Dani, Caroline, Bev, Pia in a rush of chatty beautiful women… Oh and Chris was there too, as male support. 

Then this eve, when we’d planned to go to the blimmin pub (!) Quentin, Rick, Tim and Bret came and stood around the bed for 2 hours entertaining me.. With secretly smuggled in vodka and even a dash of tonic. 

My body is tired of the inactivity and aches a lot, but I think my Bum is healing at least. 

I’ve spoken to my girls on the phone. 

It’s getting harder, being without them. 

It seems now that each phone call has a spell where tears run down my face, as they are now. 

They are, thankfully, so much stronger than me. 

Can’t wait for the day I go home for good. 

And that’s in only 2 days. 

So, a reminder, if you’re not on the list of attendees yet ( and you don’t HAVE to spin), then  please email Dan on danW@thehogarth.co.uk

However it pans out it’ll be good fun. 

I shan’t be making any speeches as my voice makes that of Stephen Hawking sound macho, but I believe Dan might. 

If anyone wants to sing/ tap dance/ get themselves noticed then I’m sure the microphone would be available. 

(We may all regret that I’ve just posted that..)

Jesus, they gave me a ‘bed shower’ this morning. A lovely lady called Lisa had the dubious pleasure of washing everything that I couldn’t reach (or just didn’t fancy touching myself) 

.. What a lucky girl. 

Despite having 8 visitors today, all of whom were absolutely lovely (Dani, Debs, Chrissy, Dan, James. Nic and Jay ), the frustration of being confined to bed is significant. 

I’ve pulled on my resistance straps, tried to stretch and move what I can as much as poss, yet still can’t get comfortable!

Hopefully I’ll be ok by Friday. 

Again Dan excels himself with his post last night..

I hope a whole lot of you can make it on the 18th of October to The Hogath Club to ride a bike for the Spine-a-thon and/ or come to gimme a kiss!

Just had a thought. How about the ladies all wearing vivid lipstick and targeting a total covering of my face in the stuff. 

Only one kiss per cute lady, ok 😉

Russ

PS a certain James Cracknell came to see me today ( as he did in Toulon , a visit I can’t recollect as I was semi comatosed ). 

James won two Olympic gold medals in rowing and is a household name in Britain. He’s an extraordinary guy, whose exploits have made the papers ( as well as 3 books ) for many yrs. 

But we have something in common, besides being mates, in that we both suffered horrific bicycle crashes , both were comatosed, and both have been irreversibly affected for life. 

J and I talked a fair bit today, and I felt a deeper connection than ever before. We’ve both lost a lot, but in different ways, him more sensory and me more physically. 

There is however the possibility that in both our personal lives and in our outward projected personas that we can yet become better people than we were before.

But that’s up to him and I. 

I hope that both of us are able to be strong enough to  grasp the opportunity. 

Hi there

 

Received your message today at the end of stage 2. Thank you. How you can think of others at this time of your recovery is admirable. I really appreciate it.

 

It has been a tough day on my feet. They are brutalized at the end of day two. Tomorrow is the long stage. 87 km. Tylenol will have to be my friend…..

 

Lots of hugs – hope you are staying strong! Thinking of you J Monique

Message from Dan 

– Now that Russ has paddled his way back from the River Styx and is showing extraordinary powers of recovery, the time has come to celebrate his survival in the manner he approves of most – physical suffering and the consumption of large amounts of alcohol.

 Russ and Dani have done the Spin-a-thon at the Hogarth since its beginning and from now on, this annual charity event will be re-named the Spine-a-thon, in aid of spinal charities. Russ’s suggestion. 

The event runs from 1800 Friday 18th – 1800 Saturday 19th October 2013. Those of you who would like to raise a bit of money by spinning for a minimum of one hour or even the full 24, if you’re that crazy, email me with your phone number and the unfortunate bastard that I delegate to organise the event will call you to organise a slot.

 Of course, there is no need to be a Member of the Hogarth to take part. Appropriately, we will have a hand-cranked bike that we will keep going for the full 24 hours.

 But before that , at 8pm on Friday 18th October, I would like to invite you all to an event some of us feared we might never see – a party featuring the great man himself.

 I’m sure it will be an emotional evening.

 Those of you who want to have a beer with Russ, please email me, so I know how many vol aux vents to order from Iceland…

 All the bar profits will go towards the charities, so the more you drink, the more they make. At some point during the evening I will make an announcement, no Russ and I aren’t getting married, whatever he says on his blog.

 …It’s something else.

 Dan White

 8pm Friday 18th October 

The Hogarth Health Club Airedale Avenue Chiswick W4 2NW 

Many types of Alcoholic Refreshment 

Food

Music 

Russell Dawkins rsvp – danw@thehogarth.co.uk

Please come, it’ll basically be a party, in aid of a great cause,  and I’m sure Russ will appreciate the attendance of each and every one of you that spares the time. 

Of course the problem is that I can’t feel anything so don’t know I’ve done it. 

The consequence is that I now have to stay in bloody bed for days, on my side, til it heals, missing out on the proper start of my rehab. 

I can still use the various elastic exercise bands that I have attached to the bed, but in it I must stay. 

Also I’ll not be able to be taken out tomorrow night,  and maybe not the night after,  by mates. 

I feel the road  ahead will be littered with potholes, lots of them unseen til I’ve wheeled into them. 

I’ll try not to let this get me down, but days in bed are NOT my idea of a holiday. I felt that I was really getting somewhere until this setback. 

Anyhow, there are hundreds of antique shows on daytime TV interspersed with my very welcome stream of visitors. 

Most importantly, I’m hoping I’ll be healed to go home again on Friday!

Fingers crossed. 

It’ll be a tough week for her!

Even tho I only visited our kitchen and garden, I appreciated them like never before. 

I also went to see Lily in hockey practice, for the first time in 4 months. She was so chuffed I was there, I could tell. 

Amber gave me fantastic cuddles as Iay in bed, and I must have spent 15 minutes tickling my daughters in our made up ‘ where’s that earwig?’ game…:)

It makes coming back bearable knowing I’ll be home again next Friday afternoon!

Thanks to all those that came to see me, and those that stopped to talk to me, everyone concerned for my Wellbeing. 

I want to say good luck to my friend, Dr Monique Dube, who’s about to commence the G2G – running the whole length of the Grand Canyon!

Check out her progress on the web 

Oh, and thanks to my neighbours, Jonny and Farina who, mindful of my excess of reading material, bought me an extremely classy book of famous, but largely kinky, pics. 

Now that’s more like it…

I’m now back in SM counting down the days til Friday. 

Russ