The Daily Good News

The following may or may not help. In 1983 i was involved in an horrendous motor vehicle accident. to this day i do not remember independently what happened. It took 45 minutes to cut me out of the car, when i was put into the ambulance i recognised one of the ambos, as we had gone to school together. This I can remember. I was in hospital for three months after, recovering, was told all the details of what had happened, so i know. However the crux is, I do not remember any of those details independently. if I did I would assume I would feel the pain. I don't. Apart from the pain I was in through the recovery process.
So 41 years later, I still do not have any independent memory of the crash nor do I remember the things leading up to it. I believe the mind is shielding me for my own good.
Embrace that concept, and live long.

Rusty Forest wrote:

I believe the mind is shielding me for my own good.

Fuck mate, in a nutshell.

Likewise, I may be too curious for my own good.

Thanks Rusty.

stunet wrote:

Rusty Forest wrote:

I believe the mind is shielding me for my own good.

Fuck mate, in a nutshell.

Likewise, I may be too curious for my own good.

Thanks Rusty.

Great quote.
Similar situation to me with a certain event. Cannot remember incident and glad cannot. Just remember being in hospital afterwards.
Glad you are on solid road to recovery @stu.

Stu, Hope I can proffer some positive mojo to help you in ur journey. At the outset,this is not a one upsmanship thing. Everyone who has to endure these type of events deals with them in their own way. In other word's, what worked for me might not work for you.
Focus on what you have & not what you don't have & surround yourself with positive people & experts in your rehab. It sounds like your journey isn't over quite yet.
Five & a half year's ago I fell 4m thru a roofing sub frame, whilst at work as a carpenter, & landed on the concrete slab below. Do remember lead up to event & the actual trip & subsequent falling episode. Felt initially like slow mo tube time then upon impact violently blacked out.
Remember only snippets then of the next coupla days. Heard stories of things I had said, & thing's I'd done. Do remember the chopper flight to Perth ICU, or one moment, when I must of come to. I wanted to remove the pressure suit I was in & was sedated then for the rest of the journey.
I had burst fractured T12 & fractured T9,C3,C4. Also turned my left collarbone into 3 piece's. Had a cerebral contusion & spent the next 24 hrs in an induced coma to relieve the swelling on my brain. Now suffer from a permanent loss of smell & taste (Anosmia) due to my olfactory nerve having died in the next 4 day's. Still suffer other classic TBI symptoms to this day.
The road to recovery has been rad. 9 month's in a Jewitt & neck brace staring at the ceiling. Got worse with bi lateral frozen shoulder, that's two shoulders gone at the same time. Took 18 m to free up. 3 surgeries on the clavicle, one surgery botched when they severed my sub clavian vein during the process. Not much fun going from orthopaedic to emergency. Was lucky another surgeon nearby canned his show & had the skill set to sort me. Other set backs,but hey you go down 7 times & get back up 8, right?
Enter the naysayers & the so called "expert's". " You'll never walk again..." "You need a 5 level spinal fusion..." " You'll never surf again..." "What'll U do with ur future, can't ever be a carpenter again? ... Saw a lot of supposed professions prospering out of my shitfuckery. They were only right on one of their calls, unfortunately for me it was the harshest.
To date, I've never surfed since. Physiology is so buckled n creased, can't paddle properly & it's impossible to now pop, prone to stance.Have managed to attend 3 paddle outs in still water, but struggle with the process. Huge fall from grace for me. My Dad told me " Mal you started surfing in 1966 & you made it to 2018, gotta be happy with that" He was right, grew up in the greatest era of surfing in this country & I grew a family & lifestyle in some of the best ocean's in the world. It culminated in where I call home today.
This is where thing's took a big turn. Knew I wouldn't be waxing my 8'1" favourite Byrne'sy & paddling the lagoon to my favourite wave on this coast. Had to somehow get the adrenaline again. I did something back to the future. I purchased a motorcycle. Went out and did 60000 KMs on an adventure bike in 18 month's. Naysayers were wtf? "You'll kill yourself on that". Lucky I had solid support crew who said "You do you ..." My wife not the least of which however even my GP praised my act stating " It show's you've got a plan to get to the other side, by the way I ride a motorcycle" You get to that place where it dawn's on you it's no longer what you don't have ...
I now track race a Kawasaki Zx6r & have done 22 trackdays in the last two year's. My daily ride is a Gen3 Suzuki GSX1350R. Have done 4 advanced riding courses to get my skillset honed. Love flipping the visor down & living for the now in my own headspace. Reckon I'll snowboard back in Japan, my spiritual home, one-day again. I do remember setting that goal in that ICU ward all that time back in 2018. To this day, alas not ticked off. Have made a comeback on the building site & manage to put the nail bag on most days. Doing thing's they said I never would. Family life has never been so solid. Nearly lost it all that day, could've been different, was close.
You're mindset is key Stu, thing's are going on ur mind that might not make sense now but you'll work it out. I get that nothing in life is like the feeling of being spat outta a triple overhead Indian Ocean Truck Wash tent. Period . TBI is real, worked out with the neurologist have had 10 unconcious episodes in my lifetime. Pay to play. Trust your body mate. My decision to refuse major back surgery, get a good like-minded physio & re hab consultant, choose the Physical Training route appears to have worked somewhat. I've still got issues, not all Unicorns & Fairies in the Garden. If I got my taste & smell back ( sucks a bag of dicks ay) , however It's confirmed as permanent, then I'd say a miracle has happened. Stick with the creed ... It's not what you don't have ... You'll be right mate, reckon you'll be back on ya bike for sure. Much mojo to you & your's.

