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Wednesday, May 10, 2023

 Here we go again:


Well I have to say I knew I had to write this post but been putting it off because in a way writing about it makes it more real in my mind and to be honest I can't believe I am back here with my life. 

As a lot of you knew me before or you can read past posts I had an accident and spent 9 months in hospital then became homeless which while working selling Big Issue I was helping many people along the way.

I joined together with Bernie and others to build an amazing charity which is still going today helping thousands of people every year. Signal Flare 

I got on my feet with getting accommodations and getting work as a Traffic controller. I will be honest I couldn't be more prouder. I had done it. I never knocked back extra shifts I always turned up early for work I was a good employee. I was so good I got offered work up at the mines which has same pay rate but many more hours so the money was good. 

I would do 14hrs days, 21 days straight and then 5 days off. Yes that was hard to do but they looked after us well with food and units.

If I could finish the post right here I would be very happy but there is more to the story.

(This part I will lightly write about because I still get nightmares about it)

Having a head on incident with a Road train I was flown back to Brisbane and had PDST with nightmares and being a nervous wreck with shakes all the time.

I didn't work for about 8 months when one of my ex work mates called and told me about a great job in Perth and I had now gain more then enough experience to get the job. All I had to do was a 3 day course because WA road laws are different then apply.

I was unsure because I knew I wasn't really recovered but I thought at least having a go was a great start.

I paid for my flight, course and hotel for the 4 days I would be there. I was trying to be positive thinking getting out and back to work might even help me get stronger faster.

Day 1 I went to the course and I have to say I Ace'd it. I didn't want to just pass this course I wanted to know everything it had to offer so I could use it at work.

I left after the first day beaming with a smile. In my way it was me taking back control of my life and not sitting at home thinking of road trains. I went to the local pub for dinner as the motel not do food. I had curry chicken and rice feeling good about myself


Now I didn't know this at the time but when I was eating a piece of chicken had clung to my esophagus wall (food pipe) and as I was eating more it pushed the chicken down and tore a hole in the wall causing internal bleeding.

I felt fine and went home. About 1 hour later I felt a bit sick like I had a flu or something so I layed down on bed to rest and fell asleep. I woke with blood all over the bed and quickly went to the bathroom for a shower. Blood coming from mouth and other end as I pasted out 2 times in shower. I had tried to stand but fell every time I had no energy so I dragged myself on my belly to the door and tried in a very weak voice to call for help.

I did passed out at the door and woke when ambulance arrived, to be honest I was in and out of consciousness a lot I not remember. I know I was code 1 on the way to hospital and died for 2 minutes at some point.

I woke the next day missing a leg and told what had happened. I had lost so much blood there was no blood flow to my leg so I lost it. They put that down to the fact I have polycythaemia rubra vera which is a strand of Leukemia.

I am sorry if that was hard to read I can say writing it was so much harder

I spent 5 months in hospital in there rehabilitation ward.

Now here I am again selling Big Issue magazines.

All the injuries and losing a leg while having leukemia is going to slow me down but I know I will work hard selling Big Issue and I will bounce back. 

Thank you very much for reading my blog and I hope you have a great day.
I have a donation button if you would like.

Grant the Polite Guy
0476 796 708
grantthepoliteguy@gmail.com