7th November 2013

Steven has tried to live life as normal, as much as he can. He is learning about his abilities and limitations on an almost daily basis. He recently tried two things. One was a day out at a local nature/animal park, where he discovered that his walking abilities are somewhat limited due to the pathways being up and down hills, and around many bends. The path surface was good, but the changes in orientation were difficult, and with few seating areas. A tiring day but with good memories. He also tried a holiday away from home with a friend. This holiday was in a rural area. The problem here was the reverse of the day out trip. The surfaces were uneven and with many unseen obstructions amongst grass. His friend, though able in his own way, was unable to help Steven in the way that he relies on us for his walking and manoeuvring. This resulted in Steven not straying too far from his lodgings, but he found peace and tranquillity in his surroundings. We give Steven credit for at least trying to regain an active life, but it’s only in this way that he will learn and ultimately accept his limitations. Every day to him is a challenge. Yet another examination by Doctors, and following discussions with Doctors of various expertise, it has been confirmed that Steven’s pain is coming from the messages being sent and received by his damaged brain. During tests, he is having high sensitivity to pain in places such as neck, shoulder, ribs, left arm, pelvis, left leg etc, where there should be little or no pain, and no obvious reason for pain. The Doctors agree that his pelvis is misshapen, and that even if the pelvis was adjusted by removing small sections of bone to help “line up” the pelvis, this would not stop the pain. It may help his mobility but not remove the pain, because the pain is not coming from the pelvis. Pain-killing medicines by their very nature, cause drowsiness, so Steven is trying several different medicines at different strengths, to find something suitable for him. We will investigate the possibility of some sort of operation or “gadget” that could interrupt the signal from the brain, but as yet, not apparently possible or available. This aspect of Steven is so difficult to explain to people. To look at Steven, no-one would ever think that he had any problems, but the brain damage was extensive as previously described. Remember, the prognosis in the early days was not very good for Steven’s future. Unfortunately from our own experience, there are people who, if they cannot see disfigurement, or blood, or bone, are unable to accept that there are problems. Best regard Terry

1st November 2013

Once again there is little change in Steven’s condition. He continues with his treatments in Elche and massages in home town. He has been given a different regime of pills to help with his anxiety and pain levels. The pain from his hip is getting worse. What we, nor he knows is what is causing the pain. It could be the damaged section of brain, it could be the increased sensation of pain, it could be the extra exercise he is doing, or it could be his damaged pelvis. He has had new x-rays and an MRI scan in the hope that the cause of the pain could be found. We await the report. Steven has received a report from his Doctor in Murcia, which states that in his opinion Steven is 90% disabled. This report will be shown next week at the local Court, as part of Steven’s claim for damages. We have still not received any notification from the Social Security regarding his claim for benefits. Steven and us will continue to fight for his rights. Whatever needs doing, whatever steps are needed to enhance his recovery, we will do it, we will not give in to the big organisations. The scan and x-ray revealed no spinal abnormalities, but there was the possibility of excess calcium growth around the pelvis, and the hip replacement. We await a Doctor’s decision as to what to do about this. Steven’s attendance at Court was very emotional, since it seems that any damages paid would be according to Spanish law. It is doubtful whether the sums mentioned will be enough to ensure his future. The Court now has all relevant documentation regarding expenses paid for operations, medicines, Doctor’s reports, private Doctor appointments, x-rays and scans, living expenses, and house modifications. On top of that will be monies for injuries sustained, scars, days in hospital, days in treatment centres. This isn’t a finite list, just a generalisation. Steven still awaits confirmation of his disability status, and whether or not he is entitled to a pension. Dealing with bureaucracy is hard work, and stressful to all of us. Today is the third anniversary of Steven’s accident. Halloween and today passed without incident, but with lots of painful memories. Best regards Terry

