We saw Steve this afternoon. When we arrived he was lay on his bed watching his TV. The nursing staff have cut his hair and given him a shave and he looked well. Steve showed us his right hand which is now uncovered. You can see now that the fingers and thumb have been shortened and the little finger is missing.

The surgeons have done a very good job of only taking off what was required to be removed and have made an extremely neat job of the finger and thumb ends. Steve is obviously upset that he has had to have this work done but is pleased with how his right hand is looking.

His legs are currently still bandaged but this bandaging is getting less each time we go. Steve told us he has been in chair a couple of times this week but after a short while it does cause him pain in his buttocks.

Overall he was in a positive mood and asked us about family matters and how things were going outside. His Mum yesterday told Steve how proud we all were of him and how proud she was of what he had achieved in his life up to now and what he had done on the night of the 23rd June. We told Steve the same and we also told him he should be very proud of himself. He has come back to us with such determination and will to get better. We explained to him that everyone wants him up and about and eventually home. He told us that it wouldn't be long to that happening.

We stayed with him for 45 minutes. Then we left to let him rest. Another week approaches and Steve will be working hard once again along with the hospital staff to continue his recovery. I'll keep you all posted.

Steve has been seen by his family this week. He is doing well and over the last couple of days has been in good spirit. He has been talking about his future plans with us all especially Pauline and is really positive which has lifted our spirits considering how he felt about things a number of days ago. He is getting stronger and is moving his arms and legs more now.

The nurses are working hard to get him out of his bed and into a chair. This we have been told will help relieve pressure on him in certain areas of his body due to him being in a different body position. He'll get there because he really wants to be up now. Steve is laying down certain challenges for himself to accomplish in the mid to long term future. This mainly involves his fitness and well being. He's told me I'm being roped in as well so I'm out jogging in preparation. Steve is a very fit lad and I'm sure it won't be long before he's pounding the tarmac again with me gasping for breath somewhere behind him. It's great that he's setting himself challenges and goals to achieve it show's his determination to get better.

The bandages are still off his arms and his right hand is now uncovered. All areas are healing. The graft on Steve's right hand and other areas of this hand which were seriously burned are healing ok but as with anything to do with severe burn injuries the healing process will take time.
We will be seeing Steve again hopefully on Friday evening. The family would like to thank everyone for the donations made and the wonderful comments on the just giving site which is attached to the http://www.fireservice.co.uk/steve/ website set up by Steve's good friend Carl.

We have been to see Steve today (21/9/08). He has had his left hand removed from the groin flap. The op went well by all accounts. His left hand is now heavily bandaged and his right hand is in a vacuum therapy glove. Steve's arms are uncovered and they are healing well as are his ears and the sides of his head. Steve's legs are still bandaged so the burn injuries in these areas are covered up. Steve has said that the grafts on the back of his legs are healing ok. Steve is still feeling pain at differing levels every day depending on what he is having done, but he is determined to get better so is trying to manage the pain the best he can. Steve is still not fully sat up in bed. He is slowly getting stronger and hopefully in the next few weeks will improve to where he is sitting up and perhaps becoming a little more mobile.

Considering what Steve is going through he was in good spirits and his niece fed him the usual minstrels. Steve now has to wait for a few weeks while his left hand has healed to a point where the surgical team can carry on with the next stages of their work on both his hands.
He appears to have put some weight back on and is eating well. We took him some bananas in today as this is his latest food craze.

We left Steve when Pauline and her Mum arrived. He waved us off with a smile on his face and thanked us for coming.

Pauline told us later that she had spoken to Steve about the Charity function last Thursday and how much had been raised. Steve was amazed at the amount of money that people had given and wanted us to tell A Watch in Control thank you for all their hard work and to say thanks to everyone who had supported the night. He said he wished he could of been there with us all.

Steve has been visited by his sister and eldest niece. His sister told Steve he was looking good. Steve spoke to them about the surgery he was going to have and that he was a little anxious. They reassured him that everything was going to be alright and it would not be long before he was drinking coffee with us in the Hospital cafe. Steve said that would be great but who was buying the coffee's, making the excuse that he couldn't carry his wallet in his current condition!
His sister and niece saw his uncovered left arm and it looked like it was healing well. Steve wants to be out of his bed now and is feeling a little down about being unable to be more mobile. His sister spoke to Steve about how well he is doing and that he will be more mobile in the near future.

The operation is still going ahead on Friday to remove his left hand from the groin pocket.
Steve will be visited by his mum and her partner on Saturday. We will visit him on Sunday if Steve is ok for visitors.

Steve was visited by Pauline and me today. When I first walked into his room I didn't know who was in more pain Steve or me because its my birthday and him and Pauline sang happy birthday to me. He had also got me a chocolate muffin with a candle stuck in it, some balloons a card and a nice pressy( What a Guy). Seeing him smiling and singing there lay in his bed knowing that every day he is in pain was inwardly a touching moment. I'd never tell Steve that because the amount of stick he would give me would be huge.

Steve spoke to both of us about the next op he has to have this Friday to remove his left hand from the pocket it currently sits in. Steve is naturally worried about what is to come but Pauline along with a little input from me told Steve he is doing a fantastic job on his recovery and having this op done is another step nearer going home to Pauline. Pauline reassured Steve that everything is going to be ok for him and seeing them both there talking about future plans was a real lift for me.

Steve's physio is going well. The physio team are doing a marvellous job with him and he now starting to move his arms and legs a little more. He is still bandaged top and bottom but he is gaining strength in these areas.

