Heavenly Beverley : Dog Spike Dreaming

Bluntly speaking, Michael has had a dog of a week. We came home last Saturday full of hope after his surgery; that the worst was over and that progress would surely be steadily upwards.

That has not been the case.

Sunday and Monday - instead of his pain decreasing, the level knocked his socks off. I was worried as Michael has always had a fairly high pain tolerance. For him to have a score of eight out of ten was unusual. And just when we figured the pain couldn't get much worse, by Tuesday morning, he was not coping at all.

I rang the Boy Wonder's rooms. The prescribing of drugs had all been done by Anna, the anaesthetist. In hindsight, I probably should have contacted her. Instead, we were directed to our GP. Who was fully booked but rang us for a phone consult. His advice was to hotfoot it to Northam Hospital and have the cast taken down to check for infection.

We set out at one-thirty, without lunch. By two-thirty, Michael had been admitted to the Emergency department. Nurse Monica and Doctor Kylie were thorough, organised and compassionate. The cast was duly removed to reveal a monstrously swollen hand and wrist that were to blame for his intense pain. Plus, Michael's bruising extended from his fingers to his armpit. Just having the cast taken off gave him relief.

We discussed Michael's meds with Kylie. She recommended we stop the anti-inflammatory as that drug had been responsible for an upsurge of Michael's reflux symptoms. Which had only added to his general misery.

Whilst at Emergency, Michael was given Panadeine forte and an anti-inflammatory injection. A sling was fashioned for additional support. A new cast with room for any swelling was applied to his arm.

We left with more pain killers and a sandwich to tide us over until we arrived home. Wednesday we lay low as Michael attempted to comply with his exercises and the ongoing swelling.

We had an appointment with a specialised hand therapy service on Thursday. Situated in the renovated Midland Railway Workshops, where Michael had served the last two-and-a-half years of his apprenticeship, a return to his past helped divert his attention from his pain as we wandered around after his appointment.

Alva, the occupational therapist, moulded a flexible plastic splint around Michael's hand and wrist. As he had chosen jet black for the colour, his splint was promptly named Darth. Michael and Darth are going to be close buddies for the next couple of months. Alva gave us an actual leaflet of his exercises, which was helpful. And told him to lose the sling, which has turned out to be not terribly helpful...

Thursday night, his splint was just pressing in one spot. Michael was over taking any more trips, so armed with a hairdryer, he levered the splint out slightly to give his thumb more space. This solution did the trick and saved us from yet another trek for help.

All week, we have been searching for ways to distract Michael's very active mind, which actually assists with controlling his pain. His favourite phone games, TV and music takes his attention away to some extent. Complete immobilisation gives him the most comfort. Catnaps, often with the entire menagerie on the bed with him, gives his arm a break from gravity. Surprisingly, being in the Gallery by the fire and surrounded by his and other artworks allows a drift of his imagination towards future projects.

Dreaming about visiting his beloved Goldfields once again is pretty close to the most effective non-drug intervention.

We are planning our escape in three weeks. The anticipation for this latest trip is similar to our 2018 expedition. I had just had my knee replacement and was determined to leave on schedule, even if we had to obtain a small crane to get me in and out of Lily, our 4WD vehicle.

Hopefully, Michael will be able to drive once we get to the Goldfields in late August. Until then, I envisage I will do the bulk of the driving up to Port Hedland and some on the way south. We will see, but we are very much looking forward to heading north out of the winter.

Michael's renewed enthusiasm for one of his sculptures has given him much more pleasure. The original name was unsatisfactory and did not tell the story that he wanted to tell. So, the sculpture has been given an updated title. Without further ado, let me introduce "Dog Spike Destinies".

This sculpture was inspired by Michael's love of railways. Even as a youthful yahoo at the Railway Workshops, he was always transfixed by trains. At that time, he never would have admitted this, but the memories have become far more meaningful and affectionate as he transformed from a long-haired dropkick to a pillock of society.

Constructed with all recycled materials, the sculpture features Michael's beloved spheres and circles, with railway "dog" spikes at its heart. The story is of the railways of the Western Australian Goldfields, which initially opened up the region and significantly reduced deaths from thirst and exposure by those afflicted with "gold fever". The mild steel twists and turns represent the vast network of railways that were the lifeblood of so many communities. Residents would dress up in their Sunday best to visit the railway station as a train arrived. A speed record by a train was set in 1903 when divers with underwater gear travelled to Coolgardie to rescue a miner trapped in a flooded shaft at nearby Bonnievale. The train was the deliverer of goods and mail and passengers. The Goldfields railway eventually made its way to Laverton in the east and operated until 1957.

The echoes of these railways are reflected in "Dog Spike Destinies". Along with new artists Val Whiting and Igi Velt, this wonderful piece is available for sale at the East End Gallery. Railway enthusiasts - come on down!