Wednesday, September 30, 2009

No Spring War for Mr Bart. Anothe two months of nothingness. GAH!

Explanation Post. This post isn't fun, or even all that interesting. It's just laying out some details so if someone says "Why haven't you been at blah" or "What did you do over winter" or "Why do you in such a surly mood" I can just say - read the damn blog post.

Not a good winter. I caught a bad flu. I had three terrible days with sweats, pain and hot and cold running orifices.  I was back at work after that. My head was mush, but I was able to make shift. However, I didn't really progress from here. I got my few hours of 'operational' but not much more. Any attempt at doing anything made confused, sweat like I was knifed and just plain hurt. These symptoms stuck around for just over two months. TWO MONTHS. Gah. Two months of no exercise. Two months off the computer & reading (couldn't concentrate with 'cotton wool brain').

So eventually I started feeling better. I'd had a good week, I'd started some hill walking, and my SCA kartas were flowing. So when the offer of paintball came up, I jumped at it. I was SO bored and adrenaline deprived I just had to. So I played. I played casual, no running, only a jog trot at most. Not much crouching, just taking cover behind trees etc. Can't be that bad? Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Over a day or two, my upper left quadrant of my back swelled up like a ballon. Muscle swelling, whoopee. What really got me was these muscles swelled up and pinch a nerve. And that felt like my arm was on fire. I spent a couple of days not able to sleep wandering around in the pain haze, before the voltaren 50's, panadine and mercyndol finally calmed it down. Then my remedial therapist got into it, massaging it to work to great effect. Maybe too great - I thought the worst of it was over, so started dialing back the drugs. Wrong, wrong again.

Well I was back on the pain roundabout, and then grabbing the drugs at chemist strength, rather than the previous doctors script strength. I also started going nuts on the heat creams, as they seemed to be working very well. Then came the Qld wedding trip.

I did have a ball, a quick flight in, drop off of stuff  at Eva's place then off to the bucks night at the Globe theatre in Fortitude Valley. Great catchup, good shows: nice theatrical burlesque, great bands, great juggler and funky acrobats. My highlights were the band "Chick Flick" and the creepy cool skilled juggler. I must say however, that sober Buck's nights are a bit less fun than they could be.

The next day ended up being rest and recovery - not for a hangover, as I was on too many drugs to drink, but for the back. To add to the fun - lung infection, and I was sneezing the good old green goo. Luckily I got into a doctors in Kuraby in less than five minutes, and it was bulk billing. Free- and less than five minutes waiting. Cop that America :)

The next morning Samtreea and I.. wait. Samtreea. Half of you won't know Samtreea.

I'm in the SCA. I have a knight. I am a squire. He trains with me and teaches me. Samtreea is my Man-at-arms. I train with her and teach her. I'm in Canberra, she is in Qld. We both travel enough to justify it and see each other and make it work. Yes, she is young and cute, no I'm not shagging her. Back to the story.

Next morning Samtreea and I drove up to Bunya mountains for the wedding. The wedding was cool fun, and I enjoyed it a lot. Will and Cindy decided the dress code was 'outrangeous', so a lot of us went with it. Uniforms, Victoriana, Pajamas, Punks, supergoth - all sorts. The wedding was great.

Sunday morning, Samtreea and I set off to drive back to Canberra. The two day drive was pretty standard. The exception was Samtreea was pretty low chat to help with concentration, and I was on a lot of painkillers and had stinky heat rub. Her car is a pretty sweet Subaru, but interior noise level killed any chance of talking. Fat cannons rumble away the talking possibilities.

We stopped overnight with her great Aunt. It was a nice stop, great country hospitality with sound country grub - Corned beef and three veg, followed by ice cream and peaches. After we had a good round of chat.  The latest news - some ratbag had broken into the Gilgandra bowls club safe to pinch the post-afl grand final takings. Ratbag!

I got back, and while the pain levels were manageable in the car, I knew something had gone wrong. I got Dr. Nick to look at it - the swelling was back up.

I had a long chat to Gnomes (consort, ex-nurse) about likely outcomes, and she summarized it as this. REST. Rest, and keep everything to a minimum. try and do anything remotely interesting physically and you will set yourself back weeks. Do anything REALLY fun, and you could set yourself back months.

Marshalling at Spring war would not be keeping it to a minimum. Going to Spring War and camping would not be resting. Going to Spring War and not being able to drink would drive me a little insane...

So I have re-cleared my schedule. I'm in the pool/ spa/ sauna around work hours. I'm planning on doing some basic walking. And I'm planning on doing only the smallest amounts of anything, even for a fortnight AFTER the pain stops. Gnomes estimates another TWO MONTHS before I can do anything. But she warns - go too early, and rip something srious or tear a nerve, and I could hurt myself in a way that effects me for years.

FFS.

Wish me luck.

8 comments:

Michael barnes said...

Good luck, hope it works out and after you recover you can return to your prodigious output.

Natalia the Russian Spy said...

I have been following your progress over the last few months and knew you were feeling lousy but put together in the one post I can see how completely effing drained you must be. Ongoing illness does suck the enjoyment out of life and can be very tedious. A bit of unsolicited advice...get onto chewable magnesium tablets. Very good for firing the immunity system and relaxing muscles. Without them I'd never sleep nor be able to get up in the morning. Thinking of you Bart-a-roonnie.

Flinthart said...

Cheezezzz, dude. That's a misery and a half. NatV is right about magnesium, though I don't suppose chewable is vital. I'd suggest a magnesium/calcium/vitamin D single tablet supplement. Vitamin D is just about the most under-rated nutrient out there. Bit of a wonder food. Can't hurt, and every bit helps.

Ysambart said...

Thanks team - I'm already on the magnesium, but I hadn't tried the Vitamin D. I might try some lying in the sun vitamin D work as well as supplements - It's only now getting to the weather where that is possible in Canberra :)

Abe Frellman said...

Hey buddy. Didn't realise how bad it had been. I still have a kilo of pork belly in the freezer from my last trip to Newcastle so might have to thaw him out and roast him up. I know how much you like the pb. W/e of 24/10 I'm away and also first week of Nov.

Unknown said...

The low Chat was not for concentration; it was because of the road noise and someone's lack of hearing :P

Also I thought you referred to everyone in your blog by their blog name rather than their mundane name; I don't think I used my mundane name in my blog registration at all.

Henry Walker said...

Yeah, good luck. Sounds like you have had a really bad run with things. Much of the same for me. Cracked a rib at training the other night, so it is six weeks off for me, and severe considerations of getting a breastplate. Hopefully next year will be better for us both.

Ysambart said...

Editing Samtreea in and other out. Henry - hardest hit I got at Rowany Festival this year was on the fencing field.