Home At Last

Hi All

As announced in Catherine's brief post on Wednesday, I've been released from my prolonged incarceration at Barts, and have been placed in the hands of my dear lady wife, with top notch support from the district nurses. Sorry it's taken me so long to get around to a new blog, but I've been very busy napping, reading crime novels and watching afternoon TV.

So anyway, they packed us off with a suitcase full of medication, and some interesting contraptions to aid my recovery. The devices include a suction machine, which is like a kind of mini-vacuum cleaner, to mop up the excess saliva in my mouth; a nebuliser machine, which uses oxygen and saline to loosen secretions in my lungs; and - Catherine's favourite - a food pump, which hooks up to my stomach tube, to feed me overnight while I sleep.

Leaving the hospital was quite touching. As an old lag, I'd got to know some of the staff quite well, and there were lots of hugs and best wishes. I didn't get chance to say goodbye to all of the nurses who had cared for me with so much compassion and tolerance, so a belated thanks to all of you.

Of course, having been discharged from hospital doesn't mean my ordeal is over, and I will continue to crave your sympathy. To take stock, I have now (I hope) had all the operations necessary, the tumour has been removed, and there should be no need for further in-patient treatment. Still to come is the chemo and radiotherapy, plus the speech and language therapy, which will teach me how to speak and swallow again. Neither of these can commence until the hole in my neck has completely healed up, which is taking a frustratingly long time.

Until that is sorted, I can't take the so-called swallow test, which involves drinking a glass of coloured water, while the great and good look on, checking for leaks. If it goes down OK, I can at least start drinking water again, while the Speech and Language people coach me on how to talk and eat etc. Let's not forget that I haven't had anything to eat or drink through my mouth for almost seven weeks. Everything's been through the tube, so I'm sure you'll understand why I might be getting a bit impatient.

Apart from that, the recovery is progressing reasonably well. I find myself getting tired at various times during the day, and the 30 steps up to our bedroom leave me a bit breathless. I have aches and pains in the jaw and in the chest, so I'll continue to rely on the prescription pain relievers for a while yet.

If I hadn't been ill, we would have gone on our summer holiday yesterday. A whole bunch of us were due to spend a couple of weeks in a hired house in Carnac, southern Brittany. For obvious reasons, Catherine and I have had to stay behind. A shame, but we'll make up for it when I'm well again.

Here are ten songs about holidays.

1. Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard
2. Lovers' Holiday - Peggy Scott & JoJo Benson
3. Holiday Fortnight - The Specials
4. Holiday Frog - Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias
5. Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
6. Alcoholiday - Teenage Fanclub
7. Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra
8. The Lowly Tourist - Loudon Wainwright III
9. Holidays In The Sun - The Sex Pistols
10. Club Tropicana - Wham

Bon Voyage!

RP