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10:55, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

The Long Bar (OOCs)

Posted by GM StarMasterFor group 0
Maybelle Diggory
player, 144 posts
An actress.
Thu 23 Feb 2023
at 15:09
  • msg #743

Re: Yeah, But...

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 741):

Ouch. Hope you recover.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 923 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Fri 24 Feb 2023
at 03:02
  • msg #744

Re: Yeah, But...

If all goes as planned, I will be leaving early Saturday Feb.25 and arriving in Britain early Feb. 26, where I will be staying doing research until I return Mar.13. I am usually able to post to RPOL from the computers in the B&B where I regularly stay, but I do not expect to post Feb.25 or Mar.13.
GM StarMaster
GM, 513 posts
Fri 24 Feb 2023
at 19:56
  • msg #745

Re: Yeah, But...

So while I was stuck in the hospital bed for two weeks, I wrote and rewrote this post in my head several times. Don't remember any of it now, so here's the newest version.

THE NEVER-ENDING STORY...

The Missing Chapter: when I was discharged from the hospital back in January, I was sent home with a Foley catheter, which was more of an annoyance and handicap for my home rehab at the time. Managed to get an appointment with the VA  urologist two weeks later. He thought I should never have been sent home with it, but it was time to get it removed. Took a week of scheduling shuffles but finally went home without it on the following Thursday.

That Friday night when getting ready for bed, I lost my balance while setting something on the floor and fell over on my back onto the concrete floor. My housemate helped me get up and everything seemed fine once I was back out in the recliner. Nope. Come Saturday, I was in excruciating pain across all the muscles in my chest and back. Doan's, Aleve, Tylenol didn't help at all. Monday added a heating pad... better. Wednesday, switched to BenGay... better, but still couldn't sleep, so Thursday went back to the VA for some stronger pain meds.

That doctor saw the previous records and thought I might be having a pulmonary embolism and immediately did an ambulance transfer to the ER. 6 hours later the ER doctor decided that wasn't the case and sent me home with vicadin. Didn't do anything but pharmacy was closed so had to wait till the next day to get more.

After that, everything was fine for a few hours. Mid-afternoon, I suddenly couldn't move my legs!

EMT/PD shortly had me back in the ER. MRI of head and neck revealed a tumor in my C2 vertebra. Had spinal surgery next morning! Being the weekend, it took 4 days to get the pathology back which identified it as prostate cancer. Caught it early and getting chemo, and now in rehab to walk again.

Other than that, I'm in great health (for my age)! Probably 4-6 weeks in rehab before I go home.
Marian Holroy
player, 405 posts
English Author
Fri 24 Feb 2023
at 20:03
  • msg #746

Re: Yeah, But...

Holy freaking crap!!! That's absolutely terrible! I've been dealing with health issues of my own but I feel a lot better about them suddenly considering what you've been through! I'm so glad they caught things early and that you're finally getting the right treatment. Rest up!
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 924 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Sun 26 Feb 2023
at 21:58
  • msg #747

Re: Yeah, But...

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 745):

This sounds like a deeply miserable sequence of events; the only really positive result seems to be that they caught the cancer early. I devoutly trust things will go much better now that the real problem has been identified and addressed.
GM StarMaster
GM, 514 posts
Sun 9 Apr 2023
at 17:23
  • msg #748

Re: Yeah, But...

Apologies for no update but really didn't think there was one.

Still paraplegic trying to recover mobility at a poor rehab facility with bad nursing and half-horrible food until...

Developed a sore on my butt from laying in bed 24/7 that didn't get treated properly and turned gangrene, so now I'm back in the hospital with surgery scheduled for Tuesday.

Recovery to go home was still about a month away. Don't yet know how this new problem will affect that.

Low energy levels at rehab have left me with a one-track mind--just have trouble shifting gears between game systems right now.

My OCD stubbornness is still keeping me from pulling the plug on my games. I really have fun running games and it really bums me out that I can't keep them going right now for all of you. For those of you who are still sticking around waiting for the game to restart, I sincerely apologize for the delay. For those of you who have moved on, no hard feelings here--I completely understand.

Anyway, Happy Easter to everyone!
Maybelle Diggory
player, 146 posts
An actress.
Sun 9 Apr 2023
at 23:32
  • msg #749

Re: Yeah, But...

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 748):

Happy Easter, hope you get better.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 925 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Mon 10 Apr 2023
at 03:07
  • msg #750

Re: Yeah, But...

Deepest sympathy to the GM for the miserable rehab and the gangrene. At least I hope the hospital has better care --and better food --than the rehab. I respect the desire to keep the games up rather than delete them. I have enjoyed playing and hope to play again when your situation is better. I truly wish you a happy Easter and a better future.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:13, Tue 11 Apr 2023.
Marian Holroy
player, 406 posts
English Author
Mon 10 Apr 2023
at 14:59
  • msg #751

Re: Yeah, But...

