Paul has had a steady and stable week on the neurosurgical ward of Feldkirch Hospital. He has had various visitors, his brother Mark, Keith Falconer and Julian Taylor. This has been a huge boost for Paul.
The lumbar drainage was removed yesterday, Friday. The medical team plan to observe Paul over this coming week, and assess whether or not he has cerebal spinal fluid leakage. It is very much a wait and see situation. It is very important that they assess and conclude on all this before he can return to Rankweil Hospital.
I am returning to Austria on Tuesday. Will returns to Harrow to complete his GCSE's and Charlotte heads off to Bangkok on Sunday to meet up with friends for several weeks.
I continue to be deeply touched by the letters, cards, phone calls, text messages and e-mails that continue to arrive fourteen weeks on since Paul’s accident. I am able to read these and tell him about all of your messages, all of which are helping Paul come to terms with his situation. You have no idea how instrumental these all are in enabling us to move forward. Thank you xxx
xxx Penny xxx
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
My Trip to Feldkirch
It was with some trepidation that I set off for Feldkirch on 20th May 2009. A 6:00am flight from Heathrow and then a two hour train ride made it a very simple journey – but how would Paul be? Would he recognise me and would he want to see me? How bad would his facial damage be? Was I interfering? I had been following the blog and keeping in touch with Penny – but what was the reality?
Paul’s current position is as follows:
• He can get out of bed with help. He can walk like an old man – stooped and shuffling his feet in tiny steps. His balance is still precarious.
• He talks in a soft voice – sometimes in a very slow, measured way with very short sentences – sometimes with more fluency.
• His long term memory appears strong and normal. He asked after Lucy and said that he had recently seen my brother Christopher at Glasgow Airport. He said Christopher had been coming back from Islay, which was exactly right. However, his short term memory can be confused.
• He is interested in current affairs and spends a lot of time watching CNN business news. He can read slowly. Penny buys him the FT every day and I read him articles about M&S cutting its dividend and the US housing market.
• He has lost 20kg of weight and looks drawn. There is a huge scar that goes from one ear to the middle of his head. One eye is often covered with a patch.
However, one forgets the impact this terrible accident has had very quickly, and one just concentrates on the fact that this is the same Paul we have always known.
Medically the current problem is a cerebral leakage. If the current fix does not work, this may or may not involve another operation over the next two weeks. This leak needs to be sorted before he can be moved away from Feldkirch to a specialised rehabilitation clinic where the emphasis is on intensive physiotherapy.
Being around for 24 hours was an insight into hospital life – and how vital it is to have a helper to organise affairs. Wonderful as the nurses are, an extra person is needed to adjust the pillows, to get more food, to fill up the water glass and most importantly, to be involved in the decision making processes that arise every day.
Penny of course has been doing this role for 100 days now. It is relentless and full on. We have had descriptions of Penny in Napoleon mode and in Mrs Thatcher mode, but I saw her more in Florence Nightingale mode. Her care and devotion was deeply moving. The bond that exists between the two is mesmerising to watch.
Penny was so welcoming and Paul so pleased to see a familiar face – it was that of course, that made the whole visit wonderfully rewarding and uplifting. The accident was over three months ago and Paul has made astonishing progress from those early days that seemed so dark and held only slithers of hope. The current medical complication is typical of the many hurdles that line the way. He is still very vulnerable and infections remain a severe danger. There is a very long way to go for the whole Hilton Family – and Paul is recovering in his own time.
David Pease 23rd May 2009
Paul’s current position is as follows:
• He can get out of bed with help. He can walk like an old man – stooped and shuffling his feet in tiny steps. His balance is still precarious.
• He talks in a soft voice – sometimes in a very slow, measured way with very short sentences – sometimes with more fluency.
• His long term memory appears strong and normal. He asked after Lucy and said that he had recently seen my brother Christopher at Glasgow Airport. He said Christopher had been coming back from Islay, which was exactly right. However, his short term memory can be confused.
• He is interested in current affairs and spends a lot of time watching CNN business news. He can read slowly. Penny buys him the FT every day and I read him articles about M&S cutting its dividend and the US housing market.
• He has lost 20kg of weight and looks drawn. There is a huge scar that goes from one ear to the middle of his head. One eye is often covered with a patch.
However, one forgets the impact this terrible accident has had very quickly, and one just concentrates on the fact that this is the same Paul we have always known.
Medically the current problem is a cerebral leakage. If the current fix does not work, this may or may not involve another operation over the next two weeks. This leak needs to be sorted before he can be moved away from Feldkirch to a specialised rehabilitation clinic where the emphasis is on intensive physiotherapy.
Being around for 24 hours was an insight into hospital life – and how vital it is to have a helper to organise affairs. Wonderful as the nurses are, an extra person is needed to adjust the pillows, to get more food, to fill up the water glass and most importantly, to be involved in the decision making processes that arise every day.
Penny of course has been doing this role for 100 days now. It is relentless and full on. We have had descriptions of Penny in Napoleon mode and in Mrs Thatcher mode, but I saw her more in Florence Nightingale mode. Her care and devotion was deeply moving. The bond that exists between the two is mesmerising to watch.
