Dave's 101 Things List

Medical Misadventures!

2009-04-04T17:50:00.002+13:00

Sadly, at end of May 2008 I fell seriously unwell. Shocking bouts of heavy chest pain and lots of vomiting, for some 4 or 5 days. Bad enough to visit doctor, as it did not seem to be a temporary state.
It was diagnosed as liver, and I was jaundiced - colour of skin amazingly yellow. doctor thought it might be hepatitis. Blood sample testing suggested it was in fact the glaabladder, a stone stuck in wrong place.
Outcome was that I was sent to local hospital for ultrasound scan. There, they found the details they wanted regarding the gallbladder, but also found something near my groin - something they didn't like the look of.
So, I was scheduled for a CAT scan - and that took place in October. Result was an immediate dash by ambulance from Whakatane Hospital to Tauranga, because it turned out I had a large aneurysm. Good luck for it to be discovered at ultrasound stage - because there are no ways of detecting aneurysms otherwise apparently, and they are life-threatening.
At Tauranga, they kept me for 5 days, testing everything - and sent me home because my blood pressure was too high for surgery - 219 over 100-plus. I was given pills to get it down, and my local GP soon doubled the dosage of that pill.
Surgery was done on 4 November 2008 at Tauranga - most successfully. I suffered very bad hallucinations - due to being under anaesthetic for nearly 9 hours. It seems it was what some call "morphine poisoning". I can tell you that I would not wish it on anyone. Horrific. And my wife sat by my bedside for 3 or 4 days/nights to keep a close eye on me. She tried to talk me out of or through it, but I was in a world all of my own. Light and shadows were transformed by my drugged mind into "end of world" scenes, and were very realistic. Enough of that - it's all over.
Then, on christmas Day 2008, I developed "sea-sickness". Local doctor suggested it was most likely an inner ear infection, and sent me to the Emergency Dept. of Whakatane Hospital for checking. They could not rule out either ear infection or aftermath of the surgery or anything else, but told me these were definitely the symtoms of inner ear infection, and that it was most likely that. Here I am in April 2009, and the dizziness has become infrequent short bouts of "wobbles". All in all, I'm pretty much recovered.
However, I am scheduled for more ultrasound scanning to check for any more aneurysms. Apparently, having had a large one, I'm susceptible to aneurysms. Behind the knees is the most likely place to find them, and at Tauranga Hospital last Monday, a doctor felt behind my knees and considered that there were none there. But, better safe than sorry . . . . .so, I'm awaiting an appointment at Whakatane Hospital.
Also, I'm awaiting another outpatient appointment at Whakatane Hospital for a check on when I'll have my gallbladder removed.

All of this has meant I've had to cancel all thoughts of charity walking, unfortunately. Will I be able to do some after this is all over, eventually? I'll have to wait and see.

I've completed some - and not others!

2008-05-21T23:58:00.002+12:00

I've done the equivalent of the first 3 items, in that I've walked a lot, and a couple of weeks ago, I reached 27 kms.
I was not able to walk in the rotorua Marathon, so I've failed with item no. 4.
I've done items 18 and 19, because Margaret and I went to Auckland last week for a couple of days, where I passed an Audition to become a contestant in the "Wheel of Fortune" quiz show - hoping to make some good money towards the 2009 charity walk! So, no computer or television for 48 hours.
I've failed with item no. 22.
I've done item no. 29, by now having axed and sawn the firewood.

Re: 2009 Charity Walk around Britain

2008-05-04T12:30:00.001+12:00

I am planning to do the charity WALK in 2009 because I failed to raise enough funding to make the 2008 WALK possible.

See my new blog at http://charitywalk2009Britain.blogspot.com

Cancellation of 2008 Charity Walk

2008-05-01T21:45:00.002+12:00

The following is what I've sent to most of the people who have read my Charity Walk around britain stuff - but I may have missed some of you -

Sorry, folks,

My wonderful lady friend in Kawerau has not been able to convince the local business people she approached, to see the wisdom of investing funds in my cherished WALK plans.