11th September 2013

The recovery continues, with continual visits to the clinic at Elche, where they are concentrating their efforts on his ability to walk, and to reconcile any problems he has with the functions of his brain. He has received Botox injections to his lower left leg, and to the sole of his left foot. This is to relax the tendons which have “forgotten” what to do. He has also had medical tape put on his left leg from his knee down to and under his left foot. The idea with this is to make the foot fall flat on the floor. These efforts will take time, but first results are promising. Steven has been given many “brain” exercises, such as Sudoku, and other logic problems. He also has to speak in English for at least an hour with the nurses, to improve his vocabulary. Having built up his weight last winter, over the summer he has lost half a kilo, and is now 65kilos. But the staff at Elche are happy with this. Steven continues to live his life as best he can. He is generally happy, and copes admirably with his disabilities. But what he cannot do is shake off the pain. He can try to be busy in the hopes of “forgetting” the pain, but it isn’t easy. He recently had an appointment to see a Doctor in the hope of getting some sort of benefits from the Social Security. This is getting to be difficult due to the precarious position of the Spanish economy. This report is what we wrote for the benefit of the Social Security team for evaluating Steven’s disability. Some of which may have been written before. He suffered catastrophic injuries which still affect him today. He had extensive in-operable brain injury which has affected him in so many ways, and he and we are still learning what extra problems he has. The most difficult part of Steven’s life is convincing people that he has serious problems with pain management. It is felt by Steven and us as his carers that people seem to think that because Steven looks so well, that everything is fine. It is not. Steven’s biggest problem is just that, he looks so well, but he has a multitude of problems. He does try to cope with his disabilities but it’s difficult. The brain damage was, and presumably still is, extensive, affecting every part of his life, from morning to night-time, and even when asleep. His life is almost intolerable. He has to concentrate on whatever he is doing. If he gets interrupted, he has to stop what he is doing, and re-plan his next move. This is most important. He cannot do two things at the same time, or as we say, he cannot multi-task. In other words his mind is in constant turmoil, having to think about everything he does and react accordingly. He cannot feel the whole of the left side of his body. He only feels pain, and very little control. The concentration pain diminishes his ability to do almost anything. This is foremost in his mind. He has to deal with the pain at the same time as he tries to control his body. For a simple example he cannot clap his hands together in time. He describes his left side as wooden, or not belonging to him. He cannot dance, despite practicing, because the left side will not react as quickly as the right side. He finds it very difficult to speak, both in formulation of words and sentences, but also in maintaining a continuous conversation. He has to think about what he wants to say before he can say it, even then he has to often pause during speech. He was able to translate from Spanish to English to Spanish very quickly, but now he cannot do it as fast. He cannot interact in a group of people all talking. He was able to translate Spanish or English music to English or Spanish words, in order to sing-a-long, but now he cannot. He cannot concentrate on any particular subject for a great length of time, he is also very forgetful. If circumstances do not meet his expectations, he gets distressed, angry, and depressed. He feels hungry but finds it difficult to actually eat food. He cannot control his body temperature particularly when it’s cold. Also his hormones are not correct, he sweats very easily when warm, meaning that he has to have several showers. Working in bars he was accustomed to loud noise, but now he finds background noise irritating. He especially gets very upset when he hears children crying or screaming. This is a reminder of the screams from children and adults at various hospitals. This does not mean he does not like children, he does. It is the crying he does not like. Due to these sights and sounds experienced at various hospitals he gets upset easily when seeing people in a similar position to him. Steven finds it difficult to sleep due to the constant pain throughout his body, just catching his toes on the bed sheets causes pain. He also has nightmares of the accident and what he has had to experience during his recovery. Waking in the morning is difficult and slow. Often when he wakes up, he realises that this is his new life, having dreamt that he was living an ordinary life, this is particularly distressing. During the early months of his recovery he was in a state of horror, unable to tell us of his pain, problems, or feelings, and even now he is reminded of the pain, inconvenience, and embarrassment of this every time he shuts his eyes. He has had one hip joint replaced, but the pelvis is permanently twisted. This causes pain and discomfort whether sitting, standing, or walking. He has had two operations on his left elbow, but that still causes him severe pain. He is suffering pain in his left ankle, and this is believed to be excess calcium growth, which will probably mean another operation. This is a new problem and is yet to be investigated. He is uncomfortable with the look of his tracheotomy scar and is considering “plastic surgery”. He has permanent muscle pain down mainly his left side from his neck downwards, probably due to lack of use whilst in a coma and subsequent long recovery in hospital. He still does not have full control over the use of his left foot, particularly his toes, because they regularly curl under his foot when walking. He used to experience severe pain every time he tried to put on his shoes. The pain now is at least manageable. He has terrible scars and muscle wastage on his left leg from the accident and the insertion of a metal pin in his lower leg. He is a very bad passenger in a car. There are many drivers who drive so badly, or leave it to the last minute to stop at junctions, or especially drivers who fail to stop at red traffic lights, creating almost a state of panic in Steven. He can walk, with the aid of a walking stick, but only in a straight line and with no obstructions such as people, street signs, animals, high wind, or rough surfaces. This is the most difficult part of Steven’s problems. He has to be constantly vigilant. When walking he has to tell each and every part of his body to move in the correct manner. He has to monitor the way he moves every part of his left side in particular before he puts his foot down. He is constantly aware of his surroundings, and has to plan each move ahead. Any deviation from this plan can cause problems such as stumbling. He cannot put his left foot flat on the floor, because he has little or no control over his foot. When walking he puts all his weight on the right side, because he cannot feel his left side. He cannot walk and talk at the same time. He has tried to walk without the aid of a walking stick, but this causes problems, because other people assume there is nothing wrong with him, and this sometimes results in people bumping into him or expecting him to move out of their way, causing him to lose balance. By having his walking stick, not only does it give him support where needed, it also shows people that he has a mobility problem. He stumbles almost every day, and falls over about once a week due to loss of balance. He drops things on a regular basis, breaking many items of crockery, or spilling food on the floor. He has had to endure a vast amount of dental treatment being required, due to accident damage, and neglect when he was in a coma and having a tracheotomy. Steven’s speech is affected due to problems with his bottom jaw, though not broken was no doubt dislocated or jaw muscles affected. He has a problem with his short-term memory, forgetting very recent events, sometimes relying on messages on his mobile ‘phone. The latest examination by a Neurologist revealed that due to the brain damage Steven has hyper-sensitivity, this means that all of his pain is exaggerated. A simple gentle touch of his skin can cause irritation and even pain. He has recently started a new regime of medicines plus Botox injections to his left foot. These will allow the foot muscles and tendons to be more flexible and hopefully help alleviate the pain. A later Psychiatrists report written for the Social Security stated that Steven will never have the capability to study, remember facts or details, and would never be able to work. All these facts are now in the hands of the Social Security. It would be nice to get a positive result, and bring a small amount of closure. Best regards Terry

