Bucket List complete

Good morning to you all,
I know its been some time since my last blog, but life has gone on with little respite. How much do I like life now.
 My bucket list is now complete. To those who are not aware, I had a compilation photo at my bedside during the dark days following my op, which detailed all of the activities I enjoyed and intended to replicate as soon as I could. The photos ranged from a pint of Guinness ( completed upon release after my first op-thanks Si ) included various foods, driving again ( January),watching football ( January if you count Lincoln as football!!),playing Golf ( March) umpiring a cricket match ( September),appearing in the village pantomime( January 2013) and finally skiing.After much debate with my consultant, misgivings from my wife and agreeing to a whole host of safety measures and other constraints,my two sons,Daniel and Simon and I flew to Kitzbuhel in Austria for a few days for some spring skiing.Whilst I was told that it would take two years for the bone in my leg to regrow totally, I was confident that I had enough power and strength in my legs to do it. We skied the Hahnenkamm, the steepest of the six hills in the winter world series, from top to bottom without a stop twice.Albeit our times were considerably slower than those recorded by  Ligerty , Raich and co ( They clock around 2 minutes, we were nearer 20 ) but we did it. In total we skied 53 km in the three days we were there and had a really good time. Unfortunately, the shine was taken off the holiday as I caught a bug on the way home ( possibly on the plane) and from the Sunday morning to late Tuesday had to stay in close proximity to a loo. Lost 8lbs in those three days, but gradually putting it back on again.
Now getting well used to the new teeth, eating remains a minor problem as I'm much slower than I used to be, but maybe that is good for my digestion.
I feel fitter now than I've done for years and have taken on a few jobs with various councils and a church to keep the brain cells ticking over.
Its back to Birmingham on the 17th for my check up with my consultant, armed with a video of the skiing which he wants to use for his illustrated talks around the world. I knew I would be famous one day, problem is no one will know who this person behind the mask and helmet is .
I'll blog again soon. Enjoy spring- when it finally arrives
Chris

Made in Lincolnshire, re-built in Birmingham

Good Afternoon All and greetings from a particularly wet Lincolnshire,
More good news.
I have been totally re-built.The £40000 man has been completed. The final fix was screwed in on Thursday 31st Jan. I now have a plastic (or some similar type of synthetic material) gum with teeth attached.The whole procedure took barely 20 minutes. The original implant heads were screwed out and the construction was dropped in. The whole lot was screwed into the fixings which remain in my new jaw bone and, finally, the screw heads were filled by some medium similar to mortar, and cured using some type of heat or light sabre.The teeth are an excellent match with my own and I am slowly coming to terms with reconfiguring my lower lip to avoid the impression of being 'vacant'.Initially, it felt as if I had a bag of marbles in my mouth but over the last few days , that feeling has subsided as I have become more used to it, having had 16 months with nothing there.I was told that it may take me a while to speak properly again and to be careful , initially , when eating. It took me around 20 seconds to talk properly and we went out for meals on the two following evenings. Yet to eat steak as Simon has requested a delay on that particular cut of meat until he takes me to a restaurant local to him ,which specialises in steaks, but to date I've eaten toast, lamb,biscuits,pork and a whole host of other difficult foods - maybe have to watch the waistline again !! We go back to Birmingham in March for a dental check and April for a cancer check but all looks good. I feel really fit, I look almost as handsome as I did before ( no laughing out there ).Would I go through it again? You bet. Not that I had a choice and it was a long hard road, but better a few scars and a bit of discomfort than dead.
I will keep blogging occasionally as I know from your comments that some of you have found this interesting. If anyone wishes to find out more or wants to contact me, you must do it by e-mail to ; chriselkingtonsbs@hotmail.com as I cannot reply to messages left on this blog - some technical issue.
Thank you all for reading and many,many thanks for all the very kind messages.
Best wishes
Chris

Almost there

Good Afternoon All from a snowy Lincolnshire,
Trust that all my readers are well. I've had some pretty decent experiences of late as my re-construction continues. Whilst we have had the odd re-arranged appointment, which is not unknown at this time of year, it is all positive. I have had the synthetic gum and teeth screwed into the  implants, a perfect fit as far as I was concerned, but my dental consultant was not happy and decided to make some very minor alterations. Teeth in on 31st January so look out proper meat, no more risking horseburgers !! Visited QE Birmingham on Wednesday. Consultant is very happy and requested that I visit him again in 3 months, bringing a video of me ski-ing ( looks like I've got to go now !! ), so that he can use it in his lectures. He's tripping off to India to do 15 lectures in the next 10 days,I wont have my trip sorted by then- I dont think they would understand the concept of snow there anyway- unless there are parts of the country which are not on my radar.Had another set of photographs taken for his articles , really testing the reliability of their cameras - I did ask where I should hold the number, but I dont think the photographer was blessed with much of a sense of humour, at least he didn't tell me where to stick it ! Thats all for now folks - I'll try to get a photo put on when I'm finally re-built.
Kindest regards
Chris

Merry Christmas - 2012

Good Afternoon to you all and my very best wishes for the festive season and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
I realise that it is a while since my last blog, but I really dont want to bore you with the minutia of what has become an almost normal life. I'm doing everything that everyone else does, with very few exceptions and I'm quite sure that you dont want to know where I've been , who with and what I've been up to, hence the gaps between blogs.
The latest medical news is that the reconstruction of the remainder of the lower jaw and implanted teeth is progressing. There was a minor hiccup in mid- December when my first real implants were fitted. Whilst they were a good fit, the teeth were a perfect colour, but , when I was offered the mirror to gauge my views, I realised that I now know what became of Shergar ( for those of you who are not British, or cannot remember, Shergar was a highly successful racehorse who mysteriously disappeared many years ago )- loses a bit in explanation , but never mind,I guess that everyone now understands why the Dental Consultant agreed with me that a good few millimetres needed to be removed to make a good fit. Dick Emery - eat your heart out!!
A visit just before Christmas to try out the latest version was much better.This version will now be tarted up for a second fitting in mid-January , incidentally the day after my cancer check at Queen Elizabeth s ,Birmingham - so we will stay overnight. Then the final version should be bolted in to place on 31st January. I had to delay that appointment by a week as I'm appearing in the village pantomime during the preceding week and I didn't think the front row would appreciate being sprayed during my various renditions.
Looking forward to 2013.
Very best wishes to you all.
Chris 

All I want for Christmas is ..........

Hello Everyone and welcome to my latest offering,
We have just returned from my latest visit to Birmingham Dental Hospital , chauffeured both ways ( by choice this time ) I had a good long chat with the Consultant who told me exactly what he has done, and intends to do in the next month.
Today was my third appointment and it seems certain that they are going to extraordinary lengths to get 'the look' right. The tops of my implants in my jaw are similar to bolts, whilst the base,which remains captive in the reconstructed jaw are similar to nuts ( I'm talking fixtures !!! ). The Consultant screws the bolts off and takes impressions every time I go. This afternoon was the first fitting of a wax mould (bridge)constructed from the last set of impressions. It was designed to drop into the two outside implants and fitted perfectly. A few minor adjustments to make sure that the bite was even was followed by another impression taken between the bridge and the top teeth. This one was taken using something akin to bathroom sealant using the same type of applicator gun. Several heaves later,followed by 5 minutes of not moving, it set and was taken out. My consultant took some colour matches of my top teeth to colour the new set when they are made, and tried to colour match my gum but agreed that as part of it was donated from my thigh ( deep red ) and part from my upper arm ( almost white ), it would be impossible to match. As people very rarely see lower gums, I dont see that as a problem.
Next visit is in a fortnight when there will be a fitting of my first set of teeth. These will be designed to be altered before a final set are manufactured. I'm really impressed at the efforts they are going to.
Socially,life is good. I'm doing everything I want to do, nothing is preventing me from joining in any physical or intellectual activity - no pain, no more reactions to anaesthetics - bring it on, I'm good for a few more years yet ( I hope ).Every Day is a good Day !!!
I'll blog again before Christmas.
Very best wishes to all who read this
Chris

Happy Birthday

Good Evening All,
Today, my jaw is one year old. It is exactly a year since my jaw was removed and replaced with this titanium/fibia construction which now forms the lower part of my face.My jaw even received a first birthday card from Lynn.It looks like we will celebrate its birthday every year because No one can tell the difference. I went to a Sportsmans Club Dinner last Friday evening ( Black Tie do ) and met a chap who is a member of one of my former Boards  who I last met in August 2011; and a former rugby team mate, who I last met around 10 years ago, both were adamant that they could not tell that I had undergone any form of facial surgery ( the first chap knew what had been done).
I have had my first dental consultation when impressions of both my upper teeth and my lower jaw were taken.These will be analysed and it is intended to form a bridge to attach to the posts in my lower jaw into which a number (yet to be confirmed) of prosthetic teeth will be implanted.The experts will try to match my lower teeth to my upper teeth. I have a series of appointments booked at Birmingham Dental Hospital between 5th November ( there will be fireworks that night ) and Christmas at fortnightly intervals.
I am fitter now than I have been for many years- carrying less weight, not spending hours crouched over a desk and taking much more exercise.I tend to sleep much more but when I am awake I'm up for anything-well almost !!
Thank you for all the kind messages, I will keep writing.
Best Wishes
Chris

