Die another day

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
Deks
Senior Guru
Senior Guru
Posts: 746
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:11 pm
CW-watches: 23
Location: Yorkshire, UK

Die another day

Post by Deks »

This isnt a negative post but I want to post something in the CW watch section.

My life is complicated as some people are aware. Tonight I got my knifes out again after hoping I wouldnt get so low again. In the recent past I would have cut myself and gone as close as I could to either disfigure myself or cut as far as I could to my arteries without cutting into them. I would cry and take a lot of pills and then ring the samaritans for help.

But... I just want to say as well as these forums my CW watches have saved my life. I have spent more than I can afford on them but they have all given me something to concentrate on. I spend each day now swapping watches and straps and they give me hope and a lot of joy. I am obsessed with my SC and bright orange strap right now and I am obsessed with how wonderful the combination looks.

I am sorry for those that dont understand my post I just wanted to post something positive about how my watches are getting me through a horrible period in my life and how someone going through a horrible period in life can find joy while in the darkest period
User avatar
Bahnstormer_vRS
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 35166
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:06 pm
CW-watches: 34
LE-three: 1
LE-foura: 1
LE-fourb: 1
LE-six: 1
Location: Hertfordshire, UK

Re: Die another day

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Hang on in there Mike.

We are all rooting for you.

You have your operation booked. There will no doubt be a long road to recovery but, as other forum members who have had the same or similar operation have attested, you'll feel like a new man afterwards.

Take care and don't do anything daft in the meantime.

Guy

Sent from my Xperia 5 using Tapatalk

In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)

Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
User avatar
jkbarnes
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 7852
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:39 pm
CW-watches: 3
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: Die another day

Post by jkbarnes »

I feel such pain for you when I read these posts, but I take some comfort from knowing you’ve got something positive in your life to bring you joy and help you navigate these difficult times. Go straight to the watch box when you hit those lows!

Also know you’ve got a whole community keeping you in their thoughts and pulling for you.
Drew
User avatar
Thunder1
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 4131
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2018 4:39 pm
CW-watches: 12
Location: Dripping Springs, Tx.

Re: Die another day

Post by Thunder1 »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Sun May 23, 2021 12:15 am Hang on in there Mike.

We are all rooting for you.

You have your operation booked. There will no doubt be a long road to recovery but, as other forum members who have had the same or similar operation have attested, you'll feel like a new man afterwards.

Take care and don't do anything daft in the meantime.

Guy

Sent from my Xperia 5 using Tapatalk
+1.. :thumbup:
Ebels are a lot like women that lack a lowcut dress that zips up the side..neither gets the love that they deserve..
User avatar
ajax87
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3454
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:47 am
CW-watches: 7
Location: West Michigan, USA

Re: Die another day

Post by ajax87 »

Hey Mike. I can’t even begin to fully understand that kind of pain. I’ve definitely had my own lows. It always gets better though.

I’ve seen you post your SC with that orange strap. It is an amazing combination! Definitely brightens my day when I see it. My CW orange tiber is my fave on my SC too.
Alex
C5A Mk1|C65 316L LE|C63 36mm, GMT, Elite, 2023ish FLE|C1 Moonglow|Omega Seamaster DeVille|Speedmaster Racing|MoonSwatch Mercury|RZE Endeavor|Tudor BB58 925
User avatar
Amor Vincit Omnia
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 33797
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:34 pm
CW-watches: 4
Location: Norfolk, UK

Re: Die another day

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I once read somewhere that the toughest soldiers are not given the hardest battles; it’s fighting the hardest battles that makes them the toughest soldiers in the first place.

Hang in there, Mike. You have quickly become a valued and respected member of this community, and we love your watches!

Many of us have discovered over the years that this forum is about much more than watches, but they are after all what brought us here in the first place.

Stay strong.
Steve
Linguist; retired teacher; pilgrim; apprentice travel writer

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time


Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. (Max Ehrmann)
User avatar
Thegreyman
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 12066
Joined: Sat May 21, 2016 3:45 pm
CW-watches: 6
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Die another day

Post by Thegreyman »

Mike, you have been through a lot and got to here, so try and focus on the positives - the enjoyment you get from your watches, the forum, and fact your operation and the route to a better quality of life is getting closer by the day.
Patrick

C60 Pro 300, C60 Sunrise, C63 Sealander Lucerne blue LE, C65 Dartmouth, W11 Amelia (wife), C63 Sealander (son)

Some others + a few on the way
User avatar
iain
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 3115
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2015 3:13 pm
CW-watches: 1

Re: Die another day

Post by iain »

Take care Mike, I can’t really find the right words to say that may be of comfort, but we all hope you stay strong.

