Mod. Notice Round 14 - Wickzki Week

[Jeremias]

Hi folks.

Time to lift the spirits of the board a little by introducing something pretty special to you all.

This week’s game against the Suns will take on extra significance on this board.

We would like to introduce you to the inaugural edition of Wickzki Week.

You all know the poster – since joining BF in 2010, Wick has established himself as a respected voice on this board, and a highly valued contributor.

What you may not know is the story behind the poster. There’s an incredible story here which we will let Wick share in as much detail as he would like.

There are ongoing health issues and with that comes sensitivities, so whilst this week is about him, we’re going to give Wick the opportunity to share as much or as little as he likes.

We want this week to be in honour of Wick’s contribution to the board which has been immense.
We want to celebrate what he has brought to our community, and provide an opportunity for you all to thank him for it.

Why this week?

Wick is Melbourne born and raised but moved to Queensland in 2015, and has been a Suns member for much of the time since then.

Whilst he is Carlton through and through, both clubs now hold a special place in his heart.

So…how does it work?

• This week’s preview (HERE) has been written by the man himself – give it a read. If it’s like everything else he’s written on this forum, it is well worth your time
• Special edition of the BigFooty Blues Podcast featuring and special hosts and guests
• Q&A / AMA – Wick will very generously share his story with us all and has agreed to answer any questions you may have.
  Whilst the condition is a rare one, Wick’s insights may be of significant value particularly to those of you who know someone going through something similar.
• Celebrating Wick’s contribution – many of you have spent plenty of time going back and forth with Wick over the years. If you’ve got any stories or memories you’d like to share, please do!
• Fundraising – Raising awareness is great but so too is raising funds. And this week we’ll be raising funds for two causes close to Wickzki’s heart:
  • Princess Alexandra Hospital; and
  • Spinal Life Australia

We know it’s a tough time for many but we’re asking you to dig deep and donate what you can to two very special causes.

To kick us off – Chief and BigFooty have put in $100, and have agreed to get right behind this initiative.

Anyone who donates will receive a very special Wickzki Week BigFooty badge!

To donate, simply go to either (or both!) of the links below and follow the prompts:

PA Research Foundation - Make a Donation

Thank you for supporting Spinal Life Australia « Spinal Life

Note re: donations

• To receive a badge, please post a picture of your donation receipts in this thread.
• Remember to blur out all personal details before posting the picture.
• If donating to the PA Research Foundation, please include a note in the field "Leave PA Research Foundation a message" that the funds should go to the Spinal Unit

Thanks all and welcome to Wickzki Week!

 

[ABigOlDoofus]

Done, awesome initiative guys!

I'm close to running up 4 years on this board, which I'm aware is a short time compared to a lot of you, but I hope to stay a tenured member going forward regardless of how s**t we are as a team, due to posters like Wick. He's one of the reasons I keep coming back despite how bloody mad this place drives me at times!

Wick has always been a shining light on this board, both with his intel and his general thoughts and opinions on the game, whether it's post match reports or training write-ups it's always a must read for me.

Hope we can dig deep as a community and give what we can for a great cause and a great man.

 

[Dramoth]

Nice work guys...

I chat to Wick a lot on Messenger and we've discussed stuff to death.

 

[Wickzki]

Hi all



First, I want to give an enormous thanks to Chief and the admin team at BigFooty and to all of the moderators on the forum. When the mod team first approached me with this I was somewhat overwhelmed with emotion – deeply humbled, somewhat embarrassed, enormously appreciative and full of gratitude.



There’s been an enormous number of amazing contributors to these boards – especially our own – over the years. Many of you have left an indelible mark on me. Sadly, over time we’ve lost some of them and I genuinely miss them. For those of you who are still here and contributing to the boards I want to say thank you. Thank you for adding something to our fandom in good times and bad and sincerely to my own life. I look forward to reading what so many of you have to say even when I disagree with you. I’m a believer that that is how we learn.