Penny was so welcoming and Paul so pleased to see a familiar face – it was that of course, that made the whole visit wonderfully rewarding and uplifting. The accident was over three months ago and Paul has made astonishing progress from those early days that seemed so dark and held only slithers of hope. The current medical complication is typical of the many hurdles that line the way. He is still very vulnerable and infections remain a severe danger. There is a very long way to go for the whole Hilton Family – and Paul is recovering in his own time.
David Pease 23rd May 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Penny Back in London 23 May
It is Half Term, and I am back in the UK. As you will see from Charles's update (below), the tough medical path Paul treads continues. He remains stable. He is back at Feldkirch Hospital in the Neurosurgical ward. His mail is delivered to him from Rankweil Hospital. The two hospitals are interlinked.
It was very hard having to return to London on Thursday. I felt comforted as he has a nice fellow roommate, Stephen, 37, who was kind, and speaks good English. He too has a medical challenge to face.
I am heading up to Mull tomorrow with Will. Charlotte goes off on her travels at the end of May. I return to Austria on Tuesday 2nd June.
This comes with much love and best wishes from us all, Penny, Paul, Charlotte & Will
23 May, 2009
It was very hard having to return to London on Thursday. I felt comforted as he has a nice fellow roommate, Stephen, 37, who was kind, and speaks good English. He too has a medical challenge to face.
I am heading up to Mull tomorrow with Will. Charlotte goes off on her travels at the end of May. I return to Austria on Tuesday 2nd June.
This comes with much love and best wishes from us all, Penny, Paul, Charlotte & Will
23 May, 2009
A Change of Plan
The medical team has spent the last few days trying to assess their next steps in Paul’s treatment. Earlier in the week, after careful consideration, they elected not to proceed with Paul’s planned surgery to stem a leak which leads to the loss of cerebral fluid. They decided to conduct a series of additional tests to make sure the appropriate decisions could be made.
They undertook a lumbar puncture yesterday (Wednesday 20/05) with fluorescent dye and two nasal endoscopies in an attempt to narrow down the location of the fluid loss. There is now a clear view that this is not an ENT problem. After further consultation amongst the team of neurologists, ENT specialists and others responsible for his care following this battery of tests, they have now elected to proceed with another lumbar puncture and a drain for a week. This drain should reduce cerebral pressures and hopefully permit the leak to heal on its own. One’s sense is that the doctors are reluctant to see Paul undergo further surgery if other options are still to hand. Medicine is an iterative process. This is just one example.
All of this is very hard for Paul. He has been slightly unsettled by the events of the week and the cancellation of the intended surgery has not been easy for him, and of course this has been equally difficult for Penny who bears a large part of the burden with the medical team in helping Paul to understand next steps. This has been a tough few days for her.
Paul, of course, was transferred to the Feldkirch hospital on Monday and they plan to keep him under observation in their neurological ward for the next two weeks. This is best place for him at this time, given where we are. They really need to resolve this problem. Only then will they be able to start to consider and reflect on the next and appropriate rehabilitation steps and of course, the location for this next phase in his recovery.
William has his Harrow Speech Day this Saturday and Penny has flown out of Zurich to return to London today. I will be joining her for part of the proceedings before she heads home with William for the half term break. They plan to head to Mull which will be a welcome diversion. Charlotte has been in London and is busy planning a trip to the Far East which will be a welcome distraction as her gap year starts to draw to a close. University beckons in September/October.
As ever, Charles 21 May, 2009
They undertook a lumbar puncture yesterday (Wednesday 20/05) with fluorescent dye and two nasal endoscopies in an attempt to narrow down the location of the fluid loss. There is now a clear view that this is not an ENT problem. After further consultation amongst the team of neurologists, ENT specialists and others responsible for his care following this battery of tests, they have now elected to proceed with another lumbar puncture and a drain for a week. This drain should reduce cerebral pressures and hopefully permit the leak to heal on its own. One’s sense is that the doctors are reluctant to see Paul undergo further surgery if other options are still to hand. Medicine is an iterative process. This is just one example.
All of this is very hard for Paul. He has been slightly unsettled by the events of the week and the cancellation of the intended surgery has not been easy for him, and of course this has been equally difficult for Penny who bears a large part of the burden with the medical team in helping Paul to understand next steps. This has been a tough few days for her.
Paul, of course, was transferred to the Feldkirch hospital on Monday and they plan to keep him under observation in their neurological ward for the next two weeks. This is best place for him at this time, given where we are. They really need to resolve this problem. Only then will they be able to start to consider and reflect on the next and appropriate rehabilitation steps and of course, the location for this next phase in his recovery.
William has his Harrow Speech Day this Saturday and Penny has flown out of Zurich to return to London today. I will be joining her for part of the proceedings before she heads home with William for the half term break. They plan to head to Mull which will be a welcome diversion. Charlotte has been in London and is busy planning a trip to the Far East which will be a welcome distraction as her gap year starts to draw to a close. University beckons in September/October.
As ever, Charles 21 May, 2009
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