AND if you think that’s painful, try typing it left handed.

No blog last week as I was in hospital following a road accident.

Astonishingly, 62 hours after waiting for the ambulance to arrive, I was propped up by cushions in my favourite chair at home waiting for the first session of the world snooker final to start.

In between, I’d had a plate fitted to my shattered right elbow.

I can only take my hat off to the nurses in F4 at Southampton General Hospital and the skill of the surgeon.

A couple of things I’d like to share with you.

Duncan, in the bed next to me, pointed out to his mate: “If you have your leg amputated, there are bound to be side affects.”

Indeed.

And I’d like to thank Nigel’s wife for taking us both for a walk outside at the end of day two. We felt like the Colditz prisoners who donned German uniforms and strolled out through the main gates.

But later that Saturday night we enjoyed one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments.

A firefighter, who had been shopping with his family, fell over and suffered one of the worst head injuries the paramedics had ever seen.

He was airlifted to the General. At 1.30am he was wheeled into the bed space next to mine. The man told the doctor, who came to take some details, that he did not drink or smoke.

In a hushed voice, the doctor said: “That’s probably what the problem is.”

Oh my poor ribs!