I cant believe almost a year has gone

Good Evening to you all,
     This is my 50th blog and its all good news this time. Had my scheduled visit to QE Birmingham on the 19th which was mainly a check-up and update. All has settled down well and the restorative dentist is happy that he can work with the implants which were exposed during my last op.That means that my operations are over and ,apart from 6 or 7 dental procedures, all is done.The new teeth will be permanent as opposed to traditional false teeth.  The dental appointments should commence shortly and ,hopefully, be complete by Christmas.
We had a week in North Yorkshire before we went to Birmingham, I had smuggled my skiing gear in to the car and had an hour on the slopes at Castleford ( no falls , no problems and no near misses ) so that is one more goal achieved ,I can still ski ; One more goal to go, but I'm really pleased about this one, given that its less than a year since a section of bone was taken from my fibia, I thought my skiing days were over ( there are some who hoped they were!!! and that doesn't include those who experienced my escapades in the past 4 years ).
Started doing a few consultancy jobs to keep the brain going as well as working for a couple of organisations     and I've been re-elected on to the Parish Council, so we are slowly getting back to normal.
Just watched the op. on Channel 5 , we were filmed but I had already had my op before they started filming and they decided to run with a chap who had exactly the same op as I had. It does look gruesome but will be available on Channel 5 catchup from tomorrow ( we found it by Google ing 'Channel 5 internet' then clicked on 'Demand 5 ') . The series has been re-named 'Making Faces', this is episode 2 .
Its my birthday tomorrow, a year ago I was sure I wouldn't make 59 but, due to some really excellent work from some very skilled surgeons and care from nurses ( District and hospital ), it looks like I might be here for a good while yet.
I'll blog again within a month.
Best Wishes
Chris

Almost back to normal

Good Evening All,
I've been reminded by three friends over the weekend that I haven't posted recently so here is the latest.
Following the shock of  the last operation, I've slowly improved, the swelling has reduced and I am back to where I was in July. The mouth has changed shape , all 6 anchors which were on the X- ray on my 20 June blog are now visible, the two front ones being most prominent, and, whilst there are still a few internal stitches left to dissolve, it all looks good . I believe the plan is to create a bridge to attach to the anchors and then insert teeth in the bridge, however, getting the restorative dentist and my consultant together has proved impossible during the Holiday season. We've had 3 cancellations to date and are next scheduled for 19th September.Hopefully, we will all be there on that day and we can discuss the next steps.
Physically ,I'm getting closer to full fitness. The skin graft donor site on my left arm continues to prove troublesome ( it decided to blister this morning ) but I managed a couple of rounds of Golf last week, bedding in my retirement present ( an electric trolley). Trolley was excellent, but the Golf has been better.
I managed my first full game for over a year,umpiring a local Cricket match last weekend.Not too much reaction, but I knew I had done it.  Just two more goals to complete my set.
Aiming to get another weeks Holiday in next week, then back for a hectic week. I like hectic, sitting on my rear end doesn't appeal, I've had my fill of doing not a lot.
I'll update after my next visit to Birmingham.
Very best wishes to all,
Chris

One year on

Good Evening All,
Well, today is the first anniversary of being told I'm going to die.The news is that I'm still here. Its been a roller-coaster year.I've experienced the very best and the very worst of the NHS. Surgeons and Doctors with supreme skills and organisation abilities, Nurses ( both ward and Community ( District) ) who show great knowledge and empathy. Regrettably there were a couple who couldn't care a **** as long as they got paid.Most of the ward non-nursing staff were very friendly; cleaners and cooks were very upbeat.But the bureaucracy is almost unbelievable. The unnecessary paperwork, waste of drugs, rules with little or no sense- I would love to get stuck into the organisation. The principle is sound, the medical staff are, in the main, brilliant, some of the administrative procedures are excellent but there is a stark lack of common-sense and I've just become a victim again ( you may be surprised to hear that I have circumvented the latest rule change- I'll let you in on the secret when my treatment ends).
There has been a few changes since my last blog.
Last Friday, the padding within my mouth started to disintegrate ( it was a bit like hard chewing gum ). After a series of phone calls between Lynn and Birmingham Hospital, it was agreed that providing it didn't all fall out it would be OK - Guess what- it all disintegrated and fell out on Saturday.After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing.It was thought that it should have done its job and to leave it as it was.
Over the weekend I didn't feel too well, I continued to spit out gallons of thick,gungy bile but I had Olympic athletics tickets for Monday so I was going if it was the last thing I did . It became apparent over the evening that all was not well, but I enjoyed the day ( Simons organisation was,as usual,first rate) and saw some cracking events ( and Bolt ).We stayed at Simon and Becks overnight but next day it looked as though both my skin donor site and one of the wires through my jaw were infected, so we dropped in on the District Nurses ( by arrangement) on the way home.Swabs taken,wounds redressed and phone calls around resulted in an unscheduled trip back to Birmingham on Wednesday.That turned out to be a very good move. It was agreed that both sites were infected, so a dose of Penicillin was prescribed and as it was considered that the exterior stitches had done the job, so they were removed. That means I can talk again and can eat a much more varied diet.
Next Wednesdays scheduled visit has been cancelled ( well it would have been if the new junior Doctor on his first week had remembered to set it up - he'll learn ,I hope).We now go back on the 20th,when we will find out how successful  the op has been and what the next steps are to be. Whilst I'm still sore and slightly swollen , it looks pretty good inside. we will see.
Football season starts tomorrow ,which proves that life goes on.
Enjoy the next week or two
Best wishes
Chris

That came as a shock

Good Afternoon All,
I'm back home now after my latest operation.The op was designed to expose the 4 covered implants, but when they opened up, it was decided to do a bit of 'tarting up'.The net result is that I have gone back months. I cant speak and cant eat as my mouth is wired inside and out with 3 stitches going through my gums and through my jaw before being tied up under my chin with some sort of plastic tubes holding everything in place.They will be hidden when I go back as my beard will have grown over them.A skin graft was taken from my left arm to cover the latest work, this is still bleeding and my mouth,  now disfigured ,is now oozing puss - not a pretty sight, I've already gone through 2 big boxes of tissues.I go back in a fortnights time to have all the stitches and  various aids removed and hope that I get back to the state I was in before the latest op.
I did find out a couple of items of note, apparently my low heart rate (50 ish) is due to being surprisingly fit (some of the soldiers come in around 45) and my consultant told me that he was able to use such a good portion of my leg bone because they were so thick as a result of the sport I played as a youngster.
So thats the update, I feel OK now that the anaesthetic is wearing off (this was a 3hour op) and all bodily functions are working except the mouth so now I will have to consider what effect this might have on the social life for the next couple of weeks- I'm due to go to Olympic Athletics on Monday, Weston Rooms meal (no chance) on Saturday. Had a good day at Beach Volleyball on Monday this week except that my titanium jaw set off the security system as we went in and the soldier who frisked me didn't believe I had a metal jaw ( he would if he saw it now).
I'll blog again soon but I wont be making any phone calls in the next 2 weeks.
Kind regards
Chris

Next Stage looms large

Good Evening All,
I know that it has been almost a month since my last blog but I've been on Holiday again ( Norfolk Broads this time).Its fair to say that it was pretty wet but every day is a good day, wet or dry;the only difference is that when its wet now,I dont have to worry about sorting out peoples flooding problems - I still get a few phone calls every now and then, but I expect that these will reduce when the next telephone directory is published.
Tuesday is my next visit to QE ,Birmingham for the next major foundation reconstruction operation.The first reconstruction in April has settled fairly well but only 2 of the 6 implants are visible so it will be to either expose the other 4 or hide the 2 which are exposed, no doubt I will find out before they put me down ( not literally I hope ).I didn't have a pre-op check this time as my consultant reckoned I've had enough checks over the past few months and he is happy that the weights and exercises I have religiously completed since my first op, has improved my fitness to a fairly decent level. I must admit that there is a part of me that is a little apprehensive but,then again,the team know what they are doing,so I will put my trust in them again.I'll blog again when I get back home.
Kind regards to you all
Chris
p.s. message to Ran and another anonymous commenter - The blog does not allow me to respond to comments but if you want a private chat , my hotmail address is 'chriselkingtonsbs@hotmail.com'

At Last

Good Evening All,
Good News. After 8 and a half months, my leg has healed. The wound has finally closed together and, providing I take care of the scab which covers the last little bit and make sure I dont rip open any of the new skin, I've done it - the Guinness has done its stuff and I'm healed ( well, at least my leg is ).No more District Nurse visits, no more dressings, creams and bandages, no more going to bed with a tuba grip from ankle to knee, my leg will have to adjust to nakedness.
The next op.for my gum reconstruction was due in mid-July, but I've had to defer it and am awaiting another slot.
Socially, my official retirement party (2012) took place on Tuesday night. I was over whelmed to see so many work colleagues from all over the Country come to say farewell.I've been very fortunate to work in such an amicable industry and make so many good friends over the years. Now, I have to adjust to early retirement. With the general improvement in my strength and fitness, I should be able to do everything I had planned to do before this setback, just a couple of years earlier than I had originally planned. I'm not certain what path I intend to take for intellectual stimulation, but you can bet I wont be wasting my time.
I will blog again soon, when I know my new date.
Best Wishes to you all.
Chris

Look away now if you're squeamish

Good Afternoon All,
Its been over a fortnight since my last blog but I've been waiting for the right opportunity to contact Simon, my personal IT teacher ( and youngest son) to help me load the photo.
Since I last wrote, we've been back to QE Hospital,Birmingham for another consultation and update.Whilst I was there,I took the opportunity to have a photo taken of the consultants computer ( well it is my mouth after all ) so that I can share it with you.