I’ve had the good fortune of meeting some of you in person. From attending games with various posters (most (all but one when I was living in Melbourne) but also getting to know a few of you out in the community.



The past 4 years have been excruciatingly difficult ones for me. Having moved from Melbourne with an ex who got a once in a lifetime job promotion (medical field, more than doubling her salary) meant moving away from family and friends and starting a new life. Having suffered a permanent – significant – spinal disability in 2019 made my life a lot more isolating than what it already was. This is where your contributions to the board and your PM’s have been so appreciated. In this respect, a special thanks to Dramoth who I've known from here for years now (a constant source of mateship), Coona Blues and TENACIOUS who I did not really know prior to my injury but have both become regular pillars of support. It meant a lot to be able to meet visit Coona in hospital a couple of years ago when he was getting treatment. I look at him as though he’s the digital big brother that I never had



So what’s my health issue?

I’ll focus on the spinal stuff in this post. I’ll share the other afflictions subsequent to this. This is where I want to create awareness. As I told the mod’s this is the angle here. What originally happened to me can happen to anyone even though it is technically classified as a one-in-a-million health condition. From w hat I understand, it’s not too dissimilar to what our very own Sammy Walsh experienced late last year and going into early 2023 necessitating surgery.

From about 2006 (my first episode) through to 2018 I had a number of sporadic episodes of sciatica. I’d get it for 2-3 weeks at a time and with pain medication (from simple over the counter products to high powered drugs) and/or nerve blockers (e.g. Lyrica) it would heal itself. These episodes began to occur once every 12-18 months.


Scans in 2017 showed that I was suffering from spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal cord). The specialists refused to give me surgery on it and advised that I’d be in my 50’s or my 60’s when it was time to do it. In Australia they wont perform the surgery unless it is medically necessary due to the complications of the surgery (if things go wrong you’re looking at paraplegia and higher up than mine potential quadriplegia).



In late 2018 I suffered another bout. By now it had become “normal.” I thought another 2-3 weeks of this and I’d go back to feeling well again. It didn’t happen. By early January I was in hospital getting scans. The scans were concerning but I was able to satisfy the doctors with passing nerve tests and so they sent me home.



On the night of January 14 I felt a pain so excruciating right under my right buttock that it ended up with me being put in the emergency room. They gave me heavier pain medication and I passed out. I awoke the next morning and was sent home. I was advised that if it got worse (than the worst pain I’d ever experienced in my life) to go back to hospital. I was back in hospital 36 hours later having experienced the same pain on the other side.

That was the Wednesday. The Thursday was spent at another hospital getting an MRI. The MRI revealed that my bladder was holding almost two litres of urine (about 3 times what doctors consider to be the healthy maximum capacity). I hadn’t been able to poop since the Sunday. No matter how hard I tried I could do neither. Prior to this I was very regular and healthy with my toileting habits.



By the Friday I was receiving lifesaving surgery – a spinal discectomy and laminectomy on my L4/L5/S1 The pain that I felt below the buttocks on both sides was my spinal column crushing my bowel and bladder destroying the nerves in the back, bowel and bladder.



Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES)

CES is a medical emergency. The sooner you get it operated on the more likely you are to recover. The more it is delayed the worse the damage will get


I had no idea what Cauda Equina Syndrome was before I woke up following surgery. It was written on my medical records in big bold black text.



The cauda equina is the collection of nerves at the end of the spinal cord. It looks like a horse’s tail (hence the term equina). These nerves provide motor and sensory functions to the legs and the bladder and continue along in the spinal canal. The nerves send and receive messages to and from the lower limbs and the pelvic organs. CES occurs when there is dysfunction of multiple lumbar and sacral nerve roots of the cauda equina.

