Category: Alec

It must be a Web 2.0 thing… first blogging, then podcasts, now an x-ray. Nice mechanical engineering, Alec. (Thanks, Bart.)

Just in from Bart: a brief podcast from Alec – who was still in Lille – on the frustrations of dealing with insurance companies and French doctors. He sounds a lot more “Anglo-Saxon” (his term) than earlier, which is much more like the Alec I know…. (456KB, MP3, 1:55, NSFW)
I’m told he’s now actually in an ambulance, on the road, heading for the Chunnel….

Two updates this morning. First, here the latest podcast from Alec (316KB MP3, 1:45 long). Secondly, Alec’s on the move: he’s being transported to England by road (which presumably means via the Chunnel – aren’t they going bankrupt or something?), and should be in Birmingham by this evening.
UPDATE from friends in the UK:

6.40pm Monday 17th July [BST, of course] – Alec has just spoken to me – he STILL HASN’T LEFT the ambulance being over 2 hours late! He is getting very very cross.
Before a Doctor came in, he did ask me to put all visitors off until Thursday at the earliest as when it happens it is going to be a difficult tiring journey, and he would like at least through Wednesday to recuperate. So please (much as he wants to see folk) hold the enthusiasm.

From Bart:

I went to Lille earlier today and visited Alec — he’s doing quite well (I found it very noticable how his breathing is now much more relaxed than it was at the beginning of the week). We walked in on him enjoying his lunch, the dessert portion of which vanished extremely quickly…
Alec is, however, bored out of his mind as there’s little to do; he listens to his iPod, does some exercises (some for his lungs and some for the rest of his body, to retain mobility), looks at the shiny coloured things in his room, or the clock, or the emergency light over his bed… all in all, not the most exciting environment.
(He’s in need of his connectivity fix, so here’s to hoping he gets to Birmingham soon… and that they have wifi or so there)
He still has his drain in (because the insurance company wants it there should they finally repatriate him), which means he still has an IV in, and which also means a nurse comes in every morning and gets blood for testing (not overly pleasant).
His leg, in a kind of supporint harnass/cast thing, seems to be causing him no trouble (as long as it’s left in peace), so he has now added an ankle-mobility part to his exercise routine.
I have a new “Alec’s adventures in Lille” podcast and will send it to Geoff for posting tomorrow (I can’t get it off my phone right now so won’t be able to send it today – sorry for the delay)

Here‘s the second podcast from Alec in Lille, courtesy Bart. (3MB, MP3) No transcript this time.

Here‘s an audio clip of Alec from his hospital bed, courtesy Bart. (2.3MB, MP3) There’s a transcript for those who can’t handle his English accent!

Via Gilles Gravier: Alec says hello.

UPDATE: See also here.

Just learned that my friend and colleague Alec Muffett was in a motorcycle accident in France. At this moment he’s in intensive care in Lille. Updates are being posted as comments to the most recent crypticide blog entry, and also at Chris Samuel’s blog. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Herewith a picture of Alec demonstrating his recumbent tricycle to me. I took it back on March 2nd, just after we’d had dinner. (That’s why we were indoors – it was too dark outside, and my Treo doesn’t have a flash anyway.)