Update on matters medical:
Yesterday Andrew had an appointment with his consultant at the L&D and he has been referred to Harefield for the operation to close the hole in his heart. This will probably take place in the next three months.
We discussed how he is still tired a lot of the time and how he is still having problems with his memory and the consultant has requested another MRI scan, which we are now awaiting an appointment for. Apparently the first one back in February showed some "changes in the temporal lobes" which the consultant wants to look at again, before he makes a decision on what to do next or give us any prognosis on the rate of memory recovery.
He did a few memory tests which Andrew did quite well on apart from getting anything to do with time/date right. I was actually quite surprised that he did manage to hold 3 words in his memory despite having to do 6 numerical subtractions between being told them and being asked them again. I don't think he could have done this a couple of months back. It may have been because the consultant asked him to say the words back to him - this helps them to stick in the memory I find. The consultant also requested a couple of blood tests so there is quite a lot more information to be gathered.

So, it looks as if we are going to have an eventful few months going backwards and forwards to hospitals.

Otherwise, apart from being tired Andrew is quite cheerful. He is continuing to go to the community choir and this week we are going to try bellringing at a local church.

Reading is still difficult due to not being able to recall what he has read, but I have a new technique which I am trying with the Bill Bruford autobiography, a somewhat weighty book that he was given for his birthday. I am getting him to read it to me each day. We are now on chapter 7, and each day we have a little recall of what has gone on before. The reading is also good for his voice as he is still inclined to whisper.

Andrew also made it down to the Globe Theatre in London for my annual birthday treat there and managed to stay awake all the way through As You Like It, though he did ask for black coffee at the interval!

He is still playing guitar or bass regularly with friends and the main limitation on these activities is tiredness. He also did a fairly quick-paced walk of two hours, maybe around 4 miles without a break at the weekend but was fairly shattered at the end.

So, thats all for now

Love to you all
Gill