I went for my CT scan today, and it was over in a matter of minutes. Result, I thought. I can go back to work. No, seems the surgeon had left a note for me to have an MR scan as well, which they’d booked in for me at 10:15… only they were running late, and I didn’t get to have it until almost 12:00.

I knew what to expect with the CT scan as I’d been prepared, but the MR scan was a whole new ball game. It was claustrophobic, noisy (and the ABBA on the headphones doesn’t help, only makes things worse) and it was of course magnetic – which as I have a steel rod in my spine made for an interesting experience.

I didn’t leap up and stick to the ceiling, nor did I experience any tingling, but the rod in my spine did heat up with the magnetic field, which made for an extremely strange sensation. I felt like Wolverine, but not in a good way.

Thirty minutes of loud noises, a burning sensation from within my spine and ABBA… what a way to spend the day.

I now have to wait a few weeks to see the surgeon again, before the inevitable decision to cut me open and whip this steel out is made.

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As I mentioned last week, I need a CAT scan on my spine for potential surgery to remove the steel rod I have in my back that is supposed to keep my spine straight(er). That scan has been booked (rather quickly) for next Friday, 23rd. This is all becoming quite real now as once I’ve had the scan and spoken to the surgeon (not sure if that will be on the same day) they say it will be within 18 weeks to have the surgery (if of course it’s deemed necessary, which the surgeon said it most probably would be).

This means I could be going in to have my spine operated on within 20 weeks… not something I’m feeling too chuffed about, and not the way I wanted to spend the year.

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Yesterday I went to see a spinal surgeon at Salford Royal about my back. The operation I had on my spine in 1990 went well at the time, but recently my left leg has been suffering from severe pains when I walk more than a few hundred yards, or even stand up for more than a few minutes.

Anyhow, when I arrived I was told I needed more x-rays because the surgeon wanted a better view than the x-rays I had in September provided. Once I’d had these done (and is there anything more degrading that wearing a gown with work shoes?) I saw the surgeon, who explained that the surgery I had in 1990 was phased out just a few years later. Because of my Scoliosis (a deformity of the spine) I had a steel rod known as a Harrington Rod inserted into my back and attached to my spine. The rod works in straightening out the spine, but it makes the spine flat so that it can’t bend. This means that my nerves are being squashed, causing me to lose circulation in my leg.

Gutted.

He advised that I have a CAT scan in a few weeks so that he can see the lower part of my spine more clearly and see whether the rod has fused with it OK, which he believes it hasn’t. If this is the case (as is probable) the best course of action will most likely be for me to undergo surgery again to have the steel rod in my spine removed and the new technique (which I haven’t researched at all yet) implemented.

I’m not looking forward to this, but as the surgeon rightly stated – if I don’t have it done my leg and back is only likely to get worse. It’s a case of have it done now or risk the act of walking becoming increasingly more difficult.

So it looks like spinal surgery again for me, 18 years after I last had it done! Whoopie!

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This evening I have an appointment to see a spinal surgeon at Salford Royal, an appointment I’ve been waiting for since August after having my x-rays done. I don’t talk about this much, but I’ve got double Scoliosis of the spine, which is a curvature of the spine. My spine forms a letter ‘S’ shape and was operated on back in 1990 (during the World Cup, I came out of hospital on the day Germany beat England in the semi-final).

I’ve been OK for many years, but recently my back has grown worse and my left leg goes dead and doubles up with cramp when I walk for more than a few minutes. I just checked my blog for past mentions of Scoliosis, and found this post in November 07, where I mentioned how I couldn’t walk for more than a few miles. It’s much worse than that now, which isn’t a good sign. It’s been bad since the summer and yesterday when I was shoe shopping in Chester I struggled to walk from one shop to the next without needing to sit down.

Anyhow, I’m seeing a spinal surgeon later today to see if anything can be done about it, as only being able to walk for a few minutes at the age of 32 is pretty shite.

I’ll be sure to let everyone know how I get on, and maybe get some images of my x-ray, which I have seen since and the rod in my back has slipped quite considerably.

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It’s that time again to plan, more in hope than anything, for things that I’ll do (or not do) in the New Year and beyond. I did this last year, and managed to get a 60% success rate. Not too bad, but could do better.

So here are ten New Year’s resolutions for 2009 that I aim to stick to:

1. Buy a house
I hate renting, I consider it money wasted, and in the current housing market there are some bargains to be had. However, with many lenders stopping 90% mortgages to get anything in Manchester would mean at least a £22,000 deposit (which I don’t have) so somehow, some way, I intend to buy a house this year.

I may even opt to buy more than one so that I can let one out. I’m already letting one house and would like to build up a property portfolio (how poncy does that sound?).

2. Clear my bank loan
I was going to put this on last year’s resolutions, but as I had other, bigger, problems I left it off. This time it’s on, and I aim to do it in the first few months. It might not seem much of a resolution, but I’ve had the same loan (in some form or another) since I graduated from University. It was a graduate loan, then became a personal loan, then a refinanced loan… etc etc. So I’ve had it for about 12 years, and it’s about time it went.

