From brother Pete

It had been close to an entire month since I last saw Mike. Thanks to Mon for the many updates on this website I have been able to keep up to date with Mikes progress. I spent 4 days with Mike, Mon and Ash over the last weekend.

Mike was sick last week, and took it a long time to isolate what his illness was. We may never know what it is but Mike has his theories.

Possibility No.1 – It may have been a side-effect of the medication that he started on at the beginning of last week. Mike has started getting lots of spasms particularly at night, and in his legs. This is normal for Quadriplegia, but may be more evident in Mike as he is taking the strong tact of accepting the spasms and dealing with them the best that he can. One way to reduce the spasms is to subdue the neural messages that cause the spasms. Those neural messages are closely related to the ones that Mike may make use of again to help him master ‘Ballet’. Valium is one such medication that helps with subduing spasms. Mike had been taking it for 4 nights last week to help him sleep, as the spasms were waking him and often required the night staff to ‘realign’ him in bed. Mike was sleeping better with the low dosage of Valium. However, no drug seems to come without its side-effect. Logically Mike concluded on Friday that his poor state; nausea, suppressed appetite and light headedness may have been a result of the medication he was having on the night before. Mike had also been on a spout of ibuprofen to help with the pains in his lower back. A common side-effect being nausea.

Possibility No.2 – It may have been a common stomach bug. Mike is beginning to read the Morse Code that his new body sends to him. It is difficult for him to explain how or what he feels and doesn’t feel. We could not begin to imagine what it must be like. As mike quotes “what I am experiencing is not exactly normal”. The symptoms Mike had last week were similar to those of a stomach bug.

Friday’s meeting with a visiting doctor yielded no obvious reason to bound Mike to Royal Talbot. In fact, Mike had convinced the doctor that a rest from the Valium and Ibuprofen may alleviate the illness that he was feeling. Feeling not so well, Mike endured a peak hour transfer with his lack-of-suspension chair strapped to the chassis of the Maxi Taxi. It is hard to appreciate the frustrations that come with quadriplegia. Mike’s vision in the taxi extends to just two car lengths in front, as the height of his chair inside the cab puts his eye-line above the front windshield. Let us say that mike arrived home feeling more sick than when he left Talbot.

Friday evening Mike had arrived home with Ash and I in the taxi and Mon followed calling by a well known grease shop for lining Mike’s stomach (not something he would normally eat, or that Mon would prescribe!). But maybe it was the answer, or just being home at the ‘blue house’. Mike arose on Saturday morning in the Blue House feeling a little better. Whether it was the grease fix of Friday evening, the night off Valium and Ibuprofen, a night in the ‘blue house’ or just his body getting better; no-one will know. Throughout Saturday his nausea improved.

To see mike in the environment of the blue house was so comforting for me. Mike spent a lot of time this weekend at home watching his lovely daughter Ash and her close play-mates Leyla, Fidell and Chloe roam the back-yard. What Ash contributes to Mikes rehabilitation cannot be measured; she truly gives him the greatest motivation every day.

Finally, on this trip home to the ‘blue house’, Mike finally got to use his new Bar-B-Q plates that he purchased before his accident. He loves them! Should you think of visiting Mike at the blue house, I am sure that Mike would love for you to fire up the Bar-B and share a meal with him.

Mike educated me on the weather arrangements in Melbourne at this time of the year. Crap weather during the week to encourage you to work and beautiful days on the weekend. Mike certainly did make the most of the Melbourne Spring sunshine this weekend. The grey skies did come in on Monday as Mike returned to Talbot… As he looked forward to the next return home to the blue house; a 5-day extended visit.

Mike it was great to see you come through yet another set-back with your illness last week. It was great to spend such a lovely time together for the weekend. Keep those spirits high, and the fight strong… because at the end of this you will get your rainbow!