I can drive!

I can drive again! Hurrah!

I sent off my D1 form plus medical form to the DVLA 3 months ago. They wrote to my specialist, who replied weeks ago but the latest letter from the DVLA says they haven't 'completed their investigations' - 'but will advise me within the next 12 weeks'.

Thankfully I don't have to wait for them to get their act together for me to drive - it is a full year since my last fit and I have proof of applying (their letter) for the reinstatement of my licence.

There are many trips I will still make by train and bus - I am entitled to a Disabled Rail Card (1/3 off for me and my 'carer' - whoever is with me!) and being so near the station (8min) it would be daft not to use it.

Reading Council are about to build a new pedestrian/cycle bridge from Christchurch Meadows over the river through Norman Place to the new station, so it will be even nearer.

http://www.reading.gov.uk/council/Consultations/proposal-new-pedestrian-cycle-bridge-across-thames/

That Went Well

It all went well so we are looking forward with a bit more confidence.

I hope to drive again on the 8th June, cant wait!

It's Oh So Quiet......Shhh Shhh!

It's oh so quiet shhh! shhh! We don't want to tempt providence, but everything seems to be going well of late.

Roger will soon be going "in" to have a small hernia  (caused by all the surgery in the past, weakening the stomach wall) repaired.

We hope this will go as planned, and will be day surgery only.

Thankyou to all who have been concerned lately, that there were no new blogs. Truth is we were wallowing in the calm!!!

No News - Good News

It's been a while since the last entry - generally that's good news!

I saw the brain man and there was nothing to indicate why I had the fits, except that he told me that the brainwaves passing through the left temporal lobe are slow. He doesn't want to see me again, and I'm to continue with the 'Tegratel' probably for life.

I'm due a CT scan tomorrow (Tues 17th) to check the cancer is still at bay.

So, all remaining the same I will be out this Christmas - a bit different to last year!

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a healthy New Year.

Two down, one to go.

After a quiet period I've been to two out patient appointments this week (one more at the end of the month - the brain man) The first, on Monday was with St Mark's Hospital, Harrow - all's well and they will see me once more, in 6 months, and if all is still well they will sign me off. 

The second, with the cancer man at the Berks, was also OK, he will send me for a CT scan in December just to be sure, and if that's clear he'll see me in 9 months.

We enjoyed Malta (4-18 Sept) but it was odd. they drive on the left, in right hand drive cars, everyone speaks English, and there are loads of Arriva bendi-buses - to everywhere - every few minutes - it just didn't feel like being abroad, a bit like Cyprus - UK with 30 degrees! Still it was a good rest, lovely roof-top pool and a beach 10min away.

I'm coping well without driving, the only difficult bit is carrying things but there's lots of help - if you ask!  I'm a 1/3 of the way through now (no reduction for doing a course!!!) I get a great deal of use from my bus pass and my 'Disabled RailCard' - which gives us both, me and my 'carer', 1/3 off.'

On the up

Today is an anniversary, significant for some people but probably not for others - it's 4 years since I last had a drink! (alcoholic that is!).

I note that my health problems started from that date, not month or week but day! That bank holiday weekend I caught a really bad urine infection - could that make me a stand-in for HRH? - following a routine cystoscopy on the Friday.

We were in Stamford, looking at possible locations post retirement and made a rush for home in some discomfort, preferring to be treated in Reading. Since then it's all gone wrong! but then as a blogger of considerable stamina, you'd know that!

Since the last blog things have improved, with support from the Stoma Nurses, such that we have booked 2 weeks in Malta. We've not been there before but hear good things about it.

I'm coping with not driving much better than I expected. I have my disabled rail card and been to Oxford for an EEG, an interesting experience - 24 probes stuck to my head and an hours trace - awake, resting and with a strobe light pulsing at various speeds. The Technician didn't say anything, they never do, but the vibes were that nothing showed up.

A week and a bit on.

One week on we're progressing. After the RBH fiasco we decided to contact my Surgeon at St Marks, I called her Secretary and suggested that if we sent some pictures of the stoma (yes I'll spare you those!) could they diagnose over the Internet? - she agreed and later we got a call from the Stoma Nurse who took the view to watch and wait. So far the swelling is about the same but the bleeding and more important, the black area, is receding. So we live to fight another day - I wonder what the next challenge will be?