Dear All
I hope that I've managed to get everyone that Chris used for his bulletins into this email. I sent out an email a week or so but for reasons I don't understand it got rejected for a large number of people — am trying a new approach.
Anyway, I have now been at home for just over a week. Am mobile, though the stairs to my flat were a trial at first, and am restricted to liquid foods — soups and yogurts. I can eat (drink) with much less mess than before — before was dribbling and spurting all over the place! The muscles and nerves in the left side of my face were bruised from the operation and have not come back properly to life yet — have exercises to do and there is progress.
On the cancer front — the tumour is gone and there are no traces of any spreading. So very good news on that front.
The intensive care episode was well described by Chris and there is little I can add to what he wrote. It was a horror. Apparently quite common that this sort of thing results in a temporary psychosis due to the drugs. There were periods of lucidity though and of great happiness — the attached photo was from Xmas day where I was reasonably normal and so happy to see Chris and Sarah.
Chris and Sarah had to put up with a lot in this period and I am so proud of them both. Chris in particular had to do a lot by virtue of being the one on the spot and his visits were such a pleasure to me and his bulletins gave me great pride in him. Poor Sarah came over for Xmas and just got to see a fairly mad father!
Now I'm waiting for teeth. They had to remove a part of my lower jaw at the front and 6 teeth went with that. My surgeon is 'the Professor' and he works with a dentist who is also a Professor — to get started the receptionist needs to find a time when both professors are free — so far impossible. There are times when it's much better to have a normal doctor or dentist! When the teeth are done then eating and talking will be easier.
Lastly, many many thanks to you all for your help and encouragement — by email, by visits, by phone, food parcels, and by your prayers. I am so touched and honoured by the concern shown by so many people.
Much love to you all
David
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Monday, 14 January 2008
2008-01-14 — Newsletter – Tubeless and going home
"TUBES? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' TUBES"
Dear All
Progress has been so fast that tomorrow morning I am being sent home. Since getting out of intensive care I relearned to stand and walk in the first week and the second week was re-learning to eat.
I have had a tube down my nose and direct to my stomach since September last year, and then an operation affecting my mouth leaving me missing the bottom 6 front teeth and with a tongue feeling like a slab of alien matter just lolling about in my mouth so with all this eating, even though it was and remains only pureed food is difficult
And very inelegant. Dribbling and slurping and a real battle. I've had the help of a therapist who gave me mouth exercise to do which have really helped. Fighting both the incredible horribleness of some of the food (for those of you who know Austrian knödels, they are unpleasant when liquidised), and my own temptation to sneak into the bathroom and pour most down the toilet —finally some results showed.
I ate 'real food' the whole weekend and never once used the tube and so it was removed this morning. I need work done on teeth replacements but that will be done as an out-patient — just like visiting a dentist.
Chris picks me up tomorrow and will help me get settled in and get some supplies in.
To all of you who have expressed so much love and support to me — I am so very grateful. God bless you all — you really have all made this rather unpleasant experience so much easier to bear.
In a week or two I will perhaps send you a photo taken of me with Chris and Sarah on Xmas Day (one of my more lucid days) and also perhaps some photos of the cool scars on my arm, but for now all the best to you all
David
Dear All
Progress has been so fast that tomorrow morning I am being sent home. Since getting out of intensive care I relearned to stand and walk in the first week and the second week was re-learning to eat.
I have had a tube down my nose and direct to my stomach since September last year, and then an operation affecting my mouth leaving me missing the bottom 6 front teeth and with a tongue feeling like a slab of alien matter just lolling about in my mouth so with all this eating, even though it was and remains only pureed food is difficult
And very inelegant. Dribbling and slurping and a real battle. I've had the help of a therapist who gave me mouth exercise to do which have really helped. Fighting both the incredible horribleness of some of the food (for those of you who know Austrian knödels, they are unpleasant when liquidised), and my own temptation to sneak into the bathroom and pour most down the toilet —finally some results showed.
I ate 'real food' the whole weekend and never once used the tube and so it was removed this morning. I need work done on teeth replacements but that will be done as an out-patient — just like visiting a dentist.
Chris picks me up tomorrow and will help me get settled in and get some supplies in.
To all of you who have expressed so much love and support to me — I am so very grateful. God bless you all — you really have all made this rather unpleasant experience so much easier to bear.
In a week or two I will perhaps send you a photo taken of me with Chris and Sarah on Xmas Day (one of my more lucid days) and also perhaps some photos of the cool scars on my arm, but for now all the best to you all
David
Friday, 11 January 2008
2008-01-11 — Email extract
…
Am well on the track to recovery now. Am mobile and have my single room back (with its own shower etc) and that makes life more comfortable. Am now getting speech therapy (actually mostly eating therapy). I've been on a feeding tube for over 3 months and need to re-learn eating plus the operation numbed some nerves/muscles and they need training. So I get 4 or 5 bowls of liquidised things (mostly horrible) each meal time and have to do my best with them. It is a terrible mess — dribbling and spluttering — but there is progress.
