Could I take £50 or £100 if you still open?
Hope you have been keeping well.
Hope you have been keeping well.
Yay, great to hear from you, been an age since you last posted.
How are the family now? Kids at school yet?
£50 or £100 is absolutely fine, whatever you prefer. You are BOOKED, just let me know which you prefer please. Will add you to the list now too.
I will take the £50 for interest and transfer for the end of the weekend. (details the same?) Many thanks and good luck.
Kids growing up fast 6 and 4. 1 a typical pink princess with a passion for maths and American you tube videos and the youngest just an independent spirit who ploughs he own furrow. So different but they love each others company and seem happy. I have been very lucky.
Away from home the last 12 months have been crazy, Dad has had 8 major surgery's including two leg amputations, which has changed all our lives but he has been remarkable through it all, and is finally home and slowly adjusting.
And work has been as demanding a huge cyber attack in January destroying complete IT infrastructure and even now not really recovered. So not exactly been sitting around twiddling my thumbs.
Not played any cards for about 2 years but have the itch so popped in a couple of weeks ago to catch up on what had happened to Stars/dtd and poker in general. The deteriation of Stars seems unbelievable in the time frame.
Glad you kept the diary going, will enjoy catching up with your musings.
Don't know where to begin with that Adam.
Your Dad has BOTH legs amputated? Was that due to diabetes? My Dad had 11 brothers & sisters, & 8 of them had legs amputated due to diabetes, though these days it's a rarity thanks to modern medicine. Family get together's in Church Halls were noisy & complicated affairs, especially during the Hokey-Cokey.
That monster IT cyber attack must have been a mare. I avidly followed the TSB debacle, what a story that was, & of course I work for a wholly digital business, so I see at first hand how fraught it can be at times.
The 'Stars deterioration? Well strange as it may seem to you, & me even, I effectively work for 'Stars these days. Who'd have thought?
I went up to London & had coffee & a catch-up with James Hartigan last week, he's got himself a nice number at 'Stars. Bright bloke & very likeable.
Bet you are a doting Dad. Am I right?
Keep in touch Adam, great to hear from you.
Yes I dote on my kids, they make me laugh and smile and astound me everyday. I enjoy being around them. I have aspirations for them of course, but if they can take pride and happiness from their surroundings and interactions no matter where they are we won't go far wrong.
Hack, when the Serious fraud office case is closed I will be happy to share. But it was frightening, enlightening and although devastating could have been so much worse.
Stars deteriation maybe unfair,, I just can't believe how the game has changed. Turbos and rebuys {what has happened to tournament structure?) , extended late buy ins and lots more. Just didn't turn out like I expected.
Dad - I will try and keep it brief but the tale is in the telling as they say.
Yes he is diabetic, and had some foot pain due to poor circulation in his right leg. Decided to do an arterial graft and a stent in the leg. During pre op for this they found a heart murmur that turned out be a damaged valve.
Off to Papworth for a valve replacement and bypass, while on the table this turned into a triple bypass and they harvested the vain from his "good" leg.
Lots of complications in the 72 hours past surgery getting him off incubation. Eventually into ICU and everything was good for about a day. Surgery site for vain started to detriate and he was diagnosed with compartmental syndrome. Eventually they put 3 large open incisions into his calf to try and save the leg. After recuperation and seemly in good health he was shipped back to Norwich. Within 36 hours of transfer he had sepsis in the heart wound and calf wounds and just about every blood infection they tested him for. At this point they decided the tissue in his leg was dead and he would lose the leg. Concerns as the spesis wound on the leg would make up some of the stump. Within a week you could fit a fist in the chest cavity wound and the stump looked awful. Lowest point, nobody thought he would make it and back to Papworth we went.
Papworth critical heart team and ICU worked on him tirelessly for 2 weeks and I remember leaving on the middle Sunday and thinking I would never see him again. When I walked back in Tuesday night he was a different person. High, but lucid and talking. Infection markers dropped and we were soon shipped to Norwich after a couple of weeks. He went to amputatiom rehab with a healthy Morphine habit and new found wicked sense of humour late November and was discharged Christmas eve.
We set about updating the house and trying to keep Mum calm. Norwich and Papworth started blaming each other and each Hospital encouraged us to formally complain about the other. After being home for about a month and reducing his pain relief to a level he could function it became clear the original pain was still an issue.
Within 2 weeks he was back on the table for a graft and stent. A week later and 4 surgeries by "4 of the best vascular surgeons in UK" he had the second lag amputated.
Again he was amazingly stoic and the pain was obviously.so bad in the end he was happy to have the procedure.
He is angry, and still far from pain free. His Morphine consumption has caused issues with his breathing, other pain relief causes confusion, Benny Hill like behaviour or just good old forgetfulness but he is grateful and seeking pleasure in little things -I would never have described my Dad as Brave or Determined or even.particcularly.strong but all that changed last October, he has been amazing so focused and determined he has faced all his decisions head on with so much bravery and dignity.
Talking of Bravery my Mum did almost 40 days straight at his bedside, I supported her where I could and we tagged teamed most nights but she was amazing, the love they showed for each other was wonderful and I will never be able to repay Papworth critical care team enough for they way they supported us all.
For me it's been the beurucracy that has hurt the most. Aside from the provision of a wheel chair they have got little. Finding practical help for advise on building, funding, care allowances, car choices, district nurses and so much more has been shameful at.times has left.Mum.and I broken. And then occasionally a builder or OT or neighbour or taxi driver does something you will never forget.
Booder said you just deal with it, and you do. Reading the above back it seems so much but in the moment it's day by day and in some cases minute by minute and it will never be "right" but it can still be enjoyable, life is for the living.
They were moments of real joy and humour in it all. Most due to non typical Dad behaviour "gallows humour" I guess and obviously each milestone reached has been celebrated as appropriate. Im thankful for everyday we have together.