Justin update - 30th July 2012

It's been several days now since my last update, the longest gap since I started writing it. I could just write one liners each day but I'll end up repeating myself, I also don't want to dwell on the not so good days. We all have bad days from time to time, and Justin is no different. By allowing a few days or a week to go by, I can focus on the improvements and not the setbacks, of which there are few to be honest.

In the last few days I've been feeling a little guilty about even writing these updates. Despite the image that you may have of Justin, the ever youthful looking 24 hour party person who revels in the limelight and lives a hedonistic lifestyle many of us left behind years ago. There is a softer gentle side to Justin, a very sensitive and private person, a thinker, a man of few words who is happy in his own company. He chooses to live alone, he works out in his gym, mixes music in his studio and cycles daily to keep himself in shape and probably to gather his thoughts. Would Justin want his story published for the world to see? He might have reservations but I'm hoping he'll understand my reasons. However I've decided, until he tells me to stop, to continue to write it. But rather commiserate on the accident, his injuries and the long and arduous road ahead. I want this to be a celebration of Justin, who he is, who he'll become, but most of all, this extraordinary recovery that we are all witness to. I've always said, and Justin will agree with me, it didn't mater how many times he fell in shit, he'd always come up smelling of roses. So we can all expect a lovely rosy smelling Justin to come rising up at the end of this unfortunate little tumble.

To see Justin now is like looking at a different person from a week ago. He is more awake than asleep during the day, his eyes are alert and responsive, the thousand yard stare has been replaced with a look of curiosity and wonder. His mind is working overtime, trying to piece all of the parts together, faces, names, places, pictures, sounds. At times there is even a sparkle in his eye. Justin is now free from all tubes and is taking all food through his mouth including some solids. His tracheotomy hole is completely healed, and although still sore, he is vocalising more and more, much of which is still mumbling but I'm beginning to hear some words other than Yes and No. His physio is taxing but he knows it needs to be done and will really concentrate and try to follow the commands when asked. His left arm and hand movements are improving daily and even in the last 2 days he has moved his right hand, a massive breakthrough. His legs are tense and tight which makes physio on them more of a challenge but I'm confident this will come with more work. I find that doing the exercises with him is the most rewarding part of the day for both of us, we fought and trained together as kids so I know that he won't object to me pushing him on now. I really feel that he's aware of his situation at times and knows that he's got to do it for his own sake.

He's now able to sit up almost unaided, so much so that he's been in a wheelchair and even taken on a sightseeing tour of the hospital corridors, much to the delight of the nursing staff from the ICU who all came out to see him. At one point there was about 20 smiling nurses standing around him, they love him here, who wouldn't.

Justin's daughter Brookland arrived a couple of days ago, I can't tell you how tough it's been for her but she's been a true star. It's been an emotional time and without doubt one of he hardest things she's had to deal with but she handled the situation with aplomb. We had been telling Justin for weeks that Brookland was coming and when he saw her walk through the door, his face lit up and he smiled from ear to ear. She leaned over her dad to give him a hug, he bent his head forward to kiss her, It was all too much for me, I had to leave the room. About 5 minutes later she rushed out to tell me that when she told him she loved him, he replied as clear as day "I love you too"

C'MON JUSTIN...