Hello everyone I hope all is well.
So for the ones that don’t know me I passed my Class C Nov 2017 and didn’t start driving until Feb/March. I passed C&E June and before I could take up driving I had an emergency operation to remove my bowel due to Ulcerative Colitis.
I was told it could take up to a year to get fit and used to my new addition of having an Ileostomy formed. I am 37 father to 2 young boys and have always been a provider so I couldn’t be out for up to a year.
6 weeks after surgery I was back driving the car as all wounds had healed, then after speaking to my doctor and getting the ok to proceed with the job hunting I started to look into the different types of jobs on Class C&E.
After the surgery I was told I could be at a higher risk of getting hernias due to the scaring on my stomach.
My background on Class C was delivering frozen food and ice cream(hand ball) then working out the fruit market on Class C also hand ball, then I got a good job on the car transporters on Class C.
I passed my test when there and was looking to move up to the big ones when trained and boom floored with the colitis. 20 days in hospital fighting this horrible infection with numerous cocktails of drugs and infusions, there came a point the specialists told me that medicine had failed me and they would be talking to their surgical colleagues.
So lying in a hospital bed and the room door gets chapped and in comes the sharp talking surgeon with a gang trailing behind and tells me what’s happening and they leave.
I sit there stunned, confused and a bit ■■■■■■ off to say the least, fast forward 8 days and I’m sitting in my own house with a new addition to my body in the shape of a ileostomy and a bag attached to my stomach collecting my waste ( Mr Squidge).
So what’s the plan■■?
Sit here and wallow in self pity and get myself down and ask why or get the ■■■■ up and get on with it?
I chose the the 2nd option.
When I felt good and strong in myself I contacted 1 of the senior managers of the company i wanted to work for through LinkedIn to ask a couple of questions about the company, I was given the number of the trainer and told to phone to get in for a drive and chat.
I was happy to get the call at the end of the week to tell me I had a start.
I won’t risk myself or anyone else by doing something I am not fit for so informed the powers that any handball was out of the question as well as going on the curtains too. They where very understanding and I was put on the containers and it has been great.
Everyday has been a school day, always learning, even if it’s just the simplest technique to prepare for that reverse.
I know everyone learns at a different pace, suffers pain at a different level and finds their feet in the job at different times.
So when you have that run of bad luck, can’t pass that test, can’t get on that bay or just feel hopeless. Stop, gather your thoughts and believe you can do it.
Don’t be afraid to ask that silly question, I would rather be the 1 who asked the silly question and felt silly for that minute than be known as the stupid 1 who didn’t ask the silly question and wreck the vehicle or the property or hurt someone.
In the short time I have been driving I can almost always tell the ones that would be willing to part with some wisdom and ones that stand and don’t even want to talk to you.
I have been waffling on now for too long and I think I have lost what my original point was but if you can take anything from my post your welcome. Bad situation and days will always end.
Just dust your self down and get on with it.
Good luck to everyone and when you see someone with less experience offer your help when needed. Even just that swing or that blindside reverse.
Cheers and enjoy your weekend Paul
