Thanks so much for good wishes everyone. I have felt the need to be a bit stoic here with family - put on a brave face when I wanted to curl up and cry, but all your good wishes have made me feel well on the way to recovery.

I must admit there have been a couple of funny moments - waking up in the middle of the night to find Dad peering into my face about 6 inches away. He had left his glasses upstairs and couldn't see whether I was`awake or not. And him coming back from the shop with a bucket of ice-cream when I had asked him to get aspirin - he is`a little deaf!