Hi everyone, Steve here!
In this (my last blog) I'm going to take you all back in time.
Now before you ask, no, we won't get any younger... But there's no harm in wishing though, is there?
I'm doing this in date order to help me make sense of the last four years: First, a little bit about Pauline and myself before the incident; then it's off to hospital; then I'll write a little bit about being back home again, and I'll also write a slice about our wedding do too. And, as an extra added feature, I'll mention my time at this year's burns camp as well, with a fond farewell to Dave Lenagan.
You may notice that I didn't mention the incident itself, this is very personal to me and not for public consumption. I do hope you understand.
Pauline and me
Pauline and I met at Stretford Fire Station in September 2001 where I was stationed at the time. We were hosting a fire station do in aid of the Fire Service Charity.
Pauline came along with her two friends. She says that she was coerced into going by her friends, but I know she went willingly – to meet me! And I can prove this, because she headed straight for me when she came in! Well, I was working behind the bar at the time, this is true, but nevertheless she came straight to me! 'Maybe she just wanted a drink?' I hear you all say! But I say she wanted a bit more, oh yes!
And so I felt it incumbent upon myself to impress her with my bar-steward skills. This involved pouring her a drink of course, which spilled all over the top of her glass (girlie drinks – they're way too fizzy!) So then I offered her some ice, but more to fill the void from the overspill than to be 'proper'. And of course, she said "Yes please!" And so, without the aid of an ice scoop, I had a quick scratch and then delved my hand into the ice bucket (very classy Ste!) and immediately she screamed "EEEEErrhh, no thanks!"
'Fussy, hoity toity so and so' I thought – but I liked her. She was honest, forthright and above all, she didn't want any germs from my hands – sorted! Just the kind of lady I need in my life, one that could drive me up the wall (you know what I'm talking about fellas).
Anyway, much later on, my Posse – two unsuspecting work mates of mine (who didn't take too much convincing) and I – corralled the three ladies onto the dance floor (not too sure where all this cowboy talk has come from, but stick with it, it seems to work) and some songs later, the six of us decided to get another drink. We all began to walk off the dance floor, but with a move that would make any cowboy proud, I spun round and steered Pauline back on the floor for a few more songs and that was that! And we've been together ever since.
For around eight years, we were just another couple who lived together, both working with no children and no dramas. Pauline worked as a Facilities Manager (whatever that is?) for a company in Manchester which took her away from home sometimes, and I as you know worked for the Fire Service.
Then on 23rd June 2008, I went to work on nights while Pauline was working away in Ireland, and it was around six hours into my shift that our lives changed and would never be the same again.
Off to hospital
Initially I was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital, where I was stabilised and stayed there for about three hours. I was told 12 months later by DO Kevan Whitehead (retired) who had gone to the hospital to see me during that time that I was in and out of consciousness. He was trying to establish what had happened and all he could get out of me was "Tell . . . the lads . . . I'll be back on Monday". Now I find this difficult to believe, because I really hated going to work! Just kidding Boss!
From Royal Bolton I was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, where my family had gathered. Pauline was still in Ireland at this point and efforts were being made to contact her. When she was finally contacted, she landed at Manchester airport and phoned my brother-in-law Gary Dewar for an update. He asked the doctors how I was doing (with a view to picking Pauline up from the airport) and they ominously said "I wouldn't leave right now if I was you".
The Incident had left me in a terrible condition and my family and I struggled to cope with this 'massive thing' that had overwhelmed us, a shock to any family as you can imagine. It was especially difficult for my mum (God rest her). She was in her 70's and fighting her own battle at this time with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. This meant she was in no fit state to be taking calls from unknown people – no matter how good their intentions were.
And so seeing as Gary was in the Fire Service, it naturally fell upon him and my sister to be our family contact point. It was public knowledge straight away and for the days and months that followed, my sister's phone was ringing almost 'off the hook' for information, from the papers and the television, to family and friends, all wanting to know how I was, and all hoping for the best.
The deluge of phone calls and inquiries became too much for my sister Sharon and Gary. And so my mate Carl Haslam (a bit of a wizard with computers) came up with the idea of a blog that could be updated with developments. And so this blog was born to take the pressure off Sharon and Gary, and it's worked brilliantly. Thanks Carlos!
Meanwhile, I lay in hospital and spent seven weeks in a medically-induced coma. I came round and found that I couldn't talk due to the tracheotomy which helped me breathe and to be fed. Some weeks later my throat had repaired itself and I managed to start talking again. Then a month or so down the line, I decided to ask Pauline to be my wife, after all what were we waiting for, another eight years to go by?
So that was it, we would be married as soon as I was well enough to walk her down the aisle... Who was I kidding? It was 10 long months I spent in hospital. Just to stand up took two physios and two nurses! In fact, it literally felt like I had a car engine strapped to my back because of the weight of my body. The effort made my legs tremble and completely stole my breath, I went dizzy, felt sick and my feet were sore because they'd not been stood on for over 12 months – and all this with help from four people!
It took over two months to get me upright without feeling sick and dizzy, and also to actually take my own weight. Then the next challenge was to walk! It became clear to me throughout my stay in hospital that there was more to my injuries than the 50% burns – as one doctor said, my injuries were complex.
In the seventh month I was able to sit for short periods in a wheel chair, a very painful ordeal due to my backside being so badly burned. Eventually things started to get better and on Christmas Day 2008, I was allowed to go home to see my family – just for three hours though.
It was a really strange feeling going home. On the 23rd June, I'd left this house a fully able-bodied firefighter, just going to work on nights for the 'gazillionth' time. And here I was returning on Christmas Day (thankfully), however unable to walk and in a wheelchair with little to show in the way of fingers. I also had drop foot in both feet, ataxia of the muscles, a left elbow which was rigidly fixed at 90 degrees and to top things off, I was left with partial hearing in both ears!. . . AND I had an in-growing toe nail too! (I've never had an ingrowing toe nail before!) Anyway, all in all, not too bad for a nights work, eh!
The day trips home became a regular occurrence. On Fridays, I would leave hospital to return on Saturday night and this arrangement grew into full weekends. I left hospital in the 10th month still in a wheelchair. Home was my next stage of recovery.
Home again
At home, we had to create a safe environment for me, where if I fell, I wouldn't hurt myself too much. We achieved this by de-cluttering and clearing out an area in our dining room where I would live and sleep most of the time. We used deck chairs so that seating could easily be put out of the way – it was pretty stark when I think back.
If I did fall, the first thing I'd do was to throw my hands out to grab for something on the way down. If that failed, I would try to collapse onto my knees (not good for the knees this, so I wouldn't recommend it) to protect my hands. The skin grafts on my hands are paper thin and they take some considerable time to heal if damaged. In a nutshell, falling over is a big 'no no' for me nowadays and is to be avoided – virtually at all costs.
Now, these adjustments to our home worked as well as they could. However, they worked a little too well because what came of being in this relatively safe environment, was a fear that everything outside it was generally 'unsafe', leading me to become a bit of a recluse! But it's been over four years now since the incident that changed everything for me and my family, and I've got a lot better with time and effort. I've also grown steadier on my feet now too, and whilst I still struggle with the stairs and have had the occasional fall, our dining room looks something like it used to before the incident. And it follows that I am more confident outside now too – although, I still prefer someone to be with me when I'm outside as I'm still not great on uneven ground.
Our wedding do
On Saturday 24th September 2011, my wife (Pauline) and I had a 'post' wedding celebration. But it wasn't just for our recent wedding – although that was clearly the theme for the night. It was also to show our family and friends – who had naturally been concerned about us the past three years or so – just how far I'd actually come in my recovery. And that all the kind thoughts, gestures and monies raised from the various charitable events from the very beginning haven't gone to waste, nor will they ever be forgotten.
Because of all the kindness we had received and appreciated, we decided that it was our time to give back in some way. So at our wedding reception, we decided to donate to a charity rather than accept wedding gifts, and asked our guests (if they wished) to do the same. Whatever was raised, we would match it and send the proceeds to a charity called The Healing Foundation. This charity was first set up after the Kings Cross fire in London in 1987 which took so many lives and left many with disfigurements. Its mission is to help those people with disfigurements, whether from a birth defect or a burn injury.
With your help, we managed to raise over £1,600 for The Healing Foundation. This was really wonderful of you – thank you so much for your contributions.
The Burns Camp
As I said, it's been quite some time since the incident and it seems that now is the right time for me to end this blog and move on from this chapter in my life. You may hear on the grapevine that I've taken ill-health retirement now and this is true. But the Fire Service has been in my life for 15 years now and it would be upsetting to leave it completely behind me.
I've been very fortunate in some ways, because I've met some amazing people throughout my journey, in and out of the Fire Service, people with passion and drive to see through something they feel deeply about. One such person is Dave Lenagan.
Dave works for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and has done so for the best part of 30 years, but he does so much more than help the community.
At the age of two, Dave sustained a burn injury that left him with scars. So when he was growing up, he was all too aware of how something so permanent can affect your confidence and the way in which people can react towards you. As a result of his childhood experiences, Dave got involved with the Burns Camp 15 years ago, with a view to helping burn-injured children gain confidence, learn to achieve and have fun, just like children should do.
