Had a good long talk with brother-in-law John on the phone the other day - and I mean good. I really thought he was likely to lose another leg after he'd been taken into hospital, but it now seems the chances are very positive that he'll keep his right leg. He sounded astonishingly positive about the loss of his left leg, giving a very thorough account of what took place that led to its amputation without the slightest trace of self pity. His comment on the rehabilitation centre he now attends summed his attitude up; according to John when there are folks around who've lost both legs above the knee and are trying to cope, then losing one a good ten inches below the knee is a small matter. His chief concerns seem to be switching his driving license so he'll be allowed to drive an automatic and suing the NHS for one particular doctor's misdiagnosis of his condition. His pithy summary of how to survive the NHS was forceful, expressive, funny but sadly unprintable.
Maureen also seems to have put her recent troubles behind her - possibly as a result of the need to look after John responsibly. So that's another big, big plus. All those clichés about crises bringing out the best in people might just prove to be true, as clichés so often do.
And on top of all this when I remind myself of the great news we got in New Zealand that Osman's biopsy had proved negative I can't help but smile.
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