Dear wonderful people from Beyond Blue

I heard just recently that our good friend John (CrashCoyote) is heading off on a holiday overseas – in about 4 weeks time.  

Well, I think it now time to let you all know that me and the fam are also heading off overseas in just less than 3 weeks time as well.  The end of June, we’ll be outta here.  

We fly out to Canada – where we’ll spend three weeks, in and around the Rockies, before making our way to Vancouver, where we’ll climb on board a ship (Holland-America line) and have a weeks cruise to, in and round Alaska, before sailing back to Vancouver.

So we'll be flying into Calgary and spend a few days there.  Then grab a car and (well not grab, cause that could be construed as being against the law - even in Canada - so we've hired) drive to Edmonton and another few days there.  Then drive up and into the Rockies.   A week and a half up there - in Banff and also Jasper.  Then drive on across to Vancouver, taking a couple of days to get there.

We’ll be back in the land of Oz at the end of July.  

I don’t quite know what else to say at this point – it IS fast approaching;  roughly less than 20 days now.  So in the meantime, I’ll be still doing my thing on here each day leading up till we leave – so nothing will change in that respect.

But I’ll definitely be back here again announcing my fond farewells before I leave.  And it’s only for a period of about 4 weeks anyway and then I’ll be back – but can’t guarantee that I’ll be typing still with an Aussie accent – I may have picked up a few Canadian terms and tendances by then.

See yawl

Neil

(ok ok, that's perhaps not Canadian or Alaskan, but it's in the general vicinity).   (What was that?   I haven't gone yet?  Oh yeah, riiiiiggggggghhhhhhhhhhttttttttttt).

Hey Neil

That sounds AMAZING!!

I wish you, your partner, son and daughter a great holiday with lots of happy memories to have forever.

Stay safe and you know I will miss you, as well as everyone else on here, because you have been such a huge support not only to me but everyone on here.

Can't wait for you to come back and tell us how your holiday went.

Have a great holiday Neil

your friend Jo

xx

Hi Neil,

Hope you have a good break and enjoy the sites.

We'll have to step up to fill the hole.

dear Neil, my friend, I had posted a reply back to you and I believe it would have been the first one to you, and that was 25 minutes after you posted it, but for some reason it was rejected, why I don't know, which I am disappointed about.

I hope that you and your family travel safely, and you know that there will a lot of people on this site who will be waiting for you to come back, because you have supported each and everyone of them through their hard times, but this is not to take away the joy which you will have, as it does take some time to be able to put money away, and to be able to do this is just great.

I have never been there but people who have said that it was 'the time of their life'.

I wonder whether this is why you are having a DOG month, but that's personal.

What I would like to say to you is that your contribution on this site has been first class and 'second to none', and when you and your family hop onto the plane then it's holiday time, so BB will be put to the back of your mind, because what you don't know won't hurt you, so don't worry, because there are other capable people who will look after the rest as best as we can.

Take the greatest care while you travel, and will look forward to when you return, and I did say return. Geoff.

Hi Neil, 

It sounds like the adventure of a lifetime. I hope you take lots of photos and milk the holiday to the last drop. Alaska sounds awesome. 

Your friend always, 

GA

Boy oh boy - yet again you dear people just blow me away with your posts and words - Geoff - dear boy, you extracted tears out of me with your response.

Now, I quick update and a new issue.

You know how much of a gym junkie I am - well, I have been to the gym since late April!!   Injuries that got to the point, that I just couldn't go anymore - and thought I could get things fixed and better.  But No.  Not yet.

But I've come down with a new one.  Two weekends ago, I was sawing up some wood in our backyard - nothing too taxing or strenuous that was on the Sunday.  By Monday night, pain had come into my right shoulder area.  So bad that I couldn't sleep (or if I did, I probably got about an hour - intermittent).

I was in pain all week, and on the Friday of that week, I entered Emergency Dept of the hospital - to see what they could do - some kind of rotator cuff problem;  but at least they gave me some strong pain killers - but only to last a couple of days.

Last week came along and the pain really never went away - I went to the Doc's and they gave it a once over and then referred me for an ultra-sound.

Fast forward to today (but let me say, that I haven't had even a reasonable night's sleep in the last fortnight) - I'm in pain constantly with it.  Somehow things are much worse at night time and when I'm lying down.

So today had the ultrasound and I was so hopeful that something would be picked up - and nup, bupkiss!!   The dr referral said for a possible cortisone injection - but they said, that there's no inflammation and no sign of damage!!!  What the ... !!!!!   Still am - I'm in pain 24/7 and the ultrasound showed nothing.

So now I've gotta book another GP appointment to possibly get a referral for a MRI scan.

I don't know if anyone has any advice or thoughts on ultrasound (no ladies, not in regard to seeing the formation of a very young bambino), but of finding injuries via that method - I'm told that MRI should show up areas of problems.

But I'm going nuts with this pain ... and yet again, I've run out of the "good medication".

On top of this, I still can't go to the gym - AND I couldn't imagine sitting on a plane for however many hours with a crook shoulder!  Oh woe is me, I sound like.

Sorry about that folks.

I've got 203 characters left, no wait, 163 - no - damn, I'll sign off now.

Signed

Old and sore!

Hi Neil, 

Sorry to hear about the new injury, and at such a bad time!

