Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: P @ F on January 07, 2015, 04:17:56 pm
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Well as above , need some of you lot to give me a bit of advice as to what you would do in my position,
Went out to get a box of eggs and have found myself in hospital , turns out I had a stroke , now I have a blood clot on my brain too , how the hell did that happen ?
Had ct scans, mri scans , bloods , yesterrday they glued 28 wires to my head and plugged me in like a battery !
Got loads more scans and tests to do tonite by the looks of it .
Do you think I'm jumping the gun , I dont want to be left with a business thats gone pear shaped if I wait too long before I either am able to work it again , or have to sell up ?
I'm prone I'm told to possibles fits in the future so driving could become an issue if at all
Whatever happens I will have to cut my part in it all right down straight away
My first thought are pick the absolute cream of it all stop all the large commercial and take it well easy by just doing a couple hours a day , sell the rest lose the ladders and chill , what would you do in my shoes, its very early days yet but I have gotta think worse case right away.
Any advice will be greatly taken, I just need to move it before I lose it
Rich
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Concentrate on getting well mate don't worry about anything else just yet, your health is more important
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Omg.... hope you are ok.
I always like commercial work!!!!
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May well be calling on you Rich , got that big one in ivy , royal william yard and th aquarium , its a lot of work mate .
Rich
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Im sure a few lads on here will do your work untill yiur better or get something in place.
I wish you well and a speedy recovery
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Concentrate on getting well mate don't worry about anything else just yet, your health is more important
+1.......good luck bud
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Concentrating on getting better is the right thing to do, but I'd be the same in your shoes and worrying about work.
Do you have any guys local that could help cover your work for a few weeks?
I've thought about this before and my first step would be to write a letter explaining what is happening, be honest with your customers and then they will know what's happening.
Hope all goes well for you and think positive. This may just be a blip.
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May well be calling on you Rich , got that big one in ivy , royal william yard and th aquarium , its a lot of work mate .
Rich
If you need us mate we are here to help as much as we can.
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Hoping you a speedy and full recovery
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Crikey Rich :o
You need to calm down & concentrate on yourself just now mate, worrying about the business right now wont do you any favours & I'm sure you'll have family & friends who can sort your work issues out for the immediate future.
Best wishes & get well soon.
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Ditto - don't panic. Wait for Doctors advice.
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Sorry to hear this matey ... personally I wouldn't worry about work for a week or two and concentrate on your health ... the job can come later.
If you don't mind me asking how old are you - anywhere near retirement
get local lads to muck in if they will till you know outcome of medical stuff - no need to make any snap decisions IMHO
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Concentrate on getting well mate don't worry about anything else just yet, your health is more important
I agree.
Sorry I can't help with the work but I'll have the eggs if you don't need them ;D.
Seriously, concentrate on getting better and I hope it's very soon.
Take care ;).
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I'm only 43 at the end of the month , thats if they aint made glue out of me by then ;D
Rich
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I wish you a full and speedy recovery.
Don't worry about the work now just concentrate on your health and recovery.
Speak to some local window cleaners who you trust and I'm sure they will help you out.
Long term only you will know what's right to do as every ones situation will be different in terms of age,finances and support and what shape your business is in.
Maybe look at slowing down and take all the cream work and go part time this will reduce your stress and allow you time to recover.
Best of luck.
Craig
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I was 28 when I had a brain haemorrage Richard. I was out of action for three months after the op. Prepare yourself for a brain op whilst still conscious, thats quite an experience ;)
Three months is nothing in this game.
What you need to do is wait for the consultant to come back with their final diagnosis and plan of action. They'll sort you out PDQ and once thats the case you can then make your decisions. You'll be working fill-time again before you know it. You'll have a different attitude to life and you'll no doubt be fitter for all of this.
You'll probably have to make a few phone calls to customers etc - reorganise and push work about but it'll all come together. Bit of a shock, but this time next year you'll be helping someone else out who is in the same kind of sticky patch themselves.
Matt
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Sorry Richard get well soon you are still a young fella so should make a good recovery.God bless mate.
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Just to echo what the other guys are saying mate, get well soon and your health comes first.