Still very tired and only get round to using the computer once a day (hence the slow delay in answering)
…
David
Am well on the track to recovery now. Am mobile and have my single room back (with its own shower etc) and that makes life more comfortable. Am now getting speech therapy (actually mostly eating therapy). I've been on a feeding tube for over 3 months and need to re-learn eating plus the operation numbed some nerves/muscles and they need training. So I get 4 or 5 bowls of liquidised things (mostly horrible) each meal time and have to do my best with them. It is a terrible mess — dribbling and spluttering — but there is progress.
Still very tired and only get round to using the computer once a day (hence the slow delay in answering)
…
David
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
2008-01-08 — Newsletter – Back Alive
My very dear friends
Some of you have been aware that there was a problem after the operation and that I spent a total of 21 days in intensive care instead of the 2 or 3 expected. Many thanks to my son Chris for finding as many of my email addresses as he could (without access to my computer).
The intensive care experience was very frightening and Chris has given a good indication of why, so for now I'd rather concentrate on the progress since I came back to the normal ward on the 31st.
I had to learn to stand, balance and walk again. That took about 4 days (quicker than I'd feared). It is so good to have a degree of independence. My speech is a bit weird but today I started work with speech therapist who is also helping me on my drinking problem (I dribble all over the place).
I do get tired easily and the computer is more difficult to handle than I'd expected. You can email me, but don't expect a fast response. Telephone is good though. I have my mobile and can receive messages and calls.
For now I just want to thank you all for your messages of love and support. I feel truly honoured and am very, very, grateful.
Much love
David
Some of you have been aware that there was a problem after the operation and that I spent a total of 21 days in intensive care instead of the 2 or 3 expected. Many thanks to my son Chris for finding as many of my email addresses as he could (without access to my computer).
The intensive care experience was very frightening and Chris has given a good indication of why, so for now I'd rather concentrate on the progress since I came back to the normal ward on the 31st.
I had to learn to stand, balance and walk again. That took about 4 days (quicker than I'd feared). It is so good to have a degree of independence. My speech is a bit weird but today I started work with speech therapist who is also helping me on my drinking problem (I dribble all over the place).
I do get tired easily and the computer is more difficult to handle than I'd expected. You can email me, but don't expect a fast response. Telephone is good though. I have my mobile and can receive messages and calls.
For now I just want to thank you all for your messages of love and support. I feel truly honoured and am very, very, grateful.
Much love
David
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
2008-01-02 — Newsletter from Chris to All
Dear all,
I knew that my last e-mail was unlikely to have been my last update, but this is just a short message rather than a lengthily update on my Dad. He is in excellent spirits, he is feeling very well, getting good nights sleep now, and very much looking forward to his recovery.
He just wanted me to send out one e-mail to all informing them of the current situation concerning contact/visits. As he is still relatively weak, and needs some time to regain his strength, he would like you to know that although e-mails are always welcome, that he would not be checking his e-mails, nor sending any out for about a week. After having been laid down in bed for 3 weeks he needs a bit of therapy on the walking front ;) This will start tomorrow - it shouldn't take long really, maybe 3 or 4 days.
He can however be reached on his mobile phone, best is to send messages (please leave your name in case he hasn't got your number).
He is able to speak, but with the bottom front 6 teeth gone, it can be tricky to understand some words. So calling is do-able, he is happy to talk, I guess it's also training for him, but be warned; for some people it might be hard to make out what he's saying…
With visits, he is happy to have visitors, but for this first week it would be best to keep it minimal (while he regains strength/mobility), and better to send a message beforehand - this way he can 'control' the flow so to speak.
Other than that, he sends his love to everyone, wishes all a Happy New Year and most of all thanks everyone for all the support.
Cheers,
Chris
I knew that my last e-mail was unlikely to have been my last update, but this is just a short message rather than a lengthily update on my Dad. He is in excellent spirits, he is feeling very well, getting good nights sleep now, and very much looking forward to his recovery.
He just wanted me to send out one e-mail to all informing them of the current situation concerning contact/visits. As he is still relatively weak, and needs some time to regain his strength, he would like you to know that although e-mails are always welcome, that he would not be checking his e-mails, nor sending any out for about a week. After having been laid down in bed for 3 weeks he needs a bit of therapy on the walking front ;) This will start tomorrow - it shouldn't take long really, maybe 3 or 4 days.
He can however be reached on his mobile phone, best is to send messages (please leave your name in case he hasn't got your number).
He is able to speak, but with the bottom front 6 teeth gone, it can be tricky to understand some words. So calling is do-able, he is happy to talk, I guess it's also training for him, but be warned; for some people it might be hard to make out what he's saying…
With visits, he is happy to have visitors, but for this first week it would be best to keep it minimal (while he regains strength/mobility), and better to send a message beforehand - this way he can 'control' the flow so to speak.
Other than that, he sends his love to everyone, wishes all a Happy New Year and most of all thanks everyone for all the support.
Cheers,
Chris
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