Well it’s now week 53

Posted on 02/04/2015 by Mark Darcy

It’s been a year since my accident and trauma….. In fact today a year ago I was under the knife have my quad tendons stitched back together. I really wished I could say all is now ‘Jim Dandy’ but sadly I’ve still a ways to go. I have a compensation claim going through the system at the moment and on Tuesday I had my independent medical examination. Firstly it was actually at my physio centre so maybe not so independent, the independent knee surgeon (Mr Singh) is our local knee surgeon… and informed me he had only come across two bilateral quad ruptures in his 40yrs as a surgeon…. and how rare it was… Fook me if someone else tells me what a rare trauma I have had, I’ll scream….He also informed me I would hopefully get another 20% back movement or strength I’m not sure.

Where am I in the I’m getting better stakes…. Well, I seem to be able to walk ok, there are the days when I walk like I’ve drunk two bottles of Jameson, friends say they can see the difference in how I walk now… obviously as Hayley my physio says I’ll never run again… But there is the spinning bike at the gym I can ride for miles on that….. Walking uphill is much easier than walking down hill…. downhill I turn into a wizen old man shuffling along very slowly. Going upstairs is obviously not easy have to use the rail, but going down stairs well that’s a whole different story, that is difficult! I never thought as I lay in that hospital bed 12 months ago I would still be having difficulty walking down a flight of stairs. It can be painful. So it’s upwards and onwards as they say…. The last 12 months have seen a big change in my life, six months from work, the misery of the quad rupture, losing my job due to the accident… losing my security… Life becoming much more difficult, in the back of your mind you know the repair could fail and your end up in the hospital again… So every step is a cautious step. It’s not all doom and gloom…. I go to the gym at least three times a week, I’ve started a new business as I have to live, it’s only six months in but doing ok… I have more free time, no more 80hr weeks…. You have to be positive, negativity will drag you down… out of a bad situation a good one will grow…

I have a new project in mind, this blog has gone so well, I am going to start a new blog…. the story of my life in blog form from before day one till well when I drop off the perch... So I’ll keep you informed if any of you are interested in an ordinary guys life… I might be ordinary, but my life has been far from ordinary!

So lookout for “It all started on the back seat of a bus”………..

Week 38 and it's coming up to Christmas……..

Well to all the other quadders out there (I include Mr Jaccobi) ignorant sod…. seasons greetings to and may your deity to whatever persuasion you might be. Live long and prosper ……..

Well, just to keep you all up to date it seems I am doing ok. Physically R o M is good, I am back to doing most things I used to do if not slightly impaired. My Physio says I’m never going to run again, we will see about that. No golf either apparently? Walking downhill is still difficult, people must think I pissed but hey what it is, is what it is. Stairs are difficult and getting up from a low seat fooking painful.

Went to see James Blunt on the spur as you do, ticket was good sadly not enough room for my legs to stretch out. you quadders out there will know what I mean. I was willing the people around me to get up and gigg about but did they, Fooking no. I lasted an hour and a half before I had to get up oh the relief……….

One bit of very good news, my claim….. The old dairy company on whose property I came a cropper…… have admitted liability. So now, it’s not if, but how much. The accident has cost me personally around £15,00.00 so if I get the back plus the lawyers fee I’ll be happy. A bit extra would be nice for all that discomfort and disruption to my life. So we shall see……..

So Happy Christmas my Quadder mates…… see you in the new year…….

oh another big disappointment in my life…… Charlton Athletic…..

2014 Christmas Card to all my friends and fellow quadders......

Its week 29, and all is well; I hope……. 13 Otober 2014

Posted on 13/10/2014 by Mark Darcy

Well its been awhile since I last posted shame on me, but life has been hectic and stressful. 

So how am I getting on, well as far as the injury is concerned ok, had my 6 month check up at the hospital and have been discharged from their care. So now it’s just me and my Physio. 

I have good ROM and the strength is coming back all good, I wished I could say it was all good.

Stairs still present a problem, I can go up much easier than coming down and still have to hang on to the rail for dear life. Went to the cinema for the first time three weeks ago, it was ok walking up the shallow steps to my seat; but fuck, going back down in the dark that was scary. Oh on the going out and about Lynne and I went to see the Bodyguard at the Adelphi Theater in London oh that was good. I had got the tickets before the injury, so the day arrived 28 August 2014. We had Royal Circle seats second from the front, well if it had not been for the guys sitting in the seats to my right doing a no-show I would have been buggered. But I laid myself out over three seats very lucky, no point doing the lottery now. So going up and downstairs is doable but ungainly.