Causes:

• Spinal lesions and tumours
• Spinal infections or inflammation
• Lumbar spinal stensosis (that’s me!)
• Violent injuries to the lower back (gunshots, falls, auto accidents, etc.)
• Birth abnormalities
• Spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
• Spinal hemorrhages (subarachnoid, subdural, epidural)
• Postoperative lumbar spine surgery complications
• Spinal anesthesia

Symptom and Diagnosis



This is the area most important. The red flags are significant and can save your life. I have a super high pain threshold so had I known what CES was and the red flags I would have probably been better able to communicate what the doctors need to know sooner and may have avoided some of the problems that I ended up having.

• Urinary retention (see above)
• Urinary and/or faecal incontinence (inability to hold it)
• “Saddle anethesia” – sensory disturbance which can involve the anus, genitals and buttock region
• Weakness or paralysis of usually more than one nerve root.
• Pain in the back and/or legs (also known as sciatica)
• Sexual dysfunction

Impacts of CES

• I’ve been very fortunate here as I can still walk but an two thirds of CES survivors suffer from either permanent paralysis or drop foot and are forced to spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair. My fine motor skills are diminished but I can walk so that's a huge W.
  
  
• Because of the damage to the nerves in the bladder CES survivors often have increased UTI rates. I’ve had three since 2019 when I’d never had one previously. Due to the nerve damage the normal tell tale signs of a potential UTI are not present until all of the worst symptoms and issues are taking me down.
  
  
• Most CES survivors lose a substantial amount of their sexual function
  
  
• Significant and ongoing nerve pain. For me the spinal pain has gone but I get electric shocks up and down my legs every day. A good day will produce little to no shocks but a bad day can have me feeling as though I’m being prodded with a cattle stick or taser almost every minute of the day. Sadly, there are no specific triggers. Anything can set it off and the next day what set it off the day before may no longer be of any consequence to me.
  
  
• Incontinence becomes a consistent theme – both faecal and urinary. For me, this has meant that I can be forced to sit on the toilet from 6-12 hours a day. You lose the ability to feel when you need to go. Self cathing becomes a possibility (I suffer from a needle phobia so this isn’t an option).
  
  In my case I was initially treated as an orthopaedic rather than spinal patient for the first two years post-surgery. I always complained of issues including incontinence (more urinary than faecal) but ortho had no idea and kept assuming the surgery was successful so I shouldn’t be suffering like I was . Finally on my last outpatient appointment I had an emergency fill in doctor from spinal who was immediately shocked that I wasn’t sent immediately to spinal. I was soon admitted to the spinal unit where I stayed from August 2 to November 3, 2021.
  
  Gross warning …. The SIU was a huge success for me. Before SIU every night was an absolute nightmare due to incontinence. I would empty my bladder to the best of my ability before bed. I would stop drinking hours before sleeping. Yet every night my partner and I would inevitably wake up to the feeling like we were in an Olympic swimming pool. SIU solved this issue with time and careful considerations. I now can sleep the night without doing that. Two and a half years was more than enough.
  
  
• Mental health and depression – understandably my mental health has taken an absolute battering. It’s often why I can appear OTT on the forums (hello game threads). I’ve come a long way in this regard but again the SIU was absolutely vital in helping me turn the corner.

Cauda Equina Syndrome has changed my life but it can happen to anyone. At any time. Whether you’re young or old. It will change your life. All of the autonomous actions that you’ve never had to think about and subsequently taken for granted will never be the same again. It’s bloody hard to get to 39 without having experienced any of this to suddenly have life slap you in the face and turn it all upside down.

I’ll have more to write and share during the week but this is already rambling and long enough to start.


Once again, thank you to the admin and mods of BigFooty and to all of you for taking the time and either donating (to those who did already, double thanks, and gosh you're quick!) or considering it. I know times are rough.

I love you all.

Please feel free to ask me anything. I'm also open for PM's if you'd like to approach me privately.

 

[Wickzki]

I couldn't not donate this week. Thanks again BigFooty admin and mods.

