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.

Hi Russ, let me start off by saying it was very good to finally see you. I’ve just read your blog and I’m not going to lie it brought tears to my eyes. I’m not going to sit here and say I understand what you are going through or how you are feeling but let me tell you something – You are an amazing boss, father, husband, brother, son and all the other things under the sun. I just want you to know that you are the same old Russ to me, you know I never told you this, but I really do look up to you and would love to be even half the person you are, more so now than ever before. Who cares what other people think Russ, those that ignore you or think you are a nuisance are not even worth your time…its their loss that they haven’t had the pleasure of meeting The Great Russ. You have achieved so much in life so far as you already know and as many people keep saying, and you still have loads of opportunities to achieve more. You’ve got an amazing support group around you; your family friends and all of us (your second family). And as for those shadows…’it is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light’. I have been praying for you, Russ, everyday and will continue to do so. 🙂

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