Hope someone local can give you a hand :)
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I was 28 when I had a brain haemorrage Richard. I was out of action for three months after the op. Prepare yourself for a brain op whilst still conscious, thats quite an experience ;)
Three months is nothing in this game.
What you need to do is wait for the consultant to come back with their final diagnosis and plan of action. They'll sort you out PDQ and once thats the case you can then make your decisions. You'll be working fill-time again before you know it. You'll have a different attitude to life and you'll no doubt be fitter for all of this.
You'll probably have to make a few phone calls to customers etc - reorganise and push work about but it'll all come together. Bit of a shock, but this time next year you'll be helping someone else out who is in the same kind of sticky patch themselves.
Matt
^^That is wise advice from someone who's had experience!!
I hope you get a good result Rich. Sorry to hear you are ill, hopefully they can sort you out soon. Your age might help you recover quickly. At least it gives you time to revaluate what's going on in your life and make some changes if you think there needed.
All the best.
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:o :o :o
Get well soon mate :-*
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all the best .
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I've nothing helpful to add I'm afraid but I hope you get well soon.
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Were the eggs okay?
No, seriously, get well soon, Rich.
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All the best Matey
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I'm sorry to hear this - I hope you get well very quickly.
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Take a week off and see how you feel. No one will notice you not cleaning.
Take on an employee with experience and take them out for a hour or so if poss.
Do you have any trusted employees/self employeed staff that can help you out. You can still earn a dollar for you after there cut?
Get well soon…
Do you drink and smoke btw?
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Sorry mate. Life kicks some poop at us at any time.
Doesn't sound like a bad stroke. Some cant speak correct. My friends wife had one, or a brain clot...cant remember. Anyway, she had a young baby. She couldn't remember anyone in her family :o Her hubby was gutted. It was like living with a stranger. I thought she was toast. She ended up training to be a teacher. She was on Educating Yorkshire, but not saying who. Wonderful woman. Never gave up.
Just see what they say. Strokes take a few years to recover. No reason why you cant work. Driving could be an issue.
My advise is. Employ someone with family, who can drive. Work along side him. Pay him a good rate.
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Good luck Richard, let your health be your first concern and then worry about the work when you know where you stand.
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Hope you get well soon.
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So sorry to hear this Rich - Hope you're back on your feet again soon.
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Thanks for all your kind words so far chaps , means a lot to me,
I do drink yes, too much I suspect , but thats just one of the possible reasons I'm in this position , I have also just been stuck on another med to lower my cholesterol so it also comes to mind that my diet needs looking at , I gave up the tobacco 12 months ago and moved onto the E cigs going well on those , so thats a step in the right direction at least.
As for the stroke its self , what I had was by no means as bad as some get , I didnt have the full monty like you see on the telly with the dropped face and that , but its still a kick when the doc says you've had one , I sort of found myself looking beehind me to see who the doc was talking to , cos it couldn't have been me could it ...........?
What would make my return easier would surely be an SLX eh Alex ;D ;D
I was up until now using the stiff extreme which made my superlites and radius redundant overnight, so as I say , maybe the change from clx to slx is a way to make my life easier right away, not much in it I know , but I do get the feeling that this is where I should start .
Time to get my head down I think
Cheers Rich
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hope you get well soon rich and back fight fit as soon as ;)
would you really find someone who would want to drive a pink van ? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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All the best to you Rich and a speedy recovery, before you even think about going back to work listen to your
doctor and seriously take his advice onboard, like has been already said on here you only have one life, look
after it.
Best regards
Lal
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Get well soon
I was in similar position in 2012 had to take 6 months off Lucky for me had son to do bungalows but he wont do houses.
First thing to do is write a letter to customers telling them whats happened and when you think you will be back cleaning again .Keep them updated. Just before you restart work go and visit customers telling them you are about to start again . Be prepared to drink tea by the bucketful .
Take it slowly on return to work
I only lost a few customers and most of those were to another slimey window cleaner that said he was doing me a favour.
If your self employed there is a government scheme that will pay you some money whilst you are off
Ditch ladders what happens if you have a turn up ladder !!
Make more time to do things with wife partner etc its a was a big wake up call for me
All the best to you
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Good luck and get well soon. Follow the doctor's advice and rest as much as they say you need to.