 

[TENACIOUS]

Wick, to go through what you have and what you continue to go through...
While maintaining a positive attitude and your deep care for others, is a testament to you...

The world would be a better place with more Wickzki in it...

 

[Tigerturbulance]

Great to hear your story Wickzki and makes me marvel even more at your qooty performances each week playing for the Ophidian Old Boys.

For those reading this and wondering what I am on about, I am honored to be Wickzki Qootball team (the Ophidian Old Boys) Captain on the SWEET F.A. board where we banter in a make believe footy comp. Sounds strange but is fun once you get your head around it. Anyway back to the man of the hour and some things you probably don't know about him from the SFA board.

He is a natural at kicking qoals



and loves to celebrate a win



I've known Wick's for a year but have learnt in that short time he is a solid individual and a good man to have on your side. After reading his story I am in awe of his strength and the fact he never showed any of this in our team PM or threads, just got on with the qooty business and having fun with people. Its a pleasure to play along side you Wick's and I look forward to many more seasons pulling on the Old Boys jumper and flogging the opposition together.

 

[JamisonRun40]

Thank you for sharing your story Wickzki I know what it is like to have your health taken away from you unexpectedly and not being able to comprehend why it is happening. It only takes one doctor to go 'hang on' and then you get steer onto another path, well done to that doctor for getting you to the spinal ward and steering you in the right direction. Take care a I look forward to the banter during the week. Suns will probably win but for you it will be win win either way. Enjoy your week.

 

[ABigOlDoofus]

Hi all



First, I want to give an enormous thanks to Chief and the admin team at BigFooty and to all of the moderators on the forum. When the mod team first approached me with this I was somewhat overwhelmed with emotion – deeply humbled, somewhat embarrassed, enormously appreciative and full of gratitude.



There’s been an enormous number of amazing contributors to these boards – especially our own – over the years. Many of you have left an indelible mark on me. Sadly, over time we’ve lost some of them and I genuinely miss them. For those of you who are still here and contributing to the boards I want to say thank you. Thank you for adding something to our fandom in good times and bad and sincerely to my own life. I look forward to reading what so many of you have to say even when I disagree with you. I’m a believer that that is how we learn.

I’ve had the good fortune of meeting some of you in person. From attending games with various posters (most (all but one when I was living in Melbourne) but also getting to know a few of you out in the community.



The past 4 years have been excruciatingly difficult ones for me. Having moved from Melbourne with an ex who got a once in a lifetime job promotion (medical field, more than doubling her salary) meant moving away from family and friends and starting a new life. Having suffered a permanent – significant – spinal disability in 2019 made my life a lot more isolating than what it already was. This is where your contributions to the board and your PM’s have been so appreciated. In this respect, a special thanks to Dramoth who I've known from here for years now (a constant source of mateship), Coona Blues and TENACIOUS who I did not really know prior to my injury but have both become regular pillars of support. It meant a lot to be able to meet visit Coona in hospital a couple of years ago when he was getting treatment. I look at him as though he’s the digital big brother that I never had



So what’s my health issue?

I’ll focus on the spinal stuff in this post. I’ll share the other afflictions subsequent to this. This is where I want to create awareness. As I told the mod’s this is the angle here. What originally happened to me can happen to anyone even though it is technically classified as a one-in-a-million health condition. From w hat I understand, it’s not too dissimilar to what our very own Sammy Walsh experienced late last year and going into early 2023 necessitating surgery.

From about 2006 (my first episode) through to 2018 I had a number of sporadic episodes of sciatica. I’d get it for 2-3 weeks at a time and with pain medication (from simple over the counter products to high powered drugs) and/or nerve blockers (e.g. Lyrica) it would heal itself. These episodes began to occur once every 12-18 months.


Scans in 2017 showed that I was suffering from spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal cord). The specialists refused to give me surgery on it and advised that I’d be in my 50’s or my 60’s when it was time to do it. In Australia they wont perform the surgery unless it is medically necessary due to the complications of the surgery (if things go wrong you’re looking at paraplegia and higher up than mine potential quadriplegia).



