So What’s Been Happening Recently? #8

        After our wedding anniversary week off. I went about my normal routine of working, sleeping and eating. Watching the latest TV and movies I could get my hands on and reading my books.
        This continued until the third week of August… I was at work, as you do. Loading trailers. I got that feeling that something wasn’t right. I wasn’t feeling sick but I knew something with my body wasn’t okay. It started with an ache in my hips. It got to the point where I had to sit down for a few minutes, so I could let the pain could ease off. After that I continued with my work.
        I had finished that load and started on another. I had started restacking goods into another cage when I started feeling off again, but this time it was my knee. My right knee started giving out a little. Enough for me to have to sit down again. I tried to stand up a few times but my knee wouldn’t let me. I thought about getting a first aider but decided that I would try to get to the Goods Out office. So I went for my forklift machine and that’s the first time I went down. Straight down on to the forks of my truck. I laughed to myself how ridiculous this was, being down on all fours. I should of then shouted for a first aider. But no, thinking to myself, I could do this. I attempted to get up and on to my truck. Once there I made my way to the office. Standing wasn’t the problem, it was the walking.
       Getting to the office, I got off my truck. Made a couple more steps and went down again. All I felt was my knee had completely disappeared. I could feel the rest of my leg, but the knee was gone. There was hole where my knee should have been.
      I was leaning against the wall of the office, on the ground. It was one of those times you needed people around you for help, but no such luck. I was about a couple of feet from the office door. So after a minute or so, I steadied myself up again and made my way to the door. Opening the door, waiting for a second or two. A manager said, “What’s wrong with you?” That was when I tried to go in and came crashing down against a table. I finally looked up at the manager and said, “I can’t control my legs!”
      After that a first aider was called, a chair was got for me. I eventually got myself up on to the chair and I rested for a little while. I called my father in law for help home as I couldn’t ride my motorcycle.
      With the help from the first aider, I put my weight on him as he helped me out of the building. After collecting my things. He waited with me, outside, for my ride to arrive.
      The following day I went to A&E at Basildon. After waiting about a couple of hours. I was examined by a nurse who couldn’t find anything wrong with my bones and suggested I see my GP.
      I rested for about a week after that and downloaded a self certificate and emailed it to my work. The next day I went to the doctors who concluded I wasn’t safe to work, after checking how I walked. He gave me a sick note, which I also emailed to work and tried to get me in to seeing a specialist.
      During the first week it took me about three days until I was just about able to collect my motorcycle from work. The riding was the easy part, walking to the bike was another matter.
       So that’s where I stayed, at home, on my recliner watching my programs, catching up with my You Tube. I would go back to my doctors every couple of weeks, for a total of seven weeks. During this time I attended a Branch meeting for the Union at my workplace. I had to go as I was helping to conduct the meeting, with the minutes and reports. And a couple of other times when cheques were needed to be given to some reps.
       I eventually went to see a specialist who ultrasounded my knee, still unable to find out what was wrong. All he could recommend was physiotherapy.
      I never tried to force the issue with heavy lifting, even a simple thing like hanging clothes on a horse was too much. When picking stuff off the floor it left me stuck down on all fours. So I rested as much as I could.
      I also attended a hospital appointment at Darent Valley. Which concluded that I would need another operation for my hemorrhoids. This time they were going to use the lazer. The joys.

        During the last few weeks I encouraged my brother that he needed to fix his flat and I would help him with his bedroom. He has one of those flats that would be excellent for one of those reality shows. The ones where people come round and clean the house. It’s that bad.
       The problem was I didn’t have alot of money, nor did he. So we did the best with what we had. Getting him to get the room ready with moving his things in to the front room. I had got him some cleaning and painting equipment with a large pot of paint and we got to work. I was coming over a few hours a days helping. It took longer because he hadn’t moved along as quickly as I had hoped. But we got it done. Fair enough the paint didn’t completely last two coats, but we made the room ten times better than it was. Hopefully this will help with his breathing at night. And encourage him to continue with the other rooms.

    I also took up the task of trying to be an even better husband than usual. My wife had been given a position at a new shop, opening at lakeside. Before she started there though, the shop was still being built. She had to spend the first two weeks going to Stratford, for training.
     The quickest way there, was to go by train and the problem was, she doesn’t like trains. So I spent the time working out the best and quickest route for her to go. Showing her that she had nothing to be afraid of. Showing her pictures online, so she knew what to expect. I even picked her up a couple of times when travel times needed. I helped with getting her tickets and being her on call travel advisor. Also Shopping centre Map coordinator from the comfort of my home. Being on the phone and internet, making sure she was on the right route. I tried to make sure she was eating enough as well, but the tiredness just got too much for her.
     She did really well considering she was panicking every five minutes. It did take its toll on her, as she ended up resorting to Red Bull for help. She’d never touched the stuff before. The buzz made her happy for a little while. She was completely nakered. In the end, the last day that she was meant to go to Stratford. It was too much and I made stay at home and rest for the last day so she could be ready for Lakeside.

    So now I am back at work. I should still be off but I need the sick pay I have left to go towards my operation. I am now on even more lighter duties that I was before and continuing as best as I can. Waiting for the day of my operation and having to go back in to nappies again.