book down as it is a stark reminder that I can no longer do that. The character in the film I am watching is running down the beach. I have to turn it off. I start to watch the football, only to be painfully reminded that I will never fulfil my ambition of becoming a professional footballer. I was on the verge of making it as well. Life can be so cruel. It would be so easy to plummet, to spiral to the depths but as I have said many times before I cannot, will not stay there for too long. What use will it do? It isn't going to make me walk again. It will not change anything. I have to stay strong, accept what has happened and move forward. Who knows what will happen in the future? Right now I need all my energy on getting me better and getting home.

[geoff]

That truly is a stunning picture Sean, I looked at it for a few minutes while reflecting on your post.

I can't imagine the relief you will get when you can get out in the car with your family after all this time cooped up.

You may not end up a pro football player, but other 'goals' await you, & I'm sure you will find & achieve new ambitions as time goes by.

If that builder so much as gives you a wink, get some strong locks on the window asap!

[33bk]

Sean,

 

Stay strong and positive , you a great man and from reading from the first page you haven't lost your cheeky sense of humour!!!

 

If there's anything you need just contact me

 

Bk (mike the landscaper)

[Woodcrafter]

Hi Sean,

Hate reading that you've had the down points it must be very very hard I'm sure. But there are going to be endless opportunities for you as long as you keep your positivity and dreams going strong.

I don't know you but I can tell and imagine you being a huge influence and inspiration in people's lives just from reading your posts.

Keep up the hard work you'll look back on the hard times one day and laugh and make a joke of it because you've got a great sense of humour.

All the best.

Phil

[FatherJack]

What a star! Keep up that positivity. You put the rest of us whinging knobs to shame.

[fagus]

From someone else you don't know, you are an inspiration.

 

You are so positive but read and learn as much as you can about positive thinking, it will help in the days to come. Construct some good affirmations to progress.