Sunday 9 March 2014

Prisoner in Pavia

YOU CAN STILL SPONSOR ME - JUST CLICK:
 
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I was released from captivity at 19 o'clock on Saturday 8th March, following 36 hours of non-stop interrogation of my mind and manipulation, nigh torture of my goddamn body.

How many times can you ask a man if he is allergic to anything?

The indignity.

They shaved me. The whole of my right leg shaved totally bald. They left me with one leg like a chicken drumstick and the other like a goddamn yeti.



They drugged me senseless, sliced me open and carved me up inside. They probed a micro camera inside me and jiggled it around looking for floating bits of bone and cartilage that has become entwined in my tendons and ligaments.

They made me wee in a bottle.

And all of the above without Wi-Fi connection. For 36 hours.

The room was like a prison cell, with a griddled panel that looked like iron bars covering the outside world.

For 36 hours.

After the surgery, which took 3 hours, I was put on a drip which slowly injected me with morphine, antibiotics, and a solution containing electrolytes, potassium and magnesium.

They also put a pipe inside my leg/ankle which slowly drained away the internal bleeding. It was goddamn painful when they took that pipe out I swear to God.

I was on that goddamn drip and had that goddamn pipe inside my leg for 24 long hours.

It was like an ultra marathon.

Just keep going.

Believe.

Keep moving forward.

Never never never never never give in.

Hour after hour.

Until Magic Moira and her Marvellous Mum came to pick me up! Magic Moira had even been shopping to buy me loads of fresh fruit & vegetables (and Goji berries!). Man, I am lucky to have some really amazing friends. Love to Moira, Fabio, Miwa and Morgan (and MoiMoi's Mum!!). GRAZIE MOIMOI!!!

Grazie anche to Katia for giving me a lift to the hospital!!

Of course I'm being facetious about the goddamn surgery. I've been super lucky to get connected to an incredible surgeon, Prof. Francesco Benazzo, widely regarded as the best orthopaedic surgeon in Italy. His surgery is in Pavia, approx. 30 mins from Milan. Prof. Benazzo fixed the knees of Balotelli and Ronaldo (the fat one) and works with the Italian Olympic team. Thank you Stewart of Inter Milan FC for making this connection, sincerely: GRAZIE MILLE STEWART!!

Prof. Benazzo
has the aura of Yoda...
Honestly, I felt totally safe in his presence and you can almost touch the respect in the air that he earns from his staff. It's as if he uses the force like a Jedi knight.



All the team of doctors and nurses were lovely with me during my 36 hours in captivity - GRAZIE to all of you.


WHY I NEEDED SURGERY?

Chronic laxsity of the ankle,
causing not just instability but very painful instability - this was done long before 2013 , even before I started long distance running, way before I did NY to Philly - meaning I am/was susceptible to roll-over my ankle even when walking in the street - just not stable enough even to walk - it was a matter of time before I did something serious like a torn ligament because there's basically no strength left in the ankle

Arthritis
in my right ankle , probably my left ankle too - worsening over the last 5-10 years

Osteoarthritis
degenerative joint disease

Damaged cartilage
in fact, I basically have no cartilage left in my ankle meaning basically the bones touch (and hurt) against each other when walk/run

Flakes of bone & cartilage
entwined in the ligaments & tendons from numerous sprains, fractures and tears from playing soccer over the last 15-20 years

Cavity in my ankle
a hole in the bone - in my right ankle where the tendons and ligaments have been ripped away from the bone - this also was done long before 2013

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All the above done before 2013

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Achilles Tendonitis
small signs, after-effects of achilles tendonitis which had basically almost healed after bad tendonitis in April 2013

Torn ligament
fresh injury - done in November 2013


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The doctor said I have the ankles of a 70 year old man, and basically it was a goddamn miracle that I ran those 100 miles from New York to Philadelphia back in April 2013 for my bro's birthday.


WHAT DID THEY DO?

  • REPAIRED RUPTURED LIGAMENT
  • CLEANED FLAKES OF OLD BONE/CARTILAGE FROM TENDONS/LIGAMENTS
  • TOOK PART OF BONE FROM ONE SIDE OF ANKLE TO REPAIR THE CAVITY ON THE OTHER SIDE
  • "STABILISED" THE ANKLE

WHAT NEXT?

I'm in a plaster cast for 3 weeks, and need to stay at home to rest and keep the foot elevated to reduce swelling. I cannot put any weight on my right leg during this period.

Then, after 3 weeks, I will return to hospital and have another cast put on my leg that will remain for another 3 weeks. But during the 3 week period with the second cast I will be able to put weight on it and walk around fairly normally.

After these 6 weeks in plaster cast I will begin a period of physiotherapy.

By June/July I hope to complete my first 1 mile jog in over 8 months.


WHAT THIS MEANS FOR SIMON'S ROCKY ROAD?

I do not know.
Yet.





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 

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I'm doing this to raise money for MIND - the UK's largest mental health charity.

You could donate by clicking this link:
www.justgiving.com/simonsrockyroad
 
 
 
1 in 4 people
will suffer from
mental illness.
 

It WILL affect you directly or indirectly at some stage of your life.

Let's help each other.

TOGETHER,

WE can save lives.
 

 


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CONTACT:
SIMONSROCKYROAD@GMAIL.COM
 
 
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