Further Delays to Season Start

I apologise for the delay in the start of the 2012 Driving Season at the EHDC…
We were due to start the driving season on the 1st March 2012 and here we are in the middle of April still unable to offer our services to our members… The reason why;
I had successful heart surgery on the 9th of December 2011 at Southampton General Hospital to replace the Aortic heart valve this went so well I was only in hospital for a week and discharged on the 15th December 2011.

I was sent home with the knowledge I should be recovered well enough to start driving the horses in time to get them fit for work at the start of March 2012. I wasn’t seen at Poole hospital or a doctor at my local surgery until the 30th January 2012. I was sent for to start my Rehabilitation at Poole Hospital. I was seen by a Specialist Nurse who discovered the procedure at Southampton to replace the valve had been very successful and although I was feeling great, I wasn’t able to exercise or go back to work because the top half of my heart is out of sync with the lower half (Atrial Fibrillation). While I feel fighting fit the danger of me overdoing work or exercise at this time would be the possibility of a Stroke or a Heart attack. I don’t want either of these alternatives, being as I am about to get Married to Denise on Friday 20th April, in the Guildhall in Poole, and at Dylan’s Restaurant after the ceremony all members welcome. Instead of wedding presents we request donations to the EHDC.

After this event is out of the way, my mind can concentrate on other things such as getting better. I am waiting for my drug levels to balance out, so I can have the next procedure attempted Cardio-version, this is where the doctors pass an electric shock through the heart and hopefully get it back into rhythm, which will allow me to commence exercise and work again.

Unfortunately add to my problems the fact that our other RDA Whips have been out of action also Denise looking after me, and Jonnie due to a bereavement, losing his mother two weeks ago. With funerals and the dealing with Mums estate, making demands on his time… The committee made the only sensible decision open to them and delay the start of the season until May and this will be the time all our lives can settle down to some kind of normality.

This has been a busy, frustrating, and difficult time for us all, I have a wonderful team of supporters who have cared for the horses during this time and have Jane Buck, RDA Whip in training driving training with Jonnie in any free time he can spare during this exasperating time for us all.

Wally