If you tell your customers you won't lose many of them (and any you do lose you won't miss).
Vin
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I had a scare last year and made me think, but really things are never that bad you just have to slow down and thake things easy. I am the same age as you and have come to realise that things do happen to me and not always the other bloke.
Hope you recover soon mate
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Hi Rich,
I had a heart attack at 45. I smoked, drank heavily and was overweight and I did no exercise.
For me the thing I was most worried about was money as although I wasnt a windowcleaner then, I was self employed. I know that there is a "connection" between heart attacks and strokes but I don't know much about strokes. With a heart attack it is a pretty quick recovery with stents and I was back at work within two weeks. I should add that my work then wasn't physical so it may take you longer. However long it is, in the grand scheme of your life it will only be a blink and soon enough you will be back and catching up with earnings.
Beyond that I resolved to change my life. I stopped smoking, modified my diet and got fit. Eventually I stopped drinking too. It was nearly 6 years ago now and no one that knows me now would believe how I once was. My heart attack was quite a major one and one of my three arteries is still blocked, but it was for me a "good thing".
The important thing is to be positive and learn from the experience.
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Get well soon.
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Wishing you a speedy recovery.
You seem to have a very good round from previous posts on here, so I'd seriously consider employing or start franchising.
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Rich I'm sure some of us Plymouth lads could help
poach you out on your work to keep your round going and money coming in for the Mrs to spend ;D
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Focus on your health for now. give yourself a few days to ponder on the rest. You will have more options than you think.
My thoughts are with you
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Get well soon matey, shocking to hear at your age, i'm 40 and still like to party like I'm 21. Bit of a wake up call for all of us. Good luck
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I've thought about this before and my first step would be to write a letter explaining what is happening, be honest with your customers and then they will know what's happening.
I have had prior experience of not being able to service my round due to poor health. However, I did know that the health problem had a fixed, limited time as it was caused by medicine side-effects that were treating a particular illness.
My experience taught me that telling the customers too much was a bad idea. It will probably be necessary to tell them that the work will sometimes be carried out by a "colleague". That's all they need to know for now. With many, they jump ship at the first sign of a leak.
Best wishes for good health in the future.
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richy get well soon pal sorry to hear of your predicament, im sure local window cleaners will pull together and help you through these difficult times your a well liked guy on here and im sure you will come back stronger stay positive mate
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My uncle had a stroke a few years ago, had his own business (not window cleaning, but manual) and was in a similar situation. Fortunately for him he had a business partner who worked twice as hard. He has made a full recovery and went back to work. He just has to be careful now and mindful that it could happen again.
I wish you a speedy recovery
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i wish you all the best Rich, just be positive mate, just to cheer you up, had a chat with Alex and he is going to surprise you with a nice pole soon ;D
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take it easy richy and good luck with your recovery.i had a heart scare around 10 years ago now.rushed into A & E twice in a matter of months.
i was 33 yrs of age at the time.a real shock.i took a few weeks off and sold a chunk of my work on and took it easy for a while.cleaned up my life.stopped smoking and drinking and stopped taking cocaine,ectasy and amphetamines.
id had a 15 yr history of drink/drug abuse from around the age of 17-18.
i sought help and battled back from misery and addiction.
it certainly puts your precious life into perspective.
i still work hard but have around 8 full weeks off a year and dont worry half as much over trivial things like i used to.
very best wishes
dazmond
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Well thanks again for all the good wishes chaps , I'm no worse as yet , but due to all the probs in the hospitals at the moment things are moving slower than usual , have been in for a scan on my heart today , nothing obvious was found , and I am now in the special stroke dept ward .
I kid you not though , this is not pleasant to see , hats off to the nurses on here , I have now seen just how bad these strokes can be , I'm actualy pooping it , I'm nothing like what some of these chaps have ended up like, shouting , abusing , a lot cant even move .
Really really not nice to see , I am already sworn to myself that if I get no worse with respect to whats up with my brain and where the clot is traveling from I am in for some major life changes , and its only me who can do it.