After children and their families leave the hospital environment, it's often difficult for them to adjust to life. So once a year, to give the parents a break, their children can have a week of fun and laughter, and learn some life skills along the way too. When Dave first began working at the Camp, there was only one camp per year. Now there are five, with age groups ranging from four to 25 years old, including an American exchange programme and a Family Camp too. The Camps have been established and jointly run with the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
With Dave's dual roles of working for the Fire Service and volunteering at the Burns Camp, he naturally took a keen interest in me and my recovery and first contacted me in 2009, around a year after the incident. His thoughts were to help me by getting my involvement with the Burns Camp. "It'd be good for you and good for the kids", he said. And of course, he was right! But this involvement wasn't immediate; it took me several years to get well enough to even attend!
When I did finally get there, I spent three days just following the other volunteers and the kids about! I did speak to the kids quite a bit, but as for doing anything physical, they and the other volunteers ended up helping me! This did feel a bit strange, but hey – It's a start! I'm now looking forward to going again next year.
Farewll Dave Lenagan
This year's the last year that Dave will be running the Camp, and he'll be sorely missed by all the children and Camp volunteers. But he'll still be raising monies to help fund it though, through the Children's Burns Foundation.
My sister Sharon and I always give to a good cause every Christmas rather than buying each other a present, it makes good sense whichever way you look at it. So this year we'll both be donating to the Children's Burns Foundation in each other's names. After all, Christmas is for kids, isn't it?
If you would like to donate to the Children's Burns Foundation this Christmas, or any other time for that matter, find their website by typing this address www.cbf-uk.org/ or just type Children's Burns Foundation in your search engine. Many thanks.
So without further ado, many thanks to Carl Haslam for publishing these blogs for me, and thanks to Gaz Dewar for writing the earlier ones. And as for all the support you've all kindly given over the years, I wouldn't be where I am now without it! Thank you so much!
Ex-FF Steve Morris
One last time:
Always make sure you have a working smoke alarm!!
Thursday 3 November 2011
Hi All, Steve here!
Just recently I had an appointment with the Disablement Services Centre (DSC) in Withington. I've had quite a few appointments here over the past 3 years! The DSC are an NHS service who recommend and make prosthetics for amputees. The DSC is yet another part of the NHS that (before my incident) I'd never heard of. I knew amputees 'must' get their prosthesis from somewhere, but never thought where?
The DSC don't just deal with prosthetics. They also provide aids and adaptations for people when they've say. . . lost their fingers (as in my case). How do you hold a knife and fork? Fortunately for me, I can just about manage with a normal fork. But a knife is impossible, my fingers are way too short. So what to do? Do you have someone else cut your food up for you all the time? So embarrassing in restaurants that I can't begin to tell you. Well 'NO!" is the answer to that!
The solution is to have something made or adapted especially for you. This is where the DSC come in. They have experienced technicians to help people like me, who have lost the ability to do what they once could. They truly are unsung heroes!
Now as I said earlier, I've been going to the DSC for quite some time. And of course there are a number of disabled people in it's waiting area. And as I've said in previous blogs, life for some people is extremely challenging. There's a part of me that wants to go over and help them out in some way, though heaven knows how. But since the incident, I've been exposed to that many people with so many different challenges, that it's desensitised me somewhat. It's toughened me up, if you like! Just as you'd expect a firefighter should be! Well, that WAS the case until my last visit to the DSC.
On my last visit, Pauline and myself entered the waiting area and the only people there was a little girl and her nurse. The girl looked to be about the age of 7 or 8 and she was in a wheelchair. She was just in front of us to the left hand side, and as we approached, she looked over her right shoulder towards both of us. The nurse who was with her was gently brushing her hair. I smiled at the little girl, Pauline said 'Hello' but she didn't smile back and didn't answer. She had sparkling blue eyes which were alert and she took in everything. She kept looking back at us, looking away, back at us again, but she was completely expressionless.
The smile and the knowing look her nurse gave me said so much. A terrible burn injury was on right side of the girl's face. And a blanket haphazardly placed upon her lap hid her legs - I wasn't sure if she had legs, but I thought she didn't. She'd lost her left hand as well. And what other injuries lay beneath (physically & mentally) I can't bare to imagine.
The sight of this girl just broke our hearts. We left that waiting room really dejected. We both felt devastated and sad. She'd clearly been involved in a fire and had suffered a great deal. We both just wanted to go over, comfort and protect her (as though that would make it all better). But that would only make ourselves feel better. It's awful when this sort of thing happens to anyone, but especially to a child.
We started talking about how we could help the little girl. We thought that there wasn't much we could do for her now, but we felt we needed to do something. But where do you start, and how? Is it to help someone after they suffer an injury, through aids and adaptations? Well, there's definitely place for that - it's called the DSC! And there's quite a few organisations and charities that help disabled people too. Or is it to put something in place so that people don't get injured in the first place? I think we can all answer that.
But apart from prevention and rehabilitation, there's also a place for treatment which reduces the impact of an injury. Medical intervention is the answer. This way (if we can improve the results of treatment), amputations could be minimised or even avoided. And the impact of disfigurement caused by fire, cancers and congenital abnormalities could be reduced too! All of which I've seen at the DSC!
If only there was a charity or organisation somewhere who could help fund the research needed. Well there is! It's called The Healing Foundation, it's Ambassador is Simon Weston and it's mission is as follows:
"The Healing Foundation is a national fundraising charity. It champions the cause of people living with disfigurement and the visible loss of function. It does this by funding research into pioneering surgical and psychological healing techniques. Through research, it also raises awareness about the causes, and provides information about the sources of support.
Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by disfigurement due to congenital abnormalities or disease. Or even scarring from accidents or surgical procedures. It's not only the physical, but also the emotional scars that can cause severe psychological problems. Problems which they and their families must overcome.
There is an immense need for more research, particularly in areas of tissue regeneration. Then burns and the psychological aspects of disfigurement can be addressed more successfully. And, in certain conditions that affect children also. At present, no national strategy for research exists. There is enormous scope for improvement, collaboration, education and awareness."
I'm very pleased you've read this blog, and I hope it's given you insight into what some people have to deal with. If you feel that you'd like to help in some way, please visit http://www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/stevenmorris1. Or if this link doesn't work, search for virgin money giving and in 'find a friend', enter 'steve morris'. Given the season, I can't think of a better time to fund research into burns, scarring and disfigurement! Thanks very much!
Now I always end these blogs with a fire safety message. And given the time of year that it is, it would be remiss of me not to mention these facts:
* Remember - fireworks are explosive devices. As well as containing explosive chemical compounds they also contain chemicals made from metals such as Strontium, Lithium, and Potassium. Although most chemicals in fireworks are non-toxic, some are and may cause skin irritations and some could be dangerous if ingested or inhaled.
* The average sparkler burns at up to 2,000 degrees centigrade - that's '20 times' hotter than a freshly boiled kettle. Which is why you should NEVER give one to a child under 5, and you should closely supervise children over 5.
* A typical rocket can reach up to 150 miles per hour, and as high as 200 metres.
* In any typical year around 1,300 people need hospital treatment due to a firework injury; and around 500 of these injuries happen at a family or private party.
* Lighting too many fireworks at once will leave you little time to get out of the way before they go off. When professionals set off large scale displays they use special set ups and electronic timer switches to set off massive amounts of fireworks at once - and from a safe distance. You are never going to recreate this affect in your back garden. So set your fireworks off a few at a time, and make sure you make everyone aware of what you are doing.
* Always read and follow the instructions on each firework.
* It is illegal for any retailer to sell fireworks to children under the age of 18.
That's all for this time, so be safe, and take care.
FF Steve Morris
Just recently I had an appointment with the Disablement Services Centre (DSC) in Withington. I've had quite a few appointments here over the past 3 years! The DSC are an NHS service who recommend and make prosthetics for amputees. The DSC is yet another part of the NHS that (before my incident) I'd never heard of. I knew amputees 'must' get their prosthesis from somewhere, but never thought where?
The DSC don't just deal with prosthetics. They also provide aids and adaptations for people when they've say. . . lost their fingers (as in my case). How do you hold a knife and fork? Fortunately for me, I can just about manage with a normal fork. But a knife is impossible, my fingers are way too short. So what to do? Do you have someone else cut your food up for you all the time? So embarrassing in restaurants that I can't begin to tell you. Well 'NO!" is the answer to that!
The solution is to have something made or adapted especially for you. This is where the DSC come in. They have experienced technicians to help people like me, who have lost the ability to do what they once could. They truly are unsung heroes!
Now as I said earlier, I've been going to the DSC for quite some time. And of course there are a number of disabled people in it's waiting area. And as I've said in previous blogs, life for some people is extremely challenging. There's a part of me that wants to go over and help them out in some way, though heaven knows how. But since the incident, I've been exposed to that many people with so many different challenges, that it's desensitised me somewhat. It's toughened me up, if you like! Just as you'd expect a firefighter should be! Well, that WAS the case until my last visit to the DSC.
On my last visit, Pauline and myself entered the waiting area and the only people there was a little girl and her nurse. The girl looked to be about the age of 7 or 8 and she was in a wheelchair. She was just in front of us to the left hand side, and as we approached, she looked over her right shoulder towards both of us. The nurse who was with her was gently brushing her hair. I smiled at the little girl, Pauline said 'Hello' but she didn't smile back and didn't answer. She had sparkling blue eyes which were alert and she took in everything. She kept looking back at us, looking away, back at us again, but she was completely expressionless.
