Thursday, August 03, 2006
OF LAWYERS AND AMPUTEES
As far as boredom goes, today contained absolutely none of it and in fact some truly bizarre things did occur.
It started off with a call from Ireland.
My sister ( worth clicking for some cool photos and interesting blog material ) filled me in on the trip around Ireland and Iceland and I learnt some new things like the fact that there are no trees in Iceland is because the vikings chopped them all down, not because it looks good.
It was really good to hear her voice as electronic mail just isn't the same is it?
I was so caught up in the conversation that I forgot the time and the fact that I had a trauma review at the Alfred at 9:30.
After scoffing down my corn flakes and maple syrup like a really hungry labrador, I was once again, unceremoniously loaded into the patient transporter by Dion the Kiwi and we took off.
At my review I was told that due to the M.R.I. results I will be having another scan.
This time it will be a C.T. scan of the hip area and I am booked in to see a hip specialist for Friday next week.
Don't know about anyone else, but to me that's not exactly the best news one could hope for.
If it's all roses, then why do I need to see a hip specialist, eh?
Anyway, no point worrying about it until next week I figure.
Seeing as I had some time to kill before my meeting with the lawyer, I popped into the newsagency and bought a photography magazine.
After a chicken schnitzel roll, some interesting photography reading and a couple of hours at the cafe, she turned up.
We had a pretty enlightening chat about things legal in relation to me and then she took off back to whatever legalising she had on.
Must admit this Chilean woman seemed very experienced, and honest ( if you can say that about a lawyer ) and has been working with the Motorcycle Riders Association for ten ears, so she appears to know what she's doing.
I guess time will tell as to what the outcome will be.
After my little 'Law For Dummies' episode I headed for the intensive care unit.
I had recently been informed of yet another unfortunate bloke who, whilst minding his own business, was very abruptly removed from the motorcycling / road user population.
This bloke really got a raw deal.
He was riding home from a Occupational Health and Safety course when a car travelling in the opposite direction decided that it didn't like being behind a truck and started to overtake it.
The biker was suddenly faced with a road full of truck and car.
He had Buckley's chance of getting out of that one in one piece and ended up having an offset head on with the car.
The side of the car was opened up like a sardine tin and he ended up appropriately banged up on the road.
Funnily enough, the driver did ask
''You orrite mate?''
No shit, he actually said that!
After joking with the paramedics and the copper ( he knew these blokes) he ended up at the Alfred where he had marathon surgery performed for something like twelve hours or more.
Mick Dabbs had been to see him and informed me that the poor bastard would like to see me.
I decided that he could probably use a little orientation in regards to his suddenly different state of being.
When I visited David I didn't know what to expect really.
I knew he was pretty bad as he'd lost and arm.
I didn't know how I would react, but I figured I should just try to treat him like any other patient I'd come across.
After introducing myself and shaking his remaining hand I noticed that he had a photography magazine lying on his table.
I couldn't help but pick up mine and show him.
We talked about the big bang theory.
That sudden full body knock that can only be experienced by people like us, explosion casualties and maybe rugby union players.
This, our motorcycling and the fact that we'd both been suddenly lifestyle challenged produced a kind of instant mutual liking and respect.
That was admittedly a very strange feeling and a good ice breaker and made me feel a bit easier about the whole meeting.
He seemed to have a really positive attitude about him and to me, it felt a bit like looking at myself four odd months ago.
I also got to see what a vacuum dressing looks like as I never saw mine due to all the bandages.
His was literally stapled to his stump and on show for entire the world to see.
He knew that he had a long road ahead of him, but like myself, also had an ignorantly overoptimistic view, or expectation of recovery.
I admittedly have two arms but our remaining injuries were similar in nature, if slightly different in severity.
He too had a fractured pelvis, fractured legs, left shoulder injury and probably fractured right forearm, wrist and fingers.
Difference was, that after a few days the right arm was amputated as it didn't have a great chance of being anything resembling useful and was also dragging him down.
As soon as it was amputated his recovery really accelerated and he stabilised.
He also seemed to have a pretty unharmed head, neck and spine.
Anyway, I felt I had an obligation to let him know that even though he's keener than a computer nerd in a whore house, his recovery will not be 'standing in twelve weeks' and the like.
I had to tell him that he's about to get on one of the most intense and testing roller coaster rides ever invented and that he should never lose that 'roll with the punches' attitude.
I told him that I'm aware of how clichéd it sounds, but it is all true.
Every last word.
And the reason I was telling him was because no one told me and I wish someone had.
I hoped that instead of putting a dampener on things I just managed to inject a bit of reality into his head space.
I told him that he'll have a jag load of little firsts and goals along the way to 'standing in twelve weeks' like the first shower, first arse wipe, first sit on the side of the bed, etc.
These will be the little rewards / encouragements along the way as he regains his health and dignity.
The long term goals will or won't be achieved, but the main thing is to just take each little step and move onto the next one, and so on.
I had just finished the audio book trilogy and left it with him as it's a nice distraction from everything else.
You can close your eyes and lose yourself in it and sometimes you really need that.
Good thing he likes reading and fantasy like this particular audio book.
I left him my phone number and told him I'll visit next week when I see the hip specialist.