26th July 2013

Hiya All, this update coincides with 26th July, the 1,000th day since Steven's accident. I hope it shows the full extent of Steven's injuries, and shows how all our lives have been affected. Before the accident, we all had such a normal life. Steven had been working for several years, legally, and was enjoying life to the full. He had his motor-cycle. We had recently bought him his own house. He had a long-term girlfriend, and he was enjoying his leisure time at bars, beaches, and dances. We regularly went out with friends for day trips to Spanish villages for views and fiestas, meals, and many holidays especially along Spain’s coast and islands, and including a trip all around the world. Steven’s accident stopped all this, affecting all our lives. He suffered catastrophic injuries which still affect him today. He had extensive in-operable brain injury which has affected him in so many ways, and he and we are still learning what extra problems he has. He cannot feel the whole of the left side of his body. For a simple example he cannot clap his hands together in time. He describes his left side as wooden, or not belonging to him. He finds it very difficult to speak, both in formulation of words and sentences, but also in maintaining a continuous conversation. He has to think about what he wants to say before he can say it, even then he has to often pause during speech. He was able to translate from Spanish to English to Spanish very quickly, but now he cannot do it as fast. He cannot interact in a group of people all talking. He was able to translate Spanish or English music to English or Spanish words, in order to sing-a-long, but now he cannot. He cannot concentrate on any particular subject for a great length of time, he is also very forgetful. If circumstances do not meet his expectations, he gets distressed, angry, and depressed. He feels hungry but finds it difficult to actually eat food. He cannot control his body temperature particularly when it’s cold. Also his hormones are not correct, he sweats very easily when warm, meaning that he has to have several showers. Working in bars he was accustomed to loud noise, but now he finds background noise irritating. Due to sights and sounds experienced at various hospitals he gets upset easily when seeing people in a similar position to him. He can no longer enjoy his motor-cycle so has lost all of his independence. Steven finds it difficult to sleep due to the constant nightmares of the accident and what he has had to experience during his recovery. Waking in the morning is difficult and slow. Often when he wakes up, he realises that this is his new life, having dreamt that he was living an ordinary life, this is particularly distressing. During the early months of his recovery he was in a state of horror, unable to tell us of his pain, problems, or feelings, and he is reminded of the pain, inconvenience, and embarrassment of this every time he shuts his eyes. He and we were once told that it would be best to have his left foot amputated, these thoughts cannot be dismissed easily. He has had one hip joint replaced, but the pelvis is permanently twisted. This causes pain and discomfort whether sitting, standing, or walking. He has had two operations on his left elbow, but that still causes him severe pain. He is uncomfortable with the look of his tracheotomy scar and is considering “plastic surgery”. He has permanent muscle pain down mainly his left side, probably due to lack of use whilst in a coma and subsequent long recovery in hospital. He still does not have full control over the use of his left foot, particularly his toes, because they regularly curl under his foot when walking. He used to experience severe pain every time he tried to put on his shoes. The pain now is at least manageable. He has terrible scars and muscle wastage on his left leg from the accident and the insertion of a metal pin in his lower leg. He is a very bad passenger in a car. There are many drivers who drive so badly, or leave it to the last minute to stop at junctions, or especially drivers who fail to stop at red traffic lights, creating almost a state of panic in Steven. He can walk, with the aid of a walking stick, but only in a straight line and with no obstructions such as people, street signs, animals, high wind, or rough surfaces. When walking he has to tell each and every part of his body to move in the correct manner. He cannot put his left foot flat on the floor, because he has little or no control over his foot. When walking he puts all his weight on the right side, because he cannot feel his left side. He cannot walk and talk at the same time. He stumbles almost every day, and falls over about once a week due to loss of balance. He drops things on a regular basis, breaking many items of crockery, or spilling food on the floor. At home he continually exercises, particularly walking, to try to teach the muscles how to work. If he did not do this, no doubt he would be accused of not trying to improve his health. He wants to get back to normal, and he and we will do what’s necessary