The smile and the knowing look her nurse gave me said so much. A terrible burn injury was on right side of the girl's face. And a blanket haphazardly placed upon her lap hid her legs - I wasn't sure if she had legs, but I thought she didn't. She'd lost her left hand as well. And what other injuries lay beneath (physically & mentally) I can't bare to imagine.
The sight of this girl just broke our hearts. We left that waiting room really dejected. We both felt devastated and sad. She'd clearly been involved in a fire and had suffered a great deal. We both just wanted to go over, comfort and protect her (as though that would make it all better). But that would only make ourselves feel better. It's awful when this sort of thing happens to anyone, but especially to a child.
We started talking about how we could help the little girl. We thought that there wasn't much we could do for her now, but we felt we needed to do something. But where do you start, and how? Is it to help someone after they suffer an injury, through aids and adaptations? Well, there's definitely place for that - it's called the DSC! And there's quite a few organisations and charities that help disabled people too. Or is it to put something in place so that people don't get injured in the first place? I think we can all answer that.
But apart from prevention and rehabilitation, there's also a place for treatment which reduces the impact of an injury. Medical intervention is the answer. This way (if we can improve the results of treatment), amputations could be minimised or even avoided. And the impact of disfigurement caused by fire, cancers and congenital abnormalities could be reduced too! All of which I've seen at the DSC!
If only there was a charity or organisation somewhere who could help fund the research needed. Well there is! It's called The Healing Foundation, it's Ambassador is Simon Weston and it's mission is as follows:
"The Healing Foundation is a national fundraising charity. It champions the cause of people living with disfigurement and the visible loss of function. It does this by funding research into pioneering surgical and psychological healing techniques. Through research, it also raises awareness about the causes, and provides information about the sources of support.
Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by disfigurement due to congenital abnormalities or disease. Or even scarring from accidents or surgical procedures. It's not only the physical, but also the emotional scars that can cause severe psychological problems. Problems which they and their families must overcome.
There is an immense need for more research, particularly in areas of tissue regeneration. Then burns and the psychological aspects of disfigurement can be addressed more successfully. And, in certain conditions that affect children also. At present, no national strategy for research exists. There is enormous scope for improvement, collaboration, education and awareness."
I'm very pleased you've read this blog, and I hope it's given you insight into what some people have to deal with. If you feel that you'd like to help in some way, please visit http://www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/stevenmorris1. Or if this link doesn't work, search for virgin money giving and in 'find a friend', enter 'steve morris'. Given the season, I can't think of a better time to fund research into burns, scarring and disfigurement! Thanks very much!
Now I always end these blogs with a fire safety message. And given the time of year that it is, it would be remiss of me not to mention these facts:
* Remember - fireworks are explosive devices. As well as containing explosive chemical compounds they also contain chemicals made from metals such as Strontium, Lithium, and Potassium. Although most chemicals in fireworks are non-toxic, some are and may cause skin irritations and some could be dangerous if ingested or inhaled.
* The average sparkler burns at up to 2,000 degrees centigrade - that's '20 times' hotter than a freshly boiled kettle. Which is why you should NEVER give one to a child under 5, and you should closely supervise children over 5.
* A typical rocket can reach up to 150 miles per hour, and as high as 200 metres.
* In any typical year around 1,300 people need hospital treatment due to a firework injury; and around 500 of these injuries happen at a family or private party.
* Lighting too many fireworks at once will leave you little time to get out of the way before they go off. When professionals set off large scale displays they use special set ups and electronic timer switches to set off massive amounts of fireworks at once - and from a safe distance. You are never going to recreate this affect in your back garden. So set your fireworks off a few at a time, and make sure you make everyone aware of what you are doing.
* Always read and follow the instructions on each firework.
* It is illegal for any retailer to sell fireworks to children under the age of 18.
That's all for this time, so be safe, and take care.
FF Steve Morris
Posted by
Carl Haslam
Tuesday 6 September 2011
Hi all, Steve here!
A few months ago I attended the I'm Not Laughing campaign against disability hate crime. It was launched on 25th June at The Bar, Nelson Square , and managed by the Bolton Be Safe Partnership with Bolton Neighbourhood Policing Team. I was pleased to attend and got a snapshot of what it was like for others with disabilities. Some spoke openly of how they'd been poorly treated by others and how this was a step in the right direction to ensure that people who visit town are treated equally and with respect.
Further to this event was the Bolton Fire Station Open Day held on Saturday 20th August. The town's Mayor was kind enough to open this event, and one aspect of the day was to highlight the campaign once again. I was at the Open Day and gave a Bolton Evening News reporter an interview which appeared recently in the paper. Whilst I was there, I had a good chat with some of my mates and I must say they were all working hard to make the day a success, and as a result everyone had a good time!
And the latest news with regards to my health - I attended a scheduled appointment at Wythenshawe hospital and my consultant has decided that I don't need any further operations on my arm, just intense physio.
And the news socially - Pauline and I had been engaged for 3 years (I finally relented and proposed after 7 years of hints and a near death experience!!!). But we were putting off actually getting married because of all the fuss and stress involved. However Pauline's dad suffered a stroke and a very close family friend had a heart condition and both were in hospital at the same time. As we wanted both of them to be there at our wedding when they recovered, we set a date and arranged everything within 2 months! It was the most under-planned and understated wedding of the year! Pauline only bought her dress 3 weeks before - that was a relief, I thought she was gonna wear her best jeans! And she ordered her bouquet and the wedding car a week before! At one point she was considering driving herself there, but then thought better of it cos her legs would've got knotted up in her wedding dress. If she had managed to drive there she would've had to wear her trainers to work the pedals! Talk about 'The Runaway Bride'!!!
And so on Saturday 4th June 2011 at 4pm, we finally got married! Our marriage took place at Astley Hall in Astley Park , Chorley . It was witnessed by a huge congregation of guests - all 14 including the photographer! This mass of people went on to have a delicious meal at Season's Bistro in the heart of Chorley - just opposite the Courts & Police Station, just in case there was any trouble!
Astley Hall is a splendid old Hall that dates back to Elizabethan times, and it was during England 's Civil War that Oliver Cromwell stayed there after he sacked Preston - which was nice!
The ceremony was held in Astley Hall's smallest dining room, overlooking the lake. On this lake amongst other birds are swans, geese and ducks and on the sunny day that it was they were welcome distraction for me while I waited for Pauline, not that I was nervous - I'd thrown up twice that morning which put paid to that!!!
When the ceremony began, Pauline entered the dining room and the whole room lit up (she told me to say this) as she walked down the aisle - she looked beautiful in her wedding dress. She doesn't normally wear a dress at all and prefers to wear jeans and the like, so seeing her like that was stunning in itself! She walked slowly with her father by her side to a song called 'Happy Heart' by Andy Williams - I almost shed a tear! Not because of Pauline and the fact that she looked so lovely, but because her dad was 'smiling' - at last he was getting rid of her!
Did you know that there's a choice of 3 different marriage declarations? There's the big one (lots of words - goes on a bit!), a medium one (fewer words but still a bit too much for us to say!) and a very-small-and-lets-get-on-with-it one (just right! - this all sounds a bit Goldilocks doesn't it!). And yes you've guessed it - we chose the one with the least words! In a nut shell it was "Are you Steven Morris" and I reply "I am!" and do you take Pauline to be your wife etc, etc and I say "Yeah alright then!".
Now if you went down this route it's customary to have a reading from one of the guests (to fill the time a bit) but we didn't want any of our guests to be put on the spot. Prior to this Pauline and myself had discussed the format of the wedding with the lady who was arranging the ceremony, and she was flapping a bit saying; "but without a reading the service would be over and done with in 15 minutes!" Suits us, we said! She tried to convince us that it would be 'lovely' to have a reading and that it made the occasion more 'personal' - but we just wanted to be married! So that was that!
After a short ceremony we had a slightly longer champagne reception, and that's because of all the photo's that were taken. And while Pauline and I were giving the cameraman our best smiles, our mass of guests (now 13 as the cameraman was with us) enjoyed wandering round Astley Hall drinking Tesco's own Asti Spumante (a working man's champagne and only £6.54 a bottle) - perfect!
Later we made our way to a local restaurant, Pauline and I travelled in a blue Rolls Royce provided by Belle's & Beau's - it was great! Incidentally, just for a moment imagine that you are surfing the internet searching for a wedding car company that suits your needs, and from the many which are advertised you find the perfect one. What would you say the chances are that the person who owns it works for the same outfit you do - virtually nil I would have said! Well to our surprise, Belle's & Beau's is owned by Glyn and Colleen Hodgkinson! Glyn works for GMC Fire Service and he drove us to Astley Hall and back again! On the back of this chance happening, I put a pound on the lottery that week, and now I'm a 'multi millionaire'! - Not!... I lost a pound. I blame Glyn for that.
Now as much as I would like to describe what happened in the restaurant I'm afraid that's going to go unsaid - but it's just as well the Police Station and the Courts were nearby! Oh the shame!
And finally on a serious note, and I'm very sorry to bring this particular blog to a sad end but this needs to be said;
On the weekend 16th July Watch Commander Bernie Lawson was admitted to Royal Bolton Hospital 's Intensive Care Unit with a serious illness. After his admission he was put into a medically induced coma for his comfort and to my knowledge was critical several times, but managed to fight back. Sadly, on the evening of Friday 29th July, Bernie passed away.