@Mal , thanks for posting your experience , all the best in future endeavours . Makes me appreciate the time I’ve had surfing and although getting on now , still able to paddle out and have a crack and do my best , aches and all .

Hell of a post, Mal.

Thanks for taking the time to put it all down. "Your mindset is key" gets to the heart of it for me.

Once I got myself off the painkillers, my recovery was fairly easy. The things people said will happen to me, didn't, so I just cruised along, my body gradually healing itself and I started making motions back towards the surf, and even back towards the MTB bike.

Then earlier this year things went awry when Ian Porteous died. Ian crashed his bike a fortnight before me, we had similar injuries, yet where all my complications resolved themselves, Ian's got more complex.

His death shook me up, and I can't quite get back to the mindset I had during the early part of my recovery; I think about it more now than I did six months ago. Wondering what if. So many what ifs - like, every time I see my kids from a distance.

The one-track mind thing isn't my style, but it's happening, even as my body gets better and I surf again. Not sure what to do about it. Not sure it's even a problem?

Hope you get back to the land of the rising sun, Mal. That'd be something.

Cheers,

Mal and Stu, your incredible stories and courage have compelled me to share my own story, if I may.

I used to be a tradie and had many accidents over the space of about a decade, mainly through youthful ignorance and arrogance. Had the usual attitude that it could never happen to me. I was also fairly depressed and in a state where I was not really taking responsibility for my life in many ways, and I guess that bled over into my attitudes about personal safety.

First, I put my foot through a roof tile and opened my leg from ankle to knee. Peeled open to the bone like an overripe fruit. A while later I walked into a steel rod which severely damaged one eye. I'll spare you the details. A year or two later I cut my wrist very deeply on a length of gutter, requiring another hospital visit and rehab. Finally, I fell through a loose patio roof sheet, head first onto brick pavers. I can remember realising I was falling and thinking about my poor wife having to hear the news again that I was in A&E. I have some patchy images of trying to claw my way into a chair but my arm not working properly. Then the hospital.

Luckily my offsider was there and called an ambulance. I was in for four days, and in bed for the better part of a month. Broken collarbone, broken C1, fractured skull, and bleeding on the brain. It was a couple of months till I could walk more than a kilometre, but thankfully, I was eventually able to make a full physical recovery.

Like Mal, I also had olfactory and taste distortions. For about six months, all I wanted to eat was sweet, soft things like porridge and jam. Coffee - which I love - tasted like ash. That eventually went away. I also developed a strong aversion to distractions and commotion, which has tapered off, but continued to this day. I'll wear earplugs when working, even at home, and can easily get exasperated by interruptions.

On the plus side, it was enough to finally jar me out of a line of work I hated and felt trapped in, and take more ownership of my life. It brought in to stark relief just what a fuck-up I was, but instead of feeling helpless about it I felt empowered to change. Having looked over the edge of the void, many other things were no longer that scary in comparison. I was centimetres away from non-existence; every day now is a bonus and I remind myself I don't have the time to waste it on imagined fears and vague hopes. I also developed a greater appreciation of my mortality, the fleeting nature of life, and my importance to my family, which I realised I had disrespected by being so cavalier about my own safety and wellbeing.

For a long while I had similar feelings to Stu, including a persistent fixation with death. It's never completely left me, but it ran its course, and I was finally able to make use of it. Recalling the incident now I only feel energised and reminded of the preciousness of the short time we have.

Great reading gents, dark, but fascinating all the same.

All the very best to you all.

Life and family are precious. Cherish them.

Thank you rooftop, Mal, Rusty and Stu. You have the spirit that got you through. My moment was staring at the echocardiogram of my heart and seeing the valve pulse - it was so beautiful to watch at that moment I decided to live. 3 heart attacks within a month caused by rare blood disorder. When the 3rd attack happened my family was in the ICU room and I was happy that they were present and accepted fate, despite the choking feeling and the morphine rushing into my legs. I lived.

2 or 3 years of PTSD followed with multiple trips back to the hospital as I was advised to do so for any chest pain (took me a year to analyse that anxiety can cause similar feeling pains, talk about a lightbulb moment!). Each heart attack had felt completely different. An immune suppressing treatment existed for the condition and this has helped greatly. I overcame that anxiety and then covid hit. Mindfulness and Qi Gong have been extremely beneficial, although hard work at times especially initially.

Getting back into the surf after 6 months out was magic, and it was a ladder of anxiety to climb where I didn't truly trust my body and had to overcome successive sized waves.