to do so. During his continued recovery he has at times been able to raise his left arm above his head, he has had increased mobility in his left leg, and he has been able to move his head side to side. However, this is done after physiotherapy and massage, and under controlled conditions. He cannot do these things normally. But hopefully it shows that the limbs and muscles are working and one day in the future perhaps he will be able to move normally. But there is also the possibility that he will not be able to do it, another source of constant worry. It was thought that he could drive a car. But if he cannot do two things at the same time, how can he drive, as much as he wants his independence this isn’t going to happen for a long time. He has to recover in an artificial environment, no crowds, no bad weather, no problems. In the real world Steven has a lot of mobility problems, whether caused by poor muscle action, or from the poor sending of messages from the brain to affected parts of the body. He lost his girlfriend because she could not cope with him in the condition he is now. He used to have many female admirers but no longer has female company, but he asks himself how can he look after a girl when he cannot look after himself. He feels very vulnerable to thieves etc on his own, either out taking his exercise, or even staying in his own house. He has lost the company of a lot of his friends due to being unable to join them in crowded environments such as parties. He has had to endure a vast amount of dental treatment being required, due to accident damage, and neglect when he was in a coma and having a tracheotomy. Steven’s speech is affected due to problems with his bottom jaw, though not broken was no doubt dislocated or jaw muscles affected. The latest examination by a Neurologist revealed that due to the brain damage Steven has hyper-sensitivity, this means that all of his pain is exaggerated. He is about to start on a new regime of medicines plus Botox injections to his left foot. These will help alleviate the pain, and allow the foot muscles and tendons to be more flexible. Steven has lost over 2½ years of his life when he should have been enjoying himself, perhaps even settling down with a family. All this caused by him being sensible in taking a taxi when he’d had too much alcohol to continue riding his moped. Steven is still receiving regular massage which is no doubt helping his muscles and limbs remember what they’re supposed to do. He is also receiving other treatment at a specialist “brain” hospital in nearby Elche. Here they’re concentrating on how his brain works, and also teaching him the correct way to move. He is taking pills to help calm him down, and at the same time make his brain work. He finds this is helping. He says that his brain always seems to be active when he is trying to relax, but this is the reaction that the doctors are looking for. He was paying for his own mortgage for his house, but due to work commitments, was unable to enjoy it fully before he had his accident. He now lives at his house, but relies so much on us for his care. We have to do his shopping. We cook many meals for him. We take away his rubbish to the local bins. We have to take care of his dog at our house. He has to employ a local lady to clean his house. She or we do his washing and ironing. We have to remind him every day to take any medication, or to remind him of what our itinerary is for the day. We even have to occasionally make his bed. He still spends many nights at our house in a bed permanently made up for him. We allow him to stay on his own to give him some independence and privacy. He can have friends to see him, or watch his favourite programmes on television, or play on his computer games. As for us, our lives too have changed. Whilst Steven was in his coma, we never knew whether he would recover at all, or what disability he could have. We were warned very early on that these two options were the only ones available. After he came from his coma, we still didn’t know whether he had any of his senses. We didn’t know what language, if any, he could remember. We didn’t know whether he would see clearly. We didn’t know whether he would ever walk again. As time went on we watched him grow again as if from a baby state. He had to re-learn everything from eating and drinking, to walking. The difference is that a baby is taught what to do. Steven knew what to do, but couldn’t do anything, and found it very hard to re-learn. He even went through psychological changes such as baby type tantrums and teenage rebellions. That is why on his birthday recently we celebrated it as his third birthday. We cry everyday when we see him bravely trying to act normally at a time when he should be enjoying life. We have to take him everywhere to receive treatment in the hope that he can recover. We will do anything which will improve his life, whether it’s buying expensive shoes, keep-fit equipment, training aids, hospital appointments, massages, occasional meals out, and one fully deserved holiday. All this takes time, effort and