The photo is of the X-ray I had taken just before I was discharged after my last op. in April. It shows the titanium frame which is now the basis of my lower jaw, the pieces of bone taken from my fibia (leg bone ) can be clearly seen, together with the six screws which were inserted in April, which will form the base as my lower gum is reconstructed over the next few months.Only two of the screws remain visible at present, as the skin and fat removed from my right leg has grown over the other 4 inserts. A small op. to expose them is the next stage.The small white marks under my new chin are the staples ,which were used to close off the flow as all of the glands were removed from my neck.
Reconstruction of the lower gum will now take place over the next few months. I understand that there will now be 1 or 2 small operations to prepare the framework before a series of Dental procedures to create a new working lower gum ( complete with teeth). I'm currently eating by using my tongue as my lower gum for chewing, as best I can, but , whilst I now have a very strong tongue, it is not able to help me bite, or chew anything which is not well cooked.Teeth will be a great bonus if it can be done.
I still dont have good news about my leg, which has not yet been discharged by the District Nurses, but its almost there and doesn't cause me any problems.
The social life is going very well. As I get stronger, my capacity to take late nights in my stride increases and I can get out and about wherever and whenever I want. We had a very good night out with a couple of friends and then went on holiday to Bury for a week. We are away to Essex at the weekend to help Dan and Han ( eldest son and wife ) move house as I'm no longer a liability and can lift and carry almost as well as I did before the original op.I've had a couple of offers to assist organisations using my skills ( such as they are ) and have agreed to help one, so far. Life is good.
As soon as I get an update of the schedule for the next stage, I'll let you know.
Enjoy the summer, it will start soon.
Best Wishes
Chris

Its June, but not yet Summer

Good Evening to my friends,
Its a few weeks since my last blog and ,whilst things have been a bit steady, there has been some progress. Starting from the top, the consultant at Worksop Hospital has pronounced my skull as being perfectly repaired, in fact, she was quite excited that it had healed so well in a relatively short period of time.It is said that God made very few perfect heads, the rest he covered with hair !!
Moving down a little, my physio at the Hospice has declared that my shoulder movement is as good as it will ever be. I know that it is actually better that its been for decades, due to the exercises, which I have been told to keep up for the rest of my life. I can cope with 5 minutes a day .
The mouth is healing and the swelling continues to reduce to the extent that I can now feel my jaw line.The stitches in my mouth have finally dissolved ( I think ).We will see what Birmingham makes of it when we go next week.The hot weather earlier in the week had an effect on the jaw, it felt as if it had expanded. I dont know if that is possible, I know that metal expands in the heat but I doubt whether my mouth would reach the temperatures required to make it expand.
The only slow part is the leg which stubbornly refuses to completely heal. I'm going to try Guinness again on Saturday night, see if that helps, it did last time.
My social life continues to improve in leaps and bounds. We had a few days away, 4 in Welwyn and 5 in the Cotswolds. It was not the warmest week on record, but the temperatures soared as soon as we returned home. Had a good night watching the drama group last week, nice to see the ladies performing again. Had a run of 11 successive correct answers on the quiz ( aided and abetted by Lynn and Jo and others ), then spectacularly had a run of 6 wrong ones.Lost by one point in the end.
Golf is going very well ( see shoulders above).Played for IDB's at Boston last week and scored my first ever eagle on a 239 yard hole - 236 drive followed by 9 foot putt. Then on Tuesday, Simon and I played the ADA national competition at Abbotsbury, nr.St.Neots. We finished second on countback, but both days were pretty exhausting, pure adrenalin kept me going.
Jubilee weekend will be spent at Dan and Hannahs preparing their new house ready for the move at the end of the month. I didn't expect to be able to do any of these things so soon after the op so every day is a plus.
Happy Days
Will blog after 8th June
Best wishes to all
Chris

Still here

Dear all,
Apologies for the delay, but the blog has been changed by some bright spark and I had to find my way round it ( as many of you know, I'm not the most techno-savvy bloke in the world ).
The mouth is healing well but the stitches remain.Apparently they are supposed to self-destruct but mine seem to want to remain in situ. but then again, I never like parting with anything.The swelling has gone down and I am back to my normal ( for me ) diet. Still not able to bite but I can give most things a good suck. Drinking through a straw was interesting. Guinness through a straw was not as different as I expected,but it still doesn't beat using a glass.The next visit to Birmingham has been deferred until June 8th,so I can get on with living for a while without waiting for my next appointment.The plan changes regularly, the latest is that I will be complete by Christmas after one further op and a series of procedures ( whatever they may be ).
The leg stubbornly refuses to heal.  District Nurses continue to try different techniques/creams once or twice a week. Its almost there but not quite.
I have kept quiet about my television career, but can now confirm that I was filmed as part of a documentary focusing on the work of the consultant who remodelled my face. However, my bit has been pulled from the final programme called 'Men who make faces' on Channel 5 in a few weeks time  .I guess that my face didn't fit ??
Social life is going well.We went to Essex for Hannahs 30th, my new daughter-in-law had organised a group to go for Sunday lunch. I met with some people who had been to the wedding (which I missed) and I was able to hold my own.The lunch was excellent but I had a much reduced choice from the menu.
Tuesday night was my first since the op. having a couple of pints with one of my male friends.It was good to get out and talk engineering and football.Saturday night was our monthly dinner dance ( bit of a misnomer for me as I dont dance at present and dinner is sometimes a challenge - but the company is always good) Had a superb lunch in midweek with some friends in a pub in the south of the County.
Managed to get a few holes of Golf in despite the weather.The course has suffered over the past few weeks, one of them has been closed regularly. I managed to get a few overs umpiring in last week with no after effects but I need to stand for a full 40 overs before I decide whether to umpire weekend games. We are going away for a few days, just a short break in the Chilterns/Cotswolds.Watch the weather improve !!
Blog again soon.
Best Wishes
Chris
.

Next stage completed

Good Afternoon All,
As promised, my latest blog following my latest surgery. Sorry its a bit late but I haven't been on top form since the op.
I was due in at QE , Birmingham at 11.30 on Tuesday, but it was getting on for 5 before I went down. It seems that the list was re-prioritised, possibly to allow more time at the end of the day- I was followed by an Indian chap who had a complicated lower eye socket replacement. Net result was that I was advised to stay in overnight ( which I did ).The op. went well as far as the team were concerned.
I walked down to theatre,as is my usual custom and started the job off , after signing a last minute amendment to my consent form ( dont really think thats supposed to happen on the slab just before you are due to go to sleep, but I suppose its a case of covering backsides ).Op lasted just over 2 hours, consisting of 6 holes drilled in to the titanium jaw and metal pegs inserted ( I think the pegs may be titanium too but will check next time). It is anticipated that the metal will fuse together in the next couple of months to enable the next stage. The good news is that the bone taken from my leg , which was enmeshed with the titanium jaw line, is already fusing together,obviously as a result of the infusions of alcohol taken on an irregular basis.If it doesn't fuse together, I guess that a man with a welding torch may be required ?
I stopped bleeding profusely around 11p.m. and made a bit of a mess of the gown and the sheets, so much so that the gown was replaced, but I wouldn't let the nurses replace the sheet- it was only a bit of blood and a few hours wouldn't make much difference ( and I had got warm !!) Not the best of nights, but I got some sleep and got my blood pressure down low enough to be discharged on Wednesday.Didn't feel too well on Wednesday, and Thursday was not at my best, but starting to get out of it now, the anaesthetic  does some strange things to me. I'm sore and swollen - look a bit like Clement Freud, for those of you who remember him- and back to soft(ish) diet and drinking out of a straw . District Nurses told me that it enhances the sensation of some types of drink - we will see.
Leg wound is now 6 months old and still doesn't want to fully heal. It is slowly knitting together and I think another couple of weeks should see it complete, but I've thought that before.
Football watching going well - Tottenham /Norwich was interesting,and Colchester/Sheff.wed was educational ( always is when you're surrounded by ex-steelworkers). Lincoln/Hayes tomorrow, all being well, then a few play-offs if I'm lucky. Golf deferred due to weather- drought conditions continue to prevail. Its not stopped raining since it was announced- again ( anyone remember Denis Healey- Minister for Drought in 1976? It didn't stop raining for 8 weeks after he was appointed).Had a couple of invites whilst I've been away and looking forward to improving my social life.
Due back at Birmingham in 3 weeks but will blog before then.
Best Wishes to all
Chris

Happy Easter

Good morning All,
Ever had that feeling when you get out of the shower that its good to be alive ? Its something I rarely experience because I'm not a morning person ,as many of you know, but the last couple of days I've had that sensation. Ok, it may not be morning in the sense that many of you get up and warm the world ready for my entrance, but its still morning to me, and I feel good.
Now to the basics. We went to Birmingham on Wednesday , lousy journey but the Elkington map reading radar got us there when the Tom-Tom couldn't recognise a motorway pile up in time - just 5 minutes late for an 11 appointment which, in the circumstances was pretty good, and no one noticed. First appointment was for pre-op checks. Lynn recognised the nurse as the same one who did the checks prior to my first op. I didn't notice first off but then she was pregnant. Nothing to do with me, the timing is pure co-incidence. It seems that I'm fairly fit , blood pressure a bit high but otherwise Ok. The blood test was interesting- last time she took it she failed and had to have the doc round as I was not feeling well.- as I told her, I've not been looking forward to it all day, she had only been dreading it for a few minutes. Nevertheless, she found blood without me feeling much - have I got used to it ? I doubt it .
Afternoon appointment was brought forward so that we didn't have to hang around ( they really do look after me there ). Slight change of plan. The dental implants will go in on 17th April as scheduled, then there will be another 8 procedures starting 3 months after the implants are put in. It will take around 6 months, so should be totally rebuilt by Christmas . I dont see that as a problem as I can cope fairly well with what I've got now so anything extra is a bonus. I know that the surgeon wants to do this job really well because it puts the final polish on an unusual and complicated procedure and I dont mind being a guinea pig.
Leg not quite there but improving all the time. I can now stand, so umpiring may become a more viable option.Walking is not a problem, the 6000 yard course at Gainsborough ( 7500 when I hit it from side to side ) is achievable with only a little tiredness at the end, but very little leg pain.
I will update after my next op in a fortnight , so Happy Easter to you all.
Very best wishes
Chris  