Now I find myself busted up and I'm enjoying my time away from the surf. I think when this current injury heals, I might approach surfing from a different slant - no longer compelled to go out as often as possible and try to keep up with those 25 years my junior, no more addiction. There's a joy in it that can be felt on the exhale, and the taking stock. Not sure if I'll cruise more or go more high performance, but will build myself and body to do either. No rush for me. I wish you all well in wherever you find your limits on this path through life.

Confronting stuff VJ. Tough on all involved. Gives a different perspective after something like that.

x2 from Blackers. Glad you're still with us VJ.

Just read through everyone's stories, Geezzus heavy going gents like Zen said glad everyone is still with us.

Hey Guy's,
Humble in your presence. Found that uplifting hearing all your stories & heartfelt condolences. Feel better for having written my story down and shared it with other like-minded crew also realising their own luck outcomes.
Stu, survivor guilt is a thing, a typical human response. Still suffer minor glitches from that world due a tragedy that occurred locally here over 25 years ago. I'm so no expert but eventually you realise it wasn't your time & lot & you must make a fist of your "good fortune".
Hope that makes some sense?
To the other respondents thanks for ur honest & positive responses. The slippery slope can sometimes be a Kokoda Trail. There's an inspiration to draw from that that might be helpful.
Hug your kids mate, it wasn't your destiny, day's go slow, year's go fast. Get out on the trail's & the briny & rip it up!
You'll be all good. Jus sayin'.

Hello Mal

Can I just say , You have True Grit , mate !

Many wise words .

I was humbled , by the Chatting , above !

Hahaha,
Thanks Pop however I'm the first to acknowledge that my Halo is a lot like me nowadays... buckled & creased.I think my experiences & lessons learnt give me a unique experience in leaving a positive legacy behind. Albeit other's will beg to differ. That's cool, you do you...
Me?, lived by the no bullshit attached philosophy which ensured I always had the best Wingmen in my corner,thanks you guy's you now who you are, equally the support is reciprocal. Goes without BS attached, period. Been lucky mate, lived the life of seven men. Still kicking
Never wanted to be a role model.Never wanted to draw the same lines as other's, really liked my own way of carving albeit lacking in the company of the elites in our sport. I lived to go surfing, surfing taught me how to go living.
I'm just a product of my environment...I sometimes now wish I could still... Ain't gonna happen, I've already been gifted thru my heritage. Pop, you legend, thanks for your interest in my story.
Naysayers in our world today need to be an endangered species. Simple really.Stay Solid.

Pop Down wrote:

Hello Mal

Can I just say , You have True Grit , mate !

Many wise words .

I was humbled , by the Chatting , above !

Not sure where the correct part of the site to say this is, congrats to Craig & family I think! Let me know if a wonderful arrival is with you :)

velocityjohnno wrote:

Not sure where the correct part of the site to say this is, congrats to Craig & family I think! Let me know if a wonderful arrival is with you :)

Perfect place VJ. Fantastic news. Congrats!

I remember the moment x2 but the first is profound. Congratulations!

YEwwwW Congrats

View this post on Instagram

that's unreal : ) congrats!

udo wrote:

YEwwwW Congrats
https://www.instagram.com/p/C52trBay_50/?img_index=1

Congratulations to you both.

The smile on all three of your faces is priceless. AW

Congratulations!!! Welcome to parenthood.

Unreal Craigos.
Let the good times roll

Yes, welcome to the world Mia.
You're in good hands. Congrats.

Wonderful news, big congratulations you 3

Awesome ........best show on earth ...congrats to you Craig and your lovely wife

Big congratulations to you both well done for doing all the hard work Craig... haha life just changed for the better.

Thanks so much guys! It's so special eh! Labour was over 40 hours, about 12 of that active, so happy everything went well in the end.

Mum should be home tomorrow and then the real fun begins ;p

Awesome Craig. Wishing you, Ayumi and little Mia chan a life filled with love and laughter and hopefully a few waves.

Stoked for Craig, Mum, Bub & Families & Staff / Crew of course.
Cheers again udo : Massive swellnet celebration continues...Yeww!
Cue zenagain's school band...that's him there...tooting his recorder!

A big warm congratulation to you two, Craig.

Wow. Craig you come across as a decent and fair person, and it’s nice when good things happen to good people. Congratulations. Hope everyone is happy and healthy

I said Hi 2 Mia on another platform .

Great to C the new SN Nipper , creating so much excitement already .

It's a Real True Blue thingy imho !

trueblue

I think I was at that performance , of Zenagains School Band .

Such a familiar tune and got M(e)A really going , I hope .

Good work Team !

You know what is trippy- we learned that very song in primary school on our recorders. Practiced for months.

Apart from being an awesome dancer, I don't have a musical bone in my body but I reckon I could still remember the above.

Cheers for the trip down Nostalgia St. TB.

udo wrote:

YEwwwW Congrats
https://www.instagram.com/p/C52trBay_50/?img_index=1

Congratulations Craig and Ayumi on the arrival of Mia.

May life shower you all with joy and happiness.

You can look forward to this Craig.
I pranked the first born just now.
https://youtube.com/shorts/oWvHTI2Vy1Y?si=aB_3wGY5L1vvOYQI