[RPWC]

Good evening all. This is Richard's wife Fiona, just to give his friends an update on his condition.

He is now walking small distances on the ward, eating proper food and I have taken him outside the hospital during the last few visits so he can enjoy the sunshine. The kids have also been able to see him outside.

He is very motivated to get better, especially since he is desperate to come home for a few days but I don't think that is going to be possible yet. He needs further surgery in about 12 weeks to fit a metal plate to replace the piece of skull that was removed during his first operation. I had thought that it had already been replaced but that was not the case. The swelling has reduced a lot and his head is now very misshapen but the surgery will rectify that, as well as offer more protection to his brain.

His main problem is communication. He is still talking and writing in what seems like a new language, though can sometimes manage a few meaningful sentences. I am not really sure how well he is reading yet. The speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists are working with him. I have told him about all your kind messages and I hope that he will be able to read them in due course.

Thank you all very much for keeping us in your thoughts. It means a great deal to us all.