"So much thanks and gratitude"

Recently, I had my 3rd round of back and hip cortisone injections.

Back story: Back in March, I had Xrays, ultrasounds and scans with dye after being taken to hospital by Ambulance in the middle of the night. It was easily 10/10 the most severe nerve pain and bursitis that I had ever experienced - even after learning to walk again almost three years ago (a benign tumour mass was also found on my kidney at the same time, that I never knew existed). Besides my spouse and children we have no relatives close by. I went in the Ambulance without my spouse and spent the night and early morning on my own at Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital (KRH) because they needed to be home with our kids. 

Before I even got into the KRH medical imaging area, there were several groups of people, I believe waiting to get let into the main emergency department. I overheard several people abusing our hospital staff for things like the smell of the hand sanitiser or the fact that they were asked to eat their Maccas outside. I felt it’s just unacceptable behaviour.

So I wanted to just put this out there and show my support. Whenever I’ve been to Kalgoorlie Hospital in the past few months, I keep crossing paths with the most amazing, caring, loving, calming, soul-soothing, warmest of hearts Nurse. To begin with, I only knew her as Dodo but my goodness she is the most incredible person in my opinion. My Mum always reminds me that there is always a hidden reason when these people come and go in our lives. Dodo has been an absolutely blessing for me. This dedicated Nurse never leaves me alone a room, she lets me squeeze her hands when the injections hurt so badly. She wipes my tears, distracts me by asking about my spouse and the kids. Dodo makes me smile and feel at ease, before COVID-19 rules prevented certain touching/contact she gave me little reassuring and comforting gestures. Any time I walk into a hospital or medical appointment now I get extremely anxious and scared - I mean who wouldn’t feel this way after spending the last 3 years in and around various hospitals here in Kalgoorlie and in Perth. 

I want to say the Biggest of Thank You’s to especially Dodo and my incredible team of superheroes. I am eternally grateful for the care I have received from the Ambulance Officers, Nurses, Doctors, Surgeons, Specialists, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, Rehabilitation Specialists, Audiologists, Urologists, Opthamologists, Dieticians, Psychologists, Case Support People, Psychiatrists, Pathologists, Nephrologists, Gastroenterologists, Bariatricians. Without this huge team of dedicated people, I believe there is absolutely no way after getting so sick a few years back that I would be alive today! I will never make a full 100% recovery, but thanks to all the above people I am still here and still making progress in my goal to be back as normal as I possibly can be.