So! Today at my new hospital the hard work starts! Firstly my beautiful wife and girls will arrive mid morning from their holiday. I can’t relay how relieved I am that they’re finally back, it’s seemed like an eternity. After hugging and kissing my girls for a few hours I get my first physio assessment at 12. They’ll establish just how much strength, balance, mobility and mindset I’ve got, I guess. Then there’s a meeting at 3, with ‘the team’ to set objectives for my stay here based on what’s realistic and what I want to prioritise I think. I’ve always been very ‘ own body aware ‘ and have realised that the reason I struggle with sitting is that my spine vertebrae are almost completely immobile (3 months lying down/ lots of titanium inserted, no surprise then ), so getting some movement back is key to progress Ive lain in bed repeatedly trying to arch my back for the last 2 days, with definite improvement , and also prompting all kinds of twitching in my left leg in particular, and my pelvis area. Whether this is a reason for optimism is unknown to me, but shit it makes ME feel like its positive. All leg movement is good! My new room has a view of a brick wall. Not quite the Shard or the Thames as now used to, but I shouldn’t moan. So I won’t. Actually I can see 2 brick walls, so twice as interesting as I’d thought. The lovely Pia and Kim helped me move by bringing all my accumulated stuff ( Amazon and the confectionary industry have done well out of my well wishers), unpacking it all this end in a logical way, so I can SEE from my bed the things I need most. If I can’t see it, I sort of forget I’ve got it… I’ve got a fridge full of chocolate, so please no more for now!! On that note, it’s breakfast time, and I’ve gotta eat, as instructed, til I’m bursting. Laters, Russ 🙂 PS massive gratitude to Monique, who flew in from bloody Canada just to see me for 3 hours. She immediately assumes first place in distance travelled to see the patient ( mind you, my parents did the same 3 months ago, so joint first..) Anyway, fantastic to see her. I only know her cos the poor girl had the misfortune to sit next to me on a plane! ( I made her drink wine from London to Vancouver, I think an education for her, and certainly an insight into Welshness) She runs ultra marathons for fun, the weirdo.