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this just in
climber
north fork
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Feb 28, 2013 - 11:45pm PT
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Edit oh ya!! I made a giant softball sized projectile fly out my butt today!! It's amazing how much the little things matter when they are taken from you.
Awesome, I lol'd
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MH2
climber
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Feb 28, 2013 - 11:46pm PT
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Yeah, bring him a chess set, Kris.
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east side underground
climber
Hilton crk,ca
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Feb 28, 2013 - 11:49pm PT
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you'll be dropping in , in no time....all the best. Cheers
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Keep it going Big Mike, save a climb for me but i'm sure you'll have a full dance card.
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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It's things like this that make me love the Taco all over again.
A call from John, posts from Donini and even from Chris Mac...the outpouring of love from everyone - so important to the healing process.
Was awesome to talk to you the other day, Bro. If I was closer I'd be there in person. I will give you a call again soon - really digging the reports that things are working body wise, even if you have to retrain them a bit. I know if anyone can do it, you can Mike! I'm really glad we tied in together, I enjoyed the hell out of it. Can't wait to do it again!
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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I woke up at 12:00 literally running out of my dream. I thought I was climbing for a sec, then awoke and thought, "this is wrong.." I had set myself up on my back and with the wound drain the pain was just too much. I've weaned myself off the meds really quick, too quick probably. I've been trying to get them to up the OxyContin for sleeping, but they're reluctant because I've been doing so well.
I got them to roll me over to my right side, which is the most comfortable since my surgery scar is in the left, and is killing me when I sleep on it. I woke up again sweating and in pain at 2;00am and haven't been able to sleep since. They gave me a full 5,0 oxy this time and promised me another one at 5 am. They rolled me onto my left, even thought i knew it would be bad. i lasted there about 45mins. The pain is subsiding now and I think I will try and sleep again, but I needed to do something to cope, and this thread is my coping process.
I'm definetly not superhuman. It's funny. Just over a week ago I was in the lap of luxury, staying in a dope spot and climbing classics with friends. A lot of people weren't very impressed with my ticklist, and to tell the truth, I would have liked to have done more, but I was happy to be there and enjoying myself and knew that was all that really mattered.
Now I'm on the flip side of the coin dealing with hell, and I'm so glad I enjoyed the time I had in heaven. I told Travis in Vegas, "You never really appreciate the best in life until you've experienced the worst." I believe that even more now.
I'm sorry I can't reply to the latest messages right now, I'm just not able to right at this moment mentally. I surely did appreciate them though and will reply in kind , in the morning.
I'm going to try and get some more sleep now. See you guys in the morning.
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Gilroy
Social climber
Bolderado
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Up early for a biz trip and find it wryly amusing to see this thread contiguous on the ST forum with the 60 y.o. thread.
Been following yr arc with interest, Big Mike. Good luck in getting to the other side of this challenge, fellow. It was about yr age when I hit the ground from 70' and was unsure of my future. See aforementioned thread, eh.
'Persistence furthers.'
Hang,
Gilroy
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Thanks Jim. Means alot right now.. Just got more meds. Hopefully I can sleep.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Big Mike, you've always struck me as one of the most positive, encouraging voices on ST. Even from your hospital bed, you're sending out the same great vibe. Thank you.
Good vibes back to you, and prayers for a full recovery.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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WTF???????
Mike not sure who weston is but I'm no Weston in fact we've met but only briefly.
Really??? Who are you??? Pm me if you wish. I will not reveal your identity. I do understand I have a tendency to use people's first names, and realize that you may not want to choose to.
Your tick list from red rocks was great. A fine bunch of climbs for a first visit. DID YOU HAVE FUN? That's all that matters.
Ya man! I had a blast!! I know what you say is true also and know that haters love to hate, and not to listen to them, but I am human, and sometimes the doubt creeps in.
Big Mike, you've always struck me as one of the most positive, encouraging voices on ST. Even from your hospital bed, you're sending out the same great vibe. Thank you.