If there is one thing I have, it's staying power. You could take a year off, pick this game back up and I'd still be here. So no rush at all on my account. Just get better and take care of yourself! I really hope your luck changes, my friend!
GM StarMaster
GM, 515 posts
Mon 10 Apr 2023
at 17:02
  • msg #752

Re: Yeah, But...

Good to know! And thanks!

It does kind of seem like I drove a truck into a wall, doesn't it? And then backed up and did it again!
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 926 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Tue 11 Apr 2023
at 01:15
  • msg #753

Re: Yeah, But...

In reply to Marian Holroy (msg # 751):

I practically never delete a game unless the GM officially announces it's dead. I have some old games on my RPOL list that were among the first I ever played. Every so often, one does start up again. We can hope this one will.
GM StarMaster
GM, 516 posts
Sun 7 May 2023
at 08:10
  • msg #754

Re: Yeah, But...

Can't sleep, can't focus to post... turn. More of the same. Turn. Repeat.

STAGE MINUS ONE--SPINAL SURGERY: Hell, I don't even remember half of it. This would have been the spinal surgery to remove the tumor and put me on my back for two weeks. DONE. SUCCESS!

STAGE ZERO--REHAB ERROR: Weeks at rehab facility where inadequate and improper nursing care turned an ordinary bedsore into a far more serious gangrene wound... one that now needed surgery to fix. DONE? WAS THAT A SUCCESS OR FAILURE?

STAGE ONE--BACKSIDE SURGERY: Operation on my tailbone went off without a hitch apparently. Just left with a major wound on my tailbone. Couldn't/can't put pressure on the wound while it heals, thus laying on my side and having to get turned to the other side every two hours, necessitating having to learn to type on my laptop upside down and sideways with one finger. Remember, this is at the BETTER recovery/rehab facility rather than at home, so options are still limited. Did I mention the I-V dangling from my arm that also gets in the way? DONE. SUCCESS.

STAGE TWO--STAPLES/SUTURES REMOVAL: Staples and stitches still need to come out. Don't have a timeline for that yet but presumably soon.
___STAGE 2.1: First half of the staples were taken out Tuesday. On schedule, standard routine. DONE. SUCCESS.
___STAGE 2.2: Second half of staples were removed Friday. Again, right on schedule with no complications. DONE. SUCCESS.
___STAGE 2.3: Sutures are currently supposed to come out on Monday, though that probably depends on how the final healing has progressed, since not everyone will heal the same way. PENDING.

STAGE THREE--WOUND REHAB: sitting protocols start as soon as sutures come out (?). Start getting used to sitting up  again... in 15-minute intervals. No details yet on frequency or duration. Will kind of depend on how well I do, but further complicated by not  having any control of my leg muscles. Requires moving to a normal bed rather than this deluxe air bubbling mattress that's meant to stimulate skin/muscle do I don't get more bedsores.

STAGE FOUR--HOME REHAB: As soon as I can stand up on my own two legs, I should be able to go home for final rehab. Regain mobility. At this point, there's no telling how well the wound rehab and the paralysis rehab will work together. The therapist seemed to think they could make them work together in synergy, but I didn't get a whole lot of enthusiasm from him. I suppose it could be uncharted territory for him.


ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: I now qualify for Frequent Surgery Miles. I've had four surgeries so the fifth one is free! Oddly, I started with the Big One (double bypass heart surgery 15 years ago) and that went easier than these.

Still not sure if there's a light at  the end of the tunnel yet--if there is, hope it's the Battery Low indicator and not the Westbound #9 train!
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 927 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Mon 8 May 2023
at 02:12
  • msg #755

Re: Yeah, But...

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 754):

Deepest sympathy. I have had a batch of surgeries and rehabs over the last 6-7 years, but none of them went anything like as badly as the first rehab for yours. I devoutly hope you will actually recover relatively soon to the point that you can play RPOL (and do more important RL things) comfortably again.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 928 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Wed 10 May 2023
at 01:35
  • msg #756

Re: Yeah, But...

I will be away May 10 through May 14 at the Kalamazoo Medieval Congress. I may or may not have internet access there to do RPOL. In the past, I have gotten in some RPOL there, but the Congress has changed a lot since Covid and the computers seem to be less available.
Maybelle Diggory
player, 147 posts
An actress.
Mon 15 May 2023
at 21:07
  • msg #757

Re: Yeah, But...

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 754):

Hope you get better.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 929 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Tue 16 May 2023
at 01:35
  • msg #758

Re: Yeah, But...