Progress

Good Evening All,
I've not updated the blog for a week or two because there was not much to report, but I've had some news today so its time to update.
As far as existing problems are concerned, I am progressing slowly. Now playing full rounds of Golf, but totally exhausted after 16 holes- operating on pure adrenalin for the last 2. Stamina is improving but I dont think I will make the Olympic marathon team . Physio is happy at progress made on shoulder re-alignment,encouraging me to use the weights to build up the muscles which failed so spectacularly after my stay in hospital.It seems that a combination of the operation and the lack of movement whilst I was tubed up was the main cause but years of leaning over a desk hasn't helped. My left shoulder is now looser than it has been for years, the right still has some way to go but it can still hit a ball a fair distance.
 The leg continues to test the patience of the District Nurses.It has almost healed, but not quite   .I developed a rash around the wound 10 days ago, but my GP sorted it out with a steroid cream.   A different regime is now being tried to see if it will finally heal.  Time will tell.But ,in the meantime, I have to make sure that it is well covered when I'm outside.
Todays news is that the date for my next op has been set for 16 April,with pre-op tests next Wednesday,just before my routine check.That works out fairly well as I have tickets for both Tottenham/Norwich and Colchester/Sheffield Wednesday during the preceding week.This op should be around 90 minutes so it should be a doddle compared to the 10 hour session in October- famous last words ?
Hopefully,I should be able to take up all the various invites I have for May.
I'll blog again next week after I've been to Birmingham.
Best Wishes to all.
Chris

Nearly round to light nights

Good Evening all,
Sorry I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks but there is not a lot to report. The shoulder exercises have gone well and the physios recommendation that Golf is good for shoulders has really helped. I've been round a few times, gradually increasing the number of holes played, now up to 14 and starting to score fairly well.
News on the teeth is not quite so good, I've been in touch with Birmingham and there has been a further delay due to surgeon scheduling. It looks like there will be no teeth until after Easter , but at least I can suck chocolate now and again, so no excuses.
The leg is healing slowly, the change of routine with me visiting the District Nurses instead of them coming to see me means that I'm getting more consistency in treatment.The dressing is now down to 3 x 2 (inches) and the wound is less than a 10 pence piece, the skin has slowly covered over the wound. It doesn't look pretty and the skin graft donor sites look red raw, but there is no pain and everything works. Now, all I need is some intellectual stimulation- I've got one or two ideas up my sleeve but I'd welcome any suggestions.
I'm currently waiting results of my latest swab test but I'm fairly confident this time.
Social life is getting up to speed, the fitter I get, the more I want to do.
Blog again soon
Best Wishes to you all
Chris

Spring is on its way

Good Afternoon to you all,
Another week, a little more progress and a little more frustration: and a couple of pleasant visits.
The week didn't start too well as my physios secretary rang first thing Monday to call off the appointment because she was ill. We re-arranged for next Tuesday, so I decided to continue with the exercises but bump them up a bit.District Nurse called- yet another different lady, this one was very thorough and cleaned the infected area better than it had been done for over a week- they are all very nice and wrap it well but I'm beginning to get a bit concerned that the plan is not being reviewed, it seems that everyone wants to put a different type of cream/lotion on different bits. Its a good job that Lynn has seen it all and remembers what goes on what bit but I think that some of the ladies are here to visit, change dressings and go away again, rather than trying to repair it as soon as possible.
 I decided to see if I can still ride a bike and after a bit of pumping up tyres, set off .Thats where the frustration sets in. Yes, I can still ride a bike, but after half a mile I ran out of breath - lots of work still needed on the fitness front.
Waited in on Wednesday for District Nurses but by midday was getting a bit concerned, particularly as last week I had visits on successive days. My fears were well founded, I rang the answerphone and eventually got a return call from someone saying that there had been a change and I was now down for a visit on Thursday. I've been in management long enough to see the signs when cracks appear in organisations and I had my doubts last week. What has gone wrong is that the managers decided to review the organisation rather than replace the case handler who left. Naturally, the system is now short of staff and there is no leadership or organisation, so we get seconded staff, bank staff and all sorts ;and no-one seems to know who is doing what, where and when. I guess that the same applies to the whole area but it really annoys me that the managers cannot see that their lack of foresight impacts on everyone.
Had a series of visits over the week, including an unplanned knock on the door - Thanks J, nice of you to call round. Decided to play a few holes on Thursday. Hooking, topping and drowning a few balls, but after the first 2 holes, parred the third and hit a 225 drive on the 4th, so the shoulder exercises are working.
Saturdays visit to Sincil Bank resulted in the usual mix of effort and tripe, but at least they are trying now and its worth watching , as long as you dont expect skill or success.
The next op has been delayed a little as some parts have to come from Belgium,If thats going into my mouth, will I be speaking flemish or dutch ? or remain with my usual gibberish.
Thats all for now, must be getting better cos I like a good rant.
Have a good week ladies and gents
Chris

Another week, another step on the way to full recovery

So here we are, this week marks four months since the operation. Its frustrating that progress is up and down , but given that I was not expecting to eat or talk for many months, I cant complain.
The good news this week is that , for the first time in months, the leg is not infected- the swabs results came back negative, so no anti- biotics. The last week has seen a succession of different District Nurses, as they are short staffed at present, the net result is that the wound has been treated differently by each one, as they all have their own way of dealing with it. The leg is now improving and is now back to the state it was a couple of weeks ago.
Eating is going well, there is very little I cant manage - chips and crisps remain off limits for now, but I can even eat sandwiches now - albeit I dont bite, its more a question of ripping them apart.
Driving is going well, trip to Nottingham last week with no ill effects except for a feeling a bit tired afterwards, but my confidence is back. Going to try a few holes this week if my physio doesn't put a spoke in it tomorrow, it looks like its going to be a good week.
Blog again, next week.
Have a good week
Chris

Almost four months gone

Good Afternoon All,
Another week gone and not much to report. The foul tasting anti-biotics have been consigned to history but appear to have done the job as the wound continues to heal. The shoulder exercises are going well, I've got much more movement and can now swing a club, so a bit more leg improvement and we'll be chasing white balls around Thonock Park. Worst comes to the worst, I could hire a buggy , but you all know I'm a bit tight.
The exercise regime is now in full swing, I'm walking just over a mile every day without much after effect but I've been warned not to overdue it by the district nurse ( perhaps she might have had a different view if she had seen me last Saturday ). We had a blockage in the sewerage pipe ( lovely ). I managed to get 27 yards of drain rods down it before I found the blockage , which was under the footpath outside our house.Good news, the change of laws last year means that the problem was in Anglian Waters bit, so a quick phone call and out came a man with a van - an hour later, problem solved, so my 2 hours of rodding in sub zero temperatures was not in vain, but I'm a long way from fitness.
Birmingham hasn't set a date for my next op yet but I should know in a fortnight or so - I hope I get a bit of notice as I'm setting up dates for the next few months. Booked 4 holidays to date ( not a ski-ing holiday yet, but it will come next year).
Fridays meal at the Cross Keys went very well, apart from the lack of alcohol, I managed to pick enough from the menu to have a nice meal without having to chew. Social life somewhat curtailed due to the snow fall over the last week but gave me a chance to catch up on all the filing I had stuffed into a heap over the last 3 years- didn't realise how much time my job took up but everything is in order now.Time to take on the utilities !
Best Wishes to all
Chris

Ups and Downs continue

Good Afternoon All,
I'm starting to think that all these changes are designed to test my sense of humour. After the last week or two I was getting more and more confident that I was on top of these little problems and that it was only a matter of time before I was out and about doing everything I wanted but .......
The week started well - I sold the raffle tickets at this years pantomime.This gave me the chance to see what reaction, if any, I would get from people who meet me only occasionally.There were no odd looks or comments, in fact, the only comments I got were from people asking why I wasn't in this years production and one asked if I had broken my leg.That gives me the confidence to know that my appearance has almost returned to normal- what I see is not what other people see. I stayed for all 3 performances, which all went down very well. The male contingent ( now up to 4 ) all performed extremely well - a far cry from being the only male on occasions in the past. The ladies always perform well, but ,then again, some of them have performed more often than some professionals. Three good shows and another £1000 + raised for the village hall.
District Nurse arrived on Monday to dress the leg, all looked OK, but the results of last Wednesdays swab were still awaited,so, on course for the fitness regime to start - for all of ten minutes. Thats the amount of time between one District Nurse leaving and a second one arriving with the results of the swab ( yet another infection ) and a prescription of some of the foulest tasting anti-biotics I have ever had the misfortune to swallow. These are particularly strong - absolutely no alcohol and a long list of common side-effects. Considering that I've planned meals out tonight and tomorrow ( Saturday ), that really puts a spoke in the wheel.
Tuesday was a little better, the physio is fairly pleased with my progress to date and suggested a few additional exercises but swimming is not a 'runner' until the leg heals.Started with a cold, but two days of nose running and doses of hot lemon has sorted it out.  Wednesday saw the visit to Bassetlaw Hospital where I saw a very nice young Asian female doctor  who examined my skull, pronounced my wound as 'sun damage' and proceeded to fire a carton of liquid nitrogen at the wound. The temperature of this stuff is minus 'a lot', it felt a little like a red hot poker but I've had worse and let her keep going until she had finished the treatment. Looks sore at present, but not much pain and I'm due back in three months, but it is not skin cancer.
Thursday saw the return of the District Nurse, having decided to let it go for another day. Removal of the bandages showed a deterioration in the wound, it is now back discharging slough, so back to 3 visits a week.
I've decided to walk on it to get my fitness back and did a mile this morning with no pain, so we will see what the next visit brings. Expect another swab next week - at least I will get one week to get a pint or two in. I'll let you know how I get on.
Best Wishes
Chris

