I have just confirmed with the University College Hospital, London that they have a bed for my son David today. His consultant will perform a bone biopsy on his jaw tomorrow in the hope that they can find a cure for his chronic osteomyelitis which David has had for almost four years, and has suffered considerable pain, though the pain is being successfully managed now.
Unless he can be cured by medication, the only alternative is surgery to cut out out the infected area, which could leave him facially disfigured. Plastic surgeons will then rebuild his face. David has made me promise never to allow that to happen. So we must hope for the very best and put all our faith in medicine, the skill of the hospital’s microbiologists and his consultant.
Just to tell you a little more about David, the shirt he is wearing is a genuine Gucci number. David is a very modest 17-year-old, not at all boastful, but has a weakness for designer clothes. When we visited Rome last year, his only thought was to head for Prada and Gucci, never mind the breathtakingly, stunning architecture. So we hailed a taxi to zip about the city and he bought his Calvin Klein jeans and a couple of designer shirt. And yes, we did see the classical sites too.
My other son James feels great when he picks up a bargain or two at TK Max, usually his favourite sports brand, while my husband is happy enough wearing Tesco’s jeans. So I don’t know where David gets this extravagant streak from. He spends a fortune buying these clothes with his own money and works in Clarke’s shoe shop at weekends, as well as a waiter in our local pub. I will tell you this, the shirts do feel lovely and soft and the finish is superb, I hope I can fit into them when he outgrows them!
I do sometimes give up on him though. I gave him some money to buy a pair of new pyjamas for hospital, the tee-shirt top and shorts bottom type. He came back proudly with a white Calvin Klein tee-shirt. “Very nice, but how are you going to manage when you go to the loo?” I asked.
So we have to stop off at Tesco en route to buy a pair a jim-jams which David thought were so uncool they would tarnish his image. Still, he will at least be able to impress nurses with the top part of his designer clad body, while his Tesco bottoms will be hidden under the bed linen.
I have never been in a designer shop in my life and am almost afraid to put David’s clothes in the same washing machine load as my stuff, it is so inferior in comparison.
In the meantime, we very much hope that David can be cured before he starts uni next year.
I hope everything will be alright for David in the bone biopsy. Good luck to him.
Hoping all goes well tomorrow for you and david, i will be thinking of you x
Yes, all the best to both of you from Sicily. Lovely shirt!
Yes David! Even in the worst of times a great shirt can lift your spirits. How fabulous that he thinks this way, and earns the money to support his habit – much better than some other outlets I can think of, Mum. I wish him the best, and I have him, and you, in my prayers.
Great taste that boy has. I hope he ends up with a very well paying job to support his habit. I also hope he has great luck too with his bone biopsy and that somehow medicine will have the cure without the surgery option.
regards
jmb
He’s right to value good clothes. I wish I’d realised that earlier in life, it’s about self-respect and social positioning – having style and class is important. It feels better than a million dollars in the bank.
Wish him luck with the biopsy. But plastic surgeons are very good these days – any changes are bound to make him more manly and I’m sure that – with the right attitude – outward signs of a hard life and character are appealing to the opposite sex, they are also respected by the male peer group. He couldn’t possibly look ugly, whatever happens.
I said a prayer for your boy at Mass today .
Put your trust in God , he does listen .
Plus the surgeons are wonderful with these types of problems , they also do miracles.
PS, I’ve never had a million dollars in the bank so what would I know 🙂
I’m sure I’m right though.
My best wishes for your son’s recovery.
My very best wishes and thoughts go out to David, Ellee…I do hope everything turns out well for him.
Good for him for having good taste in clothes…that’s nice to see in a young man. 🙂
Hope all goes well for David.
Here’s thinking of ya
Very best wishes – also love the shirt. Such good taste will go far!
Thoughts are with you, Ellee.
Hope the biopsy went ok, Ellee, and that they didn’t make David wear a hospital robe!
When my husband was in hospital I bought him a pair of bright yellow jimjams – to brighten up the place. He hated them. So fussy some people!
[…] Off to hospital for David’s bone biopsy […]
I hope your boy’s OK. Isn’t UCH one of the hospitals John Major closed and the Labour Government rebuilt and reopened?
Recess Monkey, there is a time for political point -scoring; somehow I suspect that this is not it.
Ellee, I am glad to hear that David is doing well.
Not point scoring as such – and my good wishes for David are sincere. Thought the coment may have contained some misplaced humour, there is a fundamental truth; you don’t have to believe in socialism, because socialism believes in you.
Recess Monkey, thank you for your sincere good wishes. Yes, we have to keep a sense of humour and perspective in all this.
[…] It made me reflect on my recent personal experiences at the University College Hospital, London with my son David. This is what I observed. […]
[…] We get David’s biopsy results today By Ellee David and I are heading off to Great Ormond Street Hospital today to get the results of his bone biopsy. We are really keen to complete his treatment before he starts university next year, but the chances are it will take much longer. […]
[…] When David tried this around Easter, he was in agony and had to instantly resume the antibiotics. A bone scan later showed a hot spot area where the infection was still active. But his recent biopsy was negative and he has also been seen by a consultant for infectious diseases at GOS. I am confident that his maxillofacial consultant, Peter Ayliffe, will give him a clean bill of health today. A thousand thanks to everyone at GOS who cared for David. We hope to make the most of our trip to London and catch up with some Christmas shopping afterwards. […]