In late 2018 I suffered another bout. By now it had become “normal.” I thought another 2-3 weeks of this and I’d go back to feeling well again. It didn’t happen. By early January I was in hospital getting scans. The scans were concerning but I was able to satisfy the doctors with passing nerve tests and so they sent me home.



On the night of January 14 I felt a pain so excruciating right under my right buttock that it ended up with me being put in the emergency room. They gave me heavier pain medication and I passed out. I awoke the next morning and was sent home. I was advised that if it got worse (than the worst pain I’d ever experienced in my life) to go back to hospital. I was back in hospital 36 hours later having experienced the same pain on the other side.

That was the Wednesday. The Thursday was spent at another hospital getting an MRI. The MRI revealed that my bladder was holding almost two litres of urine (about 3 times what doctors consider to be the healthy maximum capacity). I hadn’t been able to poop since the Sunday. No matter how hard I tried I could do neither. Prior to this I was very regular and healthy with my toileting habits.



By the Friday I was receiving lifesaving surgery – a spinal discectomy and laminectomy on my L4/L5/S1 The pain that I felt below the buttocks on both sides was my spinal column crushing my bowel and bladder destroying the nerves in the back, bowel and bladder.



Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES)

CES is a medical emergency. The sooner you get it operated on the more likely you are to recover. The more it is delayed the worse the damage will get


I had no idea what Cauda Equina Syndrome was before I woke up following surgery. It was written on my medical records in big bold black text.



The cauda equina is the collection of nerves at the end of the spinal cord. It looks like a horse’s tail (hence the term equina). These nerves provide motor and sensory functions to the legs and the bladder and continue along in the spinal canal. The nerves send and receive messages to and from the lower limbs and the pelvic organs. CES occurs when there is dysfunction of multiple lumbar and sacral nerve roots of the cauda equina.

Causes:

• Spinal lesions and tumours
• Spinal infections or inflammation
• Lumbar spinal stensosis (that’s me!)
• Violent injuries to the lower back (gunshots, falls, auto accidents, etc.)
• Birth abnormalities
• Spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs)
• Spinal hemorrhages (subarachnoid, subdural, epidural)
• Postoperative lumbar spine surgery complications
• Spinal anesthesia

Symptom and Diagnosis



This is the area most important. The red flags are significant and can save your life. I have a super high pain threshold so had I known what CES was and the red flags I would have probably been better able to communicate what the doctors need to know sooner and may have avoided some of the problems that I ended up having.

• Urinary retention (see above)
• Urinary and/or faecal incontinence (inability to hold it)
• “Saddle anethesia” – sensory disturbance which can involve the anus, genitals and buttock region
• Weakness or paralysis of usually more than one nerve root.
• Pain in the back and/or legs (also known as sciatica)
• Sexual dysfunction

Impacts of CES

• I’ve been very fortunate here as I can still walk but an two thirds of CES survivors suffer from either permanent paralysis or drop foot and are forced to spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair.
  
  
• Because of the damage to the nerves in the bladder CES survivors often have increased UTI rates. I’ve had three since 2019 when I’d never had one previously. Due to the nerve damage the normal tell tale signs of a potential UTI are not present until all of the worst symptoms and issues are taking me down.
  
  
• Most CES survivors lose a substantial amount of their sexual function
  
  
• Significant and ongoing nerve pain. For me the spinal pain has gone but I get electric shocks up and down my legs every day. A good day will produce little to no shocks but a bad day can have me feeling as though I’m being prodded with a cattle stick or taser almost every minute of the day. Sadly, there are no specific triggers. Anything can set it off and the next day what set it off the day before may no longer be of any consequence to me.
  