First Round to me

Good Afternoon All,
Good news all round.District Nurses continue to call 3 times a week, but my favourite nurse has just left for another job.She tried to get my leg repaired before she left and almost made it. Since last week,I've been taking intravenous Guinness and , guess what, its just about worked.As at Wednesday, the original 12 x 2 inch hole has now reduced in size to three small holes around the size of a 10p piece. No more blood oozing through the dressings, no more nasty surprises when I wake up , we are almost there.
Wednesday saw our latest visit to Birmingham. I AM CLEAR. The operation removed the tumour and everything else. My surgeon wants to finish the job as soon as he can, it will take a few more operations but they will all be relatively small ones which are 'run of the mill' dental work.When he has finished, I will have a bottom set of teeth and nothing will stop me eating that piece of cow ( medium/rare).
Swelling continues to reduce, we dont really know what I will be left with, but I am more than satisfied with my face as it now stands ( couldn't really improve on perfection anyway !!).I tried to see my GP last week but couldn't get an appointment which didn't clash with other medics,one of his colleagues has sent me to Bassetlaw Hosp. next week to have a funny looking skin blemish on the top of my head examined ( no, not to get my head examined !!).Birmingham had a look while I was there and believe its a typical sun blemish which bald men get. Dont know why I've got it, I'm not bald, just got a wide parting !Anyway, a different Hospital will make a change.
Social life going well - Lincoln won on Tuesday and 3 friends turned up, much better watching with others.Thursday night saw a cabaret act which I wasn't expecting, but a good night anyway. Tonight and tomorrow I'm selling raffle tickets at this years pantomime ( no Dame this year ) Its about the only job I can do sitting down but I will enjoy the company. Thanks for letter G, nice surprise .
Best Wishes to all
Chris

Steady Progress ?

Good Evening All,
Its been a week now since my last offering and there is not a lot to report. The trip to Birmingham was very interesting as I met up with the people who are producing the project which I cannot tell you anything about yet  but if this blog interests you, I'm quite sure you will be interested in the project when it is released.
The surgeons are so pleased with the way that the jaw has stabilized and the movement in it ,that an appointment has been made next Wednesday to meet the dental expert who will be inserting the dental implants ( teeth ) in my lower jaw at a date to be agreed in March. I've agreed to have the operation filmed, not that I will know much about it, but at least someone will get something out of it.
The swelling has reduced substantially over the last week, so much so that I can now sculpture the beard back into the shape it was prior to the op. Its me, again ! The leg continues to annoy me, I can walk a reasonable distance now without any pain but I cant stand still for more than 5 minutes .When I meet anyone on my way to the paper shop, I have to give my apologies after a few minutes as my leg starts to throb, but as soon as I start walking again or put it up on the pouffe, the pain disappears. Looks like golf is a possibility soon, but umpiring may take a little longer.I've still got a few days of penicillin left so intravenous Guinness on Monday night then the repair of the skin will kick in at a greater rate of knots.
My shoulders locked on Sunday so I stopped the exercises.The physio released them on Monday, moaned at me for pushing too hard and not taking pain killers, so more gentle exercises this week at a slightly slower rate
Socially,I'm getting out much more now, went to watch Lincoln and Carshalton on Saturday just to remind me what depression really is, went to a concert in Gainsborough on Sunday , once again it was OK while my leg was raised, but it gave me a bit of jip when it was down. Going to see Dan and Han ( eldest son and daughter-in-law (that sounds odd)), this weekend- first time away since coming home, proving to be a logistical exercise remembering all the pills,creams,bandages and other aids but I'm looking forward to it.
Blog next week.
Best Wishes to all ( there are 4000+ of you now )
Chris

New Year, same old problems

Good Evening Friends,
Had a very interesting last few days, some improvements, another target achieved ,another setback and an interesting take on cutbacks.Not bad for five days.So lets start in chronological order.
Friday was my first visit to the Hospice for physio on my shoulders or so I thought. It turned out to be an administrative exercise to determine whether I was eligible for treatment. Whilst the staff were very friendly and welcoming, it became more obvious throughout the hour long form-filling exercise that the services provided by the Hospice had been severely curtailed since my father accessed them less than a year ago.As the tumour which was killing me had been removed, the question of whether or not I remained terminally ill was the focus of the eligibility process. Eventually, after much discussion, it was agreed that as I remained under treatment from QE and had not been informed that I was not going to die imminently, then I could access the physio and an appointment was set up.
Monday started in a dis-organised fashion scuppering the planned quiet day. The phone rang at 8.30 - yes that was a.m. Rob- with my GP informing me that the swab from the leg wound taken on the previous Wednesday had shown an infection and a course of penicillin was required. Shortly afterwards,QE Birmingham rang to ask if I would go to clinic on Friday of this week. The QE text arrived around half an hour later showing an appointment time 5 hours before that agreed earlier,so another phone call to find out which was right. Net result is that we are off to Birmingham for 1.30 on Friday.What delights await me there ?
Today was my first visit with the physio who very quickly identified the problem which had been caused as a result of the aftermath of the op.A pressure point massage and a few exercises helped to increase the flexibility of my shoulders and I was given a few exercises to undertake 3 times a day. The dumbbells have to go back into storage for a month or so because I was building up muscles which might permanently stop the shoulders sockets from returning to normal, so exercises and pill taking will be this weeks plan.
Socially, all is going well. Friday evening I called round to the pantomime practise and read in for a couple of characters who were missing - I found that that helped develop my speech further and my fellow cast members felt that I had lost none of my volume.
Saturday, I went to watch Lincoln City ( fourth goal achieved ). Lynn drove me in and picked me up after the game. The match is better described as a typical Lincoln effort - 93 minutes before a shot on target. Saturday evening we went out with friends - we usually share the driving ( I drive there, she drives back ) but now she has to drive both ways. Sunday we went to a Luncheon / Dance to celebrate a friends birthday and Monday evening we went out to celebrate Petes birthday. As I'm not taking as much exercise as I used to , I will have to watch my eating soon as I've already had my stomach disapprovingly poked by you know who.Pills means less Guinness so that may help  - not ?? Time for exercises ,so bye for now and thanks for reading.
Best Wishes
Chris

Happy New Year

Good Afternoon ( or whatever time of the day it is for readers ),
Happy New Year to you all.
We are now 5 days into the new year and it has been over a week since my last offering so here is the latest update.
Starting as usual with medical matters, after all this is what this blog is designed for ! Still progressing, still proving difficult to heal and testing the experts.The good news is that the donor site for my second skin graft ( which fell off ) has now stopped bleeding, the scabs have all dropped off and whilst it looks red raw, there is no pain and parts (around 5%) have already reverted to normal skin colour. The second good news is that the swelling continues to recede around the jaw , so much so that I can now open my jaw to its full extent ( just in time to start yelling at those lazy articles turning out at Sincil Bank ) and my tongue can extend far enough to feel the internal stitches which have yet to dissolve in my mouth. That means that all above the knee is progressing well.
The main wound, that bit where a part of my fibia was relocated into my mouth, is healing at a different pace in different areas of the leg. The top section and the bottom section are over granulating ( which apparently means healing too quickly - I had the same problem with the trachy hole healing) .That means that the proposed doppler exercise is pointless because a compression bandage will speed up healing over all the area and now we are trying to slow down some parts - bugger it !!
I have been given an appointment at the physio at the Hospice tomorrow as I'm having some difficulties with my shoulders ( must get that right before my first round of Golf - not that it would make much difference - I'm no bandit at 26 !! ). I have had some discomfort since my first operation, but thought it was because I was propped up in an awkward position 24 hours a day for over a week. When we went out on new years eve, I had much difficulty putting on my jacket, it was then that I realised that my shoulders had fallen forwards giving me a humped back. The District Nurse felt that I might be doing more harm than good with my dumbbells so I've stopped that until I get advice from the physio.
On the social front I've had another good week- had a couple of visitors and a good many phone calls as people begin to realise that I can hold an intelligent conversation ( dont know how the surgeons managed to implant that ability).The New Years Eve dance with Jo at Morton Village hall was a really good do. It took me a long time to get ready, almost 20 minutes to tie the bow tie and almost as long to get into my dinner jacket. I was allocated a corner seat so that I could have my leg raised without being in anyones way and I was really looked after by Ann, Pete and Jo, including  special puddings and extra cakes as my bun eating is not yet up to scratch. Leg started to give me a bit of jip around 10.30 , thats when I realised that I didn't have it high enough but another guinness took the pain away. Its nice to see in the New Year with friends , especially when I didn't expect to see this one in at all. Monday night we went round to Ann & Petes for a meal and a natter , haven't done that for some time but it was a good night and Ann cooked according to my eating abilities.Hoping to get out a bit more this next week or so.
Bye for now
Chris