Walking have not used sticks now for at least two months, Walking on the flat is ok I look a bit pissed, up hill very good; downhill is a not so good. But getting better. If someone had told me I would still be struggling to walk down hill I would not have believed them. But it could all so be much worse.

So I can walk, swim, do the bad thing, too bad women. Drive go out and socialise, go to poo properly, shower and ride a bike…… so I am nearly back to normal in a way. I can only run and jump in the swimming pool don’t think I’ll be playing golf for sometime, but hey on the balance of things it’s all going well.

Work, well I went in for a meeting to discuss my return to find out after five months they had found out how to do it without me or rather realised how much I cost. So it was, redundancy for me. So now with the help of my ex employers I have set up for myself. Chauffeur Me Launched on the 1 October 2014, providing executive transport to the corporate sector. You can find me at chauffeurme.biz, I’m building the website myself so don’t expect too much.

So there you have it for now, My legs work to a fashion but I have to take on board they never going to be the same again. Maybe I’ll get up from sitting one day and not feel it, I live in hope.

Its week 20: and people never fail not to suprise!

I’m starting week 20 today, and in the words of my Physio I am doing very well. Mind you I have to question whether Hayley, that’s my Physio is all the ticket? She got on a coach, went all the way to Huddersfield to watch Bournemouth’s first game of the season.

Mind you they won 4 nil so maybe she got lucky, there is no worse feeling than going to an away game and coming back 260 miles with that losing feeling.

Mind you my boys had a decent result at the weekend,  1 all, away to a newly promoted side, not all that bad. To my quadder brothers in the states, Bournemouth play, along with my boys (Charlton Athletic) in the second tier of English football or rather soccer to you guys.

Your really going to have to get used to calling it football not soccer, if you want to play a world sport. And by the way you are getting better. Your football (which I love by the way, come on the Bournemouth Bobcat) is not football.

Football is when you kick the ball with your feet. Which only happens in American Football at kick off, punting, extra after, and field goal; so calling it football is a bit rich. I have to say I am looking forward immensely to the Raiders Dolphins game on 28 September at Wembley which I have tickets for.

Just hope I can get into the seat….. I find it amazing how Americans take English childrens games and turn them into sports; netball and rounders spring to mind. The day is coming when the London Monarchs will play in either the NFC/AFC East, and I can not wait to take some scalps.

Anyway less of the digression.

The exercises are paying dividends I seem to be getting stronger day on day. Found a pool at a local hotel with steps and a rail in to the water so, I am swimming most days. Its really cheap 20 quid a month and no membership, there’s a hot tub, steam room, sauna no Swedes sadly and gym with all the latest machines; a real find. I am walking 3 to 4 miles a day with out my crutches (I take them with me just in case). Bournemouth is very hilly so its quite a feat.

Heard from the lawyers last week, apparently I need more pictures of the spot I fell as there is a minium depth of 2.5cm anything below that is deemed by the law to be not dangerous. So I’m going to drive up there on Thursday and take photos with measurements. Will post next week.

Not heard a dicky bird from work. Sent in new fit note saying I can drive now, but the silence is deafening. I feel mentally ready to go back if not totally physically.

So that’s it for this post, its going to be a week of swimming and walking, Cross Trainer and my stair exercises. Oh and weight loss I have got rid 6lbs so far, so my target is 1lb a week. Should be easy I don’t think……

Week 18, and I am getting bored

I am now in week 18 of  my injury recovery. And I have to say I am bored. But the recovery is going well, my exercise program is on track. I have now been able to start to put some resistance on my cross-trainer, so I must be making progress. I discovered I was doing the squats all wrong, thought they were too easy. I am having to do them against a wall to keep my back straight, the difference is dynamic. The pull on the knee and the quad; ouch.  

But all the other exercises are going well. Today for the first time I walked outside without the aid of my crutches. I have not needed them inside for some time now, but have a little more confidence to walk outside without them. But of course then there are the hills, and the proprioception. 

Had an amended fit note so hopefully should be back at work soon. I think I have got to the point where I am 50% back, so can apart from sit on my toilet; most day to day stuff is ok. The next 50% I think is going to take time? And as they say, time will tell! 