expense. We have both lost a lot of weight. We are both depressed at the apparent lack of concern from the car insurance and the Social Security. We are in a constant state of stress due to constant changes in our daily or weekly programme, and the delay in settling Steven’s claim against both the car insurance and Social Security. The Social Security have actually lost Steven’s application for benefits, despite acknowledgement receipts, so we have to go through the whole procedure again. There are monthly visits to Torrevieja Court to see a Forensic Doctor who is assessing Steven’s claim against the car insurance company. Our car has suffered with excessive use, and the expensive maintenance of it. Our house needs extensive decoration and maintenance. But Steven and his treatment comes first. I have said it before, but this caring for Steven is a privilege, and we take great comfort from the knowledge that his life and ultimately ours is improving. We think that the car insurance company are only concerned with Steven’s ability to walk. The company have totally forgotten all the other serious long term injuries particularly to his brain. We don’t even know if his injury list is complete, since we continue to find new “faults” with his body. Every doctor without fail who has seen his hospital reports and scans of his brain injuries are amazed that he is alive or even functioning as good as he is. According to them all the evidence shows that he should not be alive. This is what we were told immediately after the accident. It’s only his youth, strength, fitness, and now mental strength which has got him this far. During Steven’s recovery, just after coming out of his coma, at the Valencia hospital, a doctor from the car insurance saw him in his wheelchair and asked him to stand, which he did, with difficulty. She said that he was fine. This was before he had a hip replacement and elbow operations, and before the full extent of his injury to his pelvis was known. This was very insensitive at the time. Steven and we worry about the future. We are both in our mid-sixties, and Steven worries about our health and what would happen to him if something happened to us. We have those same worries. We worry about Steven’s future health, whether accident related or not. There is nothing wrong with the Spanish Health system, but we worry about his future health care, since it will be impossible for him to obtain the private health insurance common to Spanish families. We try not to be bitter about the whole injustice of this, but are so angry with many people. There are many people and organisations who have done nothing at all to help Steven or us in our hour of need, despite us supporting all manner of sponsorships, collections, and charities over many years. We have been ignored in the street, we’ve had people say hello, shake hands and walk on quickly without even acknowledging Steven, people have crossed the road to avoid us. None of this is an exaggeration. We are no different to anyone else and we have helped whenever we were able. We didn’t expect favours in return, but we now know that the “chain letter” effect doesn’t exist. On the plus side we have received incredible support from many others, including total strangers who don’t even know us let alone know Steven. This support has been wonderful and does restore our faith in people. We are also bitter and angry with some of the medical profession. We have to bear a heavy responsibility for how we care for Steven. We do what we’re told to do, go where we’re told to go, and still the medical opinions vary so much. We don’t want to make a mistake, we have to put our faith in what we hear. It makes us shiver with fright when we think that we could have authorised the amputation of Steven’s left foot, or have other hat would have been unnecessary operations. There’s no doubt that sections of the medical profession have worked wonders, if it wasn’t for them at different hospitals Steven just would not be here now, and we’re so grateful for them. We just wish that the opinions were all the same. This whole process has been a huge learning curve for all of us. We hope that what has happened to Steven will give some encouragement to similarly affected people. Just because someone is in a coma doesn’t mean they’re not aware of their surroundings. They may not be able to say or do anything, but Steven has proved with his memory recall that he was aware, and by recalling these things it causes distress to him. We try very hard to be positive and remember that he has improved, but it still hurts. Steven's recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. He's rarely complained, despite having good reason to do so. There's no doubt that his recovery has come from magnificent work by the health services, Steven's relative youth, his fitness, his amazing strength, mental and physical. He is without doubt a hero in our eyes. Also this story shows that recovery is possible albeit slow and long. We have hopes that Steven will regain some of his previous life, we just have to continue to be patient.

