Porthgarrow

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A mixed-scale single-board exhibition layout

Very sound words Sol. Take heed Rick.

John.
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Folks,

The official diagnosis is in and I have contracted sepsis from an infection I didn't even know I had.  I had felt a bit off-colour for a few days but put that down to the change of seasons as we enter Autumn.  Until I suddenly collapsed last week and was barely able to move at all.  The phone was downstairs - I was in the bedroom.  Somehow I had to message Sharon who was on her way home from London and whom I would normally have collected from the train.  

i tried to send messages from the PC which is upstairs.  I found myself just able to crawl to the office and get it working but apparently sent completely garbled texts.  She interpreted that as me having suffered some kind of seizure and initiated the ambulance response.  

The rest was history and is still unfolding.  I am still only just able to get up and about but it gets a little better every day.  By Wednesday I managed to stay out of bed from mid-morning until early evening.  Today I have been at the computer for a couple of hours starting to catch up with all the paperwork and missed appointments.  I shall be fit enough to driver her to the station (8 miles each way) tomorrow afternoon for her final trip to London for a while.  She has a couple of weeks leave coming up having spent the past week working from home and caring for me.  

Those with longer memories might remember I put up a decent fight against cancer back in 2006 but which then affected my immune system for years afterwards.  I reached the stage at which I tended to overlook that until something hit me; so it was again as the immune system was less able to deal with the infection and went into overdrive.  

With two visits by emergency ambulances in as many days and a couple of other house-calls I was put on the path to recovery though the first few days were unpleasant to say the least.  

It's going to be a few more weeks before I am really back on my feet but I can at least think about some modelling while I wait patiently for the body to fix itself.  Porthgarrow has gained more attention in the past few days with Scale Model Scenery featuring it on their Instagram and Facebook accounts thanks to my creative use of some of their products.   I have offered the layout for show at the Spring 2025 Hayle Railway Modeller's event in lieu of next month's.  That, however, will be its final appearance unless something significant changes in the meantime.  It won't last for ever.  I don't want to show old and tired work.  The public pay to see good modelling and that is what I would choose to offer them.  

In the meantime it's about time for another large glass of Ribena - the stuff that has kept me going this past week when I rejected solids and even plain water.  That was not nice.  

Rick
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Wow Rick,

That has been a wild and rocky journey you have had suffered, not to mention scarey for you both. It always amazes me however, that in the face of adversity the human spirit within, can often manage to pull off minor miracles and summon the cavalry, so well done.

I hope that your recovery will take a more pleasent meander along life's path and return you to a happier and healthier place in due course. Hopefully you can relax and enjoy some downtime to speed recovery.

Your modelling zone awaites, plus of course, the arms and love of a good partner.

My very best regards to you both,

Bill

 

At 6'4'', Bill is a tall chap, then again, when horizontal he is rather long and people often used to trip over him! . . . and so a nickname was born :)
 
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Good news Rick & yes I remember your 2006 episode indeed.  I even remember driving trains on your layout downunder when a few of us from the forum met you face to face.

Ron
NCE DCC ; 00 scale UK outline.
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Sol said

Good news Rick & yes I remember your 2006 episode indeed.  I even remember driving trains on your layout downunder when a few of us from the forum met you face to face.


That would be the famous occasion when Max (DCC guru and expert) was transfixed for an hour at all the movement before coming up with the comment “You’re not running DCC are you?”  
You can fool some people all the time and all of them some of the time 

Rick
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Did you have Chemo, Rick? I've been on immunotherapy for a few months now and the only side effects from a looong list, is a bit of itchy skin. My oncologist put me on anti histamines for that. I'm glad that so far I've not had to go to Chemo.

Cheers Pete.
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You take care Rick - hopefully your recovery will continue at a decent pace from now on.  Sepsis isn't pleasant !!

'Petermac
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Petermac said

You take care Rick - hopefully your recovery will continue at a decent pace from now on.  Sepsis isn't pleasant !!

Thank you Peter and indeed it is not!  It came too close to getting me for my comfort.  Thank goodness for the emergency ambulance folks who were here very quickly once called and got me hooked up to a drip in the cottage because the need was more urgent than the time it would have taken to get me into hospital.  

I am slowly making progress.  I am almost constantly tired.  I can get off the sofa and do a few things around the house now and I have managed a couple of trips in the car to and from Penzance - 8 miles each way - though I wasn't in an ideal state to be driving.  Having been a professional driver and also having driven that road many hundreds of times in all sorts of conditions must have helped.  

Muddling will recommence in the coming weeks.  I just need a bit more get-u-and-go.  And that is returning very slowly but surely.  

Rick
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peterm said

Did you have Chemo, Rick? I've been on immunotherapy for a few months now and the only side effects from a looong list, is a bit of itchy skin. My oncologist put me on anti histamines for that. I'm glad that so far I've not had to go to Chemo.

No chemo in my case.  One small surgery followed by 30 doses of radiation.  

Rick
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