First off, a big thank you from myself and Merys - thanks in part to your donations she will be able to continue to train to be a doctor. You are all absolute stars - thank you.

The other big news is that I LIVE!

I'm left with a slightly stuffy nose and some pain in my left knee, but other than that the 'man-flu' has left the building and I am able to leave the nest of my flat. This is good as I've almost run out of lemon tea.

Actually, trying to classify this illness is a bit of a problem. When I do my 'return to work' interview they will ask me what was wrong with me. Now, the medical professional in me knows that it wasn't the 'flu, but likewise it was more than a cold. Also the symptoms were what most people would refer to as the 'flu. So do I 'lie' and say I had the 'flu, or is it just a bad cold?

All my fault for being so honest.

In response to some of the comments on the previous blogposts (sorry, I didn't have enough energy to turn on the computer), the LAS sickness policy is something like 'three or more periods of sickness in an eighteen month period, or any one period of sick lasting more than a week' leads to an unwritten informal warning. This is straight off the top of my head so I may be mistaken, and this will be my fourth period of sickness in this period (I think).

I'll let you know more after my interview. I'm not hugely stressed by it, as I tell my station officers, "I'm only sick if I'm sick". Besides, shift work flattens your immune system.

All going well, I'll have a working phone by 18:02 today...