  
• Incontinence becomes a consistent theme – both faecal and urinary. For me, this has meant that I can be forced to sit on the toilet from 6-12 hours a day. You lose the ability to feel when you need to go. Self cathing becomes a possibility (I suffer from a needle phobia so this isn’t an option).
  
  In my case I was initially treated as an orthopaedic rather than spinal patient for the first two years post-surgery. I always complained of issues including incontinence (more urinary than faecal) but ortho had no idea and kept assuming the surgery was successful so I shouldn’t be suffering like I was . Finally on my last outpatient appointment I had an emergency fill in doctor from spinal who was immediately shocked that I wasn’t sent immediately to spinal. I was soon admitted to the spinal unit where I stayed from August 2 to November 3, 2021.
  
  Gross warning …. The SIU was a huge success for me. Before SIU every night was an absolute nightmare due to incontinence. I would empty my bladder to the best of my ability before bed. I would stop drinking hours before sleeping. Yet every night my partner and I would inevitably wake up to the feeling like we were in an Olympic swimming pool. SIU solved this issue with time and careful considerations. I now can sleep the night without doing that. Two and a half years was more than enough.
  
  
• Mental health and depression – understandably my mental health has taken an absolute battering. It’s often why I can appear OTT on the forums (hello game threads). I’ve come a long way in this regard but again the SIU was absolutely vital in helping me turn the corner.

Cauda Equina Syndrome has changed my life but it can happen to anyone. At any time. Whether you’re young or old. It will change your life. All of the autonomous actions that you’ve never had to think about and subsequently taken for granted will never be the same again. It’s bloody hard to get to 39 without having experienced any of this to suddenly have life slap you in the face and turn it all upside down.

I’ll have more to write and share during the week but this is already rambling and long enough to start.


Once again, thank you to the admin and mods of BigFooty and to all of you for taking the time and either donating (to those who did already, double thanks, and gosh you're quick!) or considering it. I know times are rough.

I love you all.

Please feel free to ask me anything. I'm also open for PM's if you'd like to approach me privately.

* mate, I think I speak for everyone on this board when I say you have been through the wars brother. The fact you've come out the other side with such a positive outlook is a true testament to your character, as I don't think anyone would bemoan you if you'd decided to be a wingey b*****d after all of that.

You are a true inspiration to all of us. Thank-you for sharing your story.

 

[Wickzki]

Thank you for sharing your story Wickzki I know what it is like to have your health taken away from you unexpectedly and not being able to comprehend why it is happening. It only takes one doctor to go 'hang on' and then you get steer onto another path, well done to that doctor for getting you to the spinal ward and steering you in the right direction. Take care a I look forward to the banter during the week. Suns will probably win but for you it will be win win either way. Enjoy your week.

It's always good to see the Suns playing well except against us (save for family,). Carlton always.

I hope the absolute best for your health and that whatever it is that you've battled/,battling gets kicked in the ass. You're a top poster and I have a lot of time for you.

mate, I think I speak for everyone on this board when I say you have been through the wars brother. The fact you've come out the other side with such a positive outlook is a true testament to your character, as I don't think anyone would bemoan you if you'd decided to be a wingey b*****d after all of that.

You are a true inspiration to all of us. Thank-you for sharing your story.

Thankyou for taking the time to read and your kind words. I truly appreciate it.

Double thanks for donating to Spinal Life. They do amazing work. They're always in the hospitals running programs like Back to Work (helping people with back surgery return to work when it's safe to do so or helping them find new suitable work, etc.), helping with housing for people with spinal cord injuries, information sessions in the hospitals themselves, etc.

Truly what happened to me can happen to anyone. We often don't think about spinal care until it's too late.

Great to hear your story Wickzki and makes me marvel even more at your qooty performances each week playing for the Ophidian Old Boys.

For those reading this and wondering what I am on about, I am honored to be Wickzki Qootball team (the Ophidian Old Boys) Captain on the SWEET F.A. board where we banter in a make believe footy comp. Sounds strange but is fun once you get your head around it. Anyway back to the man of the hour and some things you probably don't know about him from the SFA board.

