Wow…! That was emotional! I seem to have lost the best part of three weeks to critical illness, I’m drained of almost every lucid thought, been unable to communicate for days on end and finished up weak as a kitten and wondering what that was all about?

But first things first. The last you may have heard from me was from my Christmas email which outlined a happy 2015 of travel and good health for Jane and I, to continue, we hoped, into 2016. New Year came and went, but around the 12th Jan I began to feel vaguely unwell, tired, grumpy, and running an erratic temperature. Rather stupidly and against advice from both Jane and indeed standard practice for cancer patients, I managed to shrug off the truth for 48 hours too long, ending up being conveyed by speeding ambulance with sirens and blue lights, to the Christie hospital with pneumonia and near sepsis. After that things went a bit weird for me as I seem to have lost a great many days and been very naughty in giving Jane, children, family and friends several serious turns as I rambled deliriously (more deliriously than normal…) and apparently fought the medical staff and even been described as ‘combative’ as I veered from pneumonia to serious kidney issues to drug conflicts in the Christie Critical Care Unit (CCU) over many days as they tried get me back from infection and carry out a fantastic job of balancing my medical needs.

Cutting a long story very short ( because frankly I was away with the fairies for most of this time and have very little to contribute to the saga), but poor Jane and the family went through every thought and emotion and trial as my condition flipped from critical to serious and back again several times. Suffice it to say that I survived. I apparently sat up demanding fish and chips and gave everyone a huge surprise. My son Andrew claims he whispered to my unconscious form that he’d put my caravan on eBay and that had the desired effect!

I’m battered and very weak but I am very conscious that I’ve been the privileged recipient of the finest care in a world centre of excellence at the Christie with such a wonderful team whose tenacity and expertise defies description.

Last Friday 29th I was finally discharged from the Christie, not quite ‘out of the woods’ but having made an almost miraculous turnaround from only days before. Why? How? I have no idea but here I am back home having been on at least two occasions very close to death and even been given the Last Rites -I don’t suppose you get much closer to the edge than that?

Anyway, …I don’t suppose you can simply say ‘anyway’ after an experience like that, but none-the-less I’m making good progress and getting stronger by the day. Of course the big question is, is this something to do with my cancer or just a random infection I’ve been unlucky enough to have picked up? The smart money currently thinks not; but I had some tests back at the Christie on Monday 1st February which showed my blood chemistry was stabilising somewhat and I’m going back to discuss these n Friday when hopefully I’ll be put back on my highly successful super-drug and I can start rebuilding my life.

I’ll not ramble on too much longer as even typing this is still quite challenging. But in answer to the many many people who have wished and prayed and been concerned about me, I thought it only right to send out a catch-up bulletin for those that want to know. Thank you so much for your love and care. Strangely, one thing I can say with some certainty during my lost weeks is that I was ALWAYS aware of waves of love and care and goodwill permeating my delirium as I never felt in anyway fearful or alone throughout the whole experience.
More later as I progress…