Message from Jenni:

Dear all
Am writing this in the afternoon having seen Russ this morning. Russ was very wide awake today and was trying to talk. I felt very sad that we couldn't understand what he was saying but we tried to reassure him that there is no rush and that in time he will be able to talk to us. I felt he was a little frustrated. However, saying that, he was very smiley and it was so lovely to see his face light up and his eyes look sparkly.The nurses were saying that he is more tired in the morning than the evening and I have to agree that that seems to be the case.
I noticed whilst I was holding his hand that both his hands seem to have lost their puffiness and are back to their slender selves.
It did seem like another tiny step in the right direction and we are hoping that eventually with these tiny steps he will complete his marathon.
With love as always
Jenni x 

and a little bit more:

Dear all
Here we go. Russ had a quiet day and appeared tired although we did have some smiles and attempts at talking. Dani went in to say goodnight and met up with Daniel, the nurse who has been looking after Russ a great deal. He was very informative and able to answer many questions posed by Danielle.
It appears he still has a lung infection and they are introducing a new antibiotic. It will take a few days to kick in and then he should become less reliant on the ventilator. When he comes off the ventilator he will then be given pure oxygen and when that happens they can remove some components of the tracheotomy which will enable him to be able to talk in time.
Apparently the Doctor did an electrical activity test. It showed that when Russ was conscious he had full cognitive function but he lapses into unconsciousness. Dani was told that this could be the way that Russ' energy was channelled to mend his injuries OR, sometimes the effect of receiving muscle blocks. If the latter, one can test for this and reverse the condition.
So another tiny step again today. Along with the smiles and attempt to communicate it has been a rewarding day.
Goodnight to you all and love
Jenni x


And a little bit more from Melissa;


Russ's hemoglobin levels are very low which probably explains most of the above lapsing into unconsciousness.  The difficulty in talking is caused by the 'relearning' of how to speak whilst the trachotomy is in place.  As we talk we use the air we are breathing in and out to make sounds as it passes over our vocal chords.  With the tracheotmoy the air is not passing over the vocal chords but soon Russ will find a way to change how he directs his air and he will learn to speak with the tracheotomy.  This is obviously only a temporary step.


xxxx
	

Some Messages for Russ:

Sonia Marquardt

Hi,

Can't wait to see you in those fetching sequenced pink shorts, St Tropez tan and a glass of Prosecco swaying in your hand. Warm kisses from Eaves....xxxx 

Esmond Kensington

Russ and Dani, we're thinking of you and willing you on. Much love from Es and Jac, and a special hug from Natasha and Max to Amber and Lilly.
Blair Hunter

Hi there

I have been reading your blog daily as I am sure many people have. I am not a close friend of Russ's but know him through Speccy's and from skiing. I was so shocked to hear of his accident. It seems inconceivable that someone known for being so full of life and vitality should be in that situation. My thoughts are with you and all his close family and friends who are having to deal with this terrible situation. Please do let Russ know I was asking for him once he is in a position to know what is happening around him.

My very best wishes to you all

Blair Hunter


Mac

Hey
 Russ! I've been following your incredible progress on Melissa's blog. 
Im am certain  all your messages of support allude to your undoubted 
superhuman physical and mental strength, so i wont blow smoke up your 
arse. You are however a total one off, and as the machines confirm, you 
are officially the first ever Welshman to have full cognitive brain 
function !

You and Danni are never out of my thoughts (sounds a bit gay if I don't include Danni in that bit). 


I know it's going to be your greatest challenge and a long and testing 
journey back (that's Toulon Ryanair for you, particularly if you travel 
with excess baggage..... or as you say-"Danni") but with your physical 
and mental fortitude and your lovely Danni and family by your side you 
will once again excel . 


Stay strong , 


Mac




David Ainsworth-Lay




Hi Russ, I was really shocked to hear that you were not very well, my thoughts are with you and those around you at this time. You have got to fight this through and win, I know you can, I need you as my second in command for Hearcare  Get well and be back soon. David Ainsworth-Lay



Rebecca Leach


Melissa, thank-you so much for this blog, we have been 
following it every day and it is good to hear of the progress Russ is 
making step by step. 





Russ
 and Dani you have been uppermost in our thoughts every single day and 
we are sending all of our positive thoughts to you - willing on Russ's 
recovery.  You are showing amazing strength.