Like others have said, your operation is planned and there may be some light at the end of your dark tunnel with brighter days ahead.
Iain’s Law: Any discussion on the Christopher Ward forum, irrespective of the thread title or subject matter, will eventually lead to someone mentioning the Bel Canto if the thread continues for long enough.
Soporsche
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 1921
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2016 10:22 am
CW-watches: 9
Location: London

Re: Die another day

Post by Soporsche »

Hi Mike, as the others have said above.. new phase coming very soon. You should be proud of the progress you have made and hopeful for the progress you will make.
PM sent..
All the best
Stephen

A few CWs and other brands
User avatar
missF
CW Forum Poet Laureate
CW Forum Poet Laureate
Posts: 11868
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:59 pm
CW-watches: 3
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Die another day

Post by missF »

It’s those one-steps-at-a-time that keep you going. Every time you reach for the watch box is one of those positive steps. Keep journeying
watching you fail in your quest for a “one watch” has been great entertainment
Watchaholic

‘Imprudently spendy’
Thomcat00
User avatar
scooter
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 15249
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:14 pm
CW-watches: 1
LE-two: yes
LE-foura: yes
Location: UK

Re: Die another day

Post by scooter »

Here's a post I wrote on a non watch Forum back in June 2014 to a fellow sufferer.

Hopefully this will show you that you are not alone and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Yes the pain was immense, worse than anything anyone who has not experienced it can begin to imagine.

The only way I could get through it was to grit my teeth and be braver than I had ever been before.

Best of luck.

scooter

Two car accidents in 1976 and 1977 led to back problems and eventually I had to give in to spinal fusion in 1982 having had 3-4 years of real pain such as that most people have no inkling about. I had 2 large bolts cemented in my back which was a long time joke that my family would have something left to remember me by if I was cremated.

In 2003 at the age of 50 it went again and I ended up with more surgery by way of a discectomy. The bolts meant that the MRI scan wasn't perfect and the Surgeon told me afterwards that he only knew what he was going to do once they opened me up. He said he had new bolts ready but decided not to replace the old ones, just to take them out. I said that it must have been a delicate operation doing that bit as so close to my spinal chord. To this day I do not know whether he was joking when he said he was kneeling on me with a pair of stilsons!

Everyday is a bonus for me. In the last episode prior to the operation I spent 9 months at home in unimaginable pain with full on muscle spasms and sciatica. There were nights I remember crying my eyes out with the intolerable pain. I was on, at various times, tramadol, morphine and stuff I have no idea what it was called. The relief of having no intolerable pain means that every day is a bonus. Yes I am in pain most days but my threshold is incredibly high and I walk and walk because I know what it's like not being able to.

Reading through this post it seems pretty depressing but it's not meant to be. In my time I have had traction in hospital with weights trying to stretch my spine. I have had physio, acupuncture, bed rest, epidurals, etc. In my case both times only one thing worked - surgery. Both times I was told that it was 50/50. Both times I replied that I couldn't walk and hurt so much that it was the only option. I'm glad I did.

Fast forward to 2014 and I'm 60 and 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica and now on steroids for the rest of my life.

On the positive side I can still ride my scooter even if I do ache after about an hour and a half.

Best of luck to you.
#1 scooter blue 2012 FLE (50 made)
User avatar
MiniMpi
Trusted Seller
Trusted Seller
Posts: 37684
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:56 am
CW-watches: 17
Location: Cork, Ireland

Re: Die another day

Post by MiniMpi »

Hi Mike,

I'm so glad you found something to help you through this incredibly difficult time for you.
Watches are my biggest hobby, some would say it's too big a part of my life, however it helps me hugely with stress and other things in my life so it's a valued part of my life now.

Keep immersing yourself in your horology and soon your operation will give you a big improvement in your life my friend.
User avatar
Richard D
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 3448
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2018 5:59 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: Die another day

Post by Richard D »

Mike, there is certainly something special in finding comfort and solace in a watch. Enjoy each second, minute and hour of the day that it delivers.
Richard


‘A gas station owned by Harland Sanders was the site of the first KFC in 1930. Motorists were served fried chicken at his own dining-room table.’
undetterred
Senior
Senior
Posts: 97
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2021 8:36 am

Re: Die another day

Post by undetterred »

Look after yourself, plenty of more CWs to be had 👍👍
Steinhart Ocean 39 vintage red/blue ceramic,Olko edition
C65 Super comp
C60 Trident Pro
C60 Blue LE
Omega Seamaster 300m
Longines Admiral Chronograph
User avatar
Kip
The Administrator
The Administrator
Posts: 35174
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:45 pm
CW-watches: 150
LE-one: yes
LE-two: yes
LE-three: yes
LE-foura: yes
LE-fourb: yes
LE-five: yes
LE-six: yes
LESeven: yes
Location: New Hampshire, USA

Re: Die another day

Post by Kip »

I know it is tough, but you have less than a month to go to surgery now. Keep focused on the watch for a distraction.

Those of us that have had back issues understand, but you will get there.

Keep the faith!! [-o<
Kip

"Asylum Administrator"


Visit the CWArchives for everything CW. Historical, specs, manuals and resale. It is all there.