So the next big day for Steve is Friday 19th/9. As always I will phone the hospital to get an update of how Steve has gone on with the op and ask when we can visit him next. I'll then update you all on how Steve is.

Thanks to everyone for reading these updates and for all the nice and kind comments I have received regarding what I write.

Gary Dewar

Steve is having to do a lot of work on his recovery at the moment and is being treated by a number of different medical specialists. With all that is going on Steve is very tired and needs to rest frequently. With this in mind and following advice from the Burns Centre Steve's immediate family are reducing the number of visits and the amount of time we spend with Steve during these visits.

Steve continues to recover and as always the medical professionals who are working with Steve are assisting him with this recovery. As a family we do not want to cause Steve any extra stress or prevent him from getting his rest due to us being with him at times when he is tired and feeling weak so we have altered our visiting times accordingly.

As he gets stronger he will be able to recover quicker from the treatments he his having and at a time when he is ready we will visit him more often. We only want what is best for Steve as you can imagine, and at this time this is the best way we can help Steve get better and assist the medical staff in their work.

I went to see Steve yesterday evening and spent some time with him. It was just me with him so it was good to have some quality one on one time. We talked about how well he was doing and I told him that he must keep positive and not think about tomorrow but where he will be and how much better he will be 6 months and more in the future. Steve told me he was definitely going to give his running machine some stick when he gets out of hospital.

Steve told me he had seen his right hand and now knew the extent of the damage. We spoke of the concerns he has regarding what the future holds for him and we had a good heart to heart about the subject.. hopefully I have convinced him he is going to lead a normal happy life.
We went onto speak about family things and we had a laugh together. Steve spoke about the fire service and what roles he could do once he got back to work. He's still on his chocolate minstrels diet and I had to administer half a packet to him while I was there without being allowed to have one myself!!

Before I left Steve at the end of visiting time I told him to keep doing what he's doing so well with at the moment and that is being positive about his own recovery. Its not an easy task for Steve with what he is going through but he will succeed.

Steve is now undergoing regular physio sessions and the work the surgical team have carried out is being constantly monitored to ensure everything is ok.

Steve is ok. We visited him on Saturday and Pauline saw him on Sunday. On Saturday he was a little tired but we had a good visit with him. His youngest niece showed him the diary she has been doing for him whilst he is in hospital. Steve laughed at the comments that his watch at Bolton Fire Station had put in and the comments written on beer mats from Steve's friends outside of the Fire Service.

On Sunday Pauline spent time with Steve but Steve was very tired and Pauline left him to get some rest. Pauline informed us that Steve will again this coming week be having more intense physio.

Steve continues to recover but is still quite ill and becomes tired very quickly due to the hard work he is putting into getting well. Many People have asked about visiting Steve. Pauline and the nursing staff have asked Steve if he wants more visitors. Steve really appreciates everyone's concerns for him at this moment but has asked that while he is at this stage of his recovery that no one other than immediate family visit him. We as his family obviously support him with this request and ask you to bear with Steve. I will let you know when Steve is ready to have visitors. He will want to see everyone but he wants you to visit him when he feels fitter and more better in himself.

Steve is doing well. He is now having some intense physio each day and is coping with it very well. He has a commitment to getting better which keeps him positive. The hospital staff who are looking after Steve are doing a fantastic job. They are an inspiration to us watching how they care for Steve and the other patients in the burns centre. Steve is very fortunate with the fact that he is in such a world class burns centre given the injuries he has sustained, and he is under the care of such a brilliant Consultant and Registrar.

Steve is eating and sleeping better now and is getting stronger all the time, but has not yet been able to get out of his hospital bed. Pauline and his Mum have read newspaper articles to him about his story so far, and Pauline has taken copies from the just giving site and about what I write on this page. Pauline told me Steve was very grateful for the comments and donations on the just giving site and that he was glad that I had been keeping people informed about his progress.

We are seeing the big man again this afternoon. I'll keep you posted on his progress.

We saw Steve yesterday with Pauline. Steve had spent the day having physio and in the afternoon he had the surgery checked on his left and right hands. This involved Steve having to have his bandages removed on these areas which caused him some discomfort and by the evening he was tired and not very chatty.

The surgery that has been carried out on Steve regarding both his hands is healing ok. He still has the groin flap where is left hand is situated checked by the nursing staff every hour. At this time the area looks healthy and has a good blood supply. Steve's grafts on both his legs, base of his backside and his arms are still healing well. His upper right arm is now uncovered with only large plasters covering the full thickness burn areas. Steve's temperature is up at the moment its not a serious rise but the nursing staff are looking into why this has occurred but its probably due to an infection.

Steve has had his food tube removed and is on a total solid food diet with snacks between meals of minstrels and revels! This is required to help Steve build up the calorie count.
Steve's fingers and thumbs have all been trimmed down a minimum of an inch on both hands with a number of his fingers being trimmed down further due to the damage. Steve does know the extent of the damage to his body especially regarding his fingers. He has not spoken to much about his injuries to the family yet.

Steve is remaining positive. He has told me that he is looking to the future and wants to get well. He has asked Pauline to marry him and of course Pauline said yes to the proposal. Steve has inspired us all with his positive attitude to all what has happened and is happening to him. He has a good view of the future and he knows he has a hill to climb but is on the path to recovery.
Steve will be returning to the operating theatre this Wednesday for his 14th operation. He has to have a full bandage change and has to be put under anaesthetic as the pain would be to much for him to bear.