Some of you have already been there, some of you have watched it, I will draw on that for a bit of inspiration to help
Lets just hope that what Hasti says is not in my imagination , that kind of thing only happens on suprise, suprise, its either that or I'm a total sucker ;D
At least I can blame it on my poorly noggin eh :P
Looks like lights out time here now See ya Rich
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Wishing you a speedy recovery mate
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Well thanks again for all the good wishes chaps , I'm no worse as yet , but due to all the probs in the hospitals at the moment things are moving slower than usual , have been in for a scan on my heart today , nothing obvious was found , and I am now in the special stroke dept ward .
I kid you not though , this is not pleasant to see , hats off to the nurses on here , I have now seen just how bad these strokes can be , I'm actualy pooping it , I'm nothing like what some of these chaps have ended up like, shouting , abusing , a lot cant even move .
Really really not nice to see , I am already sworn to myself that if I get no worse with respect to whats up with my brain and where the clot is traveling from I am in for some major life changes , and its only me who can do it.
Some of you have already been there, some of you have watched it, I will draw on that for a bit of inspiration to help
Lets just hope that what Hasti says is not in my imagination , that kind of thing only happens on suprise, suprise, its either that or I'm a total sucker ;D
At least I can blame it on my poorly noggin eh :P
Looks like lights out time here now See ya Rich
Alex promised me that he will do it mate. I mean whats one pole worth to Alex than keeping a good man like you happy :)
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Well thanks again for all the good wishes chaps , I'm no worse as yet , but due to all the probs in the hospitals at the moment things are moving slower than usual , have been in for a scan on my heart today , nothing obvious was found , and I am now in the special stroke dept ward .
I kid you not though , this is not pleasant to see , hats off to the nurses on here , I have now seen just how bad these strokes can be , I'm actualy pooping it , I'm nothing like what some of these chaps have ended up like, shouting , abusing , a lot cant even move .
Really really not nice to see , I am already sworn to myself that if I get no worse with respect to whats up with my brain and where the clot is traveling from I am in for some major life changes , and its only me who can do it.
Some of you have already been there, some of you have watched it, I will draw on that for a bit of inspiration to help
Lets just hope that what Hasti says is not in my imagination , that kind of thing only happens on suprise, suprise, its either that or I'm a total sucker ;D
At least I can blame it on my poorly noggin eh :P
Looks like lights out time here now See ya Rich
Alex promised me that he will do it mate. I mean whats one pole worth to Alex than keeping a good man like you happy :)
I think you must be pulling Rich's leg as you have not spoken to me about this. :(
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Well thanks again for all the good wishes chaps , I'm no worse as yet , but due to all the probs in the hospitals at the moment things are moving slower than usual , have been in for a scan on my heart today , nothing obvious was found , and I am now in the special stroke dept ward .
I kid you not though , this is not pleasant to see , hats off to the nurses on here , I have now seen just how bad these strokes can be , I'm actualy pooping it , I'm nothing like what some of these chaps have ended up like, shouting , abusing , a lot cant even move .
Really really not nice to see , I am already sworn to myself that if I get no worse with respect to whats up with my brain and where the clot is traveling from I am in for some major life changes , and its only me who can do it.
Some of you have already been there, some of you have watched it, I will draw on that for a bit of inspiration to help
Lets just hope that what Hasti says is not in my imagination , that kind of thing only happens on suprise, suprise, its either that or I'm a total sucker ;D
At least I can blame it on my poorly noggin eh :P
Looks like lights out time here now See ya Rich
Rich - I sent you an email at 9.57 am using your email addie on CIU. If you didn't get it, could you email me on alex@agardiner.co.uk.
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My brother had this happen to him when he was 30 and 13 years on at age 43 he's a window cleaner and loving life..
You might have to make some life style changes rich but there's no reason why you can't make a full recovery mate.
I wish you all the best. Rob.
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Best wishes Rich, get well soon.
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Update time , well what can I say , apart from I'm still here doing tests , clot is still present , results came back from the heart ultrasound and I'm told that one of my valves is deciding to turn itself inside out ???
I went for another ct scan on my head and heart last night ....as its the weekend and we are short staffed we wont know anything now until monday ! :o
I am feeling real bad now about being here , its like the other blokes in the ward are all looking at me with resent , although I'm not right I'm up and about like I'm a visitor and they are all wearing nappies and getting spoon fed , today staff levels were so low I was eating my dinner and all the blokes were sat in bed watching me , now there is a guilt trip if you ever saw one , I ended up feeding 2 of them like babies , I went around the wards soon after and discovered that about 24 patients at least 12 of which need help to eat were being covered by way of 2 agency carers !