Thanks Mooser, I try. I've always enjoyed your posts too.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Love chess MH2. Just need Someone to play with. Any takers?? ;)
Oh Little Mike.
It's time for your LITTLE shot of,
HAPPY JUICE!
LOL!! Damn Dwain. Coulda used that last night. Pain is increasing, meds decreasing. Gotta sort out that situation.
Keep it going Big Mike, save a climb for me but i'm sure you'll have a full dance card.
Wow Jim!! Any time I can man. Any time.
It's things like this that make me love the Taco all over again.
I know, RIGHT!!
Was awesome to talk to you the other day, Bro. If I was closer I'd be there in person. I will give you a call again soon - really digging the reports that things are working body wise, even if you have to retrain them a bit. I know if anyone can do it, you can Mike! I'm really glad we tied in together, I enjoyed the hell out of it. Can't wait to do it again!
It was a pleasure Travis. Me too. Go climb the Captain for me this summer!!
Obviously I'm not sleeping. 'twas a rough night. They say I should get this drain out of my back and sort out the dosage situation today. I can't wait to have it figured out.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Awww sh*t, I'm so sorry to hear about the increased pain. It does seem to go that way ... For awhile...but then evens out again. I've been thru a couple injury surgeries (nothing as bad as yours) and found the same pattern...shortly after surgery, "I'll be able to manage this" to several days out "Nurse, please more .... Or a gun please". I've often wondered if its the body shaking off the initial shock as well as all the initial surgical meds leaving.
Do take care...thinking of you often...hugs to Sandra...care givers have their own unique set of stressors. Can't wait to have you and your buds get back to "regularly scheduled programming" with your outrageous trip reports.
Susan
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Hey Mike,
It's great to see you responding to our posts, and keeping us apprised of how you're doing. We're all rooting for you, buddy, that's for sure!
When I busted my leg, it was temporarily fixed in Yos and then I hobbled home for the surgery. The free Canadian surgery, eh? Once home, they only made me pay for my crutches.
Anyway, I had just been carried down from the base of El Cap, and had done the trains planes and automobiles stuff for days, no shower, very scruffy looking after all of this when I finally landed in hospital. I woke up in bed after surgery hooked me up to the morphine drip, and I was fine for a day or two. I'm guessing I didn't smell too good.
After a couple days, some junior nurse decided that I no longer needed the morphine, and switched me over to Tylenol 3. It didn't hurt much breaking my leg, it was all those plates and screws they put in afterwards that killed me. I kept asking for my drugs back, but nobody would give them to me! I must have looked like a real dirtbag. In other words, like myself.
Anyway, my "good nurse" comes in around midnight, and says, "You're right, she shouldn't have taken you off the morphine drip. I'll hook you back up."
And I'm like, "Great. By the way, my leg has swelled so much in my cast the pain is excruciating, and something really needs to be done about it."
I don't think she understood how dire the situation was with my leg, because she told me to wait til morning. So once the drugs kicked in, I phoned my 80-something dad at home and said, "Look, I can only talk to you lucidly for the next ten minutes or so, the point between where the drugs have started to kick in, but not too much. This cast needs to come off now, dude, and no one here believes me. Can you please come NOW and rescue me?!"
So my dad comes down to the hospital at like one in the morning, and the first thing he says is, "When was the last time a doctor saw my son?"
And I said, "I've been here two days, and I haven't talked to one doctor."
And my dad is like [God bless him, it was funny] "Wow, if that's not grounds for a lawsuit, I don't know what is."
Now, as you know, us Hosers aren't all that litigious, but my dad just so happens to be a Merrican.
Anyway, you should have seen the nurse move! She ran down to emerge and grabbed some doctor from Kuwait who'd been operating for the last twelve or twenty hours or something, and dragged him up to my bed to cut off that damn cast! My toes were turning blue by this point. Imagine the relief when he chopped that bastard off my gigantic swollen leg!
