It's Snoredy!

Published: 09th November 2006

Author: Words by Stephen Sword

If he's not being put to sleep before an operation Stevie's been putting his visitors to sleep with his entertaining stories

This month started off with a trip to Belgium for a check-up with my doctor. My progress has been good but I was having problems moving my toes up and down – this was due to a lot of scar tissue which had built up around the tendons that control the movement in my toes.

The doctor sent me for some scans and an x-ray before he made a decision on the best way forward which was to have a small operation on my toes and have the plates and pins removed. It was a bit unexpected at first but he explained that the bones were fine and that it would be better for next season – and the future – if they were removed. He fitted me in the next day for the op so Jodie and I booked ourselves into a hotel for the evening.

After a light breakfast we headed to the hospital where someone came to take me to my room and I waited for the call to go down. So I watched a bit of TV and read until, three hours later, the nurse came to wheel me to the operating theatre where I was hooked up to every machine going. As the guy came to put me to sleep I asked him to do it slowly so I could enjoy the feeling – he started laughing but did as I asked and then asked me some questions to which I gave some stupid answers.

Next thing I know I was waking up with the op done and dusted. There was no pain and the operation had gone well so after a while they took me back to my room where Jodie was waiting. She couldn’t believe how well I looked and how pain-free I felt – she’d seen the pain I was in after my first op so I think she had visions of that all over again.

I was pretty sleepy but woke up in the middle of the night to move my pillow and as I lifted it up I found a pot underneath which was full of plates and pins – two plates and 14 pins to be exact. The doctor thought I might like to take them home so he left them there for me – a cool thing to keep I reckon. So now everyone who comes to my house gets to see them – and gets to get bored by the same story! The doctor was very happy with the way the op went so after a couple of nights in hospital he sent me home. Jodie had to drive home as I was on crutches – it was her first time driving abroad and she was a little nervous but she did very well and managed without any problems.

I have to rest for a couple of weeks to let the wounds heal up before I have my stitches out. Having the plates and pins removed has probably put me back a few weeks but in the long run it will be much better. I have a range of exercises I have to stick to every day to work on the movement but I’m not allowed to put any weight on it for a couple of weeks. Once I can it will be time to start to build and get strength back in it again. It just seems so long now since I’ve raced that I’m impatient to get things moving but I just have to go through the motions of rehab to get myself strong and fit for when I get back on a bike.

I have to go to the Dirt Bike Show for Kawasaki this month – it should be fun meeting up with everyone again. I’m pleased to still be with Kawasaki next year. I have a really good relationship with them and with the factory. They’ve shown great faith in me and expect good results as I do. We will be working hard to achieve our goals in the future.

Since being injured I got myself one of those Sony PSPs. My favourite game is Tiger Woods Golf ’06 – I got myself the ’07 version but when I loaded the new software it decided to shut off and lock itself. Gutted! I had to send it back to Sony to be fixed and I’m still waiting for it to come back. I completed the whole of the ’06 version but, unfortunately, that’s the nearest I get to playing the real thing at the moment. But when anyone asks me if I’ve ever had a hole in one I say yes – but I don’t tell them it was on a PSP!

I keep the rest of my days busy with taking the dogs out every morning for a walk. This gets me out of the house and an hour on crutches is a little work-out for me. I do some upper body stuff as well but I can’t start cycling for a couple of weeks yet.

I had a visit from Hot Tub (Molson Kawasaki truck driver) last night. He just popped in to see how things were going so we had a takeaway and a good chinwag. Later this week I’m going back to Scotland for a few days and I’m looking forward to a change and to seeing my brother.

Well guys, I have to go – Jodie’s just come in with two big pumpkins for Halloween! Looks like pumpkin soup for me for the next few days. Take care and see ya soon!