stryder56
28-06-2007, 07:53 AM
In 1981 I had a motorcycle accident where I collided with 3 cars. Now I walked away from that without a scratch which is to say I was extremely lucky. The only effect I had was the next few day when my body just ached all over and didn't want to play the game and this I was told was called "body trauma" Anyway, in 1986 I was playing indoor cricket in a RAAF team and I got caught up in the netting and twisted my back. This left me in a great amount of pain and later it was proven that there had been damage when I had the bike accident and the game of cricket was the straw that broke the camels back so to speak.
I ened up in hospital for a few days which in many ways was a real joke, as an example I had a doctor standing over me with xrays telling me that he couldn't find anything wrong and basically called ma a bludger. After he went on a bit I pointed out to him that the xrays he was looking at were 6 years old as no one had bother to take any xrays when I was admitted. Little did I know at this time that this was only a small joke comapred to what would happen over the next 4 years. Anyway, I was sent off to see a Mr Tibor Boka at Melbournes Sports Medicine clinic. This guy was terrific and even though he was frustrated with what the RAAF were imposing on me tried his best to make things comfortable for me. The RAAF were talking about an operation but both Tibor and I were against this move as Tibor believed that it was an overkill. In the end I agreed with the operation as I was going through a certain amount of bastardisation with my RAAF collegues and having the operation was the only way I could prove that I wasn't a bludger.
So in the 17th July 1987 I was admitted to hospital and had a microsodiscography as it was proven that indeed I was in great pain. On returning to work I was informed by those senior to me that "Even though I had the operation didn't mean that I wasn't bunging it on"
In 1989 I ended up having a second operation as I was still in as much pain as before. I was told I was going to have a fusion this time and would be spending a long period in hospital so arrangements were made for me being out of action for as long as 15 weeks. After the operation I was informed that I didn't have a fusion but a Laminectomy instead.
They day before going into hospital the second time the RAAF said they wouldn't be re engaging me for anymore time in the RAAF ( At this stage I had been in nearly 12 years ) After I got home from hospital ( 7 days later ) The RAAF in their infinite wisedom said they would give me an extra 12 months due to this current operation. From the time I first injured myself ( 9th June 1986 ) to this current time ( 12 Feb 1990 ) I had been subjected to an extrordinary anount of bastardisation my my peers and seniors so I told the RAAF they could stick their 12 months.
I was still no better after this second operation and now being a civilian I went through Vet Affairs to see what could be done. I ended up having a 3rd operation in March 1991 and this time it was a fusion. After this last operation I was feeling somewhat better and in July 1991 my then wife was posted to Queensland in the RAAF. As time has gone on I have gotten worse and naturally frustration and disappointment has made for a grumpy chap.
In 2004 I decided that technology was more advanced than back in the 80's so I went to see a surgeon to see if there was something that could be done. I had an MRI and went off to see him. I had many mixed thoughts when going to see him as one part of me hoped that he could help and the other part wasn't looking forward to going under the knife again. What I didn't expect was his thoughts on the MRI and what he found. It turns out that the fusion was done crooked and that the base of my spinal cord was encased in surgical cement. He stated that he could do an operation to which he said would make life easier for me, but the downside was that there was a 95% chance I would end up in a wheelchair. Naturally we both decide that the operation wasn't going to happen as I didn't want to lose the movement I had. Emotionally I was wrecked for a couple of months and to say pissed off was an understatement. So now I plod along with life and do the best I can with what I have. The pills that I take really don't do much as I am alergic to things like morphine so I am on large doses of anti depressants just to keep ontop of things. I used to be a pigheaded stubborn person but over the years I have learnt to turn this negative into a positive which enables me to keep going. I have never been backwards in trying all different types of things to try to make life easier but all of them have been dismal failures.
The one thing I do believe up till this day is that if the RAAF had let Tibor Boka have his way with what he wanted to do I would not have needed any back operations and thus I would be able to lead a relative "NORMAL" life.
( I did leave out some deatials in writing this as it would have ended up like War & Peace )
I ened up in hospital for a few days which in many ways was a real joke, as an example I had a doctor standing over me with xrays telling me that he couldn't find anything wrong and basically called ma a bludger. After he went on a bit I pointed out to him that the xrays he was looking at were 6 years old as no one had bother to take any xrays when I was admitted. Little did I know at this time that this was only a small joke comapred to what would happen over the next 4 years. Anyway, I was sent off to see a Mr Tibor Boka at Melbournes Sports Medicine clinic. This guy was terrific and even though he was frustrated with what the RAAF were imposing on me tried his best to make things comfortable for me. The RAAF were talking about an operation but both Tibor and I were against this move as Tibor believed that it was an overkill. In the end I agreed with the operation as I was going through a certain amount of bastardisation with my RAAF collegues and having the operation was the only way I could prove that I wasn't a bludger.
So in the 17th July 1987 I was admitted to hospital and had a microsodiscography as it was proven that indeed I was in great pain. On returning to work I was informed by those senior to me that "Even though I had the operation didn't mean that I wasn't bunging it on"
In 1989 I ended up having a second operation as I was still in as much pain as before. I was told I was going to have a fusion this time and would be spending a long period in hospital so arrangements were made for me being out of action for as long as 15 weeks. After the operation I was informed that I didn't have a fusion but a Laminectomy instead.
They day before going into hospital the second time the RAAF said they wouldn't be re engaging me for anymore time in the RAAF ( At this stage I had been in nearly 12 years ) After I got home from hospital ( 7 days later ) The RAAF in their infinite wisedom said they would give me an extra 12 months due to this current operation. From the time I first injured myself ( 9th June 1986 ) to this current time ( 12 Feb 1990 ) I had been subjected to an extrordinary anount of bastardisation my my peers and seniors so I told the RAAF they could stick their 12 months.
I was still no better after this second operation and now being a civilian I went through Vet Affairs to see what could be done. I ended up having a 3rd operation in March 1991 and this time it was a fusion. After this last operation I was feeling somewhat better and in July 1991 my then wife was posted to Queensland in the RAAF. As time has gone on I have gotten worse and naturally frustration and disappointment has made for a grumpy chap.
In 2004 I decided that technology was more advanced than back in the 80's so I went to see a surgeon to see if there was something that could be done. I had an MRI and went off to see him. I had many mixed thoughts when going to see him as one part of me hoped that he could help and the other part wasn't looking forward to going under the knife again. What I didn't expect was his thoughts on the MRI and what he found. It turns out that the fusion was done crooked and that the base of my spinal cord was encased in surgical cement. He stated that he could do an operation to which he said would make life easier for me, but the downside was that there was a 95% chance I would end up in a wheelchair. Naturally we both decide that the operation wasn't going to happen as I didn't want to lose the movement I had. Emotionally I was wrecked for a couple of months and to say pissed off was an understatement. So now I plod along with life and do the best I can with what I have. The pills that I take really don't do much as I am alergic to things like morphine so I am on large doses of anti depressants just to keep ontop of things. I used to be a pigheaded stubborn person but over the years I have learnt to turn this negative into a positive which enables me to keep going. I have never been backwards in trying all different types of things to try to make life easier but all of them have been dismal failures.
The one thing I do believe up till this day is that if the RAAF had let Tibor Boka have his way with what he wanted to do I would not have needed any back operations and thus I would be able to lead a relative "NORMAL" life.
( I did leave out some deatials in writing this as it would have ended up like War & Peace )