When we last left it, our gallant hero blah blah.

So, late summer/early autumn of 2009, when I was long medically stable, and had demonstrated that my throat could deal with working the normal way, at least for breathing, the trach was removed and I was moved to West Park, which has multiple medical departments, but their therapy for physical recovery is the best around.

I was there for a few months, in a program that was closer to a boarding school than a hospital, but full of really great professional people who never forgot that the people who went to West Park as patients were just that, people.

I could breathe on my own just fine, but my larynx/vocal chords/neck thingys didn't work properly, so speech was interesting, a bit like a stage whisper in an active gravel pit. No food or drink, either, at least not the "normal" way, and that's still true. I have a feeding tube implanted in my abdomen that's a direct line to my stomach, and I have to suction away excess saliva. A nominal amount isn't a problem, but I don't really swallow any more, so if a lot goes down, it might end up in my lungs. This is fun for nobody.

Anyway, before I get too far off track, I was at West Park until before Christmas 2009. I remember this because they encouraged all mobile patients to go home for a few days. Officially, this was so you would spend Christmas with your family. Unofficially, it was to get a bunch of patients to go away for a bit so they could go on super light duty.

I aspirated,also known as drowning in my own fluids. I lost my awareness again, so I'm told the ambulance (no ER at West Park) took me to Humber River mostly because it's really close to West Park.

Now, this part I don't know much about, but at some point I was exposed to or it was made up that I was exposed to something nasty, like TB. All I know for sure is nobody would outright tell me why I was in isolation, why to visit you had to wear a gown, gloves & mask, and why I got a solo room.

Next entry is back to West Park, what's up with my blood(!) and what I'm up to now.