Dec 27th 2021, Mark began a sudden and rapid decline into paralysis, starting from his feet moving upward. After many tests and examinations, the experts still have no answer or remedy for the cause of this medical mystery. To this day he remains in a constant battle with PAIN. This is the only feeling he now has from the chest down.
Following are excerpts from Marks own journal. This is his story in his words.
The move up to neurology was also a move up in quality of care. They gave me a front row seat near the office which would become apparent why later.
Next to me in a separate room by herself is a woman called Liz with a broken back strapped to a bed on the floor who is constantly pleading and sometimes shouting "please help, help me please, I want to get up, please help, somebody please talk to me, please help me" on repeat. Nurses would pop in and out to calm her but it is a skeleton crew here and everywhere due to circumstances and holidays.
No view, but much entertainment between the noisy neighbour and constant chattering of nurses to help numb the pain that can't be numbed. Still trying to deal with it on panadol and nurofen. Non stop level 6 to 10 constant nerve pain from my toes to my midriff. On occasions completely taking over and becoming unbearable, but Liz was my rock (there is always someone worse off than you, and her calls for help were a constant reminder of that).
Today though, I caught them out. The pain was building and mounting up quickly from 6,7,8,9.....I put up with searing pain for almost an hour, doctors were called on 3 occasions to no avail but when it jumped to 10 I got really vocal and put my neighbours screams to shame. Then suddenly it was at 11 (I hadn't had pain turned up till 11 before!). Full lock up of quads, hamstrings, glutes with every nerve ending on fire, everycell in my body vibrating furiously in an uncontrollable shake as I let out my voice at full pelt with 100% unrestrained fury, anger, pain, hatred.....everything for maybe 5-10 minutes.That got them running but by the time the doctor got there with sedation the pain was descending to 10, 9, 8....injection....5. Thank Gooodness.
The next wave they are ready for me, the squeaky wheel gets the oil....and my squeak has had years of training that they probably heard from the ground floor.
As it stands now....well, I can't stand. My legs and bum are almost completely paralysed and it's moved up to my guts and now starting on the hands, so you known if the story's stop that's probably what's happening.
Stay tuned for Part 3 in the New Year triology. I promise to end the series on a high note (thanks in part to the opiates they are now giving me).