San Fairy Ann Cycle Club

Latest from Ronnie this morning

Dear Pat
Just to let you know that Dick is now out of intensive care and in a side ward off Mercer ward. Visiting times here are not as long - 3-5pm and 6.30-7.30pm. He has again come on in leaps and bounds since the mag. was published and would love to see his cycling pals.
love Ron

Wow!! At this rate he could be home sooner than we keep saying so keep watching this space!

Pat
PS I will also post this on RR section (or whatever you call it) & email a few friends with no PCs

Would I be right in assuming that he's still at Maidstone hospital?

Yes, I would have told you all had he been sent somewhere else, & after only 3 hours in Mercer Ward he was transferred to Jonathan Saunders Ward. At this rate we will not catch up with him until he gets out!! Pass the word round.

Pat

I went in to see him this afternoon and spoke to him for a few minutes before his wife and another person turned up, so I left them to it.

He seems to be fine* although he is a little concerned about the additional weight he'll be carrying upon leaving (a 200g pin in his leg)!

Although there was a great deal of plaster to be seen.

Spent quite a while with Dick this morning (though not official visiting time). Major improvement from a few weeks ago and he is raring to get fit, which by his progress so far won't be long. He is talking about getting home by the weekend, which I thought was optimistic but the physio says that if he can use a zimmer frame and support himself this could be possible. I think he is finding the 'looney ward' a bit frustrating and just wants to get home.
As Rob says he feels he is going to have to lose weight to compensate for the metal pins!

Hi Everyone,
Latest news from Ronnie this morning for the mag, subject to it being updated on Sunday before I take it to the printers:-

Dick is doing really well, his main problem being the left leg which was broken in 2 places. They tried to set it straight using wedges(?) but ended up pinning it & he will have to wait 5 weeks before he can put any weight on it. A good thing is that one of his medical team is a cyclist & Dick told him he wants to get back to riding again so that has been useful. The right leg is just beginnning to have some weight put on it & if he can manage stairs with the help of crutches they will let him escape this Friday. If not it will be the following week. As Ronnie says, he is raring to go but will obviously have to take things easy for a while. She has taken him out of the ward in a wheel-chair & he really enjoyed it.

His face is OK apart from a few broken teeth but otherwise he is our old handsome Dick (my personal comments)
I will let you all know what happens next if he doesnt escape on Friday.

Pat

Great News!!! Just had Dick phone me to say he's home!! What a man. He will give me all the news for the mag on Sunday but meanwhile he will welcome visitors & thanks everyone for all the fantastic support with visits, cards & messages etc.

He is now asking the Red Cross for a Campag wheel-chair that will fold up & go in a car & do not be surprised if he is at Wobblers in the near future.

Pat

Thanks for keeping us up to date Patsy and best wishes to Dick.

I have just spoken to Dick to take down his personal thankyou note to go in the mag. He is OK but is suffering a bit of 'hospital-lag' & is feeling tired, so much so that although he really wants to see you all he would ask you to phone him first. This is also to make sure they are in as he has hospital visits etc .I must say he sounded very tired on the phone, as one would expect.

He is getting on OK but is finding hobbling around on crutches to avoid any weight on his left leg hard on his upper body even if he has lost 1½ stones while in hospital.
Pat

In that case If he fancies a 10mile TT race he's on ... but he can forget a hill climb!

He'd still beat you John

Those of us out at Wed Wobblers yesterday were very pleased to have Dick & Ronnie turn up. He appeared in our midst to all-round applause & I am sure they both enjoyed all the chat. He looks fine if a bit drawn after all he has been through & minus 20lbs in weight. The crutches are a bit tiring on his upper body as is having to hop all the time as his left leg must not have any weight on it for 3 months.

He again stressed his thanks to all the club & his many friends in the rest of the RR world. Only yesterday 2 LVRC mates from Surrey journeyed to Maidstone to call on him.

There were several of us there with stick (me) & crutches (Dick & Rita Dongwworth) & we had a laugh re getting the club to pay Roy Manser to make Campag zimmers for us.
Pat

Anyone got an update on Dick? Would be good to hear how he's recovering.

Dick was out at Wobblers today courtesy of John Wells. He is OK but is still waiting to see what has happened re his so-called 'good' foot which has not improved. He has an MRI scan on it any day now. I have forgotten the actual date as we had a good chat after on official club business.

The main item is that Dick is organising a RR for the LVRC in June as our contribution to their programme of events since our riders use these events.See DFYD in the Milestone. He asked if I knew the whereabouts of the bag of Club CB radios & as luck would have it, the Dec mag will contain a request for all members who are holding any piece of Club equipment to advise our Treasurer Pam Goode ASAP. Ron Lee will be posting this appeal on the forum in due course.

To return to Dick, he is anxious that this LVRC event goes well so needs to know where all the Club RR equipmant is ASAP. He will need about 6 CB radios for a start, for the number of cars the LVRC will ask for, plus all the Warning signs carried on the lead cars etc which we have not needed running SERRL events as they provide them. So if you have anything that Dick will need, flags, numbers etc please contact him. Another item is that LVRC need several sets of race numbers etc.

I must say it was good seeing him as in the old days with his organising head in good order even if his legs ain't. So to summarise for Damian, he's doing fine even on crutches. It's a pain he can't drive at present but being surrounded with friends he will manage. He will be at the AGM so let's hope he has a bit more news re this MRI scan by then.

Pat