Happy New Year

Good Afternoon Friends and welcome to my latest offering.
On the medical front, the swelling around my face continues to recede and I can now shave the bits I traditionally keep whisker free. The jaw is still a bit square but I can now feel my jaw line under the swelling and I can see that eventually I will look like me. The mouth has totally healed up although I'm still using the antiseptic mouthwash as not all of the stitches have disintegrated yet. The leg continues to cause concern amongst the medics- its healing very very slowly. the latest attempt involves monitoring of blood pressure in various parts of my body to see if I can stand a compression bandage,whatever that is. Friday may be monitoring day but we will wait and see.
On the social front, I've had a cracking Christmas - Pam told me it would be special - whilst it was almost traditional (except that I wasn't able to take my 2 mile Christmas Day walk), we had a really good time. Dan and Hannah and Si and Beck came for Christmas Day, even though it was partners turn this year,and we had some good games, plenty of food and copious amounts of liquid. Dan tried to get his own back for me landing him with ' Boutrous Boutrous Ghali ' when we played 'Who am I ' 2 years ago. I expected some kickback but even when it came, I got' Banc Ki' Moon faster that he could establish 'Captain Haddock' from Tin-Tin, so nice try Dan but your Dads brain is still in good working order.
Just before Christmas I went to Gainsborough Organ Society Christmas concert in my traditional role as 'clothes horse' .This time the coven who organise this thing decided that I may not be up to a female part, so dressed me as an Edwardian Carol Singer ( pictures on facebook ). Made a pleasant change from the usual slappers which they dress me up as!!!!.Lynn was dressed  as the Fairy on the Christmas Tree ( same photo ). Good costume but when she tripped, she found out that the wings were not up to the job, she is now known as ' Orville' the duck that cant fly !
Managed to walk to the 'Lion' on Christmas Eve and whilst I'm still regulating my alcohol intake, had a good couple of hours. The frustrating thing is that I cant stand for more than 2 or 3 minutes before my leg plays up . Its Ok walking but doesn't like standing, so propping up the bar isn't an option at present.
New Years Eve is planned for Morton village Hall, so hoping for a good night.
Best Wishes to you all for the New Year - I'm really amazed at the number of people reading this thing from so many different countries, so my very best wishes to you all and I sincerely hope that the New Year brings you peace, good health and happiness.
Chris

It must be getting near Christmas

Blog delayed slightly due to celebrations. The weekly visit to Birmingham was not one I was looking forward to, I knew that the latest skin graft was not going well as the District Nurse was a little diplomatic with her comments when she re-dressed it on Sunday,so we decided not to pack my pyjamas and Lynns suitcase in the hope that it wasn't going to be another ' I want you in, now '.
The tissue viability nurse had been called in advance of the removal of the dressings . I was really chuffed to find that Zoe had drawn the short straw , we have lots of fun with Zoe, and together with her colleague, who remembered me' but not with my clothes on' ( her words ), started a Morecambe and Wise routine to remove the bandages. I fully expected the gasp as the last dressing came off and with it, the latest skin graft. That was a real low point, but we'd had a laugh and after a close investigation by the specialist nurse and my surgeon, it was found that my body was healing the wound naturally under the dead skin graft - obviously resulting from the increase in alcohol intake following coming off the pills.There is a certain brewery which should be sponsoring me !!
The upshot of this investigation is that, providing the open wound is kept clean ,it will heal naturally . It will take some time, but it will heal and I intend to help it on its way in my own fashion.
The walking is getting better as I now have two separate dressings on my left leg so I can bend my knee much further and I have been behind the wheel of the Corsa ( lighter brake pedal ). Still a little pain if I dont keep my leg raised but that will pass eventually.
Had a trip to Thursford Christmas show on Thursday night with Si and Beck, Ann, Pete,and Jo, Lynn had to drive but it was a cracking show and we stayed over at Kings Lynn, finishing the night with a bottle of bubbly as Ann was celebrating too . Starting to feel a bit more seasonal, in fact it must be getting near Christmas because I've had my presents a bit early.
It does look like there is not much more I can report in the next month or so because it will be another six weeks before I return to Birmingham, unless things take a turn for the worse but I do have some really interesting news which I cant share with you just yet. However, I have been asked to continue with the blog so it will become a little less medical and a little more social.
I would like to thank you all for your comments which have really helped me , especially when things were not going quite as well as I would have liked, I couldn't reply to you as the comments come in anonymously, unless you sign your name at the end, but I really do appreciate your thoughts
If I dont blog before next week, may I wish a very Merry Christmas to you all. I will certainly enjoy mine - its surprising how you review things after a shock.
Best Wishes
Chris

The emotional roller-coaster continues

Good morning all, we have the good news and the not so good news. We have had most emotions this week and a little pain, but not enough to take pain-killers.
The emotional high came on Tuesday evening when my pathologist rang from Birmingham to tell me that the source of the cancer had finally been located.It appears to have originated in a saliva gland. As these glands, all my lympth glands and everything else around my neck and jaw had been removed, then there was no need for radiotherapy and chemo was not now a recommended course of action. Given that most of this country's eminent pathologists have now examined the tumour and this is the almost unanimously agreed course of action, then I am content. So a day of highs, no radio, no chemo and a good diagnosis - I aint going yet !!
Thursday was not quite so good, my second/ replacement skin graft doesn't appear to be taking as well as it should. There appears to be something missing between the tendon and the new skin - we had a new doctor as the three-monthly turn round took place on Monday. I'm not sure if he thought that my suggestion of a layer of pork fat from the butchers was a serious one or not- on reflection, he might have been a muslim, I didn't ask, either way he will need a serious sense of humour implant if he and me are going to get on.It was finally agreed , by a majority decision, to clean it down, wrap it up again and leave it until next Wednesday, when the senior surgeon returns from his lecture tour ( he was really unhappy when he went because there is no snow in Switzerland at the moment - I suggested that next year, I go with him, as well as my X-rays and photos, there is always snow when I go skiing ).
From a recovery point of view, I'm now off the anti-biotics and back on the Guinness so I'm sleeping better, I can walk almost 200 yards, the muscles in my neck, shoulders and arms are slowly building up with the exercises and I feel almost back to normal. So onwards and upwards - blog again soon.
Best Wishes to you all.
Chris

Latest Update

Good Afternoon All,
Managed to get out on Wednesday evening and got Lynn persuaded to take me to Johns funeral in Boston , early on Thursday. As expected, the chapel was full to overflowing, so I didn't hang about after the service, went back to the Petwood and found a quiet corner to put my leg up - just giving me a bit if jip at the moment. Bill , Johns son,had asked me, before I went into QE on the second occasion, if I would like to deliver a short Eulogy. I thought my speech capabilities had improved enough to do it, and I know that John would have wanted it, so I agreed . I had drafted a skeleton while I was in Hospital and, despite a poor start whilst I got my public speaking voice into gear, it went well and was very well received by those present. However, I had had a lot of attention from mutual friends and was well shot by the time I got home. Slept for a good portion of the night and didn't do a lot on the Friday. I didn't realise how tired I get, but I've taken out the dumbbells and I'm working on getting the strength and lung capacity back up to speed.
Had a pretty good weekend, let loose on Saturday night but severe restrictions on alcohol intake due to 'the boss ' reading the blurb on the anti - biotics. It doesn't say  'none ' but it doesn't say ' 3 pints of Guinness is good for you ' so I had to stick to one. which ,over 2 and a half hours takes some doing. Nevertheless, I had a good night catching up with friends and acquaintances, and, as I'd promised not to stay all night, left 5 minutes before the end. No reactions on Sunday, just a long deep sleep, which is something I've needed for some time.
Another good night and I'm beginning to feel  like doing something, so I'll have a steady day and do a few catch up jobs, write a few Christmas cards and sort the week out.
Bye for now - next blog on Friday ( after the office Christmas lunch - cant manage Turkey yet but I've found things I can eat )
Chris

Home Again

Back home after almost a week in QE Birmingham. It transpires that one of my tendons grew over part of the skin graft (or the graft tried to grow under the tendon) resulting in the graft not taking and dying off. The skin started to rot, my body wasn't up to fighting that infection so thats why I fell over. QE pumped me full of various chemicals ( could have been anti- biotics but I dont know one drug from another ), then after 12 doses over 3 days, took me down to theatre, put me out again and cleaned out all the dead crap, removed the part of offending tendon and took a new skin graft from my upper thigh ( that wasn't explained to me, it was a bit close for comfort when I saw the dressing !!). The new graft has been stitched and stapled into place. After another 4 doses intravenously, I was allowed out at 6.30, Wednesday night - after a little discussion, with a weeks dose of something similar to be swallowed.
The main op. continues to improve, I can eat most things now, but cant eat bread; the jaw is as flexible as it was before the op.; my speech is so good that I was confident enough to give a short eulogy yesterday, and whilst there is still some swelling, it is going down to the degree that ,from the front, I look like me , the right side almost looks like me, and the left side looks like me after a couple of rounds with a poorly sighted boxer with a weak punch.So apart from this little setback ( which , of course had its benefits, thats another set of nurses who will carefully analyse potential admissions for a month or two !! ) Friends - when I see you, ask about El Grabbi and Nurse Tsio - cant use this forum but we had some fun with both.
Still no news on getting a match on the tumour - I presume its still growing in the laboratory, but my surgeon tells me that if they cant sort it and decide to forego the chemo, then he will fit prosthetic teeth into my lower jaw in 3 months -so look out cow , when I start to chew your days are numbered !!
Back to Birmingham next Thursday for a wound check, then we will see how the land lies.
Bye for now
Chris

Didn't want Turkey anyway - not !!

