Talking BS - Brando's BIOS flash
 

I just heard that I will be going into hospital next month to undergo a procedure known as Deep Brain Stimulation. A surgical team will bolt a metal halo to my skull and scan my brain using several different methods to produce a stereotactic image. On the next day they will implant two micro-electrodes deep in the two areas that have been observed to regulate pain signals and then wake me up and switch me on.
Hopefully; well, many things
1) they're not running their computers on Vista
2) I don't wake up to a BSOD
3) it does something to alleviate this sensation of having my hand immersed in a chip-fryer! It's twelve years now and I've about had enough. It's bad and made even worse as it's felt in the hand and arm that I no longer have.

Pain as we mostly know is part of the body's involuntary defences. Put your hand in a chip-fryer and you'll pull it out again pdq as soon as you feel pain. Various mechanisms kick in as the body tries to escape: adrenalin surges, like when people will shift weights that they could never lift in normal circumstances, and natural endorphins flood the system to reduce pain and increase survival chances. It's a common theme of agricultural accidents. Last one around here was a guy who drove 20 miles with his severed arm still in the bale of hay that the machine had been making when he got trapped!

I won't go on. It's a pretty desperate situation and I'm willing to undergo this radical, leading-edge intervention if there's half a chance of receiving some relief that might make living easier. Even if I could stop using the drugs that turn my memory into a colander it would be positive.

It's funny to think that I might be running a dual-core brain if I make it back from this tricky mission. It's more alarming to think that I might not come back at all.

So I came here to say 'au revoir' to the people that I've flown with, argued at, and generally spent time enjoying IL2 with. I especially want to thank Oleg for the inspiration that set him off on producing what must be the best combat prop-sim ever made and all the unselfish time he's put in to support it, and the same thanks goes to the whole dev team that brought it about. Maybe someone here will pass that sentiment on for me?

I hope I make it back in better shape than I'm leaving. It's been fun all the way from the day I bought IL2 Sturmovik and I'd dearly like to be around for the rest of the ride.

Go well people

Brando

Gawd Brando,all I can do is wish you the best of luck!
My mate's been in Oswestry for about 6 months now waiting on an operation site to heal (the joys of motorcycles,brick walls, and wheelchair living).
Then again,because he has had no access to beer and fags,he looks healthier than he has done for years!
Come back when you can and let us know how you got on.I hope this op works better for you than the last one did.

good luck brando !

that surgical procedure is a fairly regular procedure now, but is only done by a few surgeons and has a very good success rate.

just think of the nice nurses that will come to give you a sponge bath during your stay in hospital :)

Hope the best for you..

Wishing you all the very best brando

All the best mate, good luck!

Brando

All the best sir. I look forward to those coops Pedro and you put up.

You sir, will be sorely missed while you are getting better.

'Guse

I hope that you have a speedy recovery.

God bless and keep you (and the whole medical team) and bring you the healing and comfort you need.

I think your name rings a bell from many many years ago when we all flew on the ubi dedicated servers (yes they did exist)

I wish you all the best for a speedy recoverry fellow pilot. :)

btw, make sure they fit Wireless instead of RJ45 socket.

Good luck, m8! We'll see you in February! ;)

Best of luck brando!

Geeze Louise .... God Bless ....... Keep the faith man... I'll talk to Daddy tonight.. I'm sure he knows already though...

Good luck mate! We'll be wishing for your recovery.

Good luck to Brando and I hope all goes well!

All the best hope things go well in da Future.

Brando-
All the best and a speedy recovery.

I'll stand with those who are already praying for you, Brando. You'll be back on that motorcycle in no time.

we truly hope for a successful procedure and speedy recovery!

Wow, sounds very sci-fi. Bet you're anxious but I hope it works out so you can lose the phantom pain. Good luck!

Good Luck B.!

By all means Brando, I wish you the absoulute Best luck, and a speedy recovery back to us in full.

It amasing just what they can do for people these days concerning the Brain.

I nearly lost a long time friend a couple years back, to an Aneurysm and now he is actually one of my employees, driving and working on heavy equipment 5 days a week.

I have high hopes for you sir!

Very best of luck on this Brando m8 from all the Danger Dogz. You are one brave lad.

Never did get to fly with you but after your recovery for sure.

I can remember you since I fly IL2.

I wish you luck.

best of luck and a speedy recovery too you.

The very best to you Brando.

WV

Take care, and all the best.

Good luck, Brando! Remember to turn off your 2nd core from time to time - They can be finicky buggers I hear. ;)

Seriously mate, all the best. We'll be praying for ya.

Good thoughts heading your way sir. Rock on, be strong.