Later on I heard a shout from the bloke opposite me , I looked up to see him eating custard creams..........the problem was , they were still in the wrapper , the carer didnt open them , just left them on his table .
I know this isnt exactlty wc related mods but it will be again shortly , who knows , my journey back to work may outdo the vision saga ;D
Thanks again for your wishes and interest guys.
Oh Alex I did get your e mail thanks , I will be in touch shortly , I just want to make sure I have enough room in the van for the power reel and extreme +extension pack ;D Just kiddin guys :'(
Rich
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Sorry I missed this thread until now Rich; I do hope all goes well for you.
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Thanks Mr Gold , could get a bit more drama as of tomorrow , all the agency carers are probably out on the lash tonight ::)roll , hangover city !
Rich
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Hope you're out of there & better soon buddy. I've been on here under different guises for about 8 years & I'll never forget you painting your van pink!! I actually thought you'd just photo-shopped it, I wet myself when I realised you had actually done it for real. Wasn't it you also who chopped a small van in half & used it as a trailer? ;D ;D ;D
I'm sure you'll make a full recovery & keep us entertained for some time to come!! ;)
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Just seen this thread for the first time.
Best of luck on the road to recovery mate, put the business on the back burner for a week or two, concentrate on getting yourself right first.
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I reckon you have enough room for a Gardiner pen in that van of yours buddy.
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Yes , guilty of all of the above ;D
Rich
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Hope you're back home soon.
Best wishes
pete
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Thanks for all your kind words so far chaps , means a lot to me,
I do drink yes, too much I suspect , but thats just one of the possible reasons I'm in this position , I have also just been stuck on another med to lower my cholesterol so it also comes to mind that my diet needs looking at , I gave up the tobacco 12 months ago and moved onto the E cigs going well on those , so thats a step in the right direction at least.
As for the stroke its self , what I had was by no means as bad as some get , I didnt have the full monty like you see on the telly with the dropped face and that , but its still a kick when the doc says you've had one , I sort of found myself looking beehind me to see who the doc was talking to , cos it couldn't have been me could it ...........?
Sometimes, it takes a 'kick in the arse' like this to make us re-evaluate how we're living. I'm in recovery for alcoholism and it's very common to hear people like me say that the bad stuff that happens to us, actually turns out to be a blessing in disguise.
Hope you recovery quickly, mate. Then you can join us in the 'Jogging post' in the off-topic area. ;D
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Thanks for all your kind words so far chaps , means a lot to me,
I do drink yes, too much I suspect , but thats just one of the possible reasons I'm in this position , I have also just been stuck on another med to lower my cholesterol so it also comes to mind that my diet needs looking at , I gave up the tobacco 12 months ago and moved onto the E cigs going well on those , so thats a step in the right direction at least.
As for the stroke its self , what I had was by no means as bad as some get , I didnt have the full monty like you see on the telly with the dropped face and that , but its still a kick when the doc says you've had one , I sort of found myself looking beehind me to see who the doc was talking to , cos it couldn't have been me could it ...........?
Sometimes, it takes a 'kick in the arse' like this to make us re-evaluate how we're living. I'm in recovery for alcoholism and it's very common to hear people like me say that the bad stuff that happens to us, actually turns out to be a blessing in disguise.
Hope you recovery quickly, mate. Then you can join us in the 'Jogging post' in the off-topic area. ;D
Very true.
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Hope you recovery quickly, mate. Then you can join us in the 'Jogging post' in the off-topic area. ;D
what with all the non runners ;D ;D ;D ;D
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See what the doctors say first mate then concentrate on getting back on your feet.
Good luck and I wish you well very soon.
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it could be worse richy you could be out working with fat man master bates ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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if i can help. i will. i have sent you an email.
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Hi Rick , just picked up the mail and replied , you do understand though that if you cover any of the work for me you will have to paint your van pink ;D
Cheers mate, Rich
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I think he wants to drive yours, haha:-)
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Good luck mate, see if someone can help with your work, if not write a letter explaining to all customers the situation and that yon need some time, concentrate on getting better and use the time to think of the future, good luck.
