So at Week 8 you get to go back to see the surgeon for the first time since the operation and s/he basically (with any luck) gives you the all clear and tells you they hope never to see you again! Each week my back has felt stronger – although there is still some pain and instability around the site and I can’t sit still for too long without having to change position, but so far it’s all thankfully heading in the right direction.
The surgeon took a look at my scar site and checked my leg strength, asked a few questions and sent me on my way – telling me it was fine to do roll downs and side bends and walk, swim, do the plank etc – basically get on with everything, but