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Good Evening and welcome to my latest post. I'm home and really pleased to be here. It took a little bit of negotiation and a little force to get here but  here I am. When the bandages were removed from my foot, it was too swollen to allow my foot to fit in to my slipper. The physio wouldn't let me do the stairs test without a sole under my foot, so I had to think quickly. I knew that I always keep a pair of hiking boots ( unused ) in Lynns car, just in case my eldest one decides to go for a last minute hike ( it has happened before and I have got the sheep s*** on my best shoes to prove it). That was option 1. I persuaded him to go for a short walk for half an hour because my foot had only been unwrapped for a few minutes before he came for the test. There was no way that the slipper was going to fit, but remember, I have appeared in a version of Cinderella ( no , not the pornographic version ), so I can remember some of the cunning ruses. Now I've spent some considerable time writing notes to, and, since I started to talk again, generally chatting up the nursing staff ( exclude the male nurses from this bit ). Whilst none of those on duty was interested in destroying patients property, I had no trouble in acquiring a set of scissors. The offending slipper was slightly reconfigured to enable the foot to enter, the stairs test was completed successfully. He said I always smile - this was more like a grimace but the end result was release on Friday, 3 days early. I expected to get home and drop in to my usual lifestyle . Perhaps I expect too much. I got home and dropped off. I woke up on Saturday , after a half decent night and dropped off. Rob had texted me some scores but I slept through a good portion of Saturday. Today, Sunday is a lot better. A decent nights sleep, a little less pain and I have been awake most of the day. District Nurses are calling in to re-dress wounds- the traccy is healing well, but the leg is still seeping a little, so where are we ?

I am home.
I had a tracheostomy,which has currently left a small hole in my windpipe. This should  heal in a week or so. At present, it is a nuisance rather than a pain, because I cannot get the pressure in the windpipe to enable me to walk and talk properly. Walking takes a lot out of me, even with a stick .......yes. Chris Elkington has a stick ( not for long )
A section of my right fibia ( leg) has been moulded to form a jaw. Leg hurts at present but not too much- exercising in progress.
All of the holes where I had drains hanging from my neck and leg are healing nicely.
Learning to eat without chewing ( no teeth in my leg bone ), so cutting into small pieces. I wonder if I will be more susceptible to Foot and Mouth disease.
Learning to cope with the more difficult words presented by the reconfiguaration of the lower jaw. The tongue has been working overtiime.
The village kids will not be knocking on my door for Halloween,I still look pretty frightening.
My tumour has been cut out together with all the lympth glands around my neck. The scars are healing well and I feel good.!!!!

I've drafted through the notes I made whilst I was in hospital and especially when I couldn't talk at all and I will be adding them in soon. But there are an awful lot, even if I miss out the conversations with the nurses - it was a bit frustrating because it can  be used as evidence if you write it down !!

Thanks for the messages, esp CH and DF, nice to know you're still around.
Chris