I am back from Kalamazoo. I am sorry I did not have a chance to post on RPOL while I was away, but I should be active from now on.
GM StarMaster
GM, 517 posts
Wed 17 May 2023
at 12:57
  • msg #759

Rehab, Here I Come

___STAGE 2.3: Sutures came out on Monday right on schedule, but the final healing is still in progress for several weeks/months. DONE. SUCCESS.

STAGE THREE--WOUND REHAB: sitting up for continued wound rehab protocols start as soon as sutures came out, about a week ago now. Start getting used to sitting up  again... in 15-minute intervals twice a day. Moved to a standard air mattress bed. Frequency and duration will kind of depend on how well I do, but further complicated by not having any control over my leg muscles and not enough feeling below the waist. Communication/responsibility issue has only produced one session--should have been six by now! PENDING???

___STAGE 3.5--RESUME PREVIOUS REHAB: In a week or two or three depending on how quickly I improve here, I get transferred to yet another Rehab facility for continued wound recovery... takes a long time... as well as mobility rehab.

___Stage 3.7--TRANSFER TO NEW REHAB: So the Wound Recovery has done well enough that I'm getting transferred to a different rehab facility for the Sitting/Mobility rehab. Don't know why there's a difference other than where I'm at is more medical than therapeutic so they need to make room for a new patient.

THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: Different tunnel, different light. I suppose it's a step in the right direction, but we'll have to see how it goes.
Grimsby Baskerville
player, 930 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Thu 18 May 2023
at 01:30
  • msg #760

Rehab, Here I Come

In reply to GM StarMaster (msg # 759):

I am sorry if your schedule of progress seems to be inconsistent, but I offer my very best wishes for your continued recovery.
GM StarMaster
GM, 518 posts
Thu 18 May 2023
at 01:38
  • msg #761

Rehab, Here I Come

I wouldn't say 'inconsistent'--more like sudoku. Fill in the blanks until it all adds up to Recovery.
Marian Holroy
player, 407 posts
English Author
Thu 18 May 2023
at 18:26
  • msg #762

Rehab, Here I Come

Gosh this must be so draining! I'm glad you're keeping a list like this. For me, it mentally helps me to physically see in writing what I've accomplished. I know you'll get through this but I'm sorry it's such a slog along the way.
Denholm Hawkesbury
player, 456 posts
"Right. Let's deal."
"All Sales Final"
Thu 6 Jul 2023
at 23:15
  • msg #763

Rehab, Here I Come


Fellow Human Beings ... Fellow Gamers ... Friends ...

It is with a saddened heart that I inform you all of the passing of Robert Rusk -- better known to many of us as StarMaster.

Rob passed in his sleep on Thursday morning, July 6, 2023, at approximately 10:30am.  He had been hospitalized since early in the year due to complications concerning Cancer & associated surgeries.  He was 73 years old.

Rob was a Comics Fan Boy & fiction writer wannabe his whole life and came to Roleplaying in the Early Days of 1978.  It was my distinct pleasure to have met him, and gamed with him, since that time.

After his Retirement, Rob committed himself to the community he found in RPol, participating in over 20+ games, here.  He was an especial "softie" for GM-adopting abandoned games and working to keep them running, for the enjoyment of the Players.

He will be missed.

Grimsby Baskerville
player, 931 posts
A Colonial agent
and wandering scholar
Fri 7 Jul 2023
at 01:15
  • msg #764

Rehab, Here I Come

Very sorry to learn of this loss to the RPOL/sf/gaming community. I am of much the same generation that Robert was, being 73 years old and coming to role-playing gaming in 1976.
At this point, it is always a great loss when another of the old-timers goes.
Marian Holroy
player, 408 posts
English Author
Fri 7 Jul 2023
at 16:18
  • msg #765

Rehab, Here I Come

Oh my gosh this is absolutely terrible. He was such a wonderful GM and I had an awesome time with this game. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten. Thank you so much for telling us and I’m so sorry you lost an important friend.
Maybelle Diggory
player, 148 posts
An actress.
Sat 15 Jul 2023
at 15:39
  • msg #766

Rehab, Here I Come

In reply to Denholm Hawkesbury (msg # 763):

Oh my God! How terrible.
Connor Holmes
player, 210 posts
Felinoid; Irish citizen
Explorer/inventor
Sun 30 Jul 2023
at 19:58
  • msg #767

Requiem in Pace

Sincerest condolences. I regret not replying sooner, but real life got the best of me lately. I'm sorry to hear our esteemed GM passed away, had no idea he was still RPing so late in life, sounds like a nice chap and I would've liked to have met him by the sound of things.

Lost my father earlier in the year, so I definitely can empathize with the feeling of loss. Still miss him every day.
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