Bernie (age 50) was a lovely man who was a good friend to my brother-in-law Gary & my sister Sharon. Bernie served for 28 years, he was stationed at Farnworth on Green watch and went on to serve at Agecroft on Green watch, Eccles on Green & Red watch, Salford on Red watch and also worked at Fire Service Headquarters in Fire Safety and The Children & Young Persons Dept. As you can see he certainly wasn't a man to stand still and loved the job for all it was worth.
I have to say that I only knew Bernie in passing (the connection being my brother-in-law & sister) but at his funeral - which sadly I could not attend - I'm told his daughter Jessica gave a lovely speech about her dad of which he would have been proud.
There was standing room only and most people congregated outside the church which shows how much the man was loved and respected - I feel like I've missed out on getting to know him better.
If you feel that you'd like celebrate Bernie's life with a donation, Maria has suggested The Firefighters Charity or The Intensive Care Unit at The Royal Bolton Hospital NHS
On behalf of Pauline and myself, I would like to extend our heartfelt sorrow to Bernie's wife Maria and children Jessica & Jason.
Well on that solemn note, that's all for this time.
FF Steve Morris
PS Always make sure you have a working smoke alarm!
A few months ago I attended the I'm Not Laughing campaign against disability hate crime. It was launched on 25th June at The Bar, Nelson Square , and managed by the Bolton Be Safe Partnership with Bolton Neighbourhood Policing Team. I was pleased to attend and got a snapshot of what it was like for others with disabilities. Some spoke openly of how they'd been poorly treated by others and how this was a step in the right direction to ensure that people who visit town are treated equally and with respect.
Further to this event was the Bolton Fire Station Open Day held on Saturday 20th August. The town's Mayor was kind enough to open this event, and one aspect of the day was to highlight the campaign once again. I was at the Open Day and gave a Bolton Evening News reporter an interview which appeared recently in the paper. Whilst I was there, I had a good chat with some of my mates and I must say they were all working hard to make the day a success, and as a result everyone had a good time!
And the latest news with regards to my health - I attended a scheduled appointment at Wythenshawe hospital and my consultant has decided that I don't need any further operations on my arm, just intense physio.
And the news socially - Pauline and I had been engaged for 3 years (I finally relented and proposed after 7 years of hints and a near death experience!!!). But we were putting off actually getting married because of all the fuss and stress involved. However Pauline's dad suffered a stroke and a very close family friend had a heart condition and both were in hospital at the same time. As we wanted both of them to be there at our wedding when they recovered, we set a date and arranged everything within 2 months! It was the most under-planned and understated wedding of the year! Pauline only bought her dress 3 weeks before - that was a relief, I thought she was gonna wear her best jeans! And she ordered her bouquet and the wedding car a week before! At one point she was considering driving herself there, but then thought better of it cos her legs would've got knotted up in her wedding dress. If she had managed to drive there she would've had to wear her trainers to work the pedals! Talk about 'The Runaway Bride'!!!
And so on Saturday 4th June 2011 at 4pm, we finally got married! Our marriage took place at Astley Hall in Astley Park , Chorley . It was witnessed by a huge congregation of guests - all 14 including the photographer! This mass of people went on to have a delicious meal at Season's Bistro in the heart of Chorley - just opposite the Courts & Police Station, just in case there was any trouble!
Astley Hall is a splendid old Hall that dates back to Elizabethan times, and it was during England 's Civil War that Oliver Cromwell stayed there after he sacked Preston - which was nice!
The ceremony was held in Astley Hall's smallest dining room, overlooking the lake. On this lake amongst other birds are swans, geese and ducks and on the sunny day that it was they were welcome distraction for me while I waited for Pauline, not that I was nervous - I'd thrown up twice that morning which put paid to that!!!
When the ceremony began, Pauline entered the dining room and the whole room lit up (she told me to say this) as she walked down the aisle - she looked beautiful in her wedding dress. She doesn't normally wear a dress at all and prefers to wear jeans and the like, so seeing her like that was stunning in itself! She walked slowly with her father by her side to a song called 'Happy Heart' by Andy Williams - I almost shed a tear! Not because of Pauline and the fact that she looked so lovely, but because her dad was 'smiling' - at last he was getting rid of her!
Did you know that there's a choice of 3 different marriage declarations? There's the big one (lots of words - goes on a bit!), a medium one (fewer words but still a bit too much for us to say!) and a very-small-and-lets-get-on-with-it one (just right! - this all sounds a bit Goldilocks doesn't it!). And yes you've guessed it - we chose the one with the least words! In a nut shell it was "Are you Steven Morris" and I reply "I am!" and do you take Pauline to be your wife etc, etc and I say "Yeah alright then!".
Now if you went down this route it's customary to have a reading from one of the guests (to fill the time a bit) but we didn't want any of our guests to be put on the spot. Prior to this Pauline and myself had discussed the format of the wedding with the lady who was arranging the ceremony, and she was flapping a bit saying; "but without a reading the service would be over and done with in 15 minutes!" Suits us, we said! She tried to convince us that it would be 'lovely' to have a reading and that it made the occasion more 'personal' - but we just wanted to be married! So that was that!
After a short ceremony we had a slightly longer champagne reception, and that's because of all the photo's that were taken. And while Pauline and I were giving the cameraman our best smiles, our mass of guests (now 13 as the cameraman was with us) enjoyed wandering round Astley Hall drinking Tesco's own Asti Spumante (a working man's champagne and only £6.54 a bottle) - perfect!
Later we made our way to a local restaurant, Pauline and I travelled in a blue Rolls Royce provided by Belle's & Beau's - it was great! Incidentally, just for a moment imagine that you are surfing the internet searching for a wedding car company that suits your needs, and from the many which are advertised you find the perfect one. What would you say the chances are that the person who owns it works for the same outfit you do - virtually nil I would have said! Well to our surprise, Belle's & Beau's is owned by Glyn and Colleen Hodgkinson! Glyn works for GMC Fire Service and he drove us to Astley Hall and back again! On the back of this chance happening, I put a pound on the lottery that week, and now I'm a 'multi millionaire'! - Not!... I lost a pound. I blame Glyn for that.
Now as much as I would like to describe what happened in the restaurant I'm afraid that's going to go unsaid - but it's just as well the Police Station and the Courts were nearby! Oh the shame!
And finally on a serious note, and I'm very sorry to bring this particular blog to a sad end but this needs to be said;
On the weekend 16th July Watch Commander Bernie Lawson was admitted to Royal Bolton Hospital 's Intensive Care Unit with a serious illness. After his admission he was put into a medically induced coma for his comfort and to my knowledge was critical several times, but managed to fight back. Sadly, on the evening of Friday 29th July, Bernie passed away.
Bernie (age 50) was a lovely man who was a good friend to my brother-in-law Gary & my sister Sharon. Bernie served for 28 years, he was stationed at Farnworth on Green watch and went on to serve at Agecroft on Green watch, Eccles on Green & Red watch, Salford on Red watch and also worked at Fire Service Headquarters in Fire Safety and The Children & Young Persons Dept. As you can see he certainly wasn't a man to stand still and loved the job for all it was worth.
I have to say that I only knew Bernie in passing (the connection being my brother-in-law & sister) but at his funeral - which sadly I could not attend - I'm told his daughter Jessica gave a lovely speech about her dad of which he would have been proud.
There was standing room only and most people congregated outside the church which shows how much the man was loved and respected - I feel like I've missed out on getting to know him better.
If you feel that you'd like celebrate Bernie's life with a donation, Maria has suggested The Firefighters Charity or The Intensive Care Unit at The Royal Bolton Hospital NHS
On behalf of Pauline and myself, I would like to extend our heartfelt sorrow to Bernie's wife Maria and children Jessica & Jason.
Well on that solemn note, that's all for this time.
FF Steve Morris
PS Always make sure you have a working smoke alarm!
Posted by
Carl Haslam
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Hi all, Steve here!
On the health front...
You'll all know by now that I've had a terrible time with my left elbow - getting it to function like everyone else's is proving difficult to say the least! And that problem is unfortunately still with me. I've got a further appointment with the specialist in about a month's time. And my right arm, leg and foot still have a tendency to do what THEY want to do making coordination difficult and tiring. My hands have had all the operations that I can take, and so it's now just a case of getting more used to them. As for the burn injuries, they've healed and my skin grafts are now becoming supple - it's just my shins that still bleed now and again - this is an area where they harvested 'healthy' skin from to graft over my burnt skin.
And on the social front...
A few years from now I hope to have the energy to get about more and be able to walk better. And when I can, I'll be able then to meet my friends for a drink or two in Bolton. At the moment, I occasionally go to a pub in Chorley with a few mates who live here - it's a pub that's nearby and it's on the flat so I can walk in without my friends having to hoist me up over the threshold. Most people know me there and understand that I have difficulties. It's pretty obvious to be honest - people can't help but notice that I've lost most of my fingers and that I struggle walking. People can plainly see that I have disabilities. So I'm really surprised when the odd person in the pub, and sometimes (even MORE bizarrely) in the street makes the comment "Whaayy be careful there mate, look's like you've had one too many!" as they see me stumbling about!
