I am 52

[ramjet]

Thanks guys. The same here Ian. I actually consider myself to be a safer driver (even now) than most of the other numbats on the road around me.

I am throwing around the idea of starting my own driving school. Not sure yet.

 

The occupational therapist that I have booked even says her husband doesn't use his indicators to change lane.

[reebok]

Cant disagree with your reasoning, the general standard is pretty low.

Totally amazed that people seem to have no situational awareness or idea of what is happening around them.

My grandson is just about to start on his L plates, and I have told him to watch other drivers until then and see how often they use their mirrors, he was surprised after only a few weeks as an aware passenger, and I hope it opened up his mind a little.

Good luck. Because you are tryin you will already be ahead of most.

[ramjet]

Absolutely Peter. I have seen people tailgate in borderline weather, failure to indicate, cut people off etc. What is concerning, is that this is not limited to newer drivers. I have seen elderly drivers doing incredibly dangerous things.

 

I wonder how many times, listening to the radio when driving, how many crashes could be avoided by the drivers themselves being more wary?

 

What is also scary is I think this is worldwide.

[ramjet]

 

They just want me to look left and right when changing lanes, not just use my mirrors. It can be disconcerting when I do it since the stroke.

 

But I'm free.

[johnpwalsh]

GREAT well done.

[johnpwalsh]

I am 59. and have just suffered the same as Micheal, although not near as seriously. This happened to me 3 weeks ago now and like Michael scared the shit out of me. My problem was I was at work in Kazakhstan, and too make it worse I was stuck out in the desert onsite. Now try calling 911 from there, not a bloody chance. I managed to get back to town to my office and took a chill pill. Problem No2, no outbound flights from Atyrau on a Saturday, this happened Friday pm. No available flight until Thursday morning and having looked on the net and sussing out what was obviously wrong sort of knew I couldn't fly anyway. Problem No3, medical availability in Atyrau, pretty grim and third world. Only weeks before a mate of mine had fallen on ice and broken his wrist, he had to be flown back to the UK to fi the mess, and it was a mess after local surgery.So what does one do. Take a serious chill pill, check the net for best advcie and go by recommendations. Find a chemist and self medicate on strong Aspirin. Day two left arm and leg belong to a puppet and not mine as they dont do what the brain asks, strange trying to carry your own leg up a couple of steps, speech almost back to normal, left hand wont type what I want it too. Day 3, speech normal, left hand getting better, net say's get exercise so for the next 4 days walk about 5 miles per day, still working in office but taking things real slow and stress free, (thats a laugh) The Mrs ask why am I taking Aspirin as I havent mentioned my problem, well nothing she can do thousands of miles away and it reduces the stress as I know she wont be worrying about something she can do nothing about. Day 4 flight fixed to get back to UK on day 5 so at at last getting home. Make appointment for local doctor, 4 days wait, why tell me do you have to explain to a bloody receptionist why you need an urgent appointment. Anyway back in UK and 4 days later see the doc, suspicion confirmed, TIA, immediate ban from driving, appointment made for urgent VASCULAR and CAT scan. Scans completed and Vascular is perfect, just too wait for result's on CAT.

Stress level's away down now as chances of further problems are minimal, worst is not being able to drive and I know now how Micheal feels, I have messaged him a few times over the past few days and he is an inspiration and gives me reason to hope the driving wont be too long in coming back to me.

Guys I was unlucky in my circumstances in that my location kind of fucked things up a bit, had I been at home I would have been far safer.

I can also say I was very lucky in the fact that it didnt progress into a full blown stroke.

Dont do what I had to do. Get Medical Help Immediately, it sure pays off. Don't trust to luck, you/I may not have it next time.

Now just got MOT the S4 in preparation for my first drive, gees is it frustrating. Bloody thing sitting on the drive and cant touch it.

[ramjet]

...... and as of the 30th June, I am unemployed and not really sure how employable I am?

 

I am going to talk to some lawyers about unfair dismissal as I am not sure where I stand.

 

Not real happy.

 

So trying to work out what to do from now.

[reebok]

Was staring that one down two years ago. My fears were health related. It would be become more and more difficult to hide it too.

Made a decision to downsize my job.

Went to my employers and gave them an alternative scenario moving forward, which they jumped at.

Two years later, I am the office manager, and run their admin. Paycheck dropped by 50%, but can continue for another five years or so, instead of finding myself out on a limb.

You are valuable to an employer, you just have to think a bit more sideways at a solution.

[ramjet]

Understand what you are saying. The manager said though that the client company has said to offload people. I can't see a way out of this at the moment.

[s4simon]

Michael, I was made redundant at age 47.  Hit me very hard, as it was like permanent employed one day, destitute the next day.

 

The company supplied two sessions with a consulting agency (outplacement/career services). We sat down for a couple of hours  and totally reworked and rejigged my resume - as my old one was some 20+ years old.  Looks very professional now and is tuned to what I wanted to do next in life.  If you need a copy of mine for reference just send me a PM.  The layout of this new resume is totally  different so was well worth it. 