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Any developments?????
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Well im back out , got more holes in me than a pin cushion , but i am alive for now !
Thanks to all for the support along the way , was much needed.
The plan now.......take it easy , have started to sort through the round ,binning the fools,slow payers,dog poopers ,underpriced , awkward , large commercial .
I suppose i am lucky in a way as i have enough work to be able to be as picky , im looking at doing 4 hours a day now with max return , im only stuck as what to do with the un needed stuff , could sell it , but if its not as good as it could or should be then nobody will want to pay for it , so is it worth the agro to me , then again lots of wc's could be finding it hard to even find work so it could be a blessing to a newbie even at 1x .
Anyway .... so what is actually wrong with me , i have the blood clot on the brain , and it has been discovered that the stoke was due to a genetic heart problem that has been overlooked for the past 42 years !
So , as i say , take it easy and wait for the next round of scans and tests at the end of the month , cheers for now chaps
Regards Spiderman
(http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa355/RNH325/spiderman2_zps70cd60b1.jpg) (http://s1193.photobucket.com/user/RNH325/media/spiderman2_zps70cd60b1.jpg.html)
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Crikey - I thought you'd be an overweight lump of lard :o
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Crikey - I thought you'd be an overweight lump of lard :o
he was before he went in ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D hospital food and all that ;)
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Good to see you today Rich, I think you are doing the right thing. Take the cream. Put up your prices on the other and I think you got it cracked. I will take the poop commercial off you as my misses loves chasing people for money, you did see her eyes light up when she said about chasing payments, haha, . Glad to see you still alive and thinking about window cleaning still.
Now your spiderman, ditch those ladders once and for all. Your van will fit in the drive through car wash like mine then. Imo you gotta love it. Triple foam and a good drying too.
If you need anything you know where we are.
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Rich, what were the symptoms you had may I ask?
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Hi Dave , the syptoms where as when you get up too fast . dizzy,headache, no balance , hearing went to pot , total and utter confusion , no attention span for anything .
Total space cadet feeling !
Rich
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Crikey - I thought you'd be an overweight lump of lard :o
+1. I was expecting you to look more 'emergency Gary' than 'Franky'
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Crikey - I thought you'd be an overweight lump of lard :o
+1. I was expecting you to look more 'emergency Gary' than 'Franky'
Im of the same thoughts , but am more of a " japanese racing snake " kind of guy !!
Rich
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Ketchup with your banana! Didn't realize hospital food was that bad.
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Hi Rich, my brother had a blood clot on the brain. He just fell over while on a skiing holiday and never got up. He was operated on straight away and made a full recovery. He's now a postie and pulls double shifts most days. Fit as a fiddle. Although it has affected his ability to get his wallet out in the pub!
Get well soon.
Pete
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Hi Rich, my brother had a blood clot on the brain. He just fell over while on a skiing holiday and never got up. He was operated on straight away and made a full recovery. He's now a postie and pulls double shifts most days. Fit as a fiddle. Although it has affected his ability to get his wallet out in the pub!
Get well soon.
Pete
I should be alright there Pete , never was one for getting the wallet out in public ;D
Rich
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Ketchup with your banana! Didn't realize hospital food was that bad.
Cant believe you have been missing out , its a Southwest thing has been for generations , 2 ways to serve it up ,ketchup on top ......Tomananna suprise.
ketchup below.........Bannato delight ;D ;D
RICH
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Hi Dave , the syptoms where as when you get up too fast . dizzy,headache, no balance , hearing went to pot , total and utter confusion , no attention span for anything .
Total space cadet feeling !
Rich
Cozy is like that most days.
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Hi Dave , the syptoms where as when you get up too fast . dizzy,headache, no balance , hearing went to pot , total and utter confusion , no attention span for anything .
Total space cadet feeling !
Rich
Cozy is like that most days.
;D ;D ;D
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Hi Dave , the syptoms where as when you get up too fast . dizzy,headache, no balance , hearing went to pot , total and utter confusion , no attention span for anything .
Total space cadet feeling !
Rich
Sounds like me on a normal day :)