As I've said, most people do understand, but just now and again (usually when THEY'VE had one too many) I do get that kind of comment made. I've NO doubt they mean no harm whatsoever. And it's probably that they feel awkward for me, and it's a way to make light of an awkward situation - a sort of self defence mechanism - to make THEM feel more comfortable. And why should I feel offended? After all nowadays it's a badge of honour to be drunk! It's certainly NOT something that people get embarrassed about anymore. In fact some people set out to get drunk in the first place, just to 'wind down', get giddy and to have a good laugh with their mates at things that in the cold light of day aren't that funny! Even the side-effects of getting drunk like wobbly legs, a lack of control and falling over are worthy of a snigger! Except all of these affect me ALL the time - and I'm not drunk - and I'm definitely not laughing!
So why am I mentioning this, when you know I normally prefer to stay up-beat and cheerful in my blogs? Well I'll tell you. I was told about a 19 year old girl who was on a night out with her boyfriend, he's 29. The girl and her boyfriend were accompanied by another couple in their teens and they all went round Bolton town centre last December. This night was unlike all the other times she'd been out before because usually the girl is accompanied by members of her family. She was born with Achondraplasia, which basically means that she's much smaller than most people, and so her family (understandably) are concerned for her and usually go out with her. Incidentally, her boyfriend was born with the same condition and one of her other friends who was with them had a stroke some time ago, and at times finds it difficult to walk.
Now, the girl had decided to go into town without her family for once as she felt it had been fine all the other times, and the pubs they were going in felt safe. It's because of this, she persuaded her mum to allow them to enjoy the night by themselves. Her mum reluctantly agreed.
They made their way into town by taxi and went into a couple of pubs - these were pubs which they'd been to before and felt comfortable in. They then went on to another bar which had a dance floor, the pub was busy but they wanted to have a dance. As they danced her boyfriend noticed that they were being stared at by a group of lads, but they ignored them.
After a while the couple made their way back to their seats but the group continued to stare and point at them, laughing and swearing as well. This went on for a while, so they decided to leave. But as they left, so did the group of lads, and they continued to take the mickey, acting silly and pretending that they couldn't see the girl and her boyfriend.
The whole group were laughing, swearing and abusing them, and the girl then began to get upset. And what made this experience worse, was that the door staff who were supposed to protect people from this sort of thing, just stood outside with their arms folded, watching and sniggering!
The lads went on to surround them, laughing and joking at their expense. And still the door staff did nothing! They managed to get into a taxi, and as they drove away they could still hear the group shouting behind them!
When they got home the girl couldn't stop crying, and her mum began to panic thinking that they'd been attacked! It took some time for the girl to calm down and explain what had happened.
No doubt the group of lads were blissfully unaware of the harm they caused this girl and her boyfriend, and probably went on that night to enjoy themselves. Going unchallenged by the door staff didn't help matters, it just affirmed that this is acceptable behaviour. But it's not the door staff's fault all this, although they could and should have got involved. The fault lies completely with the group of cowards who thought it would be a good laugh picking on someone who was different! How brave of them! Their mothers' would be so proud - NOT!!!
I said earlier that I'm hoping to enjoy a night out round Bolton at some point, and I spoke of my experience of going to a pub in Chorley. Although, I think you'll agree that my experience was just a poor joke that made me feel uncomfortable and annoyed, something that we can ALL be subject to, this girl's experience was a disgraceful display of bullying that was one step short of assault!
And what's the end result of all this? Well she bravely brought it to the attention of the Police, and several months later here we are!
There's now a campaign underway to make people aware that there IS a problem in Bolton town that needs addressing. The campaign is called "I'm Not Laughing". In the run up to the campaign day (25th of June) there will be posters dotted around the town to highlight the problem. I've been asked to get involved.
And what now for the girl? Unfortunately, the girl and her boyfriend no longer feel comfortable going into Bolton, and in fact she feels insecure now about going out at all!
I hope she feels differently after the campaign.
Now on a more personal note I must say congratulation's to Geoff Ackroyd on his retirement from the Fire Service. Geoff served for 32 years, and from 2005 up until April of this year he was the Borough Commander of Salford. For the general public who are curious at where Geoff stood in relation to myself, there were 'just' 5 ranks between us! I reckon I would've caught him up though eventually and gone on to be the very first firefighter IN SPACE TOO!.................... WITHOUT A SPACESHIP!!!
Given my track record, I reckon I would've survived re-entry!
It only leaves me to say "Geoff, from myself and on behalf of all those who couldn't attend your leaving do - thanks for all you've done Boss! And have a happy retirement"
Well, once again that's all for now, so until the next time, take care of yourselves!
FF Steve Morris
PS Always make sure you have a working Smoke Alarm.
On the health front...
You'll all know by now that I've had a terrible time with my left elbow - getting it to function like everyone else's is proving difficult to say the least! And that problem is unfortunately still with me. I've got a further appointment with the specialist in about a month's time. And my right arm, leg and foot still have a tendency to do what THEY want to do making coordination difficult and tiring. My hands have had all the operations that I can take, and so it's now just a case of getting more used to them. As for the burn injuries, they've healed and my skin grafts are now becoming supple - it's just my shins that still bleed now and again - this is an area where they harvested 'healthy' skin from to graft over my burnt skin.
And on the social front...
A few years from now I hope to have the energy to get about more and be able to walk better. And when I can, I'll be able then to meet my friends for a drink or two in Bolton. At the moment, I occasionally go to a pub in Chorley with a few mates who live here - it's a pub that's nearby and it's on the flat so I can walk in without my friends having to hoist me up over the threshold. Most people know me there and understand that I have difficulties. It's pretty obvious to be honest - people can't help but notice that I've lost most of my fingers and that I struggle walking. People can plainly see that I have disabilities. So I'm really surprised when the odd person in the pub, and sometimes (even MORE bizarrely) in the street makes the comment "Whaayy be careful there mate, look's like you've had one too many!" as they see me stumbling about!
As I've said, most people do understand, but just now and again (usually when THEY'VE had one too many) I do get that kind of comment made. I've NO doubt they mean no harm whatsoever. And it's probably that they feel awkward for me, and it's a way to make light of an awkward situation - a sort of self defence mechanism - to make THEM feel more comfortable. And why should I feel offended? After all nowadays it's a badge of honour to be drunk! It's certainly NOT something that people get embarrassed about anymore. In fact some people set out to get drunk in the first place, just to 'wind down', get giddy and to have a good laugh with their mates at things that in the cold light of day aren't that funny! Even the side-effects of getting drunk like wobbly legs, a lack of control and falling over are worthy of a snigger! Except all of these affect me ALL the time - and I'm not drunk - and I'm definitely not laughing!
So why am I mentioning this, when you know I normally prefer to stay up-beat and cheerful in my blogs? Well I'll tell you. I was told about a 19 year old girl who was on a night out with her boyfriend, he's 29. The girl and her boyfriend were accompanied by another couple in their teens and they all went round Bolton town centre last December. This night was unlike all the other times she'd been out before because usually the girl is accompanied by members of her family. She was born with Achondraplasia, which basically means that she's much smaller than most people, and so her family (understandably) are concerned for her and usually go out with her. Incidentally, her boyfriend was born with the same condition and one of her other friends who was with them had a stroke some time ago, and at times finds it difficult to walk.
Now, the girl had decided to go into town without her family for once as she felt it had been fine all the other times, and the pubs they were going in felt safe. It's because of this, she persuaded her mum to allow them to enjoy the night by themselves. Her mum reluctantly agreed.
They made their way into town by taxi and went into a couple of pubs - these were pubs which they'd been to before and felt comfortable in. They then went on to another bar which had a dance floor, the pub was busy but they wanted to have a dance. As they danced her boyfriend noticed that they were being stared at by a group of lads, but they ignored them.
After a while the couple made their way back to their seats but the group continued to stare and point at them, laughing and swearing as well. This went on for a while, so they decided to leave. But as they left, so did the group of lads, and they continued to take the mickey, acting silly and pretending that they couldn't see the girl and her boyfriend.
The whole group were laughing, swearing and abusing them, and the girl then began to get upset. And what made this experience worse, was that the door staff who were supposed to protect people from this sort of thing, just stood outside with their arms folded, watching and sniggering!
The lads went on to surround them, laughing and joking at their expense. And still the door staff did nothing! They managed to get into a taxi, and as they drove away they could still hear the group shouting behind them!
When they got home the girl couldn't stop crying, and her mum began to panic thinking that they'd been attacked! It took some time for the girl to calm down and explain what had happened.
No doubt the group of lads were blissfully unaware of the harm they caused this girl and her boyfriend, and probably went on that night to enjoy themselves. Going unchallenged by the door staff didn't help matters, it just affirmed that this is acceptable behaviour. But it's not the door staff's fault all this, although they could and should have got involved. The fault lies completely with the group of cowards who thought it would be a good laugh picking on someone who was different! How brave of them! Their mothers' would be so proud - NOT!!!
I said earlier that I'm hoping to enjoy a night out round Bolton at some point, and I spoke of my experience of going to a pub in Chorley. Although, I think you'll agree that my experience was just a poor joke that made me feel uncomfortable and annoyed, something that we can ALL be subject to, this girl's experience was a disgraceful display of bullying that was one step short of assault!
And what's the end result of all this? Well she bravely brought it to the attention of the Police, and several months later here we are!