Anyway, as for injuries, I cheated death once again, just like you. So like I wrote you before, "It's your turn this time, mate." Most of us risk takers / spazzes go through this a time or two in our lifetimes, some of us never do, and some guys never even get the chance to get better because they end up dead first.
I can tell by your writing that you are also one of those guys who sees the glass as half full, and focuses on the positive. You *will* get better, mate. It just takes time. Initially my ankle hurt SO MUCH it was inconceivable to me that I would ever walk again let alone climb, but here I am still givin' er. And so you will you.
As for retraining those legs, just fukkin' retrain 'em! You show them who's boss!
But that's for later. Just chill for now, enjoy the down time as best you can, do what the docs say, and never stop believing. If there's anything we learn from stuff like this it's that we learn stuff. And anything that doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Accordingly, you will come out smarter and stronger than before. [How can you fault logic like that, eh?]
By the way, I was quite touched in Curry Village this year when recognized me, and came up and introduced yourself to me! I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated that. It's always fun to meet someone off McTopo face to face, or in our case, face to chest. I wish more people would come and say hi.
Anyway, take care, keep on keepin' on, and we'll see you down on the bridge for beers one of these days soon.
Cheers,
Pete
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MH2
climber
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PTPP,
Your cast situation is famous in Canadian health-care. Well, not yours personally, but a case just like that is what caused the nurses' charting to become a legal document.
Big Mike,
It is good to cut down on pain meds but that must be balanced against other good things like sleep. If you can't get to sleep that is a good case for more medication and can be charted as the reason for giving you more. Some people are reluctant to give more just because you ask but if you can't sleep or if the pain is keeping you from moving well those are good reasons to do something about the pain.
Got a couple prints for your decor. Will bring them by. Wish I had done one of Cosmic's wheelchair, or his other chair.
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Big Mike
Trad climber
BC
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Too busy with hospital stuff to reply to the last few right now but I read most of it and will be back!!!
Repost from shred thread Blackcomb Ski patrol at thier finest.
It belongs here too.
These might be hard, but every snoriders best friend is ski patrol!!!
Take pictures honey!!!! Really?????? YES!!!!
Worried Sandra accidental self portrait.
Thumbs up for the Heli!!!
I can't say enough about the work that Blackcomb Ski Patrol does. They are true heroes. Quick and amazingly efficient! Top notch really!
I will always be in their debt. Were they not around I might not be tapping these words. Although, by the sound of Ekat's story, maybe I might, but I would be a lot worse off.
SCARY EKAT!!!!!!
I would describe my experience as smooth. Thanks to my heroes in Red!!
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Haha Mike ur so funny asking your girl to take photos right after u get mangled! The guys in the last photo is asking his buddy to pass the hacksaw so he can cut the bottom of the litter off so you can fit.
Hey Mike sounds like a good time to invite yourself on NIAD with Donini.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Mike,
So sorry to hear of your accident. Hoping with everyone else for a quick and full recovery. There are amazing advances in spinal medicine these days, so keep your spirits up.
I have enjoyed all of your threads, which demonstrate a palpable love of the mountains and exceptional stoke.
Be patient and I'll bet your back on the board soon.
Rick
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Sredni Vashtar
Social climber
The coastal redwoods
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all the best for your recovery, I dont know you but certainly read your TRs and the rest are right, you are at the core of this community.
Damn snowboards, mine used to beat me up so much although never as bad as my downhill mountainbike did. heal well and heal strong
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Vegasclimber
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV.
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It was a pleasure Travis. Me too. Go climb the Captain for me this summer!!
Would the Column suffice? I'm happy to do a wall for you, but I need to start small hehe.
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harryhotdog
Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
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Here's a collage for Mike's "real" wall in the hospital. I used his pics and various pics from his ST friends so if anyone would like their pic removed please let me know.If you want to identify all the scurvy naives, download the file and view it on Picasa or Window live gallery and zoom into to enlarge it.
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