Latest update is very much more of the same. I have recovered from the drama of last week and I feel that I am slowly but surely making progress.
For the last three days I have swallowed some small mouthfuls of water –this may sound minor but for me it was a huge thing to do. There was a bit of pain along with some coughing and spluttering but it's a good start. I had swallowed nothing for several weeks and this is a small step on the way to getting back to normal. The plan is to continue to increase the amount of fluid over the next few days and then next week try to progress onto my NHS milkshakes – steak and chips are some way off but I'm moving in the right direction. The hospital are surprisingly wary about this because there is apparently a risk of food or water going down my airway and causing an infection. I shall tread carefully. I plan to be eating Christmas dinner with all the trimmings this year.
My main concern at the moment is how difficult it is proving to put back on the weight that I've lost. My NHS milkshakes provide me with 2400 calories per day via my feeding tube. For then last 6 days I have increased the dosage to 4000 calories per day – the net result of this is that I have lost 2 pounds! This is bad news and it is something that I shall be discussing with the consultant next week. I'm hoping that the reason for this is that all the repair and recovery going on in my throat is burning up lots of energy.
The pain in my neck and throat is still with me but the medication I have been given manages it well – it also causes me to sleep for England but it is a price worth paying.
The good news is that I can now just about hold a conversation for 20 minutes or so as long as I'm well morphined up. My singing career is on hold for the time beginning but I may resurrect it soon. I managed a five mile walk in the sunshine on Tuesday which was very tiring but felt good.
Lynne is continuing to be the diamond she always has been. We are spending time researching where I am going to take her in January. We can't book anything until I get the all clear in December because I shall probably get a date for the removal of my remaining affected lymph glands. Once this is all sorted we shall go away somewhere nice where we can enjoy ourselves without all this hanging over us. I also plan to eat for the fortnight!
