Been off the water recently and it'll be a while before I'm back... 
On the Oz Day holiday, I ended up in emergency surgery to fix a knot in my guts (yes, literally!). Massive pain - must be like being bitten in half by a shark - but all fixed now due to a lot of skilled care and a bit of good luck.
So I'm sporting a row of stitches the full length of my belly but feeling almost normal although very tired... Still, it will be another 6 weeks or so before I could get back on the water. And all this just after I got a brand new JP 85 thruster!! Lucky (for me...) we're coming into the end-of-summer quiet period... should be right for the traditional April sou-wester stormie!!
Not trying to be rude but how did ya get a knot in your stomach? Never heard of this before.
Select to expand quoteDarkplague said..
Not trying to be rude but how did ya get a knot in your stomach? Never heard of this before.
The last bit of my small intestine looped around on itself and pushed through the membrane (mesentery) that connects it to the back of the abdominal cavity. In the process the blood supply to that part of the gut was cut off, so it went into spasm and started to die (sort of like a stroke of the gut). Hence massive pain and a severe medical emergency. So they cut me open and untangled it in the nick of time so that there was no lasting damage to the gut. If there had have been, they would have cut the intestine, looped it through to the outside to a bag, and let it heal for 6 months or so. Or option 3 = dying pretty much then and there... so a really good outcome!!! Great doctors and nurses all helped a lot...
IAN
Not the best way to start your retirement Ian.
Look forward to seeing you in the waves this winter.
Sounds really uncomfortable - good to hear all went well
Hope you're on the mend and back on the water soon Ian.
Thanks, everyone... should be back on the water in April, all things going to plan... 
