Paul’s Hardware Blog

I can’t believe it has been almost two years since I have updated this blog.  I have been planning to get back to it for a while now but haven’t been able to decide what to write and how to tell all that has been going on for the last year or so.  I have decided to just get to it. I decided to relate all that has happened to the hardware business.  I have to have some relevence here don’t I.

In January of 2010 I got up early one morning and ran down my hall to get the telephone.  In the process I tripped on a carpet runner and took out a speaker – with my head.  I woke up on the floor, looking at the baseboard, and wondered, “How did I get here.”  After a minute I remembered what had happened.  This is a good point to point out that if I had bought the 2 sided carpet tape, aisle 14 in the paint department, I probably wouldn’t have missed the last year or so.  Anyway a sane, sensible person would have called the paramedics and gone to the hospital to get checked out. Being neither I just went back to bed.  I did go to the Doctor the next day but was worried more about my hip and elbow than that little insignificant bump on my head.  I did end up going to the emergency room – 2 months later.

I discovered that  when you go in to have a CT scan the guy who told you to, “Hop up on the table and lie down flat.” when you went in says,” Hold on.  Let me get somebody to help you.” after the scan,  that is not a good sign.  When they were pushing me by the CT control room, on a suddenly appearing strecher, and all of the doctors and nurses are running in there to look at the screen – thats not a good sign either. When the Doctor, who had been joking, comes in and says, “you have a Bi-Lateral, Sub-Dural Hematoma.” That isn’t good.  He must have thought I didn’t sufficiently grasp the situation because he then said, “This is a big deal.”  Another not so great sign.

Surgery was discussed.  To my relief they decided that we could try something first that might negate the need for surgery.  That sounded good to me. I didnt sound so good when I heard what they were going to do.  I got my first inkling when a Doctor came in and said, “Can you hold still or do I need to tape your head down.”  He was holding a roll of what looked like duct tape to me.  Another hardware tie in.  I then discovered that their plan was to drill a hole in my head and relieve the pressure inside the skull.  OK, I guess.  Then they pulled out a Fiskars hand drill.  They are on aisle 15 in the store.  Another hardware tie in.  Well they tried drilling the hole.  It really wasn’t so bad.  It didnt work though.  I eventually had to have surgery.  I ended up having 5 in fact.  A staph infection, paralysis, the inability to walk or speak followed.  It has been an interesting year.  I am 90% recovered now.  I have to say it has been a miracle.  So many doctors and nurses now tell me that people who had an infection like I did don’t make a full recovery.  I have to thank the Doctors and Nurses who treated me.  I also have to thank everyone and every church who prayed for me and put me on their prayer lists.  It made all of the difference and I am greatfull beyond words. . I still have a little weakness but my recovery is mostly complete.

I went back to the doctors office this week to get checked.  I have a Lorenz plate that replaced the part of my skull that was removed during the infection. The plate is attached to my real skull with what are basically mending plates. It is pretty big and lately at night I have noticed it is moving.  In the morning it is sort of sticking out.  The doctor did a CT scan and had me come in to get the results.  He is a nice guy, and a really good doctor but you know, Neurosurgeons aren’t the most humorous people around.  He looked at me with the most serious of looks and said,  ”well you have a few screws loose but it isn’t any big deal.”  I don’t think he understood why that was funny.

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