With much love Rebecca and Rob Leach xx(and a special hug to Lily and Amber from Daisy xx)






Sally Torkington






Hi Russ




I am thinking of you all the time.  It’s just another marathon in your 
life which you are going to win as you have so much strength.  Too much 
for me to keep up with on the skiing holidays but I always had just 
enough  strength to keep up with you in the bar!




All I can think of is laughing with you every time we meet and my lasting 
vision of you in fancy dress as Rose West!  Spinning me above your head 
at my 40th is also an hilarious memory – I actually wasn’t scared at all!




We are all routing for you here and I can’t wait to see you very soon.




L Sally xxxx







Nicholas wilson




“Russ, great to witness, albeit from afar, that you are making such 
progress.  With hindsight and knowing the man I guess it was never in 
doubt that you would fight your way back. From the latest photos on the 
blog you still look fitter
 and slimmer than your big brother.  And that’s even after lying in bed 
for weeks eating the very best in French cuisine, albeit in liquid 
form.  Keep up the good work and very best wishes from here to you, 
Dani, your girls and, frankly, everyone who has been
 helping to nurse you back to good health. Nick.”

Today Russ had a tracheotomy fitted.  This device will act like the ventilator and force air into his lungs as his lungs are not quite up to coping on their own.  It means that he doesn’t have to have a ventilator anymore so his lovely face is relieved of at least one huge pipe/tube!  Dani can at last kiss his lips!
Russ was sedated for the minor op and considering he has been slow to wake in general since the accident it was assumed he may continue to be sleepy for a couple of days following further sedation.  Not so!  It seems Russ has tried his best today to make facial expressions and he is trying to make some sounds too.  The doctors say that he will have to relearn how to make sounds whilst he has the trachy fitted but this is completely normal.

Bob, Di, Dani and Amber had a very cathartic day today as between visits they headed for a beach that Russ and his brothers, Alwyn and Stuart spent alot of time at during the summer holidays as young boys.  I gather everyone had a wonderful day and it was a much needed respite.

I gather some of you are having problems writing comments on the blog.  If you can’t add your comments, please email me at: melissa.leach@iagoft.com and I will post them for you.

When you do eventually wake up Russ you will see how many people have been thinking about you.

This blog has been up for about 5 days but already we have 3000+ views!

whoops I meant 4000+!!!

Until tomorrow! x

Yesterday wasn’t a very positive day as Russ didn’t wake at all and was sedated again as he required an endoscopy on his lungs.  It seems to be a small step forward and a tinier one back each day and is very frustrating for everyone waiting for him to come to the surface.

I gather today has been another step forward as Russ was definitely responding to stimuli and had his eyes opened and attempted a couple of smiles.

Tomorrow he is having a tracheotomy fitted to assist his badly damaged lungs with breathing as it’s anticipated that the ventilator down his trachea will no longer be tolerated as he draws near to full consciousness.   For this procedure he will need to be sedated again and this in turn might cause another couple of days of drowsiness.

On a positive Dani is drawing alot of strength from everyone’s visits.  My other sister Sam and her husband Billy were out over the weekend as was the stalwart that is Dan White and his lovely family and also the great Dr Gerry!  Russ’s parent’s Bob and Di continue their vigil along with my mum Jenni.  Today Dani and mum have taken Amber to the zoo in Toulon between visits to the hospital, Amber is coping amazingly but I know she will really be looking forward to seeing Lily when they fly back to London on Thursday.

The lovely Chrissie Marty has just sent the below this evening which is really encouraging!

OMG! It was so lovely to see everyone. Dani, as you know is just amazing!

Not much to report today.
Dani and Russ’s very good friend Dr Gerry has been visiting Russ. There is no change really, Russ very sleepy and not inclined to wake up. Gerry feels it is going to be a very, very long process. The main concern is that he hasn’t yet woken up and there doesn’t appear to be any obvious explanation. The MRI, EEG and scans haven’t shown up any problem so it remains a mystery. We wait and hope. Maybe he is just being stubborn Russ!  At the moment we will stay satisfied by the knowledge that his tests have all been good. xxxx

Dear All
Russ had his MRI scan today but wasn't back on the ward till 1.00. Larry and Sarah had arrived to see Russ before they left for Cannes. They brought Amber a gift of a hand puppet that was a fluffy tigress. Dani, Amber, Larry and Sarah went to visit Russ. Russ smiled at Amber ( and the puppet)and then at Dani. When Larry said he was leaving and  said " see you in a little while" Russ looked very upset and frowned. Bob and Di went to see Russ afterwards and he gave Di three smiles. Dani, Russ and Bob are going to talk to a doctor at 5.15PM. So better news today and fingers crossed. It really is a roller coaster isn't it?
Love to you all as always.
Jenni xxx 