By the time I have posted next I should be driving again, so I am feeling extremely positive about my injury and life. By the 15 August I have to get myself to London, have lunch at The Opera Terrace in Covent Garden and then get myself into theatre seat, now that might be tricky. 

The past few weeks I have been making new Quadder friends, so a shout out to Don Williams and Mike Maclellan. It seems Don is 18 months a Quadder, and Mike had his event on 19th June this year. It makes writing this blog worthwhile as other Quadders seem to like it. Once a Quadder always a Quadder it seems.

I am beginning to think we should have a Quadder Convention, Las Vagas springs to mind. Watch this space. 

Week 16: It's Now Frustrating, 21 July 2014

This past week has been frustrating! I have started the strength part of my rehab and its going really well. From a fat zero on my cross trainer when I first started, I am managing 2 miles in 10 minutes. Not an Olympic record but not bad progress in a week. 

In fact, I am not that far off my normal pace for 45 minutes.

So the frustration is I'm getting on well and need to translate that into getting back to work. I can drive a car, walk 3 miles, with the aid of my crutches and feel like I have made good progress. My physio is going well, I am down to one session a week just for soft tissue work. So I am happy but frustrated. So this week has been very much groundhog day, with a heavy dose of exercise..... There is not much else to report this week apart from my frustration. Going to see my GP on 30th to see if I can get my Fit Note amended. So I can get my life back into some sort of normality.

Week 15, The strengthening begins

This week has been an extremely positive moving forward week; but one full of frustrations. Monday was groundhog day, have to wait till Tuesday to see my Physio so we can get on with the strength work. Range of movement is coming along, but the strength in my quads has completely gone. And of course theirs those pesky little Proprioceptors,  Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement. It is provided by proprioceptors in muscles and in joints. It is distinguished from exteroceptive, by which one perceives the outside world, and interoception, by which one perceives pain, hunger, etc., and the movement of internal organs.

Proprioception is what allows someonee to learn to walk in complete darkness without losing balance. During the learning of any new skill, sport, or art, it is usually necessary to become familiar with some proprioceptive tasks specific to that activity. Without the appropriate integration of proprioceptive input, an artist would not be able to brush paint onto a canvas without looking at the hand as it moved the brush over the canvas; it would be impossible to drive a car because a motorist would not be able to steer or use the pedals while looking at the road ahead; a person could not touch type or perform ballet, and people would not even be able to walk without watching where they put their feet. So one of my big problems at the moment is my proprioceptors are shot, hence walking downhill even with crutches is difficult. My Proprioception exercise requires me to shut my eyes and stand on one leg, go on give it a go. I can manage 5 seconds and I have shot proprioception, whats going to be your excuse. Its similar to the sobriety  test they use in the US of A. 

So Tuesday came and Hayley my Physio gave me the ok to start my strength exercises. Shes coming over to supervise my first session on Friday. But I can start working on my cross trainer straight away. I have enough range of movement now to get on, I was worried I might get stuck. It went better than expected, Hayley said two ten minute sessions with no resistance. F………..ck, the first effort was pathetic.

I couldn’t get a reading from the control panel I was going so slow. But Wednesday was better, still no reading!!!! But Thursday red letter day for two different reasons. First and I imagine contributed to the second managed to register a distance for the 10 minute session not record breaking but 1.41 miles better than a slap in the face. I normally do 6 miles in 24 minutes. So Thursday 1.61 Miles, Friday 1.72 miles  and today day of posting 1.9 miles, soon to break the two minute barrier. A small step for Mark a giant leap for my quads. The second red letter thing on Thursday, I had a shower; the first since I left on that fateful day at the beginning of April. I had enough strength to push myself up into the shower, I stood for half an hour with the water cascading over me, bliss. All I need to do now is to be able to sit on he toilet. But it will come. I thought you would not want to see me in the shower, so this is just an illustration. Anyone got her number?

Friday Hayley came and supervised my other strength exercises. I do them mainly out on the stairway of the apartment block. There’s a warm up of going up and down on step 10 times, walking up and down one flight twice with the aid of a crutch. The lunges 10 each leg, then the killer “The Crouch/Squwat’, that’s painful if you did it first you wouldn’t be able to do the others. So I’ve been doing them for three days and I can see a definite improvement. I can actually feel it.

