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My Walk of Life by Reuben Boyes.

Sunday, 12th August, 2012

I had been doing some DIY about 6pm, I felt a bit queasy and had a headache. Getting hungry and the feeling of thats enough for today, I cleared my tools away. By 8.30pm the headache started to ‘Pulse’ and the pain was getting worse.

I was a Quarry manager, 59 year old, 6ft and rough and ready… or so i thought.

The pain in my head was a pain like nothing on earth. I shouted to my wife who was watching TV- “I need an ambulance”. Each time the pain came it was pulsing, behind my right ear and into my head and I was starting to be sick. I can remember being on my knees and seeing some one walking up and down talking on the phone. I was outside at the back door, each time the pain came I would shout out in horror. I can recall the person on the phone, a neighbour, was seeking to the operator for the ambulance.

I heard the sirens and saw the blue lights flashing, by this time it was 9.15pm. Someone touched me on the shoulder and said my name.. and that was the last thing I can remember.

The next conscious thing I knew was wakening up to the feeling of a warm and cosy bed with curtains around it. I was in the western hospital Edinburgh. 5 weeks Later.

I was then taken to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary A&E.

Result of my CT Scan: Massive Intracerebral Haemorrhage, second Subarachnoid Haemorrhage

12.15AM Monday 13th August
Blue light transfer direct to theatre

Western General Edinburgh Edinburgh Department Neurology
I had a craniotomy, evacuation of blood clot and clip insertion. Intensive care unit by 7.30am

10am a angiogram showing Subarachnoid Haemorrhage.

Terminal right posterior communicating artery, this was could on Tuesday 14th August.

I was in ITU for 22 days; I had a bleed from my stomach, tested positive for CDIFF and was moved to high dependancy unit with was where I woke up.

I was back in Dumfries on the 14th September, feeling very weak. Slight left side weakness but alive and looking ahead.

On the 22nd October 2012 I walked out of Hospital with a walking stick and i haven’t stopped walking since.

A couple of years later, in 20th December 2014 I walked 12.5 mile from Dumfries to Lockerbie, had a bacon roll, left Lockerbie at 11am and was back in Dumfries at 3.05pm. A total of 25 miles.

A week later, on 27th December (my Birthday), I left Lockerbie at 6.15am and walked to Moffat (14.5 Miles) had a bowl of soup and was back in Lockerbie at 5.15pm (29 miles).

Going Forward
On the 12th of August this year I am going to retrace my steps walking from Lochmaben to Dumfries and on up to Edinburgh, pushing a custom-made cart with built-in living quarters.

All of the money I raise will be going straight to the Brain and Spine Foundation as a thanks for getting me my life back.

Thank you for reading my story.

Reuben