12.12.12. Homeward Bound

....And the big day has finally come....

Homeward Bound!! ... I've definitely reached the stage of being excited to be getting out, obviously there's still a wee bit of trepidation but that's definitely lessened and I'm feeling much more prepared for my imminent release! ....I honestly don't think I could play another game of shithead!! Which unsurprisingly is what we decided to do for our final night on the ward, it was the only fitting way to depart, shithead, takeaway and whisky, standard fare in Room 9 over the past months!!

....I say we, as there are three of us leaving from our room tomorrow, I think they'd had enough of us!!  We've managed to drag out the leaving pretty well, so we had a few beers with some of the physio's and ot's on Friday, we took a load of the nursing staff out on Monday night which turned into a pretty lengthy session, certainly the most drunk I've been in a while anyway....half 6 til we got chucked out of the pub really! ...and I've changed my drinking so as to minimise volumes, so I'm still finding my feet on the red wine and whisky, not quite sure of the old tolerance yet! Something to work on I suppose!! ...but yep beer is going to be more of an occasional treat as sadly what goes in has to come out and that end of the bargain is just a faff especially when you've had a few!! .....and Tuesday night was as I said just a low key one on the ward, a nice way to finish up!

On the home front everything, fingers crossed, is coming together. we've operated on a just in time system so it should all be falling in to place as I leave the hospital hopefully! ....a massive thanks to my mum and dad for all the upheaval, mess, expense etc... you've gone to, to get things ready and thanks to Alan and Jay for helping on the wardrobe moving front at he weekend and Paul for hospital removals, it seems you accumulate an awful lot of crap over six or so months! And as ever a huge thanks to Jenna for just being Jenna and bending over backwards for me continuously whilst managing to still just be my girlfriend, I know that sounds a bit disingenuous but what I mean is through all this crap and everything that's come with it that she's had to deal with, when we're together and out and about and doing whatever it just feels normal like it always did, and that normality really means the world to me, just like she does, love you Hughes xx.
And whilst I'm on the thank you's, Rose and Peter have also done a great job in making their place as friendly and accessible for me too, so again thanks a million.

All I've really been doing this last week or so is getting set to leave so the physio and ot has been wound down, but I did get the chance to get out on the roads in the adapted car the unit has which was brilliant! It really felt great to be driving again, the method was a little peculiar but the end result was the same! We just did a short spin around the hospital and a bit of the surrounds, I'm pleased to report it all went swimmingly with no incidents to report! The hand controls are a bit bizarre but took no time at all to get used to, just a lever you push and pull to brake and accelerate and a ball on the steering wheel and that does the job! ....we also went car shopping at the weekend, as I really want to get something ordered pronto, as independence wise it's a massive thing, thinking an Astra is in pole position at the mo, as it looks pretty decent and more significantly it's cheap compared to some of its rivals, I must be a proper accountant!!

Cartoon by Tony Husband www.tonyhusband.co.uk

Oh and if anyone has seen my Facebook and wondered why I keep getting tagged in photos of Christmas trees, it's a long story! ....a good one mind, albeit pretty grim!! ....far too grim for the blog but ask me when I see you next and I'll let you know! ....it may however slightly taint Christmas forever!!!



Take care

Mark