Return of the Cat

[Fatcatstu]

Well, it is upon us!!!!

The troops are mobilised and en route to the sleepy market town of Yarm in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The local pubs have been restocked, the Eagle has Battoned down its hatches, my car is about to get a tidy out ready to pick Ger, Ger Jnr and Rodders up from Darlington train station, then the drinking can commence

Really cannot wait to see everyone again, its going to be a fantastic few days with a fantastic bunch of people.

Next week sees the World Championships roll round.

My schedule has changed somewhat from when it first got announced as I have been picked to represent England again. Really cant wait for this, its a massive challenge, but Steve has picked one of the strongest England teams I have seen to attack this one, and if all things are equal, we should be in and amongst it come the medal matches.

Looking forward to seeing everyone down there, and for the first time in a long time i will be maintaining a level of sobriety whilst playing poker, as i have a staking deal going on with a few friends! That should be interesting!

[Fatcatstu]

Tomorrow sees the start of the WCOAP and I"m ridiculously excited by it all

First up is the Team Event, where I will be joining Asa, Steve, Carl and Tony in a bid to finally bring those gold medals back to England for the first time. Steve has picked a great team, and I am sure we will be there or there abouts come the medal shootouts
Afte this, I entr the staked part of my weekend.

I have asked for 100% staking as being picked for the team event has added nearly 90 pounds onto the expected cost of my trip if I didn"t. I am amazingly grateful for the faith shown in me by the people who backed me and am confident of giving them a return on their money.

Then I am playing the HORSE event on Saturday. This is an event I am really looking forward to. Stud, Omaha and holdem are sting points for me at the minute and I am learning razz fast it should be a great experience with some very good players taking part, but I am hoping to cash

Then it is on to main event day 1b.

I was saying to Rodders the other day, I have actually never felt like my game has been in better shape. I have made some deep runs in the stars micro millions events this year (cashing 2/3) and generally feel on top of my game.

I"m sure when I am playing my best, I"m a match for most of APAT, so again am looking hot a deep run and to make a cash at the least

These tournaments will all be played SOBER. Yes, I know, you don"t believe me, but I will be cutting alcohol intake form as I don"t want to be playing on other peoples money drunk. I will also not be drinking too much after events, as I don"t want to play hungover as its not fair on them.

In other news it is great to see the return of Tighty in a commentating role for the weekend. I have put my name down to do some "colour commentary" with him, which I look forward to immensely.

Hope to see you all there. Have a safe trip where ever you are coming from.

[pokerpops]

Someone warn tighty to get a 20 second delay built into the feed!!!

and to buy a beep machine

[Fatcatstu]

Someone warn tighty to get a 20 second delay built into the feed!!!

and to buy a beep machine

Im going to be sober, it should be ok :p

On another note, GL to us all this week, lets get some money won!

[Fatcatstu]

That one is for my dad. #hopeheisproud

[pokerpops]

Pokerpops is for sure

[PHIL_TC]

Congratulations mate! Finally a lucky England shirt for you and one we dont have to burn and dance round naked  

Hope you bought Asa and Carl a beer or 10.. absolutely amazing set of results. Enjoy today fella, will be up Sunday for proper beers!

Your dad will be proud as punch I"m sure x

[Laxie]

Absolutely delighted for you guys. Very well played!   No doubt your Dad will be thrilled too. xx

[Curlarge]

That one is for my dad. #hopeheisproud

You prolly don"t need to win anything for him to be proud, but I"ll bet this helps a little bit. Wesll done mate, very pleased for you.

[Fatcatstu]

As some of you know, I had to leave the WCOAP very early Sunday morning after a phone call from my mum.

Thursday morning my Dad was rushed to hospital having trouble breathing at 5am and was eventually diagnosed with a chest infection at about 10am, but he insisted that I travelled down to play poker.

Playing for England was a great honour and I will love my team mates for ever, this is something that they can"t take away from us ever

It was also probably the hardest I have ever found it to play poker in my life.

I played Saturday as usual and thoroughly enjoyed the company, you are all the best bunch of people in the world.

Sunday morning I got a phone all at about half 6 from my mum, Dad had deteriorated over night and gone from talking, eating and feeling ok, to having to be put into a drug induced coma. Lucy rushed me back up north and dropped me straight at the hospital, where my mum, brother and sister were already there.

We would stay there thought the day, most of it was spent dozing on and off in the waiting room. Every time my mum asked if I wanted to go in to see Dad, I would say "later"

My mum, sister, Matty and brother in law all went in to talk to him, I sat in the waiting room like a coward.

We have gone back in today, and I forced myself to go into the room and see him. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. He has barely an inch of skin without a line or cable on it. His kidneys aren"t working properly, as his blood pressure is so low and won"t raise no matter what they do.

I struggled to speak. I just burst into tears.

All I could manage to say was I love him and to beg him to get better.

God I hope he listens. It doesn"t look good.

[amcgrath1uk]

Big hugs Stu.

It"s not cowardly believe me.

You automatically think of your dad as this indestructable being, and you can"t bear to see him in any other way.

I went through the same thing.

If you need anything, you know what to do.

Thinking of you and praying for a recovery xx

[pokerpops]

Not at all cowardly and oh so very brave to share it

Hugs and love and all the good thoughts in the world

[technolog]

Our thoughts are with you Stu x

[Fatcatstu]

The emotional mangler continues.

My mum has just returned from the hospital. When my self and Matty came away they were fitting him to a monitor that puts a probe much closer to his heart so they could get more accurate readings.

After  a couple of hours, this machine appears to be saying that his Blood Pressure has returned to near as damnit normal, and they are pretty confident his Pneumonia has cleared as his chest is no longer blocked up.

Now, this is immense news, and has resulted in a few (more) tears being shed, but it is also no where near being out of the woods yet. His kidneys are still not functioning 100%, which could be due to any number of factors. So he is having a bit of dialysis tomorrow, along with a CT scan to check on his lungs and heart.

If his blood results remain steady in the meanwhile, they will begin to wean him off the medications he is on, eventually with the aim of bringing him out of his Coma.

So, a long long long way to go, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Lets just hope it isnt another train.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FROM ALL OF US FOR YOUR KIND WORDS, TEXTS, MESSAGES ON HERE AND ON FACEBOOK. THEY HAVE BEEN A MASSIVE SOURCE OF STRENGTH FOR US ALL, AND I LOVE YOU ALL FOR IT, I CAN NEVER EVER GET CLOSE TO REPAYING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, BUT YOU HAVE ALL OF OUR LOVE.

Thanks

stu xx

[amcgrath1uk]

Excellent news Stu