And then I left.
There's always someone worse off than you..........
.
It started off with a call from Ireland.
My sister ( worth clicking for some cool photos and interesting blog material ) filled me in on the trip around Ireland and Iceland and I learnt some new things like the fact that there are no trees in Iceland is because the vikings chopped them all down, not because it looks good.
It was really good to hear her voice as electronic mail just isn't the same is it?
I was so caught up in the conversation that I forgot the time and the fact that I had a trauma review at the Alfred at 9:30.
After scoffing down my corn flakes and maple syrup like a really hungry labrador, I was once again, unceremoniously loaded into the patient transporter by Dion the Kiwi and we took off.
At my review I was told that due to the M.R.I. results I will be having another scan.
This time it will be a C.T. scan of the hip area and I am booked in to see a hip specialist for Friday next week.
Don't know about anyone else, but to me that's not exactly the best news one could hope for.
If it's all roses, then why do I need to see a hip specialist, eh?
Anyway, no point worrying about it until next week I figure.
Seeing as I had some time to kill before my meeting with the lawyer, I popped into the newsagency and bought a photography magazine.
After a chicken schnitzel roll, some interesting photography reading and a couple of hours at the cafe, she turned up.
We had a pretty enlightening chat about things legal in relation to me and then she took off back to whatever legalising she had on.
Must admit this Chilean woman seemed very experienced, and honest ( if you can say that about a lawyer ) and has been working with the Motorcycle Riders Association for ten ears, so she appears to know what she's doing.
I guess time will tell as to what the outcome will be.
After my little 'Law For Dummies' episode I headed for the intensive care unit.
I had recently been informed of yet another unfortunate bloke who, whilst minding his own business, was very abruptly removed from the motorcycling / road user population.
This bloke really got a raw deal.
He was riding home from a Occupational Health and Safety course when a car travelling in the opposite direction decided that it didn't like being behind a truck and started to overtake it.
The biker was suddenly faced with a road full of truck and car.
He had Buckley's chance of getting out of that one in one piece and ended up having an offset head on with the car.
The side of the car was opened up like a sardine tin and he ended up appropriately banged up on the road.
Funnily enough, the driver did ask
''You orrite mate?''
No shit, he actually said that!
After joking with the paramedics and the copper ( he knew these blokes) he ended up at the Alfred where he had marathon surgery performed for something like twelve hours or more.
Mick Dabbs had been to see him and informed me that the poor bastard would like to see me.
I decided that he could probably use a little orientation in regards to his suddenly different state of being.
When I visited David I didn't know what to expect really.
I knew he was pretty bad as he'd lost and arm.
I didn't know how I would react, but I figured I should just try to treat him like any other patient I'd come across.
After introducing myself and shaking his remaining hand I noticed that he had a photography magazine lying on his table.
I couldn't help but pick up mine and show him.
We talked about the big bang theory.
That sudden full body knock that can only be experienced by people like us, explosion casualties and maybe rugby union players.
This, our motorcycling and the fact that we'd both been suddenly lifestyle challenged produced a kind of instant mutual liking and respect.
That was admittedly a very strange feeling and a good ice breaker and made me feel a bit easier about the whole meeting.
He seemed to have a really positive attitude about him and to me, it felt a bit like looking at myself four odd months ago.
I also got to see what a vacuum dressing looks like as I never saw mine due to all the bandages.
His was literally stapled to his stump and on show for entire the world to see.
He knew that he had a long road ahead of him, but like myself, also had an ignorantly overoptimistic view, or expectation of recovery.
I admittedly have two arms but our remaining injuries were similar in nature, if slightly different in severity.
He too had a fractured pelvis, fractured legs, left shoulder injury and probably fractured right forearm, wrist and fingers.
Difference was, that after a few days the right arm was amputated as it didn't have a great chance of being anything resembling useful and was also dragging him down.
As soon as it was amputated his recovery really accelerated and he stabilised.
He also seemed to have a pretty unharmed head, neck and spine.
Anyway, I felt I had an obligation to let him know that even though he's keener than a computer nerd in a whore house, his recovery will not be 'standing in twelve weeks' and the like.
I had to tell him that he's about to get on one of the most intense and testing roller coaster rides ever invented and that he should never lose that 'roll with the punches' attitude.
I told him that I'm aware of how clichéd it sounds, but it is all true.
Every last word.
And the reason I was telling him was because no one told me and I wish someone had.
I hoped that instead of putting a dampener on things I just managed to inject a bit of reality into his head space.
I told him that he'll have a jag load of little firsts and goals along the way to 'standing in twelve weeks' like the first shower, first arse wipe, first sit on the side of the bed, etc.
These will be the little rewards / encouragements along the way as he regains his health and dignity.
The long term goals will or won't be achieved, but the main thing is to just take each little step and move onto the next one, and so on.
I had just finished the audio book trilogy and left it with him as it's a nice distraction from everything else.
You can close your eyes and lose yourself in it and sometimes you really need that.
Good thing he likes reading and fantasy like this particular audio book.
I left him my phone number and told him I'll visit next week when I see the hip specialist.
And then I left.
There's always someone worse off than you..........
.
