Just when I am going through my latest issues with seizures and stuff, news comes through that one of the most famous Queensland sporting persons, Wally Lewis, or King Wally as the parochial league fans have it, also has epilepsy. In his current role of sports newsreader, while reading the teleprompter, he froze on screen and couldn't talk, before it cut away to the actual report, and the regular newsreader followed up with the rest of the sports news after it cut back to the studio.
Have only seen the actual TV footage of him freezing once, not sure whether I want to rewatch it again or not (the wonders of video on the internet), but my heart went out to him when I saw it. That Wednesday a couple of weeks ago, I only froze while on the phone with one customer, in front of my workmates. Wally froze with a large number of people watching their televisions (not sure what Nine's news ratings in Brisbane are, but I know they aren't what they used to be).
I could totally understand what was going through his mind - the attempt at a smile to reassure that things are okay, the look of panic in his eyes at the thought 'not again, not now'. Yep, I could empathise completely, even though I thought he was a bit of a blowhard when he actually played rugby league.
Wally is on three weeks sick leave at the moment, which will link up with his six weeks annual leave - the word from the family is that it was because there was an attempt to change medication or something. It happened a couple of weeks ago as well, blamed at the time on illness and five kilos weight loss (maybe the losing weight thing is true about seizures?), and in 2001 as well, he stumbled over his words and left the studio during the news, which was rumoured to be a stroke.
At least it is making it a more public issue, although some of the coverage is making it sound worse than it is, at least in my mind. Taking a long time to get back to work, making it sound like it just keeps occurring out of the blue, rather than control it through meds - and here I am, trying to do my same job two days after my flake out. Of course, I'm not on television almost every night, but still.
On the personal level, after Wednesday's doctor's appointment, I did make it into the office both on Thursday and Friday, but on Thursday only took one phone call before my head was swimming, and onto the electronic work via email and fax - and the call I took wasn't a bad one either, in the back of my mind I was thinking how effective I would be on a bad call. On Friday I took phone calls until just before lunchtime, and then finished off the day with emails etc.
We will see how the next week goes - three day week, gloriously enough, have scheduled days off on both Thursday and Friday. Still want to do something with the three days I have off that do not have doctor's appointments attached - have been thinking about just hopping on a bus or train to the hinterland somewhere, whether Maryborough or Dalby or Byron Bay, just for a few days out of the big smoke, somewhere different to take photographs, and to take a break.
With my procrastination no doubt nothing will occur, but it is nice to think, to dream.
Paul
Have only seen the actual TV footage of him freezing once, not sure whether I want to rewatch it again or not (the wonders of video on the internet), but my heart went out to him when I saw it. That Wednesday a couple of weeks ago, I only froze while on the phone with one customer, in front of my workmates. Wally froze with a large number of people watching their televisions (not sure what Nine's news ratings in Brisbane are, but I know they aren't what they used to be).
I could totally understand what was going through his mind - the attempt at a smile to reassure that things are okay, the look of panic in his eyes at the thought 'not again, not now'. Yep, I could empathise completely, even though I thought he was a bit of a blowhard when he actually played rugby league.
Wally is on three weeks sick leave at the moment, which will link up with his six weeks annual leave - the word from the family is that it was because there was an attempt to change medication or something. It happened a couple of weeks ago as well, blamed at the time on illness and five kilos weight loss (maybe the losing weight thing is true about seizures?), and in 2001 as well, he stumbled over his words and left the studio during the news, which was rumoured to be a stroke.
At least it is making it a more public issue, although some of the coverage is making it sound worse than it is, at least in my mind. Taking a long time to get back to work, making it sound like it just keeps occurring out of the blue, rather than control it through meds - and here I am, trying to do my same job two days after my flake out. Of course, I'm not on television almost every night, but still.
On the personal level, after Wednesday's doctor's appointment, I did make it into the office both on Thursday and Friday, but on Thursday only took one phone call before my head was swimming, and onto the electronic work via email and fax - and the call I took wasn't a bad one either, in the back of my mind I was thinking how effective I would be on a bad call. On Friday I took phone calls until just before lunchtime, and then finished off the day with emails etc.
We will see how the next week goes - three day week, gloriously enough, have scheduled days off on both Thursday and Friday. Still want to do something with the three days I have off that do not have doctor's appointments attached - have been thinking about just hopping on a bus or train to the hinterland somewhere, whether Maryborough or Dalby or Byron Bay, just for a few days out of the big smoke, somewhere different to take photographs, and to take a break.
With my procrastination no doubt nothing will occur, but it is nice to think, to dream.
Paul
No comments:
Post a Comment