Oh other thing that happened this week not related to my injury, my daughter brought the family to visit grumpy gramps. We had a great time, by the time they had gone grumpy gramps was worn out gramps. Ah there they are….  Saturday walked over to the office, the cover had blown off the car so decided to see if she would start. Its a 4 year old 7 series BMW so it should even though she not turned a wheel in three and a half months. She started, a bit lumpy, but what you expect after that amount of time. It was amazing there was any whack left in the battery at all, I had a little maneuver around the car park; all was ok. Sat in her for an hour watching TV got out not too stiff. I think things are looking up. So that was week 15, were in week 16 so I am expecting good things in the week to come.

Week 14 and all still going well.

This week has been a good week, I can now get out and do all my shopping; that's to say what I can get in my backpack. So its lots of trips to M&S. I can walk virtually anywhere, but at tortoise pace. Been to physio twice this week, hopefully should come down once a week soon. My range of movement is improving 110 degrees in my right and 100 in my left it's catching up. Went to the office on Saturday to pick up my backpack, while I was there tried sitting in the car. Can get in ok, driving position ok, batteries nearly flat so need to sort that. Monday my OAP chair and Commode went of to charity, gave them to the red cross, hey they couldn't help me, but I don’t hold a grudge.

It's been a fairly quite week, been doing some online research for the office, trying to get a story finished for my other blog.

Got in to see my surgeon on Friday, he has given me the green light to start the physical work, which is great news. So at 14 to 15 weeks I think I am doing well. Went to the Captains Club to celebrate, it was a fine sunny afternoon. Also got a new Fit Note, apparently I can go back to work, but not to do what I'm employed to do? So that's a bugger.

Dampened a bit by an email I got from my prospective solicitor. Remember last post I said I had sent them all that they had asked for in the form of a 50 page booklet. 

I said in the last post bet it would not be good enough, and I was right. The email asked if I could mark the spot where I fell with an X. See picture, apparently, what I put was that not good enough, its hard to tell yourself 'I told you so.' They went on to say could I remember the size of the defect in the pathway? Note to self, remember at all times to carry a tape measure, so when you're writhing around in pain you're able to measure the fucker that's tripped you up.

Week finished on a positive note, had a great lunch Saturday at Westbeach, free wine again! Nice to be popular. And managed to get onto my cross trainer, so physical work can start in earnest. Its not me in the picture but it is my Cross Trainer, anyone got her number? Till next time.......

It's A Positive Week; Week 13, (My third 21st)

This week has been a week of positivity.

Saturday 21st: Was my Birthday lunch at Westbeach, to those who do not know the restaurant its a nice little eatery specialising in fish. See the link: http://west-beach.co.uk/ Got a cab down and walked back, I must be getting better. But as Hayley my physio says don't push it Mark. Remember its watching the grass grow. It was my third 21st, last Wednesday the 18th.

It was a great day, Lynne and Johnny came, and Andy Price bought me a really great bottle of wine, trouble is the 'La Paz' I normally have, wont cut the rug any more cheers Andy. It was in his plan to make me spend more when I'm there. And that's most Saturdays. 

After lunch and as I had heard that the Uk ladies volleyball championships were on, I thought it only right and proper to go take a look. It was quite stimulating in a perverted sort of way.

Sunday 22nd: Was hangover day, or rather walking in treacle day. Too much wine and whisky.

Monday 23rd: Physio day, all is going well at week 13. I have the required range of movement (ROM) for this stage in my rehab. Walked there and back, did my first bit of shopping on my own. Only three things but its the small stuff that matters. A little bit more independence. They all add up, to eventually make a normal life again.

Tuesday 24th: Bit of a Groundhog day, went for a walk for two hours, mind you it would normally have taken me 15 minutes. Oh yes so many people have said I should take legal advice over my accident, so I have decided to do something about it. Well it's not so easy as you might think. There are a hundred and one, Underdog.com's, Accidents for U.co.uk, but in reality there just ambulance chasers. So I contacted a local highly recommended firm of Solicitors; Ellis Jones.

Well to start with you have to do everything for them. I need pictures with measurements, do I have legal cover, I need to write a statement of fact. Oh and am I whom I say I am, well hello, whom the fuck do you think I am. Mark Darcy? Apparently I might want to launder money! What money would that be? I'm having a hard time laundering my clothes. So I'm going to cause myself a major trauma just so I can launder a few bob? Really! So now courtesy of a few of my friends in the office, who went on a 100 mile round trip to obtain the photos for me. That would be Louise and Megan thank you. I now have put to getter a 50 page A4 bound booklet on the whole incident, and you just know it's not going to enough. So watch this space.