27th June 2013

Steven continues with his new regime of treatment at a specialist “brain” hospital in nearby Elche. We make the 60km round-trip there twice a week for 2 hour sessions. Here they are teaching him to walk correctly. But to do so he has to “tell” each part of his body what to do. For example he has to “tell” his left foot to be flat to the floor and pointing slightly outwards, with his toes spread forward when walking. But to do this he also has to “tell” his knee to lift higher than normal, and at the same time “tell” his hip, leg, and arms what to do. He’s managing to do this, and it seems to be helping but it is very tiring. He is also being given simple mathematics to solve, and also Sudoku and Rummikub, all designed to keep the brain active. He doesn’t seem to be as angry as in the past, he actually beginning to recognise when he is being stressed and tries to control his feelings. But, he seems to be getting more forgetful and has taken to programming his mobile ‘phone for his daily routine. This forgetfulness is probably due to all the extra work he is doing at physio’ sessions, having too much to concentrate on. He and we are determined for him to regain as normal life as possible, and he and we will try anything that may help. Best regards Terry

29th May 2013

This is getting to sound like a recording on a loop, but there is little change in Steven’s overall condition. At the risk of repeating myself, it’s a long slow process. There are improvements but so small. Steven’s left arm is getting stronger, he being able to carry a fairly heavy shopping bag. However he can only do this with a bent arm. When his arm is as straight as it can be he has a lot of pain at the elbow joint. He can raise both arms high above his head, and he can scratch his back between his shoulder blades with his left arm. His left leg can now be raised almost normally, and he can bend his knee to his chest. Steven can put his shoes on much easier now because he can move his left toes a little easier. All this is showing his limitations, and then it’s just pain management. The car insurance people seem to think that because Steven can walk easier, everything is coming along fine. They seem to fail to understand the brain injury, which was extensive, and we have to keep reminding them of this. Steven still has major problems with sleeping, then rousing himself in the morning. He cannot multi-task in any shape or form. He cannot control his body temperature. He always feels hungry, but has to force himself to eat, because he doesn’t want to eat. Even he finds it difficult to explain how he feels. We still think the best expression from Steven was when he described that half of his body feels wooden and doesn’t belong to him. He has to think before he speaks to be able to formulate the words, but sometimes he mumbles or has to stop and think again. Yet strangely he seems to be more intelligent in both words used, and ideas. Beginning next week, he starts a new regime of treatment at a “brain” hospital in nearby Elche. He’s already started on a new course of pills to control his depression on the run-up to this new treatment. We all have a lot of confidence that this summer will bring about the big change we all so desperately want. Best regards Terry

29th April 2013

Hiya all Yet again another long gap between reports. In reality, not a lot has changed. Steven has now finished his physiotherapy at San Jaime hospital, since they believe that there is nothing more they can do for him. If that is their expertise, then fair enough. But they say that he can walk properly and unaided, strictly speaking that is the truth. But in a physiotherapy room, there are flat surfaces, no obstacles, and no people to interrupt his walking. In the real world it is impossible for Steven to both walk and manoeuvre. He cannot even walk and talk at the same time, in other words he can’t multi-task. Recently Steven visited another private hospital in Elche for a new assessment, but concentrating on his brain injuries and mental capacity. This assessment proved everything that we’ve been trying to tell the San Jaime hospital, the solicitor, and the car insurance. Steven requires more therapy, but concentrating on mental agility, memory, and co-ordination. All this information is added to his Court case, as we continue to visit the forensic doctor at the local court in pursuance of his injury claim. We have all just returned from a 9 day holiday, a cruise from Barcelona, to Madeira, Tenerife, Lanzarote, and Malaga. Our first holiday for several years, and in my opinion well deserved. Steven coped admirably with the movement of the ship, however on sea days he sometimes had to walk whilst holding my shoulder due to the natural roll of the ship. On the minus side, on the ship, a lot of people were so focussed on what they were doing on board, they could see Steven the well built young man, but failed to see the walking stick, and so he was knocked several times, and often without apology. But overall, he and we had a good time, getting lost on the ship, and exploring the islands we visited. Steven took full advantage of the onboard massages, jacuzzis, and saunas. We all came back refreshed. Steven continues with his regular exercises at home, and massages now 3 times per week. This relieves muscle pain, and helps him sleep. Best regards Terry

