I am pleased to report that on Monday 4th February I successfully underwent surgery to remove my pituitary adenoma. Starting at 7am the neurosurgergy team at University of Texas Southerwestern Medical Center, led by Dr Christopher Madden, made an incision under my upper lip and cut a path into my nasal passages and the sphenoid sinus. From there they drilled a hole large enough to remove the tumour, and did so completely. While I lost quite a lot fo blood (7 out of 8 pints!), I was conscious and feeling pretty good by the time evening arrived. I spent two nights in Intensive Care (the second only because they didn't have any spare beds in the main part of the hospital) and was released home at lunchtime on Friday. Remarkable, really.

Many thanks to those of you who sent their best wishes, cards, flowers etc. and apologies to those whom I did not inform in advance! I look forward to catching up with you all by letter, phone or email while I am still off work recuperating over the next few weeks.