One other thing, bear this in mind, No Win No Fee really does not exist. There's if we win there's you don't have to pay the fee. Well you do, it comes out of your  settlement.

And also remember you are only going to get what you have lost, so some of that is going to the solicitor, there not doing it for free and their costs are astronomic. So what happens if you lose, your solicitor does not get paid, but what about the other side. Of course, there will be costs and they can run into tens of thousands of pounds, and who is going to pay the others sides costs. You got it; me. So it's not so cut and dried. So I've started down the road we see where it takes us. Up to now the injury has cost me directly about two thousand pounds, so I have no alternative to make a claim. See picture of the spot I went arse over tit on.

Wednesday 25th: End of my birthday week, yes I'm greedy always have a birthday week. Didn't go out today not been feeling well.

Thursday 26th: Physio again today, 105 degrees of ROM in my right, and 94 in my left. Its coming on and only another two weeks till I see my consultant, then hopefully I can start doing some strength exercises. Walked there and back again. On my way back I picked up the bound booklet from the printer. Once I have a large enough envelope I can get it sent to them, you never know they may take me seriously. I bet Derek Jacobi is not having these problems.

Friday 27th: Its been a groundhog day today, weather is a bit dreary. One bit of good news, for the first time I managed to walk down Richmond Hill. That's the hill I live at the top of, and its steep. I am so pleased with myself, its a real step forward. Well that's all for this week. Have a good weekend and I'll be posting next Friday.

Another bit of advice: Buy legal insurance it will save you in the end.

One other thing, I've been posting to my other blog all week, if you like to be titillated go to: http://markdarcyerotica.com

Highs and Lows; Week12 (Its my Birthday and I'll cry if I want to)

Just to hark back to the weekend, Peter and I got into the office, my first time since the accident on 1 April. All the work that needed doing got done over the Saturday and Sunday, thank you Peter for giving up your weekend to help me. Not that I could do anything, I just sat there and directed what needed to be done. Anyway alls well and all that stuff, well not really it transpires. I later found out on Monday that its got to go back the way it was....... words fail me. But at least that can wait. Oh of course then, there was England!

Monday was a good day, Had my fit note through. Fit note its more an unfit note, written and signed by a GP who has never met me or delt with my injury. The ways of the National Health Service are a mystery. I had physio session on Monday,so thought I would cab it round to the office after to drop my fit note in. I got to thinking it's fairly flat from the Physio Clinic to the office, so I would give it a go at walking it. If I got stuck I could always call a cab. Well I made it, another step on the way to recovery. It was really nice to see everyone in the office.

Tuesday was a low day, I had been trying to get hold of the hospital, in particular my consultants coordinator. I spent all Tuesday morning trying to get hold of him, eventually after threatening to throw myself out a window, he calls me. The reason I had been trying to get hold of him was to enquire if I had any options on hospital transport. As this Friday 20th I should have gone for my 12 week check up, it now transpires as I am not eligible for hospital transport its going to be my 15 week check up. Its a 100 mile round trip to the hospital, the irony is there is a car I can use but no driver. Most of my friends who might be available are all on holiday. So because I could not guarantee getting to my appointment today Friday 2oth, it had to be changed to a date I know I can make, courtesy of Nurse Lynne. This has set my recovery back by three weeks, as I can not till I've seen my surgeon move on to the next phase of physio. Fuck!

Wednesday is a better day, well it was my Birthday...... And to celebrate its was another Groundhog Day. I share my birthday with a number of famous people, Paul McCartney, Alison Moyet, oh and Fabio Capello, god that brings me back to England. To my American friends reading this that's a reference to our National soccer team, that's if you can call them a team; more like 11 overpaid individuals. All with varying degrees of mediocrity.

Thursday is a high and a low day. Its Physio today and as it's such a lovely day I thought I would try and walk it. Well it was not easy, the bit up St Peter Road is quite steep and was a challenge but I made it. A 10 minute walk took 40 minutes, but its a win. That was the high, you just know whats coming next. Yes the Low, England once again, I'm lost for words.

Friday 20th, its been a quite day today, reflective about our boys. I am really feeling for them, it must be so distressing for them. Did they really have to go all that way to Brazil, to prove what a bunch of overpaid, underperforming bunch of dates they really are. There combined weekly wage would pay off the national debt several times over. Rant over, see you next week.