16th March 2013

Hiya, It seems a while since we got in touch, so here goes. Not a lot happening with Steven's treatments. There are small improvements which seem so silly but are important. For example in the last few weeks, he's been able to move his little toe, left foot, he's been able to bend his left foot comfortably to put his shoes on (that's been a nightmare for a long time, such pain!!), he's been able to scratch his back with his left hand, he's been able to kiss his knee, and this week he was able to touch his left ear with his left bicep. All these movements are showing him that his body is okay, and that he can do certain things. His body is becoming more flexible, all he has to do now is gain the confidence to do these things "normally" and without thinking. His walking is improving slightly, but he still has difficulties with uneven surfaces, and people being near him. In other words his co-ordination is still not functioning correctly. His body has really paid for that 6 months of very little movement and a further 18 months of restricted movement. He still gets stressed very easily. If we say or do anything which he doesn't like, even simple arguing between me and Pauline he gets upset, and cannot cope. If he does something silly like dropping his walking stick, that upsets him. We try to tell him that sort of thing is normal, but he replies by saying it's normal to drop something once but not 10 times a day. He gets upset most days simply due to him waking up and realising that he is incapacitated because most nights he dreams that the whole episode is a dream, and waking up brings back the reality of it all. We too are like this and hardly a day goes by when we also don't feel tearful about the injustice of it all, but we cannot show this to Steven. Steven continues to go to regular physiotherapy sessions, and also twice weekly massage sessions. It is these massages which are making the most inroads into his improvement, they benefit him greatly. He's even learned the pressure points on his ears to relieve pain, very strange. It's now been over a year since Steven was given incapacity status by the local health authority, and yet he still cannot get any sort of pension until this decision is ratified by the national health authority, such is the state of Spain's economic crisis. And there is nothing we can do about it, thousands of others are in the same position. This makes us all so frustrated and angry, since the politicians and financiers who caused this economic crisis are still sitting comfortably with their gold plated salaries and pensions. Best regards Terry

25th January 2013

Steven had an operation on his left elbow again. Originally the surgeon was hoping to do keyhole surgery, but having started the operation he found a cyst amongst the tendons. This was no doubt a major "help" towards the pain Steven was experiencing, as well as the excess calcium built up since th last operation. The surgeon therefore had to open up a bigger wound, and actually followed the first scar of the earlier operation. Wasn't a long operation, and Steven was immediately allowed home to recover. Within days he was able to use his left arm with more comfort, with only operation pain to contend with, all other pains were gone and with improved mobility of the joint. Steven has proved to be an excellent healer once again, and the bandages, dressings, and stitches were soon removed. Steven's physiotherapy sessions have been reduced, hoping that Steven will work more from home, which he does, by exercises and simply caring for himself as much as he can. He has started regular massage sessions, which are helping with all the misplaced muscles on his left side. Work continues on his neglected teeth, and the brace is certainly making a difference. The Sativex drug has finished, and although it no doubt helped with the relaxation of muscles, and pain management, Steven didn't enjoy taking the drug. He and we were told that the drug did not have all the properties of marijuana, but Steven said he did feel "spaced out" whilst taking the drug. This wasn't forecast and was just another adverse reaction from a drug. Overall the Sativex did make a difference. Steven continues to feel positive about long term recovery, but, having had a second operation on his arm, his worry now is, will other operations have to be repeated?? His walking, though improved, is causing pains to back and hips, so has returned to using his walking stick, and this has helped. Hopefully this will be a short-term measure. Best regards Terry