The joys of hospitals.
 

Hi All,
I have been missing from MLU,for the past 17 days as I have just had a quadruple back fusion as part of my ongoing 21 year health fight since being severley injured at work in September 1993. This is back surgery operation is major surgery no.7 with about 30 minor ops in that time as well. Every step I take and every nut I tighten up is a bonus. 21 years ago it looked like I would spend the rest of my life in a wheel chair. Thank heavens for modern science. I have had, within the 7 major ops. so far, a total of 2 totally experimental operations, both of which have worked and are now done world wide. I was pleased to be the guinea pig back in 1996 for those. Others have put up their hands to have the type of operation I had on the 15th December last, so I thank them from the bottom of my heart for being the guinea pig.

I will still be here (Epworth Hawthorn, Vic) for another couple of weeks as things improve. Today is the first day that I have felt like looking at a computer.

The result sofar is a a lestening of the amount of pain I have put up with over the past 12 months, so lets hope that continues to improve and I will be back out there in the shed pretty soon.

Regards to all,
Rick.

Good luck.....
 

Hoping 2015 will see you back home and busy in the shed.

All the Best for the New Year.

I hope your back on your feet and feeling better soon Rick.
All the best in the new year!

Luke

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, and hopefully the surgery will bring you closer to a normal condition.

Sorry to hear you are staring a new year in hospital Rick but good to know things are working for the better. That's quite a battle you have fought over the years and something I never knew which your cheerful disposition belies.

Although I have to add that there is something sad about us eccentric vehicle restorers that when we overcome adversity we celebrate by going to a shed!!

Hope the new year is a good one for you and your family.

Jack

Health
 

That's a incredible amount of surgery . The six million dollar man you are :salute: Good luck with the recovery Mike

Have a fast recovery Rick and don't annoy the nurses too much.

Rick,

From all of us here in Holland we wish you a speedy recovery and all the best for 2015!

Regards
Hanno

All the best rick. Hope there is some hot looking nurses there. :cool:

Wishing you all the best for your future Rick, I agree whole heartedly with Jacks first sentence. :salute:

rick and jill
 

we would like to wish you a happy new year and a speedy recovery regards colin and joy

Hello Rick,

Glad to hear the surgery has been a success so far and hope the improvement continues. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery andyour back in your workshop soon.

Happy memroies from Normandy 2009, mulberry harbours, military vehicles, but can you find rick?
Attachment 70188
Best wishes

John

Rick,

I hope you have a speedy recovery and get back on your feet very soon !

Regards
Rob Nixon..........................rnixartillery.

Rick,
I too hope you getting better soon, hospitals are no place to spend too long at a time!

John,

I'll have a go: My guess is the bloke partly visible in the centre of frame, back to us, wearing a ball cap, light blue shirt - he's closest to the Dodge in a group of four with a woman to his left wearing blue and carrying a back pack.... right?

Rick: may 2015 be a better year than 2014 obviously was, by the sounds of things! Hope you are, indeed, back out in that shed of yours, swinging on spanners in the Gippsland heat, very soon.

Best regards wishing you a speedy recovery,

Mike

Hi Rick,
Good to hear you are taking an interest again and making progress healthwise, just take it easy.

Mike, I have looked hard at the photo and not sure, even though I was there (we took Rick and Jill to Arromanches that day) and my Bedford is in the background, the only people I can recognise are Ray and Jenny from NZ who were there with a Dodge as part of the Anzac Convoy.

best regards and a Happy New Year,
Richard

Thanks Richard...

So, Rick, do you recognise yourself anywhere in that image???? Now that should take up five minutes of your hospital day....

Mike

hello.

A lovely shot of your QL richard,

Attachment 70209

Just wish i had took this picture 2 seconds later, when you were along side the hippo, but still this has to be one of my favourite pictures from that tour. The QL and three mw's

if you give it more than 5 mns rick you'll see your not in front of a dodge!! but mike, close to a woman, yes, you know rick :salute:
john

Hi John, You must have better eyes than me. I can see Richards QL Bedford and your MW. I think that I am in front of or near your MW as I can see your Ex. in the khaki top and jeans above the green flag with the white cross. Please put me out of my misery,mate, where am I?

To the rest of you all, thank you for your thoughts, prayers and best wishes. It all helps to get on top of the problems. I have just been advised that I will be here for a bit longer as things are not quite as good as they should be. Still I am in the best place and it is great to know that you are all with me on this trip.

Regards Rick.

Hello Rick,

Yes you are spot on, your eyes are pretty good mate, I think i'm stood in front of you.

Attachment 70238

Hi Rick,
Take it easy mate, and here's wishing you a speedy recovery.
Best regards
Keith (and Dan)

Hoping the operation was successful and you have a speedy recovery Rick

All the best
 

Rick,

I wish you well. And I hope to soon hear more of your exploits.

From one Lynx owner to another, Peter

Well, no pun intended, I am off home tomorrow. 4 weeks and I feel like a new me. It will be quite a few weeks before I am able to do anything except sit for no more than 30 minutes at a time. The swelling is going down and I am able to move around a lot freeer.

Thankk you to those of you who sent their good wishes and my thanks to those of you who at least had a look at this thread.

I will post some MRI photos when I get home and you will see the result of a 7 1/2 hour operation.

Regards Rick.

Good morning Rick
It will be interesting to see the 'restoration' photos. Did you mention to the surgeon that your hobby bears a distinct similarity to his occupation? This basically comes down to repairing/replacing old/damaged or worn out parts so as they can continue to fulfil their original purpose. Also we were carrying out transplants many years before it became popular with humans. They are a little slow off the mark but we won't hold it against them. :D

Cheers

Dave

MRI images
 

A little warning please.

Will have to share this with one our club members
 

Hi Dave

Will have to share your observation with one of our MV club members who is an or orthopedic surgeon by profession. Does that make him a double threat?

Rick, glad to here on the mend and looking at things being better than before the surgery. Hope you are up and about doing what you want to do, in the very near future.

Cheers Phil

Good news Rick, hope to see you and Jill in March. :cheers:

Good on ya Rick.

Rick,

That's great news! I'm sure that once you're home your recovery will speed up.

Regards,
Hanno