2008-02-23 — Email extract

How are you? Hope all is well. Very sorry I missed you when you were here in December.

I am very much improved now. Last week I got the teeth — they are removable and temporary teeth, I'll get better and permanent ones in a few months when my jaw and gum have settled down. So now the 6 tooth gap at the front of my mouth is plugged. I still talk with a bit of a lisp (my tongue has a way to go to regain flexibility) but it all looks better and eating, and even drinking, is easier.

Basically I can do everything that I could do before the whole thing started apart from still having to rely on fairly liquid foods and so life is good.

Will be going to England on 6th March to stay with my brother for about 12 days and also visit my daughter who only saw me in hospital on her last two visits here.

Meanwhile by a strange coincidence my ex-wife Margaret has also got a tumour in her mouth. Hers in on the tongue rather than the floor of the mouth. She has the operation in a week's time and will probably have radiation and chemo therapy afterwards — for me it was in the other order. We are on a friendly basis and so I'm using my experience to try to help her through this — also go on the doctor appointments as her German is pretty shaky. Feel sorry for the children who have to go through this a second time.

Still at least the prognosis is good for both of us which is something to be very grateful for

All the best

David