July 1st.2009 was a grand summer's day.I woke early enough .At about 8.00 a.m. I would say.I had a busy schedule.I act as tax agent for a number of clients with Revenue and some of them were under severe pressure to meet demands for money they just did not have.In addition another few were under severe pressure fending off claims from ex employees relating to employment no longer available.Mostly foreigners who were begging for work during the years of the Celtic Tiger.They showed no compassion to newly destitute Irish employers impoverished by the bursting of the bubble and had no bother getting the services of the legal profession to advance their cases.
Some of my clients could not afford such luxuries as legal fees and I helped them as best I could.
The slavish response of the Irish Government to the bubble bursting and the absolute failure to stand up for its own citizens is unforgivable and ,in my view ,has caused many deaths, illnesses and pure misery and still is causing untold misery.
I would have been tossing over the practicalities of such things in my mind and also had to do a bit of fencing to keep in three over amorous bulls who were breaking out and trying to tip the valuable heifers of a good neighbour.
In addition herself wanted a lift to Trim to do the shopping.Lidl I think.For the record I enjoyed a smoke and a drink and was chairman of Dunderry Gaa Club and Camogie Clubs at the time and had been involved very actively with both for many many years.
I was as physically strong as a bull myself and for a man of my age ( 58) had had no physical illnesses in a good few years.I had got regular check ups over the years and had no problems with blood pressure nor any other physical problems.
Anyhow I brought herself into Trim and dropped her at the shop and went around to Mc Geogh's Hardware to get something or other.Felt the finest.Was talking to the late Hugh and felt of a sudden the strangest sensation.For love or money my feet would just not lift off the ground.No pain at all but if you can imagine that I was wearing lead boots weighing about a ton apiece that is the way I felt.Lucky enough I was leaning back to a wall and didn't fall and said nothing.And it passed away in a split second.But the alarm bells rang.
Collected herself and headed home ,no problem.Said nothing and decided to leave the fencing to the afternoon.Had a look at a few tax cases at the table and about noon the precise same thing struck again for another split second.The alarm bells rung louder.I figured that it wasn't a heart attack as I understood that it normally involved pain in the arm or chest .I had no pain at all.I more or less figured that it could be the start of a stroke as I knew that a stroke killed brain cells and figured that some of my brain cells were not working properly ,hence the inability to lift my legs.
I phoned my Doctor ,who I trust completely. to see what the next move would be and for advice ,suggesting that it might be the onset of a stroke.He was not immediately available so I left a message on his mobile to get back to me.
But I felt great and decided to plough ahead with the fencing.Lucky for me I took the precaution of bringing two young lads who had been helping me for years to give me a hand,Killian Minogue and Christopher Harrington.
And off we went.The land we had to get to is at the end of a boreen off another boreen and across a field that you could not drive over and had to walk over for about a half mile. We travelled there and
lugged the posts ,wire ,crow bar and tools by hand and started the work.
Firstly I made a deep hole with the crow bar,used a aluminium mallet to drive the posts home and then let the lads give the post ten shots each of the mallet to complete the driving operation.No bullin just steady progress.We worked well together.None of us are slaves.I said I was strong and I wasn't joking.I was splitting the posts when I hit them and remarked more than once that a slightly less powerful left arm would not go amiss.You should be careful what you wish for as you may get your wish fulfilled.
Anyway we were getting on grand when my phone rang and the Doc,told me to get to hell to the nearest Hospital immediately.But I felt the finest and kept at it for about another hour I would say,before packing up.
Then just as we were leaving the spot we were standing in ,with a half mile to go across the field .my legs gave way entirely.The lads dragged me the whole way to the van and I guess saved my life.It was no easy task to drag me that far as I'd say I weighed 19 stone at least.But between grunting and bawling and adrenalin pumping all over the shop we managed.
They were about 16 at the time and none were officially driving.I was afraid to let them do so as I thought they would crash and hurt themselves.I managed to get the van into gear and drove it to the top of the boreen at which I felt my arms going and managed to pull in ,stop it and turn the ignition off.
Now I had no use of my arms nor legs and my mouth was drooping.I knew I was getting a stroke and told the lads to get an ambulance pronto.They were on their mobiles before I could get it out..Killian phoned his Dad and he organised one immediately.
Then two neighbours appeared almost simultaneously ,Alan Healy and his aunt Marion Fagin.I got out what I needed and Marion's daughter Sinead happened to be at home from England and they went the short distance for her,Luckily she is a nurse.
I figured I might be going to meet my Maker and started a perfect act of contrition and meant every word of it .And the strangest thing.God spoke to me with the message "You will get through this Dots.it's not your time yet".
I believe in God the Father Almighty and believed the message totally and it gave me fierce strength subsequently and to this day.
I was fully confident that I would not die in the immediate future no matter what came.
They loaded me into the front seat of Marion's car and Sinead sat in the back holding my hand and attending to me and they drove me to Navan Hospital where I was admitted immediately.We passed the ambulance on its way out while we were on the way in.
We landed there about 6.30 I would guess.
To be continued.
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