Thursday 19th July

Graham

Hi,

Yesterday I went with my son Victor to El Mastren (which is the best traditional Spanish bar in San Pedro.)

We take our breakfast there every Sunday, so yesterday was an exception to the rule. They do great bacon and eggs on toast.

As I have a severe back problem, I cannot sit in a chair and at the moment must use a sun-lounger. We carry a lightweight-folding version in the back of the jeep. I also need an Invalid parking space if possible, as I have to carry the lounger form the car to the bar.

There’s a 50/50 chance of finding the parking space near the bar free, but often it is blocked by a delivery van or occupied by a car which is not displaying an Invalid parking sticker.

Normally I don’t take offense at all this and just double park and then when a police patrol arrives I explain that I couldn’t use the parking space for whatever reason. They are pretty good and just say. “OK double park until you’ve finished your breakfast and we’ll turn a blind eye.”

Yesterday I noticed that a white Renault Megan (not displaying a parking sticker) had been parked in the invalid space for 48 hours and decided that, the line had to be drawn somewhere.

After making about a dozen calls and being pushed from pillar to post, 2 police motorcyclists arrived. They called me over and assured me that the offending white Renault would be towed away within minutes. Within 2 min they had used two trolley jackes to extricate the car sideways from the tight gap it had been parked in and had one end of the car up in the air at which point I noticed that a myriad of Spanish people on the El Mastren bar terrace were looking daggers at us and saying. “That’s Sofi’s car and she has a child in a wheel chair”. There were two really heavy guys sitting on the next table, glaring at us and making sure that everybody new that we were behind getting Sofi’s car towed away, at a recovery cost of at least 150€.

Typical of Andalucians, nobody wanted to take responsibility and tell the policemen that the owner of the car did after all have the right to park there, so I went across and spoke with the officers, who confirmed that they were taking the car away, but when they had hoisted the car up in the air, they had already seen an Invalid Sticker poking out from beneath the sun shield.

I asked the officer's if it might not be better to leave the car parked where it was, as although technically it was wrongly parked, as it was not displaying a sticker, it would be rather harsh to tow the car away, under such circumstances.

At this point the Officer asked me if I knew the lady owner and her invalid daughter. I decided a white lie might save the day (and 150+ euros) and said yes I did know her. “OK then”. He said we'll put the car back.

An so an awfully embarrassing breakfast was concluded on the terrace of El Mastren bar San Pedro De Alcantara. My stone cold bacon and eggs were just great!

Top neurologist suggests a solution.

Tuesday 17^th July

Graham:

Hi,

I did promise to tell you what the neurologist’s report said, so here goes:

He thinks that the 2 prosthesis and the saddle fixing my L5 to my S1, have effected a good structural repair to my previously failed (Worn- out) lumber spine, but he says that no mechanical repair will ever eliminate pain. (The reason for this is that once the very precise tolerances between vertebra and the nerves exiting the spine, have been altered from those created by nature, there is always going to be pressure on nerves and that means pain).

He suggests a solution.

In Oct he plans to do a very precise procedure. Using a monitor he will inject all the posterior nerves that he suspects are causing pain and anaesthetise them. I will then have 5 hours to walk around and decide whether or not he has found the source of the pain, if he has, then at a subsequent date he will conduct a procedure using radiographic imagery, combined with lazar technology, to destroy the offending nerves. Any benefit gained from this procedure will be effective for 5 years and then have to be repeated.

Dr.Victoria Chacon-Almeda.is an angel. Centro Comercial Diana

Monday 16^th July

Graham:

Hi,

When you have a real medical problem, that needs the attention of a specialist, you must search and search, until you find someone who really understands your problem and also really wants to help you get better. This is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

I had a big operation on my lumber spine, 6 years ago and have been unable to work ever since, due to high levels of pain.

I have seen many, many specialists. I have a pile of CAT scans a foot thick, but have got absolutely nowhere.

But now I have made a break through, thanks to an angel,

my G.P. Dr.Victoria Chacon-Almeda. She has moved heaven and earth to get me appointments with top neurologist etc and it is through her that I got to see the top man at the Pain-Clinic (Unidad De Dolor) in Hospital Civil, Malaga.

He has intimated prior to writing his report that my pain comes from aggravated nerves at the back of my lumber spine.

He has doubled the amount of Lyrica that I have been taking and he has added to that Morphine, Tramadol and Clonazepam drops, for when the pain is simple gets too much.

I cannot tell you how much better I feel with the new dosages of drugs and the prospect of a REAL expert conducting test, aimed to eliminate my pain is just fantastic.

I feel like a million dollars!

Tomorrow I should have his report to hand and will tell you his findings more precisely.

Always Wear a a Big Smile, Even if You're Dying.

Friday13^th July

Olivia:

Hi;

Eli my key worker has been having trouble with frequent nosebleeds. Not very good when you are delivering a burger which is supposed to be, well done.

One of the problems with working in bars and restaurants is that nobody ever asks about the health of the people who are serving them. Customers are very quick to tell you if they have a broken nail, but you can be in the middle of an asthma attack and just so long as they get their long, cool latte, they don’t even notice if your arm is falling off.

Most of us are like this, when I stop in the morning at a bar to enjoy a coffee and toast with Graham, I often forget to ask the waitress how she is, but they always enquire into my health. ” Hello Inés how are you today?” and I reply well very tired and I didn’t sleep last night and my in growing toenail is killing me. We are basically all egocentric. Or is it just me?

Come on let’s all agree to try to be better people, by asking the waitress/waiter in our favourite bar, how she/he is feeling next time we drop in for a coffee. Wouldn’t that be great?

Well anyway to get back to our bar and Eli. She went to see a specialist yesterday, who burnt her nasal passages, using lazar tech., he says that when they heal, they’ll be stronger and she’ll be free of nosebleeds. I do hope so!

Today she is at work, but unfortunately she looks rather like she’s done 12 rounds with Henry Cooper (Who incidentally had Mohamed Ali well, beaten when he nearly took his head off with a fantastic left uppercut. IMHO It was only by his corner cheating and cutting his glove, to buy him extra recovery time that he eventually won, but in his heart and when he meets his maker he will know that he was beaten by or own Henry).

It’s not good to have workers walking round your restaurant looking ill. Clients want to be uplifted by fit people that can tell them jokes and make the trip to the restaurant or bar an entertaining if not at times a special experience.

I hope that our bar will be operated by fit and happy individuals tomorrow, even though it’s a bit of a rarity between Estepona and Marbella.