Open message to REDSIMON

[ericstoner]

Hi Simon.
I have just read your blog for may,and noticed a small entry which i feel i must comment on, in order to give you the support you may need at this time.
I went into renal failure at age 19, in June 1977 (queen lizzies silver jubilee),and as you can see 28 years later i'm still here.
In that time I managed to hold down a full time job, get married ,have two beautiful children, now aged 22 and 20. buy and maintain my own home, and since 1991 play a considrable ammount of poker.
I have played poker in Amsterdam,barcelona and most of the uk. Have travelled to meny countries including the states and wherever i've been i've fitted my dialysis regime into my holidays and enjoyed only courtous service from everyone.
you may well be concerned by the difficult restrictions you will be told to adhere to, (fruild restriction,
potassium intake etc) These you will take in your stride, although they seem daunting at first.
Dialysis itself, weather Hemo or CAPD has inproved by leaps and bounds over the years, and along with the supplemetative drugs you'll be given, has ment that your condition will have improved from the lack lustre way you feel now.
In fact with EPO (or a dirivative) which is given to improve hemogloben count you should feel able to live an almost normel life.
Remember to that you should hopefully get onto, and soon receive a Kidney transplant, if all things go well. So allin all although you must be feeling very concerned at this time,please stay foccussed and strong, and with the help of all those who care for you this will be an incident in your life that you can manage and live with.
I hope i have;nt gone on too long, as this is the first time I've mentioned my illness to my poker playing associates, as when I first became unwell, Renal failure was almost an early death sentance, but as I and meny others have proved, it is an illness that you can live with , and mantain a happy and comfortable lifestyle.
If there is any other help you need with guidence about how to cope with dialysis,do not hesitate to contact me.
Remember "Dialise to live do'nt live to dialise"

[redsimon]

Thanks for that Eric.

I am waiting for an op to start CAPD (basically self dialysis for those who don't know). EPO and iron infusions have certainly improved my condition since it was first diagnosed in March.

I am hoping once I get onto dialysis I will be back playing live more regularly, definitely missing not being able to go to Vegas this June/July

[tikay]

Wow, that's a shock, and as someone who has known you as a friend since we started playing, I wish you a 100% recovery in the shortest possible time. Can you let me/us know your blog address - I never knew you had one!

Everyone knows my intolerance to poker's bad beat tales, & Simon's situation explains why - this is a REAL bad beat.

Good luck fella, & please keep us updated as you beat this thing.

[RED-DOG]

Just like to wish you all the best mate, and im sure I speak for all blondeites when I say we hope you will be out and about sooner rather than later

Ive said this before but beneath all the banter and bravado, poker players are by and large some of the nicest, most caring people I know, we're like a big disfunctional family, so please keep us updated

Good luck

Tom

Ps, where is your blog?

[TightEnd]

His blog, which is not bad for a Forest fan  , can be found at

www.redsimonpoker.blogspot.com

I hope Simon doesn't mind me putting this up on his behalf

I'll join in with everyone else and wish him all the best

[Karabiner]

I did not realise that you were unwell Simon.

I hope the treatment goes well and wish you a speedy and full recovery.

Ralph

[snoopy1239]

Here here.

Get well soon buddy.

[julian]

sorry to hear you've been unwell chap, hope it all goes to plan & we'll be seeing you soon.