BS: Thoughts for Big Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: olddude
Date: 14 May 15 - 01:17 PM

I had a PE also mick it is scary and a close call but you will recover my friend and get better. Take the blood thinners and do exactly what they say. That is very serious and you dodged a bullet. You are in my prayers

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: gnu
Date: 14 May 15 - 09:46 AM

He's still posting on Facebook.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar
Date: 13 May 15 - 08:11 PM

After seeing the Spaw thread, I just rummaged around a bit for names of people I used be in almost daily contact with, and found this thread.

Any more recent news from Mick? I'd always assumed that when I moved back home to Ireland we'd have a chance to meet for real during one of his transatlantic visits, but this leads me to wonder if he'll be up to it any time soon.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: mg
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 01:09 PM

If you are at irizh fest look for me..can prob leavea mess at dance tent

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 11:56 AM

Spammers hit the thread but have since been deleted. Still, good wishes, Mick!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 09:28 AM

Methinks an ad hath appeared.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Aug 14 - 07:25 AM

well it was a strange way to be reminded but best wishes Mick!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 07:02 PM

thinking bout you as Paddy's day approaches....

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 06:11 PM

Just because I haven' posted here doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about you...

White light, healing thoughts, prayers and all that good stuff aimed at you from this neck of the woods.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Feb 14 - 03:51 AM

Damn, this crap needs to stop, I have music to make!

I'll second that.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 24 Feb 14 - 08:41 PM

I hope every day finds you better than the last. I'm glad we live in a time when such medicines exist. (I use Coumadin, too. and have since a pulmonary embolism caused a lung to collapse.)

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Janie
Date: 24 Feb 14 - 08:38 PM

What Dani said, and what Sins said, Mick.

It's obvious how much the old gang here loves and cares about you. That ain't half as much as your family and beloved friends and cohorts in your immediate 3-D neck of the woods. You are surrounded by powerful mojo of love, care and concern.

I don't know that mojo has any effect on bleedin' when and where it ain't best to bleed or clottin' when and where clottin' ain't supposed to occur. I do know that knowing there are people all over the place who truly care is sustaining and and a comfort. You are a passionately caring person and now is the time to let that passionate caring apply to yourself. Hard to realize sometimes that passion and patience are not mutually exclusive.

I know you will keep doing what you love and are passionate about, and do it from wise mind. Your task right now is not to worry that others will think they may have caused you harm. Your task right now is simply to decide, moment to moment, what you need to do to take care of yourself. I suspect you have surrounded yourself over time with friends, musicians, etc., who are themselves pretty wise, and don't need for you to worry about if they are worried about "pushing" you too far.

Much love and respect,

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: SINSULL
Date: 24 Feb 14 - 11:15 AM

Mick, do exactly what the doctor orders! NOW!
If not, we will request that Spaw drag out the Little Pissant Award and engrave your name on it.
Rest easy, my friend.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 08:41 PM

Ummm... breath problems? So you are NOT blowin' into them Northumbian smallpipes?

Well, durn it... do absolutely everything necessary to get back to reasonable huffin' & puffin'! We NEED you at more Getaways!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 08:27 PM

Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and you. Keep the calls close, or better, quite distant. Wear your rubbers and carry an umbrella, look both ways before starting to cross the street, and always wear clean underwear.

Me, I'm getting a partial knee replacement on March 19th. You'd better be out of the horse spittle before then or I'll plan to take a trip your way as soon as I'm able and pour some sense into yer thick Irish head (Bushmill's, 16 years old).

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 11:29 AM

T'anks, folks! Your well wishes are gratefully received. I am, indeed, paying attention to the Doc's. I know this might surprise some of you, but I can be a little stubborn at times ;-) I will be damned if these two close calls will be much more than a bump in the road. My Doctor did say that there must be something I am on earth for, because he has never seen anyone with so many close calls. I told him I was still here because he has kids to get through college.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Amos
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 11:10 AM

JEsus and Gawdammit, Mick! If you'd only kept up smoking when you were younger you wouldn't have these problems. Never mind, just clear those clots, lad. Give your lungs a good talking to. Thy'll understand. Heal, my brother!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 10:08 AM

Just checkin in to read the good wishes. After I posted on FB, I, being a Canuck, was required by law to watch CAN win gold in men's hockey. >;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 08:53 AM

I can only echo what Waddon Pete and the others have said. Love & hugs from here... thinking of you, willing you onwards...

Bonnie xx

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 23 Feb 14 - 06:30 AM

The world without a Big Mick in it would be a much poorer place. Make music, it cheers the soul and is good therapy, but take it easy. Don't try to do too much too soon.It will come when it is ready and folks are very understanding. Keep taking the tablets!

