Over the years I have had the privilege of discussing many different topics with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

One of the most frustrating things I keep coming across is the false notion that being Catholic makes me less 'tolerant' of ideas and lifestyles which do not match my beliefs, than someone uninfluenced by religion. The idea that Catholicism teaches or encourages intolerance is so widely promulgated and generally accepted these days that it is almost impossible to have a discussion about any matter of significance without being accused of being a bigot or intolerant purely on the basis of my Catholic faith.

I may indeed be a bigot or intolerant, but that is an assessment of my personal character, not of my religion.

Most of you will know by now that Albert has returned home and is recovering slowly but steadily. Given that, at one stage we thought he may still be in hospital over Christmas, this is a very good development!

Albert is recovering well, but with no discernible change in his breathing or eating yet. I have to admit that this is frustrating and depressing, even though it is far too early to tell whether the operation had the impact we hoped.

Today reminded me of German military strategist Helmuth von Moltke who once quipped that keinen Plan überlebt die erste Feindberührung which translates into English (roughly) as "No plan survives first contact with the enemy."

We went into today with a clear plan. The plan was that the surgeon would conduct an operation called a microlaryngoscopy, with the option of an additional laryngoplasty and/or a gel foam injection.
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Since about this time last year, we have been waiting for Albert to undergo surgery to repair his throat. Three times we have been given a date, and three times the date has been postponed. Twice because Albert had a throat infection, which would have made the operation much more dangerous, and once because there was an unexpected shortage of beds in the infant Intensive Care Unit.
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It has been "on again - off again" for almost a year now, but we have been given a new date for Albert's long awaited surgery. The operation is to repair the part of his throat that controls swallowing in the hope that he may be able to eat. For most of his life Albert has been feed through various kinds of tubes, and for the last year through a tube which feeds directly to his stomach via a hole surgically made between his stomach and a valve which sticks out of the skin on his tummy.
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This month has not been ideal in many ways. We were finally told that Albert had been given a new date for surgery (the third time now), next Friday. Unfortunately we already had the lad at the doctor earlier that day for a fever and cough. After months of being as healthy as he has ever been, Albert has another throat infection. If you could spare a prayer for him, he is struggling with fever and a nasty cough at present.

I was reading a biography of H.G. Wells today (for research purposes) and came across this quote

Socialism, if it is anything more than a petty tinkering with economic relationships is a renucleation of society. The family can remain only as a biological fact. Its economic and educational autonomy are inevitably doomed.

As you may be aware, Albert was scheduled for throat surgery tomorrow morning. The surgeon called this morning to let us know that there are not enough beds in ICU at present to receive Albert after the operation, so his operation has been postponed, 

We have no indication of when the operation will be scheduled.
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I am delighted to say that Albert has been very well lately. We made a few big changes to our family routine in the last few months and one of the benefits has been that Albert has not fallen ill at all. In fact he is presently in the longest period without illness since his birth!

Under the direction of our various health support specialists, Albert has been set up with leg braces and a contraption to help him stand.

You may recall that Albert was scheduled for delicate throat surgery last month, and that his surgery was postponed when he contracted a serious throat infection.

Albert has been through a full course of antibiotics, then a second course of stronger antibiotics, without seeing an end to his infection. Since Albert is physically stronger (and heavier) that he has ever been before, this probably means it is a viral infection which he will just have to beat naturally.
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Married with eight children, I read for work and recreation which results in the current combination of G.K. Chesterton, Orson Scott Card and Terry Pratchet in my backpack. I'm not always certain which is work and which is recreation!
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