I am sorry I have not posted any updates but things have been pretty hectic since I left hospital a week ago. There is much to tell, including of a trip to Dubai, of immaculately kept houses being redecorated, villagers so orderly they wash their rubbish before disposing of it in aseptic bins but I shall save all that until I am back in the bosom of my much missed family.
This morning I had an appointment at the Royal Free where I was given a qualified OK To Travel. Qualified in the sense that I told them I would not be able to make the next appointment they wished me to attend at the London School of Tropical Medicine on the 9th of July as it was my intention to be on the 'plane back to Angola tomorrow night. I hate letting people down so abruptly but after looking after me for so many weeks, they really should have known I would, like the swallow in autumn, be flying south as soon as they left the cage door open.
And my first port of call on leaving the hospital was not a tobacconist; I have given up smoking as well. What is left of me shall return home to Marcia a new man.
Normal service will resume shortly....
Don't forget to blog about Gladys
ReplyDeleteI promised her she will appear in an African publication
How could I not mention A Hippo in Cambria!
Deleteit's amazing. you are living as you were destined to be for the first time. i think marcia will love it. way to go tom! we need an update on the pregnancy. oh right...sorry, it's not always about you...haha!
ReplyDeleteLiving as I was destined to be? You mean being waited on hand and foot in a smart house in the English countryside? Sadly, all good things must come to an end!
DeleteGood. I hear that Angola was slowly deteriorating without you.
ReplyDeleteI can see me sacking a few people when I get back...
DeleteYou sound so very happy to be going home to your family! I'm sure Marcia and your boys can't wait to get their arms around you. I'm so glad for all of you!!
ReplyDeleteThey can't wait to get their hands on all the presents you mean! Dominic is so keen to get his hands on his new iPhone 5S Gold that he is going to meet me at the airport... at 4 a m!
DeleteWell, that's just teenagers for you! Ha! :)
DeleteExcellent news to hear that you are finally going home…..can't wait to hear about your further adventures in UK ..and wherever else you managed to visit!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear you are on your way home. Enjoyed your long posts re hospital stay. Has the graft taken? I think they are going to miss you! Jan B
ReplyDeleteCorrection, I know they are going to miss you!
Graft has 80% taken now and the missing bit will grow back.
DeleteTally Ho!! Have a good trip back. And don't forget about the war stories to update. Have a great reunion with the family.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, the book, I will get on with it
DeleteGreat to hear it Tom, I have been reliably informed that BA want to charge you £40,000 for the extra plane they had to lay on especially for you with the amount of stuff your taking back for Marcia & the kids, an extra suitcase costing £55 just wasn't enough was it...lol, Be safe mate and have a good trip.
ReplyDeleteThat's alright cos I sold the remaining 139 seats for a grand a piece on ebay.
DeleteSo glad you have the all-clear (I assume the graft has taken) and that you will be back home soon with Marcia and the boys.
ReplyDeleteAnd should add - well done for giving up the smoking. You ae incredible to have managed both the fags and the booze in such a short time.
DeleteYeah, the second bang you hear when I get back will be the front door closing.
DeleteFamily, friends, good weather, lots and lots of good food and you'll be back to your old self in no time. So pleased that you have made a good recovery. Been meaning to say hats off to you for giving up both cigs and booze and sticking to it through what has been great hardship. That is indeed willpower! BTW how much weight did that infection strip off you? Any references to a fat man in Angola will no longer be relevant.
ReplyDeleteDespite the surgeons' best efforts to remove flesh, I actually put weight on!
DeleteTwix bars!
DeleteGlad to hear you are back in one piece again with no major holes in you anymore. Safe travels.
ReplyDeleteMay fair winds be at your back and your family waiting on the porch with open arms.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness it's been pretty warm in the UK while you've been here or you might have needed a fur coat and knickers during your stay. Good to hear you're on your way home with eighty percent of your graft active.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels....will the 'new man' be any different to the old one? apart from the booze/fags omissions?..Marcia knew her old Tom.....
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that you're on the mend. Have a safe journey back.
ReplyDeletewonderful news that you're going home and a new man too! Congratulations on all fronts. Look forward to hearing all the stories.
ReplyDeleteSo very glad to hear you're on the way home. What an ordeal.
ReplyDeleteI join the chorus of adoring fans...selamat jalan!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update, looking forward to more installments. I hope you've laid in a supply of Twix bars.
ReplyDelete"Normal Service will resume shortly?"
ReplyDeleteuhmm, I thought she was already with child ??
have a good welcome home, sir!
I have been checking your blog regularly hoping for an update and am happy for your impending departure. Have a safe trip, great news about the graft.
ReplyDeleteJo in Auckland, NZ
Hope all is going well and you are healing up nicely.
ReplyDeletehoping for an update and sending my best wishes!
ReplyDelete:-)
Like a swallow? Isn't that what the bishop said to the actress? I hope you have made it safely home to Angola and your loved ones and that the efforts of the hospital heroes continue to prove positive as you make your way back to full health.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about Tom, Yorkshire Pudding. He'll either be stranded somewhere he has to fight his way out of with a machete or be dying the death even he won't be able to escape forever.
DeleteU
Would be good to have a few words from you Tom…..hope you are OK and not suffered a relapse of any sort. I guess there has been a lot to do since you got back…assuming you did? Get back I mean!
ReplyDeleteAn update would be nice. Lots of us are worried about you!
ReplyDeleteHappy to see you made it home safely. That hell of a trip is draining as well as infuriating. Family together again to share things, good and bad, as only they can. So sorry about miscarriage...it's a blow, so best for healing to you & Marsha. I trust you won't forget...you are incredibly tough due to stubborn perseverance & ingrained sense of "can do" attitude but your long term health depends on your short term time allowance for proper healing.
ReplyDeletePretty "cheeky" advice for a complete stranger the other side of the world but you've shared so much it's hard not to be concerned.
Be well,
Leslie NJ/US
Dear c701d646-d6c7-11e3-bb7d-c7773c0e2bfb aka Leslie!
ReplyDeleteThis is supposed to be a 'Diary of an Involuntary Expatriate' so here it is, warts and all and of course you are entitled to voice your considered opinion, they are welcome! Sorry if you find me occasionally taking the micky out of Americans...
Nu Joisy eh? I nearly bought a sport fisher there in my richer days. You never know, if things pick up again I might be back in the market.
You wouldn't happen to know how to get the fuel pipes off a Cherokee ZJ fuel filter would you? The Jeep Forum says you just squeeze the clips with your fingers. Well I guess I must be a weedy Englishman or all Jeep drivers in America have fingers like Rambo because I can't budge them!
The little white plastic clips inside a shroud at the end of the hose? WD40 is your friend. They are likely dried up and brittle. One of those tiny 3mm wide screwdrivers might help to push the tabs in. Be careful as you will need the parts to fit back on to the new filter. Be sure to relive the pressure in the system before you try to take them off or you'll get a face full. The video is not much help on the clips but it gives you an idea of the process.
Deletehttp://youtu.be/jueraGcITuU
That's the boys! It is the fear of buggering the clips up that caused me to hesitate. It's not like I can nip down to the Jeep dealership and get replacement parts! I'll have another go at them in the morning using a screwdriver as you suggest,
DeleteI see what you mean about the video! He has missed out the tricky bit. At lease I know what the clips look like and how they work.
Generally with that type of connector if you push them towards the filter wile pushing on the two white clips you can get enough play in it all for them to release their grip. Like I said soak it in WD40 just to loosen up the grime and add some slippage.
Delete