Sunday 11 November 2007

Still alive (just)

The first, and possible the last, of an irregular series of posts because I'm completely not in the mood to do any writing.

It is now 6 days since Shihan Michael Holden, of the Chesterfield dojo put me, a unbelted novice with a 'new boy' who happened to be a green or blue belt wushu but novice jitsu, told us to practice four defences against roundhouse punch and left us to go to teach the four orange belts.

All went well for a while until newbie chap tried a Ouchi Garumai on me (inner sweep throw) but had his foot in front of mine, stopping it from moving. Cue many yells from me.

This alerted Shihan who came over, felt it, pronounced it a sprain and packed it with ice. He then helped me to slide to a corner of the room so that I could sit until the end of the class, while he showed us the technique of drawing the sword (which I knew already, thanks to Sheffield Senseis John and Steve). After class I was excused bowing out.

Then they bandaged my ankle and let me phone Kat, when I cried and begged to be taken to hospital. They pronounced it broken and took two hours to give me a temporary cast.

Tuesday passed in pain and delirium.

Wednesday morning Kat borrowed Sue's car (one of ours is dead) and took me in to get a 'full, weight-bearing pot'. New X-ray.

The doctor says: "When did you last eat or drink?"

"8:30," I said. "A cup of tea but no food."

"Good," he said. "You'll be having surgery this afternoon then."

Sure enough I was admitted and woke up several hours later in a hospital bed. Kat alternately grinning and worried. Luisa turned up later and they watched me fall asleep and wake up until they had to leave to collect Aimee from work.

Thus followed my worst night in years, where I slept for five minutes and then woke again all night long, with nurses appearing to take bloods pressures and heart rate every hour.

Thursday morning I was given sludge to drink and Kat phoned. Hearing her voice, and her drag of a cigarette, I was sick all over myself, rang for a nurse to help but wasn't assisted until 3 hours later.

I was allowed to go home later that afternoon, still sick from the morphine but determined to stay off cigarettes as well. This means that tea tastes of grey. I am thus off tea.

Kat suggested that my PC be moved from my desk to the coffee table. Rick unravelled the wires and transferred it across but it never worked again. Hugh examined it on Friday and pronounced it motherboard dead.

Saturday I browsed e-buyer, amazon, Dell and ebay, and bid for a machine on the latter. £345 bought me a mid range gaming machine, £200 of which I had already in my paypal from the ebay sales, which Luisa has been lumbered with fetching from the loft and packing up.

I am utterly miserable and bad-tempered. I was a chain-smoking, tea drinking writer who watched videos and did jiu-jitsu and kobudo. Now I an a sofa-bound couch potato who cannot write, can't stand tea, doesn't smoke or drink or watch videos. I have alienated everyone who cared in the slightest about me and even reduced Kat to tears.

I hate my life.

People assure me that in three months it'll be 'back to normal' though.

28 comments:

Fiona Mackenzie. Writer said...

Oh Leatherdyke, you poor thing! Why the hell did that stupid man put you with the green/blue/black...whatever, belt ? Couldn't he recognise a broken ankle? It's basic first aid, for God's sake.

At least you didn't break a wrist - that would have been so much worse. You can still type. Cold comfort, I know.

Thinking of you and sending healing thoughts.

Jen said...

Oh dear - I wish I could think of something positive to say but 'poor you' won't, I suspect, help at all. How about 'poor Kat' instead?!

Three months of 'not normal' could be ok though, don't you think? No? Oh.

Seriously, I feel for you - sounds as if you've been turned inside out and being unable to do the stuff you love is torture. Sending hugs X

Graeme K Talboys said...

Bloody ouch!

Sending healing.

Graeme K Talboys said...

Bloody ouch!

Sending healing.

Sarah*G* said...

oooh. sounds painful! hope you get better soon. am sure you will get your groove back with your writing sooner rather than later too.

B.E. Sanderson said...

Holy crap! Geez, Rachel, sorry all that happened to you. :big hugs:

I'm sending all the positive thoughts I can your way. I know that doesn't help much, but it's the best I can do from here. Otherwise, I'd be bringing you soup. =o)

KeVin K. said...

The absolutely wretched stage shouldn't last the whole three months. Not even two and a half months. In fact, you'll probably go from hating your life to just being annoyed with it in a matter of weeks. Should be right tolerable by this time next month.

(And as an ex-two-pack-a-day-smoker I can assure you that in a year or so all those things that absolutely required a cigarette for full enjoyment start to become satisfying all by themselves. So tea and whatever else should be back in your life sooner than you might think. Or at least eventually.)

So it's not as bleak as you might think. But I'm hoping you get better faster than anyone predicts anyway.

Helen Shearer said...