 

Took me a year to find a job that paid the same - which was very long.  The main thing is to keep yourself busy.  Have a plan for each week.  I ended up going to the public deceased estate auctions in Adelaide and buying up bargains.  Worked really well in that I averaged a mark up of just over 300% for the 12 months (Ebay is a wonderful thing).  So kept me busy, and made me money on the side.

[ramjet]

I suppose I am lucky in that my company are going to give me a month with the same sort of thing to get my resume up to scratch and interview techniques etc, so that should be ok.

[s4simon]

I originally put it off for a few weeks due to my initial bout of shock and unhappiness.  But it is definitely worth it.

[ramjet]

Well, I am now unemployed.

[s4simon]

Day 1 - Don't rush into things. 

[Barrykearley]

Michael - it's the first day of the rest of your life.

Remain positive and consider all your options.

Good luck fella

[hosscartwri]

Best advice I was given, "treat finding your next job as your current job"

What was meant by this was to maintain your work pattern during the working day. You worked x hours when

previously employed - work the same hours each day at finding your next job.

Above all, network, network, network to build up contacts and referrals. Ideally you want to dig out a job

that a company has not yet advertised or better still, create a job to use your particular skills and

knowledge. Whilst it is dependent on how specialised your expertise is, many advertised jobs attract a large response and whether your CV stands out is rather a lottery whereas if you can track down or create a job

through your personal contacts and developing network, you may even find yourself in a field of one!

Always follow up a contact or meeting with an email or letter - it helps cement the impression you made in

the contact's memory.

Appreciate that this may seem like a daunting if not impossible prospect but it does work. What is the worst that can happen? - someone may say 'no' - you have survived way worse!!

Very best of luck.

[Advantage]

Seems like perfect timing to hop on a plane and join in with the Copenhagen belt fest in a supervisory role.

[ramjet]

Got asked to attend an interview earlier than I thought in Brisbane while I was on leave. Waiting to see how that turns out now for a job in Geelong just down the road from where I worked.

[johnpwalsh]

Good news Michael, fingers crossed for you.

[DanR]

Hi Michael. Best of British (or should that be aussie). Can't be easy though life has a weird way of throwing us opportunities we never thought about.

 

Take care and if ever you want to chat or when you come up to the family here in Sydney, drop me a line. I'd be happy to pick you up and we go for a run somewhere.

[johnpwalsh]

Cheers Scott, not as scary as becoming a father though. congrats.

[ramjet]

And I didn't get the job. The HR guy said they went with a guy that had more experience managing contractors than what I had. He said my stroke was not relevant to their decision.

I have to believe what he says or I would give up.

Also going to put in for a position at Bunnings. They are building and opening a store 5 minutes walk from our home so going to try for the tool store.

[Kimbers]

Yeah that was definitely your car going up the A1 last week I saw john! Hope you are well mate.

 

Also, Mike, so pleased everything is improving mate.

[reebok]

Mate, keep your chin up.

Keep talking it out.

I have been at the same place for ten years, and even the people I work with 'forget' I have issues with making my body work like a normal one. Thing is there is no choice except to keep going.

I have one limb out of four that works properly, arthritis and residual damage from strokes has not been kind to me.

But the sun comes up every day, and I Can find a laugh in the most odd times.

Your issues wont go away. But you will find a way to do 'enough' to have a good life.

I wont be leaving my job any time soon ( of my owm choice, cant do anything about other peoples choices). The job I have may be less than I am capable of, but it pays the bills until I can choose to finish work. I am only a few years older than you. Definitely know what you are going thru.

Still plenty of sunshine left.

[johnpwalsh]

As stated by Peter above. It's strange that when you have the stroke your employers are all concerned that you may no longer be able to perform as required but a couple of months down the line they seem to have forgotten that you had an issue and the work piles in just as in the past. I now self regulate what I do work wise. Problem is I now find myself doing more than before and working longer hour's. I am not sure yet if this is just me proving to myself that I can still do a 16 hr day for 28 days straight or if I tend to forget it's time to to stop and go home. Part of my problem work wise is that I work overseas and live on my own in a rented flat so have nothing to rush home for. I tend to walk to work at 6.30 in the morning, have a coffee when I get there then look at the clock about 7pm when I get to feeling hungry, finish what I am doing then walk back to the flat and before I know it, it's near midnight. This gets Wendy seriously pissed off as she knows I am doing too many hours but as long as I dont get the tell tale headaches which is a warning to say the BP is on the rise then I recon I am ok. One bonus for me is that I have a new outlook and if I want to do something then I say fek it, I could be dead tomorrow and I go for it, i.e a day racing legend class race cars yesterday at Knockhill and Paragliding while on holiday o name but a few.

Michael, you have climbed mountains so far and your condition was far worse than mine, so hang in there bud and it will come good.