Fingers crossed for you.

Thumbs Up to ya Brando as they say in the Movie Bizz. "Break A Leg"

My brother has been dealing with this for the past several years. He finally had the surgery you're speaking of and they finally cut the nerves to stop that pain.

Brando,

All my sympathy, human proximity and best wishes for your surgery. Come back soon and healthy!

Regards,
Insuber

You are in my prayers, both for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.

Best of luck ol' son...
try traditional Chinese acupuncture

Thank you for all the support and good wishes. It's hard to define why, but I shall feel more confident knowing that a group of people are thinking kindly of me as I, er, fly off into uncharted territory.

The scary element concerning brain surgery is hard to shake off. While we can see the brain as a kind of super CPU, with people in my situation suffering from a 'broken switch' or two, it's also the container for the entity who calls himself Brando. He has his peculiarities but I've grown used to him over the last 58 years ;) And I don't want to have to learn to fly all over again!

Thanks too for the advice about treatments. You may be sure that I have explored all sorts of therapies in my search. For the (perhaps irrational) reason mentioned above, this really is a place of last resort for me.
I am indeed an advocate of traditional Chinese acupuncture and I have received much benefit from it over the years, but sadly there is no part of the technique that can touch the core problem of severed nerves. I will certainly look to have a session though, to firm myself for the stay in hospital, and I appreciate the reminder.

I really laughed about the sponge baths! My wife is a nurse, and also a university lecturer in Nursing, and you can be certain that she'll be turning on her 'Matron's eye' if any pretty young nurses turn up carrying sponges. She has the ability to arch one eyebrow, she does a good impression of Spock from Star Trek, and it's almost as scary as brain surgery! :D

I hope to be around in Hyperlobby over the festive season. I'll be scaling back after then, primarily to get my body clock aligned with GMT rather than transatlantic time. Valda will be emailing Pedro to keep him up-to-date with progress when the time comes.

Thank you all

B

41 years of as I'm of currently. I also have had surgery or 2 and wish you the best and you should be fine with todays technical advancements in brain surgery.

I don't blame you, Brando... I'd be scared pantless at the thought of people poking around my grey matter.

God be with you Brando and you will be in my prayers.

If Pedro passes info on to me I will be sure to keep you all posted here in this thread.

Looking for your speedy recovery and return so we can fly more Co'ops together again m8.

~S~

Remember brando, you can flash your BIOS from a cd now, don't trust those shifty floppy discs!!!

Yo!
 

Yo! B,

No worry Wingy.. I will be perched at your 4 covering your six, making sure you have a clean shot, and arrive home safely for your afternoon tea.

I have connections.. :-)

God Bless my friend

P

Good luck with the surgery Brando !

When you are back online, if I see you flying "overmodelled" I will know the reason...


~S~

Thank you Grathos!

I had been thinking of asking the surgeon to fit permanent mounts for a TrackIR array, while he has a drill in his hands ;)

B

Got this email third hand and thought I would pass it on. It is from Brando's wife. My prayers are with him.

Made my day. Great news :!:

Wooo hoooo!

That's good to hear!

Great stuff!

Good News Indeed!!!

While you were gone SOW was released and we're on the 5th patch.:grin:

Thats fantastic news

Get well soon M8

From all the 26'rs

That is WONDERFUL news! Brando has been a great help to me in the past and seems to be a great guy. I'm glad to hear his procedure went well. Give him our best!

Very good news indeed!

Wishing you a speedy recovery Brando

See you on HL soon m8

Glad to hear the surgury was labeled a success. A long recovery period is often MORE challenging (as B already knows) and our thoughts will be with you mate.

From the man himself:

Thanks for posting that Billy!

:cool::grin: Good news.

Wow, that must be the oddest sensation, to be able to feel the pain just like before but not have it bother you, lol.

Great news and get well soon.

Glad to hear Brando good news. Get well soon :)

oh no, I think we are in trouble now....

Great news Brando all the best!

Email from Brando about the pictures I received:

Good to hear that everything is ok Brando! :)

Have been away for quite a while and was waiting for some news. Now this BIOS flash should soon start to show some effect...

Cheers,

Eckhart

Good to hear when a surgery goes well. As I have lower back disc issues, I can understand the desire to get off the drugs and get rid of the pain. I hope all ends up with a pain free life.

Now, I'm still looking for the usb ports.....

Got this email from Brando, today:

Awsum News Brando, It's really good to see your back to posting, soon the virtual sky's will have you again.

Update:

Brando has returned to online game play with limitations imposed:

http://files.billy885.com/files/Brando_Returns.jpg