Alec himself writes:

today i stood up for the first time in 2 weeks

my leg muscles are wasted, gone, even on the good leg. i sat on the edge of the bed, stood up into a device called a “pulpit” and took my weight across my forearms and elbows. all blood sank to my feet and i nearly fainted, but with some frantic toe waggling managed to restore supply to my head, and thus i walked – or maybe toe-crawled – some three feet forwards and backwards.

it took me two hours’ sleep to recover, and i got a burst of the shivers due to dropping temperatures from the thunderstorms. the nurse covered me in a hot cotton sheet removed specially from an oven (such are kept for patients returning from theatre, where anasthetic can cause shivers) and that got me going again.

i still ache. this, presumably, is where it starts to become hard work.

i got moved into a new room today – rm 23, extn 1133 – because some ants got into my old room overnight, through the open window. i now have aircon, but the view is less interesting.

rachel (rac) arrived 5ish and brought some more clothes, post/mail, and lindt chocolate which i shall enjoy greatly though most sparingly; this evening brought a call from and a nice chat/sync-up with adriana, and an offer of help with shopping from cynthiac calling from a rock festival in wellington country park.

it’s great to have friends. 🙂

Now Alec is back blogging I’ll leave it up to him to report on how he is. 🙂

From AIM (using Kopete):

10:51:53 pm Alec

boo

He’s tired and typing is hard because of an aching arm related to the chest drain, so be kind!

…and he’s got this terrible pain in all the diodes down his left side.

By the miracles of GPRS and mobile phones Alec has posted his first blog from hospital!

Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I tried to call him now ? 🙂

Geoff has the goods, you know the deal.

This in from Dave Walker:

I have had a couple of brief chats with Alec today. He sounds very much his usual self, and is reasonably upbeat.

He had a CAT scan yesterday, which is “pretty much the final piece of work they want to do” on his chest. The idea was that, if any remaining blood clots were found, they would need to be removed surgically to prevent them turning into some particularly nasty kind of tissue later on. Alec was very pleased to report that no clots were found, so the doctors will not have to open him up again :-).

He has also had his leg put in a brace, which is the first step (after last Thursday’s pinning) to getting it working again. He can move it 43 degrees, which is apparently pretty good, although he says it’s very hard work as the muscles are still swollen to about double their normal size from the accident trauma.

I’ll be heading up to Birmingham to see him tomorrow afternoon. I will be taking a bunch of cards (one from Australia and one from Sweden, as well as a bunch from the UK – thanks, folks, and I know there are more coming), a laptop, and a big stack of hardcopied emails wishing him a speedy recovery.

OK – maybe “Inside Picture” is a better description. 🙂

Geoff has the X-ray of Alec’s knee up on his site. The full size image is quite impressive too..

Update 1

This is direct from Alec’s sister:

Well, it’s me – M… – back in England!

I’ll let Alec vent his recovering spleen on the insurance company that messed him around so much. Even up until lunch time yesterday, Monday, it wasn’t sure when we’d be coming home. Let’s just say we had an almighty ding dong and all of the staff at Intergroup Assurance will wince for years to come if the names Boswell or Muffett are mentioned!

The final plan was that we were due to be collected by a road ambulance from the UK at 5.30 pm French time. They arrived just before 7.30! By the time there’d been the hand over and the British doctor in the evacuation team had confirmed that he didn’t need Alec to have a drip it was about 8pm when we left (7pm in the UK). The team on the ambulance was excellent and being able to communicate in English was such a relief. We did the chunnel (not an something I’d ever entertained experiencing and not something I’d jump at the opportunity to do again) and then up to Maidstone, around the M25, M40, M42 and then in to Birmingham. NEVER have I been so pleased to see Birmingham!

He quite enjoyed the trip home. He was on a special stretcher with the most incredible springing system. All was well unless we hit a big bump that caused him to “bottom out” on the stretcher. That caused the odd sharp intake of breath. Most of the journey I spent with my arm outstretched and my hand outstretched on Alec’s abdomen suppressing the ongoing bounces so that he was stable again before we hit the next one.

He survived the journey home with three oral paracetamol. For Alec the pain of the drip (the French method of administering pain killers) almost exceeded the pain it was meant to be treating!

Anyhow, will go in with Dad later today and see how he’s getting on. We couldn’t find Internet access in the room (but it was 2.30 am) but he was pleased to see a TV and as I crawled away at nearly 3 he was having lessons on what channels he’d got!

I certainly think Alec will have a new appreciation for the simple things in life – like a cup of tea, speaking in your mother tongue, and being able to use a “real” loo! (not necessarily in that order).

Anyhow, must go off and have a REAL bath and attend to everything that’s been on hold for the last 11 days. But, before I go, I must say THANK YOU to all of Alec’s friends. The emails, texts, and messages have done wonders to boost his morale and have aided his recovery in immeasurable ways. The visits of Gilles, Joep, Peter, Krystal and multiple visits of Bart were great; not only for Alec but for me too! I feel like I’ve known them all for years. It was also comforting to know that Rachel was sorting things out on the “home front”. Alec is so very lucky to have such a great circle of friends (and such a circle of great friends).

Thanks again. I’ll update you all later.

Update 2

This is from Rachel:

Alec phoned me earlier – very very cheerful. Although no internet facilities he has a TV and that will keep him amused until his ibook arrives on Thursday with some DVD’s! So Thursday is now booked – Dave Walker will do that. When I get contact details for him, I suspect you can book visits direct, but he is still tired at present!

Medically they are getting to grips with some baseline levels from which to start his rehab.

They have left the chest drain in for a little while longer, but with a monitering bag. If it has less than 100ml per day, they will take it out immediately.

They are going to Xray his back just to check for any spinal injuries (presumably before they start letting him sit up by the sounds of things) and also do a CAT scan.

He is obviously so much happier where he is, with a room to himself, a picture on the wall, a view of trees and bird-life, and people who speak in English that the euphoria will keep him going for several days I should think, and be even better once the tiredness has worn off.

Update 1

From Rachel:

6.40pm Monday 17th July – Alec has just spoken to me – he STILL HASN’T LEFT the ambulance being over 2 hours late! He is getting very very cross.

Before a Doctor came in, he did ask me to put all visitors off until Thursday at the earliest as when it happens it is going to be a difficult tiring journey, and he would like at least through Wednesday to recuperate. So please (much as he wants to see folk) hold the enthusiasm.

At present at Alec’s request can you please hold arrangements to travel up to see him, until he gives me the OK for visitors.

I will be in touch again, as soon as I get more news

Update 2

From Rachel:

8pm

Alec is actually in an ambulence, on a road in France!

Podcast

Thanks to Geoff Arnold you can now listen to Alec’s latest podcast (his last from Lille).

Just in from Rachel

Dear All

Just had text from Mandy – Alec should be coming out by road shortly and in Birmingham this evening!!!!

She asked me to circulate this news

Lets just hope that they don’t bounce him too much!