Thus, unfortunately, I shall not be able to do the WALK in 2008. I deeply regret this, and particularly so for the input from so many of you. I feel I have failed, and let you all down.

To those of you who have already donated money to me, I'll refund this to you soonest.

To those who have offered free camping sites, I want to repeat the Thank You I've sent previously, and express to you my regret that you have gone to some trouble on my behalf - and now to no avail. However, it has shown me how many people there are in Britain who respond so brilliantly to requests for help for charities. Also, the newspapers have been remarkable in providing assistance in different ways, and I owe the editors and journalists involved a big Thank You.

Although I'm feeling quite down at the news I received only this morning, telling me that the necessary additional funding will not be available, I'm lightly considering trying again next year. I've seen that the London Marathon is due to be on 26 April 2009. What do you all think of the WALK around Britain starting on 29 April 2009? I could try to get a place on the team of one of the charities in that Marathon, helping to raise some money for them by walking there. Then, after a couple of days, set out on the route as shown at http:// DavidsListToDo.blogspot.com. If you have offered a free camping site for 2008, would you consider making a similar offer for 2009? If so, I reckon it would be on the date shown on the itinerary, less 16 days(?). Thus, for example, Brentwood on 15 May 2008 becomes 29 April 2009.
Any great ideas on how to raise funding for the expenses of the WALK will be appreciated.

Again, deepest regrets,

David Paterson,
New Zealand.

2008-04-26T08:59:00.002+12:00

The mystery of me not receiving many of the emails I have been expecting has been partially explained.
Because I had not received a reply from the Rett Syndrome Assoc. to my email of 8 April, I registered at their website and used their forum to let people know which email I had used to contact the Assoc. Pretty soon there was a posting to say that the email address was the correct one, but that the Assoc.'s email to me had been 'bounced back' to sender!
Wondering whether this has happenend with others, particularly in the last 3 weeks or so, I've sent an email using my other email address, to all those who might have been sending emails re the WALK planning. So far no responses. But it certainly is curious that quite a number of expected responses have not been received to early April emails sent by me.
In the meantime, the extended deadline of 23 April to purchase the Singapore Airlines ticket has been and gone, and so is the opportunity to save some NZ$600 on the cost of the ticket.
One of the good things to come from the use of the Rett Syndrome Assoc. forum is that one of the Assoc. members has emailed me a few times. She and her husband have kindly offered free camping at their place - that's Salisbury taken care of! But, in addition, this morning the first email I read was from her telling me that she has spoken to the Chairman of the Assoc. and told him all about my WALK and the emails problem. Fingers crossed!

Love to all of you out there,

David.

2008-04-26T08:56:00.000+12:00

As mentioned in earlier postings, I need to post this update for those of you who are keeping in touch with my Charity Walk aspirations.

I'm updating this at 08:55 am on Saturday 26 April 2008 (New Zealand time).

The columns are town, mileage, whether confirmed (****),date.