He is a natural at kicking qoals

View attachment 1710877

and loves to celebrate a win

View attachment 1710874

I've known Wick's for a year but have learnt in that short time he is a solid individual and a good man to have on your side. After reading his story I am in awe of his strength and the fact he never showed any of this in our team PM or threads, just got on with the qooty business and having fun with people. Its a pleasure to play along side you Wick's and I look forward to many more seasons pulling on the Old Boys jumper and flogging the opposition together.

Thank you. I'm nowhere near as active a participant as what I'd like to be but I get a huge kick out of it even when I'm not posting in it. My partner regularly asks me how my oooty is going.

For anyone who is active on these forums and wants something fun to do where all you need to do is banter and post positively elsewhere in the community I encourage you to give it a shot. A number of our most regular posters are regulars in the SFA and through it I've found them to be great people who will actively post go get you more involved and feeling well one. It's also been the best place to learn about posters who support other clubs on this thing. Makes me really miss our banter threads and the good oppo fans who'd come in and banter

Thanks everyone again

 

[Robertio]

Great to hear your story Wickzki and makes me marvel even more at your qooty performances each week playing for the Ophidian Old Boys.

For those reading this and wondering what I am on about, I am honored to be Wickzki Qootball team (the Ophidian Old Boys) Captain on the SWEET F.A. board where we banter in a make believe footy comp. Sounds strange but is fun once you get your head around it. Anyway back to the man of the hour and some things you probably don't know about him from the SFA board.

He is a natural at kicking qoals

View attachment 1710877

and loves to celebrate a win

View attachment 1710874

I've known Wick's for a year but have learnt in that short time he is a solid individual and a good man to have on your side. After reading his story I am in awe of his strength and the fact he never showed any of this in our team PM or threads, just got on with the qooty business and having fun with people. Its a pleasure to play along side you Wick's and I look forward to many more seasons pulling on the Old Boys jumper and flogging the opposition together.

Hey that's my skipper and Wickzki a ripper teammate.

 

[Timewaster]

Thanks Wick and Mods. Its easy to get down on footy with the season we're in, and good to be reminded there are much more important things in life.

Spinal stuff is tough - my daughter was born with spina bifida but we ended up with the mildest case possible. Positive thinking is a great gift and some perspective on things like tackle counts is very welcome too.

Thanks for this thread.

 

[AndyWalkersGirl]

I'm sorry to hear your story and of the struggles and pain it's caused you. My best wishes to you, Wick xx

 

[Just Kreuzing]

You are an inspiration Wick, thanks for sharing your story and great initiative by the mods as well.

Keep up your great contributions brother we are all here whenever you need mate

 

[myblueroan]

You are an inspiration Wick.
It's a pleasure getting to know you a little through BF blues forum.

Mods, wonderful idea. Kudos!
I hope this will suffice as donation proof. Worthy cause.

Thank you for your generous donation​

Thank you again for your valuable support – we are very grateful!
We have emailed you a receipt for your donation for your records.
Your generous gift will help us to support people with spinal cord damage to live accessible, equitable and empowered lives.

 

[Mobbs]

Already been a pleasure kindah meeting you via the OOBs Wickzki , and had no idea at all of this battle you've been fighting. Thanks for sharing this incredible story. And Wickzki week is a brilliant idea. I can vouch for the community strength of Bigfooty from personal experience, and am forever in awe of the cameraderie.

 

[Wickzki]

Special shout out to MrsEddieBetts , The_Wookie , Jeremias who had me on our podcast tonight. Wookie is currently editing and publishing the show. I hope it's as fun to listen to as it was to be a part of it.

Thank you to those of you who have donated.

Timewaster I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's spinal bifida. Even if it's a mild case it's still a challenge that she's had to overcome to live and enjoy life. People who have gone through those types of challenges for a greater percentage of life.