3. Don’t buy a new car (unless it’s a DB9)
Every now and then my head gets turned by a new car, such as a BMW Z4, but I must resist. I’ve fought hard enough to keep my Z3, so I don’t intend to sell it and get a new one, until that is I can afford a DB9. It’s not as crazy as it seems, you can get them for less than £60k now… still out of my reach, but it’s something to aim for.

4. Be more outspoken on MrDaz.com
I’ve been running MrDaz.com now for nearly three years, and have managed to anger a great many people, from government agencies to business owners, but I’ve only had one solicitor’s letter. That’s very poor; clearly I’m not being outspoken and offensive enough. I aim to anger many more people and expose much more incompetence. Hopefully I’ll get more legal letters and aggressive phone calls that I can turn into more blog posts.

Yes people, I record ALL of my phone calls, so phone me up at your own risk!

5. Invest more
I recently invested in some shares for a high street bank, and made a profit (which was immediately invested back into more shares I hasten to add, before the CSA ask about that). Therefore I’d quite like to do some more of this. I’ve been interested in shares since I worked at GAME and we were offered a share scheme, but sadly I didn’t have any money to buy any. Shame, because they were about 50p per share, and now they’re about £3.

6. Don’t have any fault (or non fault) accidents
Crashing cars seems to be my thing, and I’ve had three fault accidents in the last few years. Well, one was my fault (definitely), one was due to some wet conditions and one was a sodding taxi driver stopping on the roundabout in front of me so that I crashed into him.

Then when someone reverses into me, the twat lies about it afterwards to his insurance company, despite my having a witness, there being security cameras filming the scum bag, and getting his details.

No more car crashes.

7. Go to the premiere of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen
In 2007 I attended the London premiere of Transformers with some mates, mingling with the likes of Megan Fox and Michael Bay. The film was so-so but the premier was cool. The new film is out in the summer 2009 and I intend to be there again, this time with more of a presence. It was annoying that we only had 4 tickets to the first one when TheTransformers.Net is the biggest Transformers website in the UK, and other, lesser, websites received dozens of tickets, one for every person who had ever visited their website I would imagine.

8. Get my back sorted
As I have scoliosis, and was operated in 1990 (right in the middle of the World Cup) my back has always been a bit of a problem. Recently it’s got worse to the extent that my left leg goes dead after walking for a few minutes. This started happening after that twat reversed into me in the car park in Cheshire Oaks, and lied about it to his insurance company. I’ll sort him in due time, but I need to get my back sorted because it makes pub crawls very difficult when there’s more than a few hundred yards between pubs!

9. Get in shaped (at least try)
I’ve used to be very fit (around 2000 I think) but since then have let it go, barring the odd few months where I’ve tried to pick it up. I don’t need to go to the extent that I once did (170kg on the chest press, no one believes me) but I do need to do something. Maybe take up bike riding, or a light workout at the gym. I must do something in 2009 to stay healthier and fitter.

10. Cook more
Bit of an odd one here, but I’ve never been much of a cook and have managed to live off takeaways and Lloyd Grossman sauces for some time. However, the few times I have cooked (either on my own or with help) the meal has turned out blindingly good. There’s a lot to be said for doing it, it tastes much better and is healthier. It’s not cheaper though, despite what Jamie Oliver may say, but I intend to cook properly at least once a month. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but three times in a year is my record so far.

That’s it, my New Year’s resolutions in full. Time will tell if I stick to them, but I fully intend to succeed with all ten.

So happy New Year everyone, and let’s look forward to pissing people off en masse in 2009!

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While watching the BBC Sports Personality of the Year I noticed that one of the Olympic cyclists who wasn’t nominated for the top award was a woman called Victoria Pendleton. I recognised the name, so did a quick Google search, where I found this photo. Ah yes, she was on Jonathan Ross just after the Olympics, where he also showed this photo. Wonder why?

Rossy also did a mock up of the Photo with himself on the bike, a horrid image.

Anyhow, when I Googled her I found an interview she gave to the Telegraph where she criticised motorists in her area who shout abuse at her while she’s out training on her bike. The animals eh?

It is hard to deal with. I am trying to do my training – it is my job. In Manchester when it’s fairly busy I can guarantee there will be one occasion per hour where somebody takes a stupid risk and basically puts me in danger. You are not trying to hold them up. I don’t go out with my bike at rush hour just to **** people off, I wait until it is over. People are very proud, but I wish they were a little more considerate for our cyclists.

It can get you down, it can get quite depressing when people are shouting abuse at you.

Of course, this is all well and good, except that she’s from Wythenshawe, Manchester. When she says that motorists shout abuse at her and almost knock her off her bike, she’s talking about me!

Ahem… sorry 🙂

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