**** denotes confirmed sites (the dates are the nights of . . . . .)

London Start on the morning of 15 May 2008
Brentwood 22 miles **** 15 May
Witham 21 **** 16
Colchester 22 17
Ipswich 18 **** 18
Saxmundham 20 **** 19
Lowestoft 20 **** 20
Norwich 25 **** 21 and 22
Cromer 24 23
Fakenham 20 24
Kings Lynn 21 25
Holbeach 19 26
Heckington 20 ***** 27
Lincoln 22 **** 28 and 29
Market Raisen 18 **** 30
Brigg 16 31
Little Weighton 22 **** 1 June
Little Driffield 18 **** 2
Scarborough 21 3 and 4
Whitby 15 5
Guisborough 24 **** 6
Stockton-on-Tees 14 **** 7 and 8
Durham 18 9
Ponteland 23 **** 10
Otterburn 23 11
Hass, Jedburgh 18 12
Kelso 19 **** 13
Lauder 19 14
Edinburgh 20 **** 15 and 16
Burntisland 20 17
Markinch 13 18
St Andrews 20 19
Dundee 13 20
Perth 22 21
Crieff 15 22
Dunkeld 20 **** 23
Coupar Angus 15 24
Forfar 17 **** 25
Brechin 12 26
Inverbervie 20 27 and 28
Newtonhill 17 29
Balmedie 18 30
Cruden Bay 16 1 July
Crimond 17 2
Fraserburgh 10 3
Gardenstown 15 4 and 5
Portsoy 17 6
Fochabers 18 7
Forres 21 8 and 9
Ardersier 16 10
Kirkhill 19 11
Evanton 19 12
Dornoch 24 **** 13
Brora 16 **** 14 and 15
Berriedale 20 16
Ulbster 19 17
John O’Groats 23 18
Thurso 20 19 and 20
Strathy 20 21
Tigh na Beithe, Tongue 23 **** 22 and 23
Altnaharra 18 24
Lairg 21 **** 25 and 26
Dalnavie 20 27
Dingwall 20 28
Beauly 13 29
Drumnadrochit 14 30
Fort Augustus 19 31
Spean Bridge 23 1 and 2 August
Onich 19 3
Bridge of Orchy 29 4
Killin 25 5
Callander 19 6
Stirling 20 **** 7 and 8
Glasgow 25 **** 9
Kilmarnock 21 10
New Cumnock 21 **** 11
Carronbridge 22 12
Dumfries 17 **** 13 and 14
Gretna 24 15
High Hesket 16 **** 16
Great Strickland 15 **** 17
Keswick 22 **** 18
Kendal 26 19 and 20
Lancaster 24 21
Preston 21 22
Southport 18 23
St Helens 20 24
Chester 25 25 and 26
Whitchurch 20 27
Shrewsbury 20 **** 28
Craven Arms 21 29
Knighton 15 **** 30
Builth Wells 25 **** 31/1 Sept.
Talgarth 17 **** 2 Sept.
Gavilon 14 3
Saint Arvans 22 4
Bristol 20 5
Wells 19 6 and 7
Langport19 **** 8
Huish Champflower 26 **** 9
Sth Molton 26 10
Barnstaple 12 11
Bideford 11 12
Kilkhampton 21 13
Camelford 22 14 and 15
St Columb 18 16
Redruth 18 17
Ludgvan 17 **** 18
Penzance 20 **** 19
Lizard 24 20 and 21
Carnon Downs 23 **** 22
Lostwithiel 25 **** 23
Saltash 30 24
Sth Brent 21 25 and 26
Torquay 16 27
Exeter 22 28
Lyme Regis 23 29
Dorchester 24 30
Poole 24 1 and 2 October
Whitsbury 21 **** 3
Salisbury 15 **** 4
Pub 15 5
New Alresford 15 6
Farnham 20 7
Dorking 23 8
London 24 9

Difficulties arouse doubt re Charity Walk 2008

2008-04-18T08:55:00.002+12:00

The following is an extract from an email that I've just sent to a British local authoritiy that authorised use of their facilities in an email received here last night.

"I need to mention here that I've had more difficulty than I'd anticipated in obtaining the necessary level of sponsorship to make it all possible. There is now some doubt as to whether I'll be able to meet my plan of starting on 15 May. In brief, I have my return airfare and a little more available at present, but I'm very wary of landing in London without sufficient funding to maintain the 5-month venture. So, I'm putting off buying the ticket for as long as possible, hoping that the extra funding will be found soon. I have a date of 23 April by which to purchase a discounted Singapore Airlines ticket, and a pencilled-in date of flight from Auckland of 9 May.

I'll let you know a.s.a.p. whether the WALK is on, or postponed to a later date this year which is something I'm considering, but not happily so since so many arrangements are in place already), or possibly even put off until April next year (which does not excite me at present for the reason that all the arrangements would then need to be re-done)."

New Update re Charity Walk places/dates

2008-04-18T08:52:00.001+12:00