AndyWalkersGirl thank you for your kind words. I always look forward to seeing your posts on the forum. Always valued contributions that brighten my day! Thank you!.

Just Kreuzing thank you. You're another person who has reached out at some of my lowest points of which I've probably never shown the level of gratitude that I have for you

myblueroan you, yourself are an inspirational poster. One of my favorites to read on these forums. Always around to offer the right advice to people when they need it most. Both here and elsewhere on BigFooty. Thank you Horsey for everything and your donation.

Mobbs thank you for donating. It has been an honour getting to know your through our OOBS. As I've written elsewhere I don't venture a great deal beyond the Blues BigFooty forum so coming across fantastic people like yourself and Tigerturbulance and others through Oooty really makes me want to contribubute more elsewhere. Thank you!

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Special shout out to MrsEddieBetts , The_Wookie , Jeremias who had me on our podcast tonight. Wookie is currently editing and publishing the show. I hope it's as fun to listen to as it was to be a part of it.

Thank you to those of you who have donated.

Timewaster I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's spinal bifida. Even if it's a mild case it's still a challenge that she's had to overcome to live and enjoy life. People who have gone through those types of challenges for a greater percentage of life.

AndyWalkersGirl thank you for your kind words. I always look forward to seeing your posts on the forum. Always valued contributions that brighten my day! Thank you!.

Just Kreuzing thank you. You're another person who has reached out at some of my lowest points of which I've probably never shown the level of gratitude that I have for you

myblueroan you, yourself are an inspirational poster. One of my favorites to read on these forums. Always around to offer the right advice to people when they need it most. Both here and elsewhere on BigFooty. Thank you Horsey for everything and your donation.

Mobbs thank you for donating. It has been an honour getting to know your through our OOBS. As I've written elsewhere I don't venture a great deal beyond the Blues BigFooty forum so coming across fantastic people like yourself and Tigerturbulance and others through Oooty really makes me want to contribubute more elsewhere. Thank you!

Thanks for joining us, Wick! Can't wait to listen to it and cringe at my stupid voice.

 

[Wickzki]

Thanks for joining us, Wick! Can't wait to listen to it and cringe at my stupid voice.

You sound fantastic.

Should be an interesting listen. I'm scared. <ducks faster than a Selwood>

 

[Jeremias]

Feedback on the podcast is that I sound like I’m on a train. Or in space.

Or on a train in space. That would be fun.

So apologies in advance if I’m hard to hear but I’ve given full permission to The_Wookie to edit me out

Thanks Wook + Wickzki + MrsEddieBetts

 

[Wickzki]

Not sure how many of you or if anyone watches TikTok.

One of the things I speak about on the podcast was how online social media communities have helped me connect with other people that have this condition.

One of the people that I've been fortunate enough to know through most of this find and who has now become a dear friend is Sean Ash. He posted these videos on the platform of his battle and what he has done for CES.

It'll give you a more visual look into what CES has done to him that just writing and talking about it can't do.

TikTok - Make Your Day

TikTok - Make Your Day

TikTok - Make Your Day

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[myblueroan]

How do we access the Podcast?

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

How do we access the Podcast?

Once The_Wookie is done editing, he'll drop a link so you can get it into your earholes

 

[Wickzki]

Hi all

I've had a few people message me with concern about preferring to keep donation value private. I understand this preference and had a brief exchange with Jeremias last night.

If you'd like the Wickzki Week badge on your account but prefer to keep your donation value private please post here a proof with all identifiable markers and donations valuevrl blocked or send it to J.

I hope this helps

 

[myblueroan]

Hi all

I've had a few people message me with concern about preferring to keep donation value private. I understand this preference and had a brief exchange with Jeremias last night.

If you'd like the Wickzki Week badge on your account but prefer to keep your donation value private please post here a proof with all identifiable markers and donations valuevrl blocked or send it to J.

I hope this helps

I just printed the thankyou part.
Is that acceptable J?