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Thomasbus24
Administrator

USA
4544 Posts

Posted - 08/30/2013 :  5:53:37 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hey all, it's been a while! I wanted to step up on my soapbox for a few minutes in hopes it makes a difference in someone's life.

On Sunday, August 11, I began to feel very ill. Having had gastrointestinal problems for well over ten years, I applied the standard "Oh it will pass" attitude and pressed on. The following days were agony, but I was too stubborn to admit defeat. "It'll pass, remember?"

On the morning of Wednesday the 14th I held (or attempted to hold) by annual driver meeting to kick off the new year. Just a few minutes in my most senior driver had to take over for me. I should have known better, I wasn't even well enough to drive myself to work that day.

I gave up and went to the ER where an x ray showed total and complete bowel blockages. I was blessed that I hadn't dropped dead in my meeting.

I got trucked down to the OSU Medical Center by 5 PM and spent over 6 hours under the knife. I just got home last night....15 days and about a million dollars later.

On the plus side, it is NOT cancer. On the minus side, ten years of ignoring the problem means I have about a year to think about it while I recover.

Here is what you need to take away from this: if you are like me and all the other guys I know (and some ladies), give it up! If you are having any health issues, please go get them checked...don't just keep saying "It'll pass". It might pass, but it might leave a lot of major damage on it's way through.

This summer I was tasked with a total reorganization of my department, new routes, new policies, the works. I couldn't fall short, and I pushed through a lot of pain to get it done in time. This turned out to nearly be a fatal mistake.

Health and family are worth far more in this world than anything else.


I'll be back soon, complaining about bus makers and deleting spam...looking forward to returning to the land of the living!

TB24

Sherm
Top Member

USA
621 Posts

Posted - 08/31/2013 :  05:09:54 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
TB24,

Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery!

J
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second.flood
Top Member

USA
640 Posts

Posted - 08/31/2013 :  06:18:28 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Good luck.

So many things are MUCH more important than work.

Just remember, when you think you are so important to your workplace that things will never run without you.... when you retire things will carry on and you will largely be forgotten in a few months.

Give your employer a fair days work for your wage, and take care of your health most importantly.
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Fastback
Top Member

1500 Posts

Posted - 08/31/2013 :  09:40:37 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Glad it wasn't worse, take care.

God Bless the colo-rectal surgeon.......have you heard the tune?

I am a survivor of an emergency colon resection operation to repair a perforated colon, took out about 10"

Take care of yourselves people.

Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback
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bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 08/31/2013 :  2:24:33 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Wow, hope you get better! We do tend to go beyond the call in this business don't we.

Bryan
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Mechan1c
Top Member

USA
853 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2013 :  07:24:12 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks TB24.
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Carp_26
Administrator

United States
170 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2013 :  07:55:06 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Wishing you the best during your recovery.
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Wolf0r
Top Member

USA
2181 Posts

Posted - 09/03/2013 :  08:49:35 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Good advise. Rest well and have a speedy recovery.

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson
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08 Thomas EF
Top Member

533 Posts

Posted - 09/14/2013 :  09:29:50 AM  Show Profile  Visit 08 Thomas EF's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Thanks for the message, Pat. I'm sorry this happened to you, but thankful it's not cancer! Take care of yourself. Keep us posted on the recovery.

Your message comes at a good time for me. I work in the IT department at the HS I graduated from last year and huge changes (and several digressions) have had all of us working well into the evening every day. It's still a mess 3 weeks into the school year. Taking 4 college classes doesn't help. Classes at 9am, leave work mid-evening, then eat, do homework, and sleep. You've made me realize that I really need to step back and take a breather ASAP, and attend to other life matters. Thank you.

Edited by - 08 Thomas EF on 09/14/2013 09:38:03 AM
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BJ Henderson
Advanced Member

USA
280 Posts

Posted - 09/15/2013 :  05:34:04 AM  Show Profile  Send BJ Henderson an AOL message  Reply with Quote
I had a blood clot hit me in both lungs a year and a half ago. After three days in the hospital and a lot of injections of blood thinners they let me go home. I had to stay inactive for three weeks, that meant sitting in my easy chair in front of the TV and very little else. It took about 5 days for my body to realize some really serious problem had happened.

I'm thankful the blood clot hit my lungs instead of my brain. Maybe it couldn't find enough brain to lodge in :)

Keep your house in order, you never know when the Master will decide your mission here is over.

