At Christmas the BBC usually shows the Great Escape but this year for some reason they didn’t but that’s not to say there wasn’t an escape of great proportions going on anyway.
As the survivor of a near fatal attack of viral meningitis I thought I was always careful to watch my limitations, take it easy when I needed to and not overdo things. The thing is though these things sneak up on you and then when it’s too late the realisation is there that I hadn’t done any of these things for some time now.
The first indications that something was going wrong were when I contracted another gum infection in the week before Christmas and as pain goes that’s a cracker. Off to the dentist, antibiotics, painkillers keep going. Then I developed a kidney infection, Christmas Eve off to the NHS walk in clinic, antibiotics, pain killers keep going. The day after Boxing Day I knew I was in trouble; short of breath, coughing, ear pain and trip to the out of hours doctor service via the NHS 111 system. Doctor confirmed I had a chest infection coupled with the start of one in my ear as well. Antibiotics, steroids, nebuliser, painkillers, higher dose of inhaler, feeling absolutely shattered.
The doctor then thought it prudent to ask when I last had a proper sit down, do nothing all week holiday with no stress. Umm that would be Christmas 2012 when I also had a gum infection. The realisation dawned on me that over the past 12 months I had worked through holidays, trained for triathlons, officiated at over 30 triathlons including the world championships in London and basically just kept going regardless. At this point its worth mentioning that I'm self employed and run my own company so it is very easy to keep working when the alternative if you don’t is to not get paid but even the ever mindful ‘I'm never going to work myself into the ground again’ attitude I had after the VM attack that nearly killed me in 2002 waned over the past twelve months. The point of asking about the sit down, do nothing all week holiday is that with one serious attack of VM behind me with the added diagnosis of Mollaret’s Meningitis there is a very significant risk of another one if my immune system drops below the point where the chickenpox virus can trigger a fresh attack and the next one could be fatal.
The doctor said that ‘not to put too fine a point on it my immune system is on the floor’ and that the infections were a lucky side effect in comparison with what could have happened. My physical fitness has once again contributed to keeping me going so that’s still on my agenda but I am having a rethink about my life, taking some time off, rebuilding my immunity and getting back to training for triathlons. I still have a half ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride followed by a 13.1 mile run) triathlon to complete in August 2014 in aid of Meningitis Now and I'm rather keen to be there to do it, this one time when I have seen a great escape that I'm actually pleased to be part of it.
In the film ‘Chicken Run’ (which the BBC did show incidentally) which is loosely (well not that loosely to be honest) based on The Great Escape in an inspiring speech the lead chicken, Ginger, asks ‘Being fattened, plucked stuffed and roasted is good enough for you is it’ to which Babs replies ‘it’s a living’. Well I've been earning a living whilst ignoring the fact that I have forgotten all that I said I wouldn't do, I've escaped the coop without another attack of viral meningitis and I'm not going back.
As my neurologist said to me when he first saw me after I was discharged from hospital in out patients ‘ what do you want to have on your headstone 'He was a devoted husband, father and a triathlete or He was a great project manager who worked himself to death’. Sound and salutary words.
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