Following my gall bladder surgery last year, I had terrible inflammation and pain in my back and ribs. I went into hospital several times, had several ulteasounds and eventually an MRI. Still found zip. They did eventually find that anti inflammatory meds made the pain stop, so I ended up taking them for awhile, with no idea of why I was hurting and eventually it passed. I still don't know if I become more  active, in work and sport if it will flare up again.

Previous to my gall bladder surgery I had an ultrasound rule out gallstones, so I guess they aren't fool proof.

This isn't to say they don't work, they do. Just sometimes they miss things. Also, I am definitely no medical proffessional, but if the pain is coming in your shoulder,  it might not be a shoulder but a back or neck problem. The pain is just tearing at the nerves in the shoulder. I know from personal experience evety damn thing, down to our baby toes is connected to our back. Just a thought. 

GA

Not good to hear bout your new injury :( not sure with ultrasounds..... Bit hit an miss I think, but I'm a bit sceptical bout most imaging process. I've had a constantly sore hip since October last year an have bn to the ed several times, bn given hard pain killers, had ultrasound, x-ray, bone scan, ct an a pet scan (wasn't specific for hip) an showed nothing :( still constantly in pain an nothing helps. I really really really hope that you are able to get answers an something that will fix it!!! Think the flight is bout 23 hours......

Dear Neil

Have you been examined by a physiotherapist?  In my experience they can do more than look at MRI scans.  Good physios can feel the problem and work on you very successfully.  Often they will use acupuncture.  Try it if you have not already done so. 

Medical insurance should also take the sting out of the treatment.

Regards

LING

dear Neil, my friend, ouch,ouch and more ouch.

Try and google this ' cortisone injection shoulder bursitis', as I have had these injections into my hip where the bursitis was believed to be.

All my doctor asked was where was it sore when I moved my hip around and that's where he put the injection.

It may take a couple of days before it works and you can go back and have another one after a certain time period, so give this a go, and please NO more physical work. I used to run the 100m in 0.2 seconds lol, but now I can't even run because of the hip replacement or actually hip re-surface. Geoff.

Dear all,

 I honestly cannot believe that in today’s technology with all the things they CAN do – they are still unable to pick up so many things/issues/injuries with folk – as it clearly shown with you lovely folk who have responded.   The body is an amazing thing – I’ve torn my hamstring a number of times during my sporting career – and I remember that my physio would work the area of my lower back to help ease the pain of the hammy.

 In 2010, I had an operation on that particular shoulder – a very brilliant shoulder specialist doc in Sydney, St Vincent’s.  What was needed was some burring away of my collarbone, as it was degenerating on the outer edge and they also fixed up some tendons/ligaments while in there.  All through key hole procedure.  I was a fast bowler in cricket for approximately 30 years straight, and in combination with weight lifting, this is what caused the bone to be degenerating.  So they kind of seared off the dead parts of it, exposing fresh new bone that would then regrow and be good for me.  And after the rehab phase, that shoulder became really strong and good again – until two and a half weeks ago!

My physio and doc both think it “might” be this again. Unfortunately though, we have no health cover – so whatever it costs, we pay.  Not good I know, but there you have it.

So I’m back to my GP tomorrow to find out what the next step is.

It’s more than annoying – and for the 4 weeks we’re overseas, nothing will be done to it then – although, being on holiday, there should be little chance to aggravate it.

Having said that, whenever we go somewhere one of my criteria is that where we’re staying needs to have a gym of some description.  All the cruise ships have them and they aren’t too bad either.  But alas, for this trip, there’ll be no workouts done.  Which saddens me more than you could know.  I’m addicted to my workouts and when I can’t do them, boy oh boy, it knocks me around in the head BIG TIME.

 Neil

Hi Neil, 

Just a quick post, but I saw an interesting idea in my perusal of the interwebs this morning. 

What if you were to get a postcard from wherever you were, every day or few days of your holiday, and write out all the awesome things that happened that day. If the postage is doable, then send the postcards to yourself back home. Then when you get back home, you can put them all in an album, postage stamps and all, or bind them together in a book. 

Like a travel diary except cooler, and something to admire on the nights when the night is dark, something to reflect on of the good times.

Just a thought, checking in on how you were travelling. 

GA

Dear ALL friends from Beyond Blue;

It's been a hell of a mad day in our household - clean this, tidy that, etc etc.

Anyway, it's into the night now.

We are off first thing on Friday morning.  So this will be my last post (sound the bugle - I do love that played on ANZAC Day) till we get back at the very end of July.

Dear friends

Keep being strong, I know you all can be this.

All steps forward are just the little tiny ones.

Small and achievable goals.

"Keep smiling cause it DOES make people wonder what you've been up to".  :)

Sorry, I should have used that as a Worst Joke Wednesday - but do please keep that little fella alive and happening.

Time to go lovely people.  You may not believe this, but I WILL miss you all.

I WILL be back at the end of July.

Kind regards to all,

Neil

Hope you havea fantastic time, Neil. These forums won't be the same without you. So you better beback, or we will have to dispatch a party to Canada to find you (Yes I would volunteer for that).

Your friend always, 

GA

Have a great time, Neil! Although you'll see this by the time you get back, I wish you all the best anyway.