CMTT,CMAT,CMBT
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bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 09/17/2013 :  8:19:03 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by BJ Henderson

I had a blood clot hit me in both lungs a year and a half ago. After three days in the hospital and a lot of injections of blood thinners they let me go home. I had to stay inactive for three weeks, that meant sitting in my easy chair in front of the TV and very little else. It took about 5 days for my body to realize some really serious problem had happened.

I'm thankful the blood clot hit my lungs instead of my brain. Maybe it couldn't find enough brain to lodge in :)

Keep your house in order, you never know when the Master will decide your mission here is over.



Your last line is probably the best advise for anyone to follow. Even those of us who are awake and aware we need to keep things in order tend to let things go now and then don't we? Thanks for the little reminder!

Bryan
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Lisa P
Active Member

USA
10 Posts

Posted - 09/18/2013 :  05:38:51 AM  Show Profile  Visit Lisa P's Homepage  Reply with Quote
TB24,

Obstructions are no joke. I'm glad that they were able to find yours in time. Hope your recovery goes well.
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Thomasbus24
Administrator

USA
4544 Posts

Posted - 09/27/2013 :  6:21:33 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thank you everyone for your words of support. So many people have "come out of the woodwork" and encouraged me over the past month and I couldn't have done this without it!

I wanted to give a little update on how things are progressing. When I started this thread, I couldn't stand up without a walker, was running a fever most nights, couldn't eat and slept most of the time. I was just plain miserable.

Today is a 180 degree difference. I've graduated to walking with a cane for stability which is much easier on the pride. I still have pain from the wound, but nothing like before. I can stand up from a chair and get in and out of bed unaided and have started driving to the store when I need things.

The coolest thing ever (I am easily amused) is the Genadyne XLR8 "wound vac" that I got Wednesday. Basically you have a special sponge in your open wound, covered in plastic with a tube attached to provide suction 24/7. In just 2 days it has decreased wound depth by 1/4". Amazing what a little vac can do to help the body heal.

Had my first appointment with the specialist today and got some not-so-happy news. I'm told that my crohn's is quite advanced in the damage it has been doing, so we are going to skip the starter meds and go straight for the big guns. Sounds like I have to travel to Columbus weekly for an IV of Remicade and some blood tests. It should kick crohn's rear-end though.

The second bit of bad news was that I'm stuck with my ostomy for a year, I had been hoping for just a few months.

Don't mistake this for complaining! I am thankful everyday that I came out of this alive.

On the bright side, if all goes well, I will be returning to work 2-3 days a week starting mid-October. I am so sick of sitting at home, it just isn't my nature to miss work.

Thanks again for your suppose folks and thanks for reading.


TB24
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GMCBlueBird83
Top Member

USA
1478 Posts

Posted - 09/30/2013 :  2:41:22 PM  Show Profile  Visit GMCBlueBird83's Homepage  Send GMCBlueBird83 an AOL message  Send GMCBlueBird83 a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
Wow, Patrick!! I'm so sorry to hear what you've been going through. I owe you a call. Stay well!
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turbine
Active Member

United States
49 Posts

Posted - 10/01/2013 :  09:30:10 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hope that you have a speedy recovery. Feel better soon.
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Thomasbus24
Administrator

USA
4544 Posts

Posted - 01/16/2014 :  3:54:21 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The drama continues.

I've been in poor health since mid-October, following a major setback. I finally got some good news today though: my much-needed 2nd operation is at the crack of dawn on February 7th. I would gladly do it tomorrow, but both surgeons on the case agree its just too soon.

So I enjoy working from home on a very limited basis and letting one of my drivers run the show in my absence. She is going a fantastic job, but an entire years worth of work setting up RouteFinder is gone down the toilet. I look on the bright side...I have plenty of "gravy work" to do on my laptop after my surgery!

I'm alive, that was a major victory in and of itself. I'll let y'all know how the slice-n-dice goes!!
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Lisa P
Active Member

USA
10 Posts

Posted - 01/17/2014 :  05:31:56 AM  Show Profile  Visit Lisa P's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Woo-hoo for getting surgeries scheduled! From one Crohnie to another, fingers crossed everything goes well!
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bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 01/17/2014 :  06:25:30 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Prayers from me! I hope things go well.

Bryan
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