Following on from the above, I have just had a message from my mum and Dani to say that after Dani, Di and Bob's meeting with the doctors to discuss the results of Russ's brain MRI, it seems that there is no atrophy(damage) to Russ's brain.  
This is clearly a HUGE relief and a massive step forward on the road to recovery!!!
Russ is still being intubated as he is not yet in a fully conscious state.  He is due to have a tracheotomy on Monday as he will be expected to be all most 'up to the surface' and his lungs still need some help with breathing. He is still at risk of infection and he does have to stay very still to avoid rupturing his lungs again with his repairing lungs but fingers crossed onward and upwards.


Thanks as always for your positive thoughts and well wishes, I am sure that you have transferred some good energies all the way to France! :)

Lots of love
Melissa
	

Hello,

Just incase you were considering visiting I thought I would put some tips on here regarding hotels and transport.

Flights;

Easy Jet fly to Marseille (MRS) from LGW
BA fly to Marseille from LHR
Ryan Air fly directly to Toulon from Stansted.

If you fly to MRS, there is a shuttle bus that collects from outside all terminals at MRS airport and takes you to Marseilles St Charles train station.  The shuttle bus runs every 15-20 mins and takes approximately 20 mins.  It costs 8E per single journey.  You can book online in advance or buy at the airport:
http://www.digitick.com/index-css4-marseilleprovenceaeroport-pg101-ri1109907-qt244905e1.html

At Marseilles St Charles you can catch a train to Toulon.  This takes about 50 mins and they trains run almost every hour but being French are often subject to strikes (as I found out to my detriment!).  It is much better to book the train in advance as it can sometimes be full. http://www.voyages-sncf.co.uk
 It costs 15E for a single.

The train station in Toulon is in the center of the town and about 3/4 mile from the hospital, 1/4 mile from the Holiday Inn.

Hotels:

The most convenient hotel to stay at is:
Holiday Inn
1 Avenue Rageot De La Touche  
Toulon ,    
83000  
France

Hotel Kyriad
Presige Toulon
Port de la Seyne-sue mer
Toulon
Just along the quay is a little ferry that runs 10mins and 40 mins past each hour which takes you to the main quay in Toulon

Hôtel Amirauté 4, rue Adolphe Guiol, 83000 Toulon
 
Hôtel Amirauté is situated in the centre of Toulon, near Place de la Liberté and the harbour. It offers free Wi-Fi access and air-conditioned accommodation equipped with satellite TV.
Guest rooms at the Amiraute have a work desk and a fixed phone line with free calls to 18 destinations, including the USA, the United Kingdom, China and Canada.
A full breakfast buffet is served each morning at the Newhotel Amiraute. The hotel also provides a 24-hour reception.
double room : 70€ (approx £59) per room per night

Alba-Flora Hôtel 3 Avenue des Plantades, 83210 Solliès-Pont  
The Alba-Flora Hotel is located halfway between Toulon and Hyères just 20 minutes from the sea and the airport. All guestrooms are equipped with bathroom with bath and shower, air-conditioning and TV with Canal+. Non- smoking rooms are available upon request.
Enjoy traditional and regional cuisine with a Provençal touch in the hotel’s restaurant. It welcomes you every day in the summer and on week days the rest of the year. The Alba-Flora also offers a swimming pool, a bar/lounge, banquet facilities and free on-site parking.
double room : 66€ (approx £56) per room per night until the 11 July  they may stay longer, but would need to change of room for that.
Please note that this is a current quotation and could be subject to change at the time of booking. The images shown are for guidance purposes only. You may stay in a room which is different from the examples shown.

Will update later regarding Russ once the new has come through from France.

Lots of love xxxxx

The latest today from Russ's mother in law, Jenni:

Dear all
Well, Russ is now nearly in a sitting position, so much more upright. He is no 
longer on Dialysis. He seemed tired this morning but did open his eyes a little 
and apparently when Larry and Sarah went into the ward, his eyes opened wide and 
he turned his head. 
He remains looking comfortable and now his room is brightly decorated with some 
beautiful pictures that Amber has done.
So if there is any news later I shall update you.
Love to you all
Jenni x