So here we are, 10.30 on Sunday morning and I should be getting ready to go out for my first Christmas lunch of the season, I cant get enough of Christmas lunches. Instead, I am sat here in Queen Elizabeths hospital, Birmingham because my leg has decided to become infected ( not enough Guinness) so I sit here with a canulla in my arm and every 5/6 hours, a nurse comes along to stuff some drug into me. The good news is that apart from a small section of the leg, where one of the skin grafts is a bit iffy, everything else is healing well. There is a slot booked for me in theatre ( not the Hippodrome ) on Tuesday should a decision to re-do the graft be taken, so here I sit in the Burns centre ( not Ward 408 – they wouldn’t have me back, something to do with nurses- I didn’t touch any of them – honestly , your worship ) I’m surrounded by Scots playing bagpipes, jigging over crossed swords and throwing telegraph poles all over the ward with deep fried Mars bars on the menu. Once again, the staff are brilliant, they don’t come across people from Lincolnshire ( none of them know where it is ), so I’m leaving a lasting impression, so they remember Lincolnshire folk – apologies for anyone who follows!! Desperately hoping to get out before Thursday because I have something very important that I want to do, but my fate rests with the medics.  Blog again soon – Chris

Ooops ! Not the best move in the world

This last week has gone fairly well, the traccy hole has sealed up and doesn't need any more treatment and the walking, talking and eating is improving at a good rate of knots. I've been out for a meal at some very good friends and have had a couple of visitors. The oncologist rang as promised, but didn't have any more news - despite more investigations, the tumour remains unidentifiable. I always knew I was a one off, but I would have preferred on this occasion, to have a run of the mill type of tumour which would have been treated elsewhere. Still, the investigation continues and I was due back at Birmingham on Wednesday next when they were hoping for a breakthrough - find the tumour type then the chemo type can be mixed and given to me. We wait and hope. However, this morning we had a little incident which threw all of the plans into disarray. The District Nurse had arranged for a waterproof cover for my leg so that I could take a shower. Its a really good bit of kit, totally waterproof and I can have a 10 minute shower instead of sliding around in the bath. This morning, as I got dried after my shower, I felt unwell. Lynn managed to help me get into a chair before I passed out.Within a few minutes we had 2 burly RAF Lives staff followed by 2 paramedics complete with blue light blaring ambulance. I had come round by the time they had arrived and my temp, heart,blood pressure etc., was ok..Nevertheless, it was decided to take me to Lincoln A&E . That was educational. There are 10 cubicles and throughout my 6 hour stay in and out, there was never less than 5 patients on trolleys all over the ward waiting for a cubicle. I started in the corridor, went to room 4, back into the corridor, into room 6, back into the corridor,back to room 4, off to X-ray, back to the corridor, into room 10 and finally discharged. It was absolute bedlam.There is an obvious shortage of rooms and staff to match. After much debate , poking, prodding, photo taking, blood sampling et al, it was decided  that the skin graft was not healing properly in one place and I had reacted to the poison, despite going on penicillin a couple of days ago when last Thursdays swab had highlighted a batch of bugs.There was some debate about orthopedic surgery in Lincoln. I didn't like the sound of that, so I got Lynn to ring my consultant at QE, Birmingham. Net result - I go back into QE tomorrow as an in-patient to get my wound sorted, so I will try to keep the blog going, but everything will depend on availability of Computer plugs etc,.So bye for now-
Chris

Euphoria, for a few hours

Another Wednesday,another trip to QE Birmingham.A decent journey down, Lynn is getting used to idiots on motorways and I'm beginning to relax a bit in the back seat. It still doesn't stop me getting frustrated - its 31 days since I last drove, I cant remember such a long break since I passed my test 41 years ago.
Really good news at QE. The surgeons and oncologists agree that they are as certain as they can possibly be that the surgery has removed all of the tumour and the lympth glands which were removed from my neck showed no signs of cancer. ALL CLEAR.
I agreed to more photos, more x-rays and help in publicity,after all its the least I can do in the circumstances.The leg is not healing as well as we would like and a regime change is suggested. It has started to smell a little of rotting flesh- a similar smell to when I burnt my arm on the lawnmower a few years ago. It doesn't look infected but further tests are needed. The swelling of my face has reduced further,but there is still some way to go.The dietitian and speech therapist are really pleased with progress and I met the chap who will be inserting prosthetic teeth in my leg bone, possibly earlier than planned. Oncologist would ring me later in the evening as he had other appointments. So we left Birmingham in the middle of rush hour ( you think Lincoln and Boston is bad - it took an hour to get out of the city ) finally got home just after 8, still in very good humour.
Oncologist rang around 9 as planned. He explained that all was well and he would try to get a course of 6 x 3 weekly chemotherapy treatments at Lincoln , if they were up for it. Then he dropped the bombshell, I must admit I half expected it. The tumour is very unusual, so much so that they have no idea if or where it will strike again, but watch the lungs.Because of the lack of knowledge, they are unable to find out which gene is faulty and as a result, the chemo will be , in my words because he was struggling, an analytical estimation of the the required elements and dosage ( in English that means a bloody good guess ). He will conduct further tests and make appropriate arrangements and ring next Tuesday evening in the hope of a breakthrough.
I really do hope that a secondary can be prevented, the surgery is marvellous, all of the surgeons are so proud of their work, justifiably, and we were planning to use as much as we could for training, not just in the UK , but internationally. So fingers crossed . Of course, it might be that there is no secondary, no-one knows because of the lack of experience in dealing with this type of tumour. I think first round to Chris and the surgeons, second round starts soon.
Hope all my readers are well- will blog again soon, possibly after the weekend. Dan and Han are coming to stay and will be bringing their wedding DVD - I forgot to mention that I missed my eldest sons wedding, but Skype worked fairly well so I saw most of it, heard all of it, didn't have to buy a new suit and managed to upset one of the bridesmaids with my pre-recorded speech. Not bad for a mornings work.
Bye for now
Chris

The Dark Days

As promised, I've gone through my notes and hereunder you will find my version of the days following my surgery.Some of the notes and thoughts I had at the time will stay with me , I don't want to be charged with sexual harassment !! but I will try to retain as true as I can to my recollections .
Waking up time - I don't know when I began to wake up, everything was very hazy, but my first thoughts were that I had woken up so I must have survived the op.I remember thinking that my brain is working ( theres always a first time for everything ) and my hearing is OK. I guessed that I was in the High Dependency Unit because that's where I had been told I would go but I had very little movement. I thought my head was in a brace because it would not move from side to side or backwards and forwards ( found out later it was because of the swelling ). I could see as far as my eyes could move which meant that I could see my toes on my left leg ( which I was expecting to be in plaster ) and could see the plaster on my right leg, I was very hot and sweating profusely, so much so that my eyes were filling with sweat which made them very sore and I couldn't move to wipe them. The HDU nurse allocated to me was very good and told me what was going on, where I had drains and tubes and what she could do to make me comfortable. Regrettably, I couldn't speak and , at that stage hadn't worked out the ability to write, so I was very uncomfortable having to close my eyes tight to squeeze out the sweat. There was one further concern which I suppose those of you with more experience of these things will realise was ridiculous, but , at the time !! . I knew that I would have a caffetta fitted, but had never seen one before. My brother Mick had had several during his many ops and always said it hurt like hell when they pulled them out. I was prostrate on the bed, legs akimbo and at the extremities of my vision, I could see the 'caffetta '. I could see that it came from my groin area and discharged into a large box thing on the floor. The pipe was a good 3 inches in diameter. Now I knew that despite my many boasts, this was going to hurt when it came out. This thought remained with me until Lynn arrived. We had pre-arranged signs for writing, yes and no, and I managed to get her to understand how hot I was. She had a word with my HDU nurse who checked all my readings and then slowly removed the heater hose which was blowing hot air into my groin area - that was a big relief in more ways than one.
It transpires that my heart had given some cause for concern during the op and it was agreed to put me on a 24 hour monitor- stickers on my leg and chest and wired up. I still had no movement except for my right hand and my left toe but there was nothing in my body or my head.I was aware of unsuccessful efforts to save an old chap with heart problems in the next bed. I had no idea how close he was to me, or even how close the beds were or if they were in a ward system or in rows, I just couldn't see beyond my feet or either side.
Whilst I lay there with drips in. drains out,oxygen being pumped into my traccy hole, I did wonder whether this was going to be worth it, whether I would recover at all or at least enough to lead half a life. I suppose the thing that kept me going was that it was financially considerably more worthwhile for me to retire than die in service, so at least if I kept going until 31st October, Lynn would be much better off.
As the night progressed, I developed gunge in my mouth which I tried to cough out. The only decent relief was the 2 hourly change of traccy pipe which I could see was always covered in blood when it was changed. I would probably last 20 minutes after the change before I started coughing again, but laid on my back,there was no getting away from it.
I doubt if I got any sleep during the night, but I had become stable enough to be moved to the ward. There was a 3 hour wait from the decision to take me up until someone came to fetch me, it seemed like an eternity.Then came the transfer to the ward bed. This is where I felt absolutely useless and very guilty, There were 4 very slightly built young nurses trying to move me from the HDU bed into the ward bed. I can certainly understand why nurses get bad backs. I couldn't help at all and they were trying to move 14 stone dead weight, complete with drips, drains and monitors.It took a while but when I found I had movement in my left leg I was able to screw myself across and up to the ward we went, me and a gorgeous sweet nurse called Danielle, who had had the misfortune to be allocated to me for the first couple of days - boy, was I lucky. She was everything a nurse should be, and more, she spent time with me, she made sure I was comfortable, she had a wicked sense of humour but she was very thorough and professional throughout..
Even though I couldn't move much , I could raise my thumb and occasionally write, when I could get folk to understand that was what I wanted to do, but my handwriting was not good because I couldn't see what I was writing, it was only when Simon came in to see me that he noticed that and arranged for a prop devise so I could see what I was writing, from there it got much easier, I could communicate and people could understand me.
My worst time was the night of the Arsenal game, I had been struggling throughout the day with a build up of phlegm in the traccy and as night fell it got worse. I wrote to Lynn to speak to the night staff before she left, which she did and they did call and see me more regularly. However, about an hour after the game, I started a coughing fit which got worse and worse. I couldn't get my breath and as much as I coughed, I couldn't get rid of the phlegm in my traccy. The night doctor replaced the traccy but it didn't help and he watched while I got more and more uncomfortable and I could feel myself snuffing it. All of a sudden, out of the corridor burst the night sister, a lovely, well built west indian lady, she burst into the room, ripped the traccy out pulled out the inner, barked at the doctor to get some saline and started to operate the suction machine. She spent a couple of hours effectively sucking out what she could and diluting the phlegm. Eventually, she pulled out a piece of solid waste which looked like chewing gum, that was what was blocking the windpipe. I'm convinced that without her intervention, I wouldn't be writing this. That night I felt really rough but I suppose that that was the spark which fired off the recovery. The previous nights events had been circulated around the ward and amongst the medical staff before breakfast and there became a more urgent need to get out of the Hospital. I decided to do everything I was told and seek hints to improve my chances of an early release.
It really is surprising how much extra help and advice you can get if you show a positive attitude to your circumstances and I genuinely believe that this helped me get out early. so there you are, those were the darkest days. It all gets brighter from there, but I will continue to blog for the foreseeable future, theres always more to come.
Bye for now.
Chris