There's now a campaign underway to make people aware that there IS a problem in Bolton town that needs addressing. The campaign is called "I'm Not Laughing". In the run up to the campaign day (25th of June) there will be posters dotted around the town to highlight the problem. I've been asked to get involved.
And what now for the girl? Unfortunately, the girl and her boyfriend no longer feel comfortable going into Bolton, and in fact she feels insecure now about going out at all!
I hope she feels differently after the campaign.
Now on a more personal note I must say congratulation's to Geoff Ackroyd on his retirement from the Fire Service. Geoff served for 32 years, and from 2005 up until April of this year he was the Borough Commander of Salford. For the general public who are curious at where Geoff stood in relation to myself, there were 'just' 5 ranks between us! I reckon I would've caught him up though eventually and gone on to be the very first firefighter IN SPACE TOO!.................... WITHOUT A SPACESHIP!!!
Given my track record, I reckon I would've survived re-entry!
It only leaves me to say "Geoff, from myself and on behalf of all those who couldn't attend your leaving do - thanks for all you've done Boss! And have a happy retirement"
Well, once again that's all for now, so until the next time, take care of yourselves!
FF Steve Morris
PS Always make sure you have a working Smoke Alarm.
Posted by
Carl Haslam
Monday 7 March 2011
Hi all, Steve here!
Recently I've been waiting for an operation on my elbow to take place. 'Not another one!' I hear you all say! Oh yes, another one!
You see, the other 2 operations weren't as successful as I'd hoped. So once again in order free-up my elbow joint, they had to remove some calcified bone from the crook of my arm. Basically the excess bone was preventing my arm from bending. And so, early Friday morning on February 11th, Pauline and I travelled to Wythenshawe hospital. The route we took was the same as always, so we both just sat in the back seat while my car drove itself there - just kidding!
At Wythenshawe hospital they have a new system for booking in now. Everyone having an operation that morning checks in at 7.30 am, then sits in a waiting room waiting to be called for their operation.
The old system meant that everyone would be taken to their own room or a ward, where you'd be told what number you were on the list for surgery, but at least you could relax and chat before your operation.
This new system meant that everyone would be sitting in a waiting room, with their belongings, waiting to be called for surgery! It looked like we were all in the departure lounge of an airport, waiting to go someplace nice - but it wasn't nice!!!
Now the last time I was waiting for an operation, I was STARVING HUNGRY! You see, you have to fast for 9 hrs before your surgery, and I'd not eaten since 12 midnight - by the time they were taking me to theatre, it was nearly lunch time!
For this operation, I had AGAIN been fasting since midnight - but I suppose all this can't be helped. I could only pray that I would be somewhere near the front of the queue. Well, my prayers were answered this time because I WAS FIRST! I was really pleased. Being a bit of a hungry hippo I was beginning to look like Thomas the cat (from the Tom And Jerry cartoons) floating towards Mammy's freshly baked pie cooling on the windowsill - only with me I was floating towards the canteen following the smell of breakfast which was wafting throughout the hospital! It was nothing less than torture!!!
The operation took around 5 hrs, and when I came round I was once again tied to a hospital bed via plastic tubes. One tube came from my bandaged arm to a pint bottle which was slowly filling with blood. This blood would cause a problem if left undrained - it could cause my arm to swell up causing pain and bruising. Now I ask you, what could be worse than being restrained like this? Well I'll tell you - having no feeling whatsoever in your arm, that's what! Not only could I not feel my arm, I couldn't even move it! I tried to move my fingers, but I couldn't! Then I tried to bend my elbow, I couldn't do that either! I found that I couldn't even LIFT my arm off the bed! My arm from my shoulder down, was paralysed!!!
Now this situation was expected - as I've been here before. But even so it's a bit disconcerting and weird when you've got a lifeless arm attached to your torso. Especially when you need to use the toilet. It took 2 nurses to take me there, one to help me out of bed and the other to carry my bottle of blood, (which was a constant companion throughout the night!) When I stood up to use the loo for the first time, my lifeless arm weighed an absolute ton and nearly toppled me over! The 3 of us reached the toilet, then one nurse waited outside while the other followed me in with the bottle. She placed the bottle on the floor, then pulled my pants down for me (very embarrassing) and then helped me to sit on the loo. She had the courtesy to leave while I used the toilet, then came back in when I was ready. Throughout the night, this routine was performed 5 times! I was exhausted in the morning, and swore that this was the very LAST operation I was ever going to have. I felt tired, sore and generally fed up with myself. I long for the day when all this is behind me, and can go about life in a normal way - along with everyone else!
On the sociable front, this year's Valentines Ball took place on the 19th of February at The Reebok Stadium, Bolton. It was the 3rd outing for this event, and once again it was in support of 'Help for Heroes' and 'The Firefighters Charity'. I mentioned earlier that my operation took place on the 11th - just a week before the Ball! This unforeseen occurrence had me concerned. Would I be well enough to attend? Would I have a big bandage on my arm? If so, I wouldn't be hiring a DJ as I did the year before! And would my arm be too sore to enjoy myself? Well, I did attend! I did have a 'small' bandage on, but I knew I'd be more comfortable with my own shirt on, so in the end I didn't hire a DJ! And yes, it was sore! But thanks to lots of LEGAL drugs, it wasn't too sore to enjoy myself! And boy did I enjoy myself, it was a brilliant night! Everyone had a fantastic time! And for me, my cousins and my friends who all came along in support of this good cause, the night was over all too fast! Many thanks to them for their support! And a BIG thanks to Brian Wiggans and Steve Parkinson for going to the trouble - and believe me, it is troublesome - to sort the Valentines Ball in the first place! You've done a good job and a great service for injured Soldiers and Firefighters alike. Thanks fellas! And not to forget the priceless help of my mate Carl Haslam, without whom we wouldn't have had a Valentines Ball website to look at - which looks great and we wouldn't have had the moving footage of our armed forces performing their duties in Afganistan. This was a compilation of scenes put together by Carl to music, displayed on 2 large screens of our lads in action. Sadly, both of these would only have been viewed by the people who attended the Ball, but trust me it was top stuff! Cheers Carlos! In fact I believe Carl has now added the link to the video on the Valentines Web Site, so you can judge for yourself. http://www.heroesvalentineball.co.uk
Well thats all for this time, apart for one last thing! Good luck, to Jan Makinson and Anne Porter both whom work at W59 Broughton. Jan who works as a clerk and her friend Anne Porter who's a cook at the same station are - in aid of The Firefighters Charity - going to run the 'Tunnel to Towers' Marathon held in New York. I'm sure Anne will know all about the required carbohydrates you should take on board before such an endeavour. I remember well, having my own private 'Pasta Party' the night before a Marathon - it never increased my speed, but it tasted good and got me round the course - just!!!
So, once again until the next time, look after yourselves!
FF Steve Morris.
PS Always make sure you have a working Smoke Alarm!
Recently I've been waiting for an operation on my elbow to take place. 'Not another one!' I hear you all say! Oh yes, another one!
You see, the other 2 operations weren't as successful as I'd hoped. So once again in order free-up my elbow joint, they had to remove some calcified bone from the crook of my arm. Basically the excess bone was preventing my arm from bending. And so, early Friday morning on February 11th, Pauline and I travelled to Wythenshawe hospital. The route we took was the same as always, so we both just sat in the back seat while my car drove itself there - just kidding!
At Wythenshawe hospital they have a new system for booking in now. Everyone having an operation that morning checks in at 7.30 am, then sits in a waiting room waiting to be called for their operation.
The old system meant that everyone would be taken to their own room or a ward, where you'd be told what number you were on the list for surgery, but at least you could relax and chat before your operation.
This new system meant that everyone would be sitting in a waiting room, with their belongings, waiting to be called for surgery! It looked like we were all in the departure lounge of an airport, waiting to go someplace nice - but it wasn't nice!!!
Now the last time I was waiting for an operation, I was STARVING HUNGRY! You see, you have to fast for 9 hrs before your surgery, and I'd not eaten since 12 midnight - by the time they were taking me to theatre, it was nearly lunch time!
For this operation, I had AGAIN been fasting since midnight - but I suppose all this can't be helped. I could only pray that I would be somewhere near the front of the queue. Well, my prayers were answered this time because I WAS FIRST! I was really pleased. Being a bit of a hungry hippo I was beginning to look like Thomas the cat (from the Tom And Jerry cartoons) floating towards Mammy's freshly baked pie cooling on the windowsill - only with me I was floating towards the canteen following the smell of breakfast which was wafting throughout the hospital! It was nothing less than torture!!!
The operation took around 5 hrs, and when I came round I was once again tied to a hospital bed via plastic tubes. One tube came from my bandaged arm to a pint bottle which was slowly filling with blood. This blood would cause a problem if left undrained - it could cause my arm to swell up causing pain and bruising. Now I ask you, what could be worse than being restrained like this? Well I'll tell you - having no feeling whatsoever in your arm, that's what! Not only could I not feel my arm, I couldn't even move it! I tried to move my fingers, but I couldn't! Then I tried to bend my elbow, I couldn't do that either! I found that I couldn't even LIFT my arm off the bed! My arm from my shoulder down, was paralysed!!!