Hello, my heart is breaking for you. I broke my ankle once and I was downright miserable for a week or so, then I realised that I had the perfect excuse to sit on my arse and be waited on hand and foot with absolutely no feelings of guilt whatsoever. Once I realised that, it was bearable. I'm not sure what sort of medications they have you on, if any, but just keep in mind even though tea tastes grey right now, I'm reasonably certain that wine will still taste red! Big hugs to you and Kat:)

Zinnia Cyclamen said...

Rachel, here's a great big virtual bouquet of flowers to cheer you up. Your experiences sound just hideous but, you know what, they could make great material for your writing in time to come. I'm an ex-smoker too and, although it's hard to get there, it really is a Good Thing being an ex-smoker. Things can only get better. Hang in there. (((((hug)))))

Leigh Russell said...

AAAAAGH!!!! because I don't like to use bad language on someone else's blog but believe me I was thinking some as I read your horrible experience. Pain, vomit and off tea! Can it get much worse? No wonder you're utterly miserable and bad-tempered I hope the pain has gone so you can at least think about other things - like sending me another interesting comment on my blog, perhaps? Anyway, I'll be thinking of you. Just focus on you in 3 months' time when you'll be dancing around again, full of the joys of spring. I know it feels like ages away right now, but it's just round the corner.....

NoviceNovelist said...

Really sorry to hear about your crappy experience - I had surgery this time last year and felt like my life would never be mine again for the first week then each day it got a bit better - this is probably the worst bit for you - try and hang in there - don't be harsh on yourself and concentrate on being confortable at the moment - then you can aim higher!!! Thinking of you and hoping your fingers get tapping again on the keyboard so you can disaapear into the land of fiction!

Rowan Coleman said...

Mate, what an awful time you've had. Last year I was out of action for six weeks after some charmer drove his porche into the side of the cab I was in. I was so furious that I couldn't work/move/sleep for the agony because of anothers negligence. But it did get better in the end, its horrible now but its not forever, honest. Hoping you feel better soon. Rx

Kate said...

Bloody hell. And I thought my life sucked!

My heart goes out to you!

Helen said...

Sorry you're having such a crap time of it at the moment. I echo all the best wishes from above.

Jenny Beattie said...

Lots of hugs to you and best wishes.

JJx

Lane Mathias said...

What a pig of a thing to happen.

Without sounding the crassest of the crass - it will get better - and hopefully alot quicker than in three months.

All the best to you LD.X

Cathy said...

Urgh, you poor thing. Hope it all looks brighter soon.

Cx

Anonymous said...

Crikey! I'm exhausted. How awful for you. At least you gave up the fags! Do take care though and keep online if you can. Lots of support here I am sure.

Best wishes, Crystal xx

Chris Stovell said...

Oh, blimey! What a sorry tale. I know it's a fat lot of practical help but if positive thinking does anything at all then you know you've got lots of support from us lot (try looking for the lost mojo down the sofa, remember?). In the meantime release all that pent up hurt and frustration and start to mend. Love Chris

Anonymous said...

Hi leatherdyke, hope you get well soon.
Nice to 'see' you in the wannabe chatroom on Sunday. Do feel free to join in next time :o)

Juliette M said...

Oh Rachel I am so sorry, here's hoping karma gets the muppet who put his foot in your way. (if not Karma, then Jasfoup.) I'm sending you lots of prayers for swift healing and some get-up-and-go for your writing mojo. I hope you feel better soon.

Perhaps when you feel a bit better you could ease yourself back into the writing flow by doing some short, snippety bits about the injured Jasfoup (I see he is indisposed, too) being waited on hand and foot...? Not that I am a Jasfoup fanatic or anything. Apart from the fact that I think he's wonderful. :)

All the best for a quick recovery!
JM

Lucy Diamond said...

OUCH. How hideous. So sorry to read this, hope things have picked up a bit since you posted.
Quick, send someone out to get you books, books and more books. Maybe escapism is what you need. Failing that, a voodoo doll of karate man to torture

xxxx

Unknown said...

Nothing I can say. Sending hugs and good vibes.
x

Emerging Writer said...

Holy cramoley Batman! Keep a notebook and write lots of angry stuff about pain (and what you'd like to do to your instructor)

Un Peu Loufoque said...

Good gracious and if you wrote that in anovel no one would ever believe it!! Not a good week then I think it is fair to say!! Bon Courage!!

hesitant scribe said...

If it's any consolation - I too am feeling like crap. Waiting for someone, anyone, to make a decision over these bloody gallstones! Am also stuck mostly on the couch and writing, I'm afraid, is being ousted by worries about my health.

Hope you feel better soon XXX

sheepish said...

Have only just caught up with this post. Hope you may be feeling a little better by now. Wow the NHS can be crap can't it. Atleast you haven't alienated your fellow racers, so if you need to let off steam you know where to come. Keep us up to date with progress.

Liane Spicer said...

Gosh, how bloody awful! You poor thing!

Get well soon, Leatherdykeuk. This too will pass - which is not much comfort now, I know.