Peter

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 11:57 PM

Take care man.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 11:42 PM

Mick- sheeesh. That's about all I can say... {{{tight hug}}}}

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Rapparee
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 11:02 PM

Mick, stop that crap.

Mike,
just off I-15

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: frogprince
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 10:48 PM

Keep on behavin' yourself; we don't want Michigan losing one of it's better natural resources.

                Dean, just off I69.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: bbc
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 09:21 PM

Started out sounding so good, Mick! I'm glad you, at least, got out & had some fun & I'm glad it looks like you'll be ok. That middle stuff, though, not at all what I want for you!!! Take care & heal well, my friend!

love,

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 07:58 PM

caution, wise of you. wishing you a good recovery.    pete.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Big Mick
Date: 22 Feb 14 - 05:52 PM

THEY SAY THESE THINGS COME IN THREES.......

.... and the saga continues. So I get out of the hospital a week ago last Friday, take a day of rest, then head out to Muskegon, Michigan (home of the fabulous Michigan Irish Music Festival) to play an afternoon concert for those wonderful folks at the Muskegon Irish American Society. We had a great time, and while my breathing caused me a few problems, nonetheless I had a mighty time and just enjoyed the hell out of myself. After the gig I had dinner with my Mom, sisters, brother, and spouses. As the night progressed, my breathing seemed to progressively get worse, and sleep that night was very difficult. The next morning I called the Doc, he had me come in on Tuesday, after some diagnostics he told me he wanted me to head for the emergency room. After a CT w/dye it was determined that I had pitched some Pulmonary Embolisms and a number of them were on top of my lungs, two of which were of significant size. I was admitted to hospital and spent four days on a Heparin drip. I just got out last night with a prescription for Coumadain. I also have to administer myself four injections a day of injectable Heparin for about a week, and use o2 until my blood ox level gets back to where it should be. The Doc's tell me that the Heparin treatment, combined with the Coumadain, will likely allow my body to re-absorb the clots in 4 to 8 mints. With luck my breathlessness will steadily make improvements during that time. Damn, this crap needs to stop, I have music to make!

A couple of quick points. First, the gig on Sunday didn't cause the problem. The clots were already there. In fact, if anything, the gig likely caused me to seek treatment quicker than I otherwise would have. I likely would have just sat around and hoped it would pass. So to my friends in Muskegon, and my beloved bandmates, put that out of your minds. Second, I am not sure how much music I will be able to play during this St. Pat's season. My goal, at this point, is too play everything we have booked. But I have to be honest, I am not certain if that will be possible. But my bandmates are such a talented bunch that they will cover it in some form. Plus the talented Lexi Schaub, granddaughter of bandmates Mike Scott, will do some songs during some of the lead up gigs. I hope our fans will forgive me if I sit while I play, or take it a bit easy onstage.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 20 Feb 14 - 02:31 AM

See you in Muskegon at the Michigan Irish Fest in September, Mick.
Hope you'll be able to partake of the good stuff by then.
And we'll have a few tunes.....

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: GUEST,Guest - Texas Guest
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 10:32 PM

I'm just reciprocating the kind thoughts you sent my way back when I was fighting the "Big C." Hang in there, get as well as you can and may we meet up sometime (I may be coming up there in June) in the fine north country. Cheers to you and - GO RED WINGS!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 19 Feb 14 - 04:46 PM

Keep the wind at your back Mick!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: CET
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 08:48 PM

Thanks for posting Mick.

Edmund

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 08:38 PM

Whew. Just ..... whew....

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 12:52 PM

Best wishes from Staffordshire, Mick. Take it easy!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Wesley S
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 08:47 AM

Take it easy but take it! Glad you're on the mend no matter how long it takes.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: bbc
Date: 18 Feb 14 - 07:46 AM

Sounds like a long road, my friend, but, at least, you're moving again! May God grant you full healing & the patience to achieve it!

With love,

Barbara

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 09:27 PM

When next I see ya I'll buy.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 08:43 PM

Mick, be well.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 07:58 PM

I'll second that!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 07:26 PM

well done! glad to hear you're back gigging albeit in first gear.
I hope the music lifts your spirits
al

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Cool Beans
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 06:57 PM

Wishing you all the best, Mick. Holler if you need anything from this side of the state.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Mark Ross
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 06:52 PM

Glad you seem to be on the mend

Take It Easy, But Take It!

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: jacqui.c
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 05:32 PM

Good to hear from you my dear friend and so glad that you are now healing - lots of good thoughts for that process being sent.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Big Mick
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 05:13 PM

Thanks for the poke, gnu!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: gnu
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 04:42 PM

Gee... excellent update. Thanks for responding so qiuck, bud. I am pullin for ya. Keep yer stick on the ice. We need ya.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Jeri
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 04:41 PM

Great to hear from you, Mick!
My friend gets migraines that involve the following symptoms: aphasia and blindness. That's it--no head pain or anything else. I'm not suggesting that's the same as what you have, since all those medical folks have done damned near everything but a colonoscopy... unless you're just not talking about that. It's just that the brain does some very bizarre things sometimes.