Now this situation was expected - as I've been here before. But even so it's a bit disconcerting and weird when you've got a lifeless arm attached to your torso. Especially when you need to use the toilet. It took 2 nurses to take me there, one to help me out of bed and the other to carry my bottle of blood, (which was a constant companion throughout the night!) When I stood up to use the loo for the first time, my lifeless arm weighed an absolute ton and nearly toppled me over! The 3 of us reached the toilet, then one nurse waited outside while the other followed me in with the bottle. She placed the bottle on the floor, then pulled my pants down for me (very embarrassing) and then helped me to sit on the loo. She had the courtesy to leave while I used the toilet, then came back in when I was ready. Throughout the night, this routine was performed 5 times! I was exhausted in the morning, and swore that this was the very LAST operation I was ever going to have. I felt tired, sore and generally fed up with myself. I long for the day when all this is behind me, and can go about life in a normal way - along with everyone else!
On the sociable front, this year's Valentines Ball took place on the 19th of February at The Reebok Stadium, Bolton. It was the 3rd outing for this event, and once again it was in support of 'Help for Heroes' and 'The Firefighters Charity'. I mentioned earlier that my operation took place on the 11th - just a week before the Ball! This unforeseen occurrence had me concerned. Would I be well enough to attend? Would I have a big bandage on my arm? If so, I wouldn't be hiring a DJ as I did the year before! And would my arm be too sore to enjoy myself? Well, I did attend! I did have a 'small' bandage on, but I knew I'd be more comfortable with my own shirt on, so in the end I didn't hire a DJ! And yes, it was sore! But thanks to lots of LEGAL drugs, it wasn't too sore to enjoy myself! And boy did I enjoy myself, it was a brilliant night! Everyone had a fantastic time! And for me, my cousins and my friends who all came along in support of this good cause, the night was over all too fast! Many thanks to them for their support! And a BIG thanks to Brian Wiggans and Steve Parkinson for going to the trouble - and believe me, it is troublesome - to sort the Valentines Ball in the first place! You've done a good job and a great service for injured Soldiers and Firefighters alike. Thanks fellas! And not to forget the priceless help of my mate Carl Haslam, without whom we wouldn't have had a Valentines Ball website to look at - which looks great and we wouldn't have had the moving footage of our armed forces performing their duties in Afganistan. This was a compilation of scenes put together by Carl to music, displayed on 2 large screens of our lads in action. Sadly, both of these would only have been viewed by the people who attended the Ball, but trust me it was top stuff! Cheers Carlos! In fact I believe Carl has now added the link to the video on the Valentines Web Site, so you can judge for yourself. http://www.heroesvalentineball.co.uk
Well thats all for this time, apart for one last thing! Good luck, to Jan Makinson and Anne Porter both whom work at W59 Broughton. Jan who works as a clerk and her friend Anne Porter who's a cook at the same station are - in aid of The Firefighters Charity - going to run the 'Tunnel to Towers' Marathon held in New York. I'm sure Anne will know all about the required carbohydrates you should take on board before such an endeavour. I remember well, having my own private 'Pasta Party' the night before a Marathon - it never increased my speed, but it tasted good and got me round the course - just!!!
So, once again until the next time, look after yourselves!
FF Steve Morris.
PS Always make sure you have a working Smoke Alarm!
Posted by
Carl Haslam
Tuesday 11 January 2011
Hi all, Steve here!
Firstly, I'd like to thank Gaz Dewar for stepping in on my behalf to write the last blog for 2010. Most of you may know he's my brother-in-law, and it's at times like this that I'm pleased I managed to persuade my sister to marry him! You see, Sharon's bedroom was bigger than mine and if she moved out, I could move in! So, cheers Gaz! Oh! And Shaz!
My last visit to Wythenshawe Hospital was to remove the webbing between my thumbs and forefingers in order to improve my dexterity So whenever I pick something up, I have a greater chance of holding on to it! I never struggled with a pint of Guinness, but seemed to struggle with other things!
I'd decided prior to the operation in order to get it over and done with, to have both my hands operated on at the same time. This would cause me a problem initially as I obviously wouldn't be able to use either hand for anything! But for a couple of week's discomfort and the inability to do the general everyday things we all take for granted, I felt it was worth it. Plus I have a wonderful nurse in Pauline (she told me to write this bit!).
Before the surgery I had 'pre-op checks' where a nurse took my temperature, heart rate and went through a set of questions - when did you last eat, drink, etc. Now, I'd put my hearing aids safely away as the hospital won't be held responsible for any loss or damage to your property, so this Q & A procedure was difficult for me, because she was quietly spoken and was looking down at her paperwork. So when she asked me "How's your ejaculation been?" I was a bit taken a-back! This wasn't the usual type of question! I began to wonder if they had the right patient! I didn't answer for a moment, thinking, "cheeky young thing!" She then looked up from her paperwork, and waited for my answer. I could see from her that this question was a typical one, so I must have misheard her. Then it dawned on me what she'd said. She'd said "Hows your CIRculation been?" "Ohhh! Riiight! Fine! Fine!" I said, laughing away to myself.
The nurse then left - a bit perplexed as to why I was laughing - and I began to read a magazine that Pauline had bought from the Hospital shop, (the only thing I hadn't packed away safely- there's a point to telling you this!). I read it until it was time to go to surgery, then put it on a cupboard next to my bed for later.
The surgery went well. And when I came round, I had my hands heavily wrapped in bandages with both my arms elevated in padded slings. This was to decrease the blood flow to my hands, an obvious solution just after surgery. I didn't realise I would be so incapacitated and then suddenly my eyes started to itch! Now, with a feat of contortion that almost wriggled me off the bed, I managed to unhook one of my arms, and rubbed my eyes. It was painful on my hand and I was worried that I was undoing the surgeons work, but it would have been torture not to!
There were three other patients in the ward that for the most part kept themselves to themselves. This suited me because, as you know, I didn't have my hearing aids in, and it would have been a struggle to have a conversation. But the man next to me was reading a book, and the truth is, I was bored of my own company - spending 9 months in a hospital room on your own can do that to you - and now I was back! So I decided to strike up a conversation. I began by asking him what he was reading, he told me, and I could see that at some point in his life he'd had a really bad accident. He was wheelchair bound, his legs had wasted down somewhat and his wrists and fingers were contorted, so much so, that I could see he was having difficulty holding the book he was reading. I'd noticed also, that he had to scoop his legs up with his arms in an effort to move himself into a more comfortable position. When he spoke, his speech was slow and slurred. I must admit, I was curious to know his story and asked him how he'd come to be this way.
He told me when he was on a holiday abroad with his friends, that he'd dived in a pool and broke his neck. He was 21 when it happened - he's now 48. He'd lived with his parents up until 5 years ago, then his dad passed away leaving his mum to look after him. She'd passed away 2 years ago now, leaving him on his own and relying on help from social services. He still lives in the house left to him by his parents, and while he was there in hospital, he had builders sorting out his bedroom and decorating it for his return. He was in hospital on this occasion to have skin grafts on his bed sores - which he'd had for 3 years! I myself am familiar with both skin grafts and bed sores, however my experience of bed sores was nothing in comparison. I felt concerned for him, and still think about him and his situation. I often wonder how he's getting on.
It was a stark reminder to me how fortunate I am to be able to stand up and walk out of that hospital. The life I have and lead, however marred by my accident, is still a life with support from family and friends. I'm sure we all realise how fortunate we are, but when next you're brassed off with life's demands - spare a thought.
Now, remember I said earlier that I'd left my magazine on a cupboard next to my bed. It was expensive, it cost £3.95! Well when I came back from surgery, it was gone! I was a bit naffed off! I asked one of the nurses where it had got to? She didn't know! Now, what kind of person would 'steal' a man's magazine? Especially when he's undergoing a 'life or death' operation! Well, maybe not life or death, but I was still having an operation! Now I use the word 'steal' because we Firefighters like to exaggerate, hence the 'life or death' bit. We have this in-built ability to make a mountain out of a mole hill. In fact I even toyed with the idea of a thief dressed in black pants with a black and white stripped jumper on, sneaking into the ward with a bag tossed over one shoulder with the word SWAG written on it! Oh! And he had a black mask on as well! The cad! The rotter! I asked the nurse if she would find my 'priceless' magazine (another exaggeration) and she went about turning the hospital 'upside down!' I was very surprised! Cos all the patients fell out of their beds!!! Anyway it was well and truly lost! Oh! I mean 'stolen!'. I was soooo mad that someone had stolen my magazine while I was unconscious, that Pauline had to buy me the same magazine again just to shut me up!
Anyway, before I sign off I'd like to wish you all a belated happy and prosperous New Year! And special get well wishes to Steve Fisher, Geoff Hatley and Paul Norris.
And also can I say thanks for the kind thoughts from Gary Stredder & the lads on Blue Watch E36 Bury. You're not wrong Gaz, I 'am' fed up with all the operations!
FF Steve Morris
PS Always make sure you have a working 'Smoke Alarm'.
Firstly, I'd like to thank Gaz Dewar for stepping in on my behalf to write the last blog for 2010. Most of you may know he's my brother-in-law, and it's at times like this that I'm pleased I managed to persuade my sister to marry him! You see, Sharon's bedroom was bigger than mine and if she moved out, I could move in! So, cheers Gaz! Oh! And Shaz!
My last visit to Wythenshawe Hospital was to remove the webbing between my thumbs and forefingers in order to improve my dexterity So whenever I pick something up, I have a greater chance of holding on to it! I never struggled with a pint of Guinness, but seemed to struggle with other things!
