March 3rd, 10 – Jake 17
Dear All,
Things are still moving fast. Though his brain operation went well, the staples (!) are out and it appears to have had the intended effect, Jake has been left on a continuous morphine drip for shocking headaches. He cannot speak or concentrate for the pain and they have to give extra pain relief on top of the morphine. Despite this Jacob mostly retains his positive spirit. He has been working hard with the physio to begin the rebuilding of his left hand, shoulder and arm.
A day at the Marsden is incredibly busy for Jake. After breakfast, which is a challenge of hand coordination in itself, he starts a diet of antibiotic drips and pills for 22 out of 24 hours. Added to this he has visits from half a dozen therapists of various types. Each visitor performs the most valuable and caring of functions in the most lovely way. Each is the most lovely person, sensitive, knowledgeable, professional and kind, and seemingly with all the time in the world.
The surgeon said today that the abscess within his brain has now reduced a little in size but there is still a lot of swelling around it as a result of the operation AND the abscess. This explains the headaches and difficulties with his arm. The doctors have also told us that the treatment for the abscess will take several weeks more here in hospital. All the while his leukaemia treatment cannot happen, so his basic treatment has to wait until the present complications are fully treated. This is of course an ongoing worry.
We all have to learn to take tiny steps forward as the aim of each day and to trust the huge team of professionals who are not afraid to care and show they care.
Jacob is finding it particularly hard as you can imagine to come to terms himself with everything that has happened to him in the last month, and the implications for the future. He is so grateful to all his family and friends and particularly the Royal Academy of Music for their support in fund raising, positive accounts of other people in similar situations and keeping in contact with him. He hopes you understand how hard it is to write back at the moment, but he is sure that along with his recovery will come the right words and he’ll be able to communicate easily again. We assure him that you will wait for him. One of his friends reassuringly summed up how he feels:
‘The world is still out there, it’s just waiting for you to come back.’
Love from us all
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