Wishing health for you, and I hope you get your wind back because it's not a good thing when that gets broken.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 01:49 PM

Great to hear from Mick again. That description of aphasia sounded a bit like a terrible drinking aftermath....

So take care. As you say Mick, we've all got less time to go than we used to, and a lot of things to do.

I wrote a song once with the lines

"All things must pass, it's time that we were doing
All those things that so long we meant to do at last,
The walls might come down, but there's still life in these ruins,
The ship might go down, but the flag is at the mast..."

I had a friend at work who always used to greet me "Are you winning?" And I'd say "I am!" He was Irish, of course.   And that's what Mick would answer, I know.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 01:18 PM

wishing you best, mick, with a careful recovery....is jour musical focus going scratch where it itches!

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: SINSULL
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 01:13 PM

First 50s horror movie that came to mind was The Thing with James Arness walking around as a giant potato. Somehow appropriate.

Keep healing Mick. And no more performances without the doctors' permissions in duplicate.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: maeve
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 12:56 PM

Thanks, Mick. Much appreciated. Wishing you much good music and healing.

Thanks to gnu for the effective poke.

Welcome home, Rap.

Subject: RE: BS: Thoughts for Big Mick
From: Big Mick
Date: 17 Feb 14 - 12:46 PM

Update on Mick.

Well it has been a long two months. Forgive me for not being more forthcoming on my condition, but I have a couple of reasons. First, when I am dealing with illness/injury, I tend to act like an old bear. I den up and heal. I don't ask for much, and mentally go to a place of focus on the problem at hand. Second, I live in a rural place, and would rather not make it known that I am not around. Musicians know what I am talking about here.

On to the update. I have basically been on my back for two months. After they evacuated a massive centimeter thick subdural hematoma that covered a good deal of the left temporal lobe, they sent me home in early January with restrictions that basically left me unable to do anything. I wasn't allowed to lift anything, couldn't drive or even take long walks. A few days later I got hit with an attack of Aphasia. This is basically an inability to form words. My mind was clear, I knew what I wanted to say, no weakness or dizziness, I just couldn't make words. Just gibberish. This would last 5-10 minutes and then slowly subside. I ended up back in the Neurological Unit for another 8 days. I was having several of these episodes a day. They started out thinking I was having seizures, but two MRI's and EEG's later they were sure that was not the case. They managed to capture two of the episodes on EEG and said my brain function showed no seizure activity. They figured that there was a fluid buildup post op and that was causing the Aphasia. They then sent me home, on an anti seizure med, and a 6 day prednisone series, for three more weeks with the same friggin restrictions and then brought me back to the epilepsy monitoring unit to run a 5 day/24 hour a day EEG. This was important in order to rule out seizure activity. What a colossal pain in the arse that was. I looked like a character in a low budget 1950's era science fiction movie. 42 leads superglued to your scalp, plus five more for the EKG. Plus they monitor you with a camera around the clock. The damn thing follows you as you move around the room. Sometimes you forget that someone is watching you, (Fellas, pay attention here) and you reach down and scratch yer stuff, then all of a sudden it hits you that someone is watching. So you try to make like you were scratching your hip. The nurses told me that I would be amazed at what they see sometimes. They said that I was pretty smooth in how I tried to cover up that I was scratching what I was scratching. Anyway, after the monitoring was done, they FINALLY m lifted my restrictions, and told me I needed to remember that I was on my backside for two months, and it would take 6 - 8 weeks to rehab. That was this past Friday. But I had promised the wonderful folks at the Muskegon Irish American Society that I would perform on Sunday with the Conklin Ceili Band. They had already postponed their annual pub party a month on my account, so I would be damned before I wouldn't be there. My wind was shot, I had to sit down to play, but damn it felt good to be back onstage, playing for this group of friends that I have come to cherish. But I am paying for it today. So now begins the process of getting my wind and muscle tone back, and developing new and exciting material in my music. This event has made it clear to me that the time we have to do what we love is finite. There was a time in the beginning of this where it was touch and go for my having a complete stroke. I realized that I don't have time for foolishness as regards the things I want to accomplish musically. For some that will not be good news as I will have to shed them, for others it will be great as we explore together with focus. In the end it is all about the music, the song, and the people listening. It is all about touching people, making them feel something, moving them to action, delivering a message, or simply telling a tale. I hope for those of you who walk the same path, it means you will take pleasure in the music, and the craic, to come. Onward.