Dont panic Mr. Mainwaring

Its been a few days since I was last on the blog. Tuesday was a bad day, don't really know why, but I got tired quickly when I tried to change a bulb and had to give up. That annoyed me but I didn't feel too well, my leg hurt and I think the penicillin was beginning to get into my bloodstream.
Wednesday was the unscheduled trip to Birmingham, traffic was very light and we had the fastest trip ever there and back. I took back seat with my leg at 60 degrees, travelling in the guise of royalty. My good friend at the filling station thought I had won the pools and that I had employed Lynn as a chauffeur. Visit went well - no real problems, the skin graft over the Tendon is taking, but  not as well as the other grafts and the Tendon might slip out before it heals properly but there is no reason to panic. The hole in my windpipe has almost healed to the extent that it will have to be slowed down as it is healing too fast. Don't understand the logic behind that but then again, I know very little about health.Speech is going very well, no problems with telephone and most words are being correctly sounded ( a few slurs, but whats new !! ) . Decided to call into the office on the way back for 10 minutes ( promised and agreed ) Left half an hour later.
Thursday was not my best day, but not as bad as Tuesday, I guess that its going to take a good bit longer than I'm reckoning on but today I'm going to start with the dumbbells to build up the upper body strength again. Having a bath is a bit precarious because I have lost a lot of strength in my arms and hauling myself in and out with my right leg dangling down the side is interesting to say the least, Overall, all going well.
 Little message for those good friends leaving messages - thanks very much , I would like to respond privately in some cases, but the way the blog is set up, all messages come in as ' anonymous' so I have no e-mail address to respond to.

I've gone through my notes and tried to amend Simon's blogs but don't have the technical ability so this afternoon, I'm going to fill in the gaps when I was in a semi- conscious state from Monday till Wednesday.
Time for dinner - I'll blog again later

Just a minor hiccup

Progressing really well, so decided to go to our usual monthly supper/dance on Saturday night. I guess the hokey-cokey is a no-no, but seeing as Lynn doesn't dance anymore, we only go for the social side. A good update on all things sport over the last month with my mate, Wallace and lots of chat with lots of people.
I knew it might be difficult, so we agreed a 2 hour maximum, leaving early ( and I wasn't on a promise ). It took me a good while to get in as my walking is still restricted, but I had a good night, a couple of pints and broke the ice with folk. Most are very good, interested but not intrusive. Some were not sure what to say but wanted a crafty look at the wounds - not that there was much to see as I wore a collar and tie ( very loosely as I'm still swollen ). Got home in time for Match of the Day, slightly knackered, but pleased I'd done it,

Sunday morning, the District Nurse arrives to dress wounds - all traces of alcohol removed from breath ( I dont think I'm supposed to go out unless I keep my leg raised ), Slight problem with wound on the chin, oozing puss ( no, not the cat ). Decides to send me to minor injuries at John Coupland Hosp. Doc is not too worried, thinks healing might be breaking down and gives me a course of penicilin, thats stuffed the Guinness then !! Resting for the remainder of the day - still little or no pain, but the boss says I've got to rest and she moves faster than me .

Monday morning, District Nurse removes dressing on leg - unsure about one of the skin grafts may not be taking , so. guess where we are going on Wednesday ? Yes, back to Birmingham to see the skin graft chap. Still, I;m still here and most of me is healing so no complaints from me

Latest Update

This coming home business has taken a little more out of me than I thought, but I am sleeping properly now,( especially the nights I get to have a can of Draught Guinness ), eating well, albeit a little slowly and my speech is coming on to the extent that I can hold a conversation for a short while ( after around 10 minutes, I run out of steam due to my brain wanting to talk and the lack of pressure within my windpipe, which is still healing, makes me run out of breath ). Nevertheless, I feel good, the brain is starting to get bored and I have had a couple of very steady walks around the bungalow. the stick has gone as far as inside the house is concerned, but I promised Lynn I will take it with me when I go for my walks.
Yesterday ,it was back to Birmingham for a review. Despite the long day, it was a resounding 'thumbs up ' from the surgeons, most of which came in to view their handiwork. They all seem very pleased with what they have done- I'm really impressed- There was a bit of banter between a couple of surgeons who reconstructed either side of my jaw. One side is still a bit more puffed up than the other, but the swelling is going down daily ( I could still frighten the local kids ). The leg is healing well where the section of bone was removed and the skin grafts taken.The District Nurses removed the last of the stitches this morning and then took pictures for their training sessions. I dont remember ever being photographed so much, all different parts of my body, but I have said from the start that I know that this is not common , so I am more than happy to be photoed , prodded . examined, whatever is required to help spread the knowledge.
It looks highly likely that, as soon as the wounds heal, I will have to undergo a course of chemotherapy, but , as the chemical analysis of all my parts has not yet been concluded, a final decision has not yet been made. However, if it is necessary, then they are going to try to get that job done in Lincoln to save travelling. We should know better next Wednesday.
Thats all for now, folks. Thanks again for all your support, it really has been overwhelming.
Kind regards
Chris

Home

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

The boy is back in town.

 Good Morning to any of my readers. Good news and bad news. The good news is that I am back well enough to write my own blog.The bad news is that I will be depressing you all over the next few days as I fill in the blanks during the very dark days over the last week or so. My face has now reduced in size. It was the size of a bankers wallet, that is five times bigger than it should be.It is now normal size above the cheekbones but still twice the size below the cheekbones.Last night I was able to sleep on the side of my head for the first time- there was no way that Lynn was going to let me go home sleeping on my back -whilst it remains very swollen and there is little or no feeling in my jaw, I can move it, I can talk with a little fingering over the traccy hole and I can eat. So all bodily functions in some form of working order.Expecting to be set free tomorrow providing that my leg heals ( thats the bit they sliced off to form my new jaw. They did do an 'after' scan to check that they had taken the sock off before they used it.The dressing was taken off for the first time yesterday ( and immediately re-wrapped). It is intended to take it off again today, remove each alternate staple to see if the bleeding has stopped properly then a walking up stairs test with the physio ( despite the fact that I live in a bungalow ).If that goes well, I,m gone, so wish me luck.
Thanks to all those who have left me messages on various medium,it really has helped when Simon and Lynn have come in and told me who has posted what.
Thanks again- hope to post again tomorrow
Chris

Tracheostomy removed

This should be my (Simon) final update before dad takes over the reigns again.  We're hopefully going to get the internet sorted for him today so he should be back on it from tonight onwards.

Over the weekend he's had all drains removed and the tracheostomy has been taken out.  He's started drinking again and should be eating some food today or tomorrow.  An unusual story as to how he started drinking.  I got a text on Saturday morning saying they'd put a jug of water and a cup on his table.  He said he was really thirsty, so he drank the lot.  At around 5pm, the horrified doctors realised he'd drank the whole jug (he is supposed to be nil by mouth) and told him it was supposed to be for cleaning his tracheostomy!!  It worked out in his favour though as they realised he could drink and so the tracheostomy was removed later that day.

He's still improving at a good rate and his speech is getting better.  He went for an extended walk yesterday to the other end of the ward because he "hadn't seen any grass in over a week".

Thanks to everyone that's been reading this over the last few weeks and thanks for the kind messages of support.

Over to dad...

Further improvements

It's still Simon for the time being, but my dad is now eagerly awaiting his first post back!

He's improved again over the last few days and the swelling is still going down.  Most of the drains, pipes and tubes are out now and the tracheostomy should be removed in the next few days.

The two big improvements now are:

a) with assistance, he was able to walk about 50 yards
b) he's seen the speech therapist and is now able to say a few words, which is a few days ahead of schedule.  He can't talk a lot yet, but he seems determined to keep the pace of improvement up.

The doctors have commented on how fast he's recovering.  The physio said today that he is doing so much better than expected and to "keep it up", to which dad responded, "Don't worry mate, I will, I want to get out of this bl**dy place"!

Hopefully he'll be back on here soon.  We won't be seeing him until Sunday now so next update will be Sunday night.

Simon xxx