Saturday, 21 May 2016

In the Cage - Genesis

Lyric: 'If I keep my self-control, I'll be safe in my soul' - Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett & Rutherford

Song Choice:- One of my all time favourite Genesis tracks, and whilst I'm not very well, I'm going to pick the songs that have travelled the miles with me over the years and have cheered me up when I've needed some MTFU pills. You never know, you might like them too, if you've never heard them before. There's nearly 8 minutes of this one to get your ears jumping to so have a listen here...

Anyway, I can remember listening to on a cranky old mono tape recorder on full volume in the garden during the hot summer of 1976. Forty years on, I might just do it again when I finally 'Escape' from hospital, but with some much bigger speakers this time!

I say 'Escape', but actually I'm not going anywhere as yet, because they are working wonders with me here at University Hospital Wales, and yesterday they had me cycling, working out in the gym and got me standing up freely on my own...I'm not fixed and it's all dead wobbly but it was magic doing the stand... 

That was one 'Sweet Shawshank' moment, I can tell you. Far better than any cold beer could ever be on the hottest day.

In fact, it was a great day all round. I had some amazing upbeat visits from friends from far and wide (cheers guys) which really boosted my mood I can tell you. Getting around in my wheelchair, I felt liberated and free enough to get outside into the fresh air and feel semi-normal, for the first time in three weeks, I even clocked 10,000 steps on my Fitbit. 

Yesterday, was pure Gold Dust. 

Hey, I took some knocks too. Some real rib-jammers. One of my visitors joshed me with, 'Think about how you can use this experience to help others, now you know you’re not going to die'. Yikes, it was almost a low blow. 

Die? I'd blocked that one out but that's one of the abilities that's helped me succeed. It was interesting words delivered with pure friendship, directed to make me sit up and understand more about how I could see the world in a different way and make me see if I can get even more out of life. Especially if I could only I realise that I've already proved myself many times over and not have to keep making the headlines.

It's food for thought, a lot of thought...and not an easy thing for any driven person like me to hear. In my world, decisions are made and the 'never to be wavered from direction' is programmed into the 'Coleman Compass', and then it's 100% full steam ahead to the end.

Well, that's the bit I can now work on whilst I’m in here. It's not going to be easy and I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do it right now, but I'll keep writing about it here. I can then think on about already being where I've always wanted to be and why I'm so desperately expending all my energies trying to get here when I arrived years ago. I must be bonkers...

Anyway, more later and maybe it's the tablets talking, as it doesn't sound like the usual Rory Coleman's curt ramblings today does it?


Am I going a bit soft?

Rory Coleman - Performance Coach 


976 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8172 Days' Alcohol Free.

Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Invisible Sun - The Police



Lyric:- 'There has to be an Invisible Sun. It gives its heat to everyone. There has to be an invisible sun. That gives us hope when the whole day's done - Sumner

Song Choice:- I'm really enjoying listening to The Police at the moment. And I'll admit to not being the biggest Sting fan but the tunes were good and particularly brilliant when played live, as I just love the drumming of Stewart Copeland. His distinctive sound centres on a hard, high-pitched crack on a snare or rimshot, and subtle hi-hat work with understated flourishes (Thanks Wiki). It must be something to do with him being left-handed but this video of Synchronicity2 highlights it perfectly, as well as the band's brilliant stage presence and live sound quality.

Anyway, I thought I'd share where I am two weeks post diagnosis of 'Guillain-Barre Syndrome' (to be honest, it's taken me that long to learn how to spell the bloody thing, and I've been on a lot of medication) or GBS as it's better known. Now if you go to Wiki here you can find out just how much it completely buggers up your body in a very short period of time, and how many complications there are to try and draw some kind of diagnosis from. Working out which variation you might have is the issue.

It's actually, easier as nailing jelly to a wall I reckon and my Neurology team are being well stretched by the GBS and by me if I'm being honest as it causes pain that,would make most folk want to curl up and die. It's a real challenge to say the least.

But just when you think t's all doom and gloom, there's been hope today as I walked for the first time without a 'Zimmer-Frame' - just supported by C4 Ward Physios' Kate and Chelsea on my first few maiden 'Solo' steps. And yes, they weren't brilliant, they were just AMAZING, I felt so tall, wobbly and overwhelmed all at the same time.


How about that?

How long it takes for me to do this unaided, God only knows. All I know is that I'm starting to find some 'Invisible Sun' giving me some hope when the whole day felt it was passing me by.

Tonight, I'm very sore, very tired and very relieved that I'm on my way back to some form of 'Walking' or 'Jogging' in the future and that’s a good enough return for me, from today.


More tomorrow...Diolch!


Rory Coleman - Performance Coach 
976 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8168 Days' Alcohol Free.