HEALTH BULLETIN NO. 4

We are inching along. By that I mean Iain is getting better slowly, very slowly, but definitely heading in the right direction. When he fell so badly 8 days ago he seems to have landed either half way down or perhaps at the bottom, on his right side. He did not damage his shoulder or arm but his ribs and, more importantly, his right lung.

The chest drain he has had in for 48 hours is doing its work and he is breathing much better now. Yes, he still has the oxygen mask on but he takes it off for longer periods while he sorts out the iPod or speaks to someone across the room.

He is continuing to do his deep-breathing exercises which are now becoming more effective due to his increased comfort at moving his chest up and down. He does not have a drip any more and is drinking adequately. Food is not great - excuse me ... it never was! - but he is going to talk to the dietician tomorrow.

Mairi and I visited tonight so hopefully she can help him with his feeling of reliving the experience of falling from the roofspace when he wakens in the night.

John and Helen sent a lovely postcard "Escape to the Edge" from Orkney. I would have thought that with the name of "Anderson", Orkney was more like "The Centre"! I only say this because being married to a MacLeod I have had it drummed into me that the Centre of the Universe is Achiltibuie. (When I am in Canada I keep quiet about this because everyone there thinks that where they live IS the Centre of the Universe.... And then of course there was the fellow I used to work for who maintained that Falkirk was the Centre of ...!)

Where was I? Do you see those sweet peas? That is the first picking of the little seeds I started all those months ago. Maggie tells me to keep picking them as more will come so you better believe I am going to fill the house with vases - what am I saying... I haven't got any ... well, jam jars - of them!