NEWS DESK
Living for day shingles symptoms go away Car sales Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au ‘EXCRUCIATING’ and ‘debilitating’ are two words used to describe the symptoms of shingles – or herpes zoster virus - which includes a painful rash or blisters on the skin. With 95 per cent of the adult population at risk of exposure, it’s a sure bet we know many suffering from it. After an episode of chicken pox, doctors say the virus lies dormant in nerve roots near the spinal cord, but can reactivate at any time causing a shingles infection. Aspendale gardener Brian Waugh is one who’s living – stoically - with the dreaded virus. He first noticed a small spot on his stomach, then a painful rash down his front, sides and back and a deep pain in his back, in early January. “My wife said it looked like shingles,” he recalled yesterday. “A week later the rash was worse and I was popping pain killers like you wouldn’t believe. Then, my wife found me in the foetal position on the floor and I was taken to the Dandenong Hospital where they treated me for aggressive pain.” Mr Waugh is still on tablets, and has found working problematic as the pills “take me away with the fairies”; it is dangerous to drive or operate machinery. Luckily, with help from his two adult sons, he has managed to get by so far – although is doing far less now than he would with a clean bill of health.
‘fraud’ long con
Relaxing at night after using motorised equipment is not easy as the noise and vibration they cause tend to aggravate the symptoms. “I’ve learned to work smarter not harder as I try to boost my immune system through various natural treatments,” he said. “Now, four months down the track, I am feeling much better although still affected by it.” The 61 year old said he was “living for the day when there are no symptoms” of the virus for which there is currently no cure. Antiviral therapy can reduce the severity and duration of shingles, but it does not prevent its development. Doctors say many patients who receive antiviral therapy “continue to experience persistent pain that can significantly impair their functionality and health-related quality of life in the long-term”. It’s a drawn-out saga. “People say to me, ‘Have you still got that thing?’” he quipped. “And I tell them, ‘Yes and it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me’.” Warning others to “look after yourself, learn to relax and take things a little easier” to deter contracting the virus, Mr Waugh said: “And, if you do get it, get onto it early – that’s the secret to beating it.”
Feel the pain: A sore back for Aspendale resident Brian Waugh developed into full-blown shingles. Pic: Gary Sissons
Crossing removals first on the line Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au THE first level crossings to be removed along the Frankston line have been named by the Labor state government. Contracts were awarded on Tuesday to remove crossings at Centre Rd in Bentleigh, McKinnon Rd in McKinnon and North Rd in Ormond as part of Premier Daniel Andrews’ pre-election pledge to remove 50 of Melbourne’s most congested level crossings across the rail network. John Holland and the KBR consortium will remove the three crossings. Labor promised to separate 20 road and rail intersections during its first four-year term in government.
Mr Andrews said in a statement that works to remove level crossings will begin shortly. “Works will start within weeks and in a few years they’ll be gone,” he said. “These level crossings frustrate motorists, hold back our train system and put lives at risk every day. The only way to fix them is to get rid of them, and we’re getting on with it.” Liberal opposition leader Matthew Guy had claimed earlier this month that “Melburnians have been double crossed by Daniel Andrews”. “There are no guaranteed funds or start dates for level crossing removals besides those previously funded by the Coalition,” he said after the 2015-16 budget was announced. The previous Napthine government
had pledged to remove the North Rd, Ormond level crossing and crossings at Blackburn, Glen Iris and St Albans. Mr Guy had noted “just” $3 million had been allocated to the level crossings removal program in the 2015-16 budget but government spokesman Kosta Pandos confirmed this week “at least $2.4 billion has been allocated for the removal of the first twenty level crossings”. Labor has now announced 17 of the 20 level crossings to be removed. Bentleigh Labor MP Nick Staikos, who won the seat by just 0.8 per cent at last year’s state election, is the big winner from the confirmed Frankston line crossings works since the three confirmed so far are in his electorate. Eleven level crossings are ear-
marked for removal along the Frankston line but most will not be removed within the next four years. Mordialloc Labor MP Tim Richardson and Carrum Labor MP Sonya Kilkenny are therefore likely to face voters at the next state election with no works having been done on level crossings in their marginal electorates. The eleven Frankston line crossings to be removed are: North Rd (Ormond), Balcombe Rd (Mentone), Centre Rd (Bentleigh), Charman Rd (Cheltenham), Edithvale Rd (Edithvale), Eel Race Rd (Carrum), McKinnon Rd (McKinnon), Seaford Rd (Seaford), Skye Rd (Frankston), Station St (Bonbeach), Station St (Carrum).
AN EDITHVALE car buyer was one of 91 victims of a trickster who allegedly wound back the speedos on cars he was selling online. Police at Mornington yesterday charged the man, 29, of Reservoir, with obtaining financial advantage by deception and acting as an unlicensed motor car trader. He was bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court for a filing hearing and is expected to be tried at the Country Court at a later date. Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Vallas, of Mornington police, will allege the man on-sold vehicles to the value of $1 million after buying them at motor car auctions and then readvertising them through the on-line classifieds. Police will allege the man used an easily-obtained speedo resetting device to “wind back the clocks” on the late model cars – with one reset from 240,000 kilometres back to 60,000 kilometres. The ruse came to light when a Mornington car dealer serviced one of the cars and recognised it as one he had sold previously – when it had many more kilometres on the speedo. He notified the new owner who was, understandably, horrified. Detective Vallas said police were investigating fraudulent car sales back to 2010 – but they go back even further. There are also more than 91 victims, but “we had to draw a line somewhere”. It is claimed the fraudster conned his victims into believing the cars had genuine service books “which he had left home but would post next day”, and had used false dealer stamps on other fake service books. He said the online classified service had provided valuable information on the fraudulent sales, and that records had been seized from a motor car trader in Reservoir. “More victims are coming forward following a three-month investigation,” Detective Vallas said. “They would not have bought the cars if they had known the true speedo readings. “Unfortunately, they, and the Edithvale tradie, won’t be receiving any recompense – it’s just their bad luck.” Stephen Taylor
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK BLAIRGOWRIE • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 20 May 2015
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