A Tale From Room 405 (Or How I Discovered Some Inner Strength)
Some time in early December last year I was taking a shower and noticed that I had two pimples on my legs, one on each calf. No problem I thought, insect bites, and blew them away with my shower mitt. On Monday 13 April, 16 days ago, I woke up in Room 405 in Welcare Hospital, Dubai having just had surgery on both calves to remove cancerous lesions that those two pimples had mutated into. The intervening four months aren’t really important – obviously the pimples got worst, biopsies confirmed the condition and I went under the knife.
For the first six days after surgery my legs were locked with splints to protect the skin grafts. I was pretty comfortable though – no real pain, a private hospital room with a flat screen TV, and plenty of decent nursing care. I watched more movies during that period that I probably have in my whole life! When the splints were removed I attempted to walk and found I couldn’t – both calf muscles had gone into deep spasm, probably from a mixture of surgery trauma and not being able to move while my legs were in splints. To cut a long story short I was discharged last Friday. By this stage I could get about, but only by using a walking frame. My wife collected me and we went home, 10 days after I was admitted.
Our bedroom is upstairs and while I can just about get up and down those stairs I decided to set up camp on the sofa in our living room. This is primarily because my normal sleep pattern is shot (I’m writing this at 5.30 am) and it would unfair on Lana if I was sharing the bed and being awake most of the night. Another reason I’m camped out here is I have 24/7 access to my laptop. The hospital did not have any internet facilities so I have lost 2-3 weeks on the Masterclass course. I contacted Dan at the support desk and he replied “no problem – work hard and you will catch up”. Great reply – I felt good.
It’s about time I came to the point of posting all this. Well, for starters I am not soliciting sympathy of any sort. You see, I had plenty of time to think while in hospital and also now, while recovering at home. I have found so many reasons to be grateful; to my company for understanding the situation and supporting me, to my wife for helping me and doing things only she can do, and just generally for being alive and discarding all the negative thoughts I had harboured not so long ago. I’m sitting here typing, in some discomfort, but hey, I actually feel great, I feel positive about the future. My goal is to be a full time internet marketer by the end of 2010 and my recent experience has simply reinforced the desire to achieve that goal in a way that is difficult to describe. I can come with catch phrases – ‘no pain, no gain’ for getting my legs back in shape, ‘focus and courage’ for getting a difficult work task done. There are plenty of other such phrases as well.
I think I found some kind of inner strength whilst in hospital, a strength that perhaps came from the realisation that time stops for nobody, that what must be done must be done now and done well. No procrastination, no wavering, no negative thoughts or influences. I have an eBook to put together and I am behind schedule, but no matter – I will complete it no matter what it takes. I will achieve my goal.
So, really, I just hope this tale can provide some kind of inspiration to anybody who needs it. Before I finish, one more thing. The cancerous lesions that were removed from my legs were sent for post-op pathological examination. The result – pseudocancer, not actually cancer at all. The lesions just presented themselves that way.
Life is good.
Brilliant post, Keith. All credit to you, keep up the positive attitude and recognition of life’s wonders.
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
Thank you very much Mandy.
I will indeed keep up the positive attitude and recognition of life’s wonders. I do believe my condition was a kick up the rear end from Him.
You too enjoy the journey – Keith
Hello Keith,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! It is inspiring to read about your determination and new found ‘wind under your sails’. I am wishing you the best!
Please keep us up-dated on your progress!
A fellow MC student,
Svenja
Hi Svenja
Thanks for having a read and commenting on this post. I’m progressing slowly but generally speaking my spirits are high and I’m fairly upbeat about things. Still can’t walk unaided though! I’m worried about falling behind on the product creation phase of MC, but will just have to work harder when I can I guess.
Again, many thanks for your comments – Keith
Hi Keith
Great to hear that it was a pseudo cancer and not the real thing (I’ve not heard of that before).
And good to hear how positively you have responded to your situation. I’ve worked in the area of healing and patient self care for a few decades now and I’d be happy to send you a copy of my book if that would be helpful – though you might be so positively focussed on your future that you have better things on your mind than what led to the operation. Email me if you would like a copy.
Hi Harriet
Many thanks for your comment. I had already read on the forum that you have done serious research into medical issues. My surgeon actually used the term ‘pseudo cancer’ which did sound an odd phrase even to me. I think this was ‘doctor to patient speak’ for a perhaps understandable misdiagnosis at the initial biopsy stage. I had been told at the time that certain extreme skin conditions, such as I had at the time, can appear to be skin cancer when pathologically examined, when in fact they are anything but. I guess that’s what happened here. I would love to take up your offer of a copy of your book.
Once again, many thanks – Keith
Hi Keith,
Thank you for the up-date! I hope all will turn out well for you in the end. Know that we are here to support you! AND John will make sure that you will make it to the finish line too
By the way, what is your product about??
Wishing you the BEST!
Svenja
Hi Svenja
Great to hear from you again and thanks for your kind words.
The subject of my product is generating website traffic with the domain name webtrafficwave.com. I am about 3 weeks behind John’s schedule but this has been unavoidable and I am doing my best to catch up.
Likewise Svenja, I am wishing you all the BEST.
Keith
Hi Keith
Thanks for a sharing you experiences, makes you realise that we’re all mortal. Hope the recovery is going well.
Z
Hi Zahoor
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my post. I’m recovering slowly but surely, it’s just taking a bit of time.
Again, many thanks and all the best – Keith
Hi Big Brother
Loved your blog (but,as you well know, not happy about the reason for it)
Funny, intellectual but also poignat!
Hope you have moved off the sofa and back upstairs now.
Call you again soon.
Love you lots
Gail xxx
Hi Sis
Glad you found the post an interesting read! I’m still on the sofa – just easier that way – but will get back to normal in the next day or two.
Speak to you soon – Keithx