Now That's Better

At last, a positive Blog post. With any luck, my 'misery memoirs' style posts are now over and I can just start ticking off the steps as I recover fully.

They are keeping me on iv antibiotics until Wednesday but I already feel transformed. I'm still on pain killers of course but I am walking more easily than I have since the op and have some semblance of an appetite.

This has been an unashamedly self-obsessed blog; indeed that is kind of the point of writing it, to purge myself of all the self pity. But as I surface from the worst of this experience I want to take a litte time out to thank those around me who have helped in so many ways.

I won't attempt to name check all those who have visited, sent gifts and cards, texted, tweeted and emailed -- but to all of you a sincere Thank You; it really does make a difference having threads of contact with the real world and knowing I am not forgotten.

Again, I don't want to start name-checking, but the nursing staff here at the Murrayfield (as well as the Stoma care team and the District Nurses) have all earnt my deepest respect and gratitude. The level of patience, sympathy, empathy and emotional support shown has genuinely touched me at times ... and the good humour has helped make the difficult nights and long days a lot easier to deal with.

Lastly but certainly not leastly there's one person who I will name: the remarkable Jane (my partner, for those who don't know her). The stresses for a partner/carer in situations like and the strains that result should not be underestimated [Explanatary note for my classicist friends reading this who tend to treat 'stress' and 'strain' as synonymous: stress = the force applied, strain = the resultant deformation]. Jane has put in an enormous amout of time and effort to make sure I have everything I could possibly need while in hospital, caring for me while I have been at home (including gory middle of the night dressing changes), generally waiting on me hand and foot and at one stage literally mopping my fevered brow. I genuinely don't know how I would have coped without her, particularly when I have reached my emotional low points. She is clearly physically exhausted and emotionally drained by this whole experience: I'm looking forward to being well enough to start repaying the massive debt I owe her.

Right, I have to go now: that Tour de France doesn't watch itself.