I'd decided prior to the operation in order to get it over and done with, to have both my hands operated on at the same time. This would cause me a problem initially as I obviously wouldn't be able to use either hand for anything! But for a couple of week's discomfort and the inability to do the general everyday things we all take for granted, I felt it was worth it. Plus I have a wonderful nurse in Pauline (she told me to write this bit!).
Before the surgery I had 'pre-op checks' where a nurse took my temperature, heart rate and went through a set of questions - when did you last eat, drink, etc. Now, I'd put my hearing aids safely away as the hospital won't be held responsible for any loss or damage to your property, so this Q & A procedure was difficult for me, because she was quietly spoken and was looking down at her paperwork. So when she asked me "How's your ejaculation been?" I was a bit taken a-back! This wasn't the usual type of question! I began to wonder if they had the right patient! I didn't answer for a moment, thinking, "cheeky young thing!" She then looked up from her paperwork, and waited for my answer. I could see from her that this question was a typical one, so I must have misheard her. Then it dawned on me what she'd said. She'd said "Hows your CIRculation been?" "Ohhh! Riiight! Fine! Fine!" I said, laughing away to myself.
The nurse then left - a bit perplexed as to why I was laughing - and I began to read a magazine that Pauline had bought from the Hospital shop, (the only thing I hadn't packed away safely- there's a point to telling you this!). I read it until it was time to go to surgery, then put it on a cupboard next to my bed for later.
The surgery went well. And when I came round, I had my hands heavily wrapped in bandages with both my arms elevated in padded slings. This was to decrease the blood flow to my hands, an obvious solution just after surgery. I didn't realise I would be so incapacitated and then suddenly my eyes started to itch! Now, with a feat of contortion that almost wriggled me off the bed, I managed to unhook one of my arms, and rubbed my eyes. It was painful on my hand and I was worried that I was undoing the surgeons work, but it would have been torture not to!
There were three other patients in the ward that for the most part kept themselves to themselves. This suited me because, as you know, I didn't have my hearing aids in, and it would have been a struggle to have a conversation. But the man next to me was reading a book, and the truth is, I was bored of my own company - spending 9 months in a hospital room on your own can do that to you - and now I was back! So I decided to strike up a conversation. I began by asking him what he was reading, he told me, and I could see that at some point in his life he'd had a really bad accident. He was wheelchair bound, his legs had wasted down somewhat and his wrists and fingers were contorted, so much so, that I could see he was having difficulty holding the book he was reading. I'd noticed also, that he had to scoop his legs up with his arms in an effort to move himself into a more comfortable position. When he spoke, his speech was slow and slurred. I must admit, I was curious to know his story and asked him how he'd come to be this way.
He told me when he was on a holiday abroad with his friends, that he'd dived in a pool and broke his neck. He was 21 when it happened - he's now 48. He'd lived with his parents up until 5 years ago, then his dad passed away leaving his mum to look after him. She'd passed away 2 years ago now, leaving him on his own and relying on help from social services. He still lives in the house left to him by his parents, and while he was there in hospital, he had builders sorting out his bedroom and decorating it for his return. He was in hospital on this occasion to have skin grafts on his bed sores - which he'd had for 3 years! I myself am familiar with both skin grafts and bed sores, however my experience of bed sores was nothing in comparison. I felt concerned for him, and still think about him and his situation. I often wonder how he's getting on.
It was a stark reminder to me how fortunate I am to be able to stand up and walk out of that hospital. The life I have and lead, however marred by my accident, is still a life with support from family and friends. I'm sure we all realise how fortunate we are, but when next you're brassed off with life's demands - spare a thought.
Now, remember I said earlier that I'd left my magazine on a cupboard next to my bed. It was expensive, it cost £3.95! Well when I came back from surgery, it was gone! I was a bit naffed off! I asked one of the nurses where it had got to? She didn't know! Now, what kind of person would 'steal' a man's magazine? Especially when he's undergoing a 'life or death' operation! Well, maybe not life or death, but I was still having an operation! Now I use the word 'steal' because we Firefighters like to exaggerate, hence the 'life or death' bit. We have this in-built ability to make a mountain out of a mole hill. In fact I even toyed with the idea of a thief dressed in black pants with a black and white stripped jumper on, sneaking into the ward with a bag tossed over one shoulder with the word SWAG written on it! Oh! And he had a black mask on as well! The cad! The rotter! I asked the nurse if she would find my 'priceless' magazine (another exaggeration) and she went about turning the hospital 'upside down!' I was very surprised! Cos all the patients fell out of their beds!!! Anyway it was well and truly lost! Oh! I mean 'stolen!'. I was soooo mad that someone had stolen my magazine while I was unconscious, that Pauline had to buy me the same magazine again just to shut me up!
Anyway, before I sign off I'd like to wish you all a belated happy and prosperous New Year! And special get well wishes to Steve Fisher, Geoff Hatley and Paul Norris.
And also can I say thanks for the kind thoughts from Gary Stredder & the lads on Blue Watch E36 Bury. You're not wrong Gaz, I 'am' fed up with all the operations!
FF Steve Morris
PS Always make sure you have a working 'Smoke Alarm'.
Posted by
Carl Haslam
Sunday 5 December 2010
Hi everyone. Since Steve’s last blog he has paid another visit to the operating theatre at Wythenshawe Hospital. This last visit which now puts him up towards thirty visits to the operating table was to allow the Surgical Team to carry out work on both his hands. Steve spent a total of three days in Hospital before “convincing” the staff at Wythenshawe they should let him home to be with Pauline. The work was focused around what remains of his fingers, both thumbs and the back of left hand.
Following these operations Steve is currently recovering and is visiting his consultant on a regular basis to ensure the healing process is continuing.
I was speaking to Steve recently and I told him people had been contacting me to ask how he was doing and how his recovery was progressing. As you all know when any one asks me how Steve is doing or wants to pass on good wishes I always let him and Pauline know. It was at this time I suggested updating his latest blog entry for him and with his hands being bandaged in what looked like two boxing gloves he thought it would be a good idea.
Steve and Pauline do get a lot of comfort from people still getting in touch and having a chat with them. Steve keeps in contact with friends both inside and outside of the Fire Service on a regular basis and now he can get out a little more does visit people to get a change of scenery so to speak every now and then.
One of Steve’s passions is his garden and with his happy band of gardening staff!!! spends time directing operations on grass cutting, weeding, planting, moving leaves and creating their own herb and vegetable growing area. Steve is very good at pointing and giving instruction. He does hold the hose pipe to water the planted areas and hasn’t lost his hose management technique. He has attempted to show me his gas cooling techniques to which I looked suitably impressed !.
He is still working hard with his recovery and puts his all into everything he does. He still finds the going hard at times but is supported 24/7 by Pauline. Pauline continues to be an absolute rock for Steve and we as a family have seen the hidden strengths that come out of a person when they have to be a full time carer. Pauline puts her all into Project Steve (Pauline’s term for caring for Steve) and has close family members it is reassuring for us to know Pauline is by his side. I am sure people in our service can relate to this that have to care for loved ones or have family or friends who care for people.
Well it will not be long before Steve is writing his own blog entries again. So hopefully you will only have to put up with this latest one from me. Steve’s blog now has a reply function so if any of you would like to get in touch with Steve and Pauline please send them a message they would be pleased to hear from you.
Steve, Pauline and their families would like to say thank you to everyone for the continued support and to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a happy safer 2011.
Gary Dewar.
Following these operations Steve is currently recovering and is visiting his consultant on a regular basis to ensure the healing process is continuing.
I was speaking to Steve recently and I told him people had been contacting me to ask how he was doing and how his recovery was progressing. As you all know when any one asks me how Steve is doing or wants to pass on good wishes I always let him and Pauline know. It was at this time I suggested updating his latest blog entry for him and with his hands being bandaged in what looked like two boxing gloves he thought it would be a good idea.
Steve and Pauline do get a lot of comfort from people still getting in touch and having a chat with them. Steve keeps in contact with friends both inside and outside of the Fire Service on a regular basis and now he can get out a little more does visit people to get a change of scenery so to speak every now and then.
One of Steve’s passions is his garden and with his happy band of gardening staff!!! spends time directing operations on grass cutting, weeding, planting, moving leaves and creating their own herb and vegetable growing area. Steve is very good at pointing and giving instruction. He does hold the hose pipe to water the planted areas and hasn’t lost his hose management technique. He has attempted to show me his gas cooling techniques to which I looked suitably impressed !.
He is still working hard with his recovery and puts his all into everything he does. He still finds the going hard at times but is supported 24/7 by Pauline. Pauline continues to be an absolute rock for Steve and we as a family have seen the hidden strengths that come out of a person when they have to be a full time carer. Pauline puts her all into Project Steve (Pauline’s term for caring for Steve) and has close family members it is reassuring for us to know Pauline is by his side. I am sure people in our service can relate to this that have to care for loved ones or have family or friends who care for people.
Well it will not be long before Steve is writing his own blog entries again. So hopefully you will only have to put up with this latest one from me. Steve’s blog now has a reply function so if any of you would like to get in touch with Steve and Pauline please send them a message they would be pleased to hear from you.
Steve, Pauline and their families would like to say thank you to everyone for the continued support and to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a happy safer 2011.
Gary Dewar.
Posted by
Carl Haslam
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