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