I spoke to Val again. She is not too bad, emotionally, I am glad to say. I hope when my bits drop off I have someone as strong as that batting for me.

Pete-wise, the quacks have now eliminated all the things they expected to find (meningitis, viral infections, bacterial infections, strokes, infections in thelower brain, intercranial haemorrhaging, etc). As Val put it, "They have eliminated the possible, now they are starting on the impossible". There was hydroencephaly but the cause seems not to be establishable.

The MRI stuff shows a brain with all the right electrical impulses in all the right places. All of the most basic reflexes are present.

The next step will be to check the exotic issues of the Amazon basin - the place of the last Val&Pete exotic holiday. In theory nothing could lurk for 6 months nad then spring up -- could it?

Transport to the UK will not be possible until the tracheotomy is removed. Timing on that is vague, since although Pete seemingly can breathe unassisted - why take a chance of something going wrong?

If Pete does come back - where should he go? Medway and Darenth (Murdertime and Death Valley) are to be avoided at all costs, but in view of the opacity of the case a proper London teaching hospital might be a runner.

Can we get it on to "House"?