What a difference a few days make. 

All my visitors are telling me I actually look like me again. 
Some saw me last when my death was the most likely outcome. 
I’m happy to say now that that eventuality is behind me and I’m being reintroduced to society. 
In the picture I’m sitting on the pavement at a Starbucks in St Johns Wood. It’s the first time for 3 months that I’ve felt the sun on my skin properly, and been sat comfortably in a wheelchair . Believe me, that feels like an amazing double to me. 
I enjoyed the taste of coffee for the first 
time since the crash too. 
My awesome buddy,Dan White and my gorgeous wife shared the experience with me. I couldn’t have wanted for 2 better people to accompany me on this breakthrough moment. 
My physios are telling me that I’m doing things in ten minutes that people often can’t do in 4 months. I’m not sure whether that’s a reflection on the other patients or me!
Either way, the mastery of mobility, balance and coordination continues. 
Pain control is getting there too, with constant tweaking by the doctors. Apparently full control can take years… Lets hope not in my case. Pain greatly detracts from the pace of  progress, trust me. 
I continue in my efforts to rebuild my upper body, trying to be inventive with the hoist above my head as a pull up bar… The physios and I have different opinions of the merits of that particular exercise…
The reality is that I am right 😉
I am still taken aback daily by the emails I get from people that I allegedly inspired in my past life. Believe me, I must have done it by accident, as I’ve never set out to do so!
My specialist told me today that it’s pretty unlikely that I’ll regain much below the waist. That’s not great to hear. He said tho that nothing is certain. Personally, I am prepared for the worst, but as I can definitely induce some leg twitching I think it’s far from certain that 
I’m totally written off. 
The staff and physio team here are really great and I’m making big strides. One of tomorrow’s objectives is to learn how to put my own pants on, def a handy skill going forward…..
Bowel and bladder control are another hurdle. Self catheterisation pictures WON’T be appearing on the blog. 
Drank both white wine and ( from my buddy Frank Casali) a great red tonight, and I think my palate is showing signs of recovery! Small steps ….. Tequila may be years away..
Great to see Toby, Andrew and Lisa today, Emily, emma and Jack yesterday too. I’ve probably omitted people and  sorry if I have. I’ve always had a rubbish memory!
This morning I was awoken by the nurse turning on all 8 of the lights in the room, followed by the insertion of 2 large suppositories. 
I’ve suggested that tonight’s nursing team try a gentle kiss and a whispered sweet nothing instead. 
I m not betting on it actually happening, and praying that its not one of the male nurse team that thinks his luck’s in. 
X

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