I really do not wish to labour this, enough has been written or said about the lead up to it already, but as so many of my kilted brethren have been enquiring, this is my current situation.

Since being diagnosed with cancer of the colon in January, I have been undergoing several tests and more than several scans of various types, chemoradiotherapy daily for five weeks, periods of rest and further consultations with my surgeon and his registrar. Now, at last, I am to be admitted to Worthing Hospital, here in West Sussex, on Thursday 19th August for surgery to remove the tumour - there is some hope also that it might be possible to do this by keyhole rather than main surgery which would entail a longer operation (about which hopefully I will know nothing!), but a shorter stay in hospital (about which hopefully I will know something!). Once discharged, I have then to go into a convalescent home for two weeks before coming home to "take things easy" for a month or two.

The most distressing result of all of this is not that I will be given a colostomy but that, because of it, the wearing of kilts with their tightly done up straps and buckles, may not be possible!! It all depends upon the positioning of the stoma. I can barely bring myself to tell you the next bit............................... for the first time in twelve years, I have been obliged to bring some t------s (with elasticated waists) into Bicknell Grange, just in case! Oh, the humiliation! I never thought it might come to this, really I didn't! Only two things can possibly help me get around this, and they are two casual kilts from Rocky at USA Kilts. I have not experienced his 'casual' model before but, because they have velcro fastenings, my thought was that they might be wearable at this time when straps and buckles are not. He has very kindly rushed them to me and they should arrive in a day or two. If that is not good service I do not know what is.

Added to that, I am afraid I will not even be able to lurk here at X Marks or anywhere else for possibly the next month. The hospital does not permit the bringing in of laptops or mobile 'phones, and the convalescent home, whilst allowing the laptop (for writing, Solitaire, and DVD playing using headphones), it does not have Wi-Fi or telephone connections to the Internet! This, then, means that I will be 'off the scene' from Wednesday until I return home.

Please behave in my absence, wear your kilts all the more - if that's possible - and keep the faith.

Take care,
Ham.
[PS: My second No.100 kilt, the Contemporary one, was personally delivered to my home on Friday by Howie Nicholsby. It is in a gorgeous, rare Ardalanish organic tweed from the Isle of Mull, and came with a specially commissioned TFCK lightening-flash kilt pin in colours to tone with those of the tweed. Photos were quickly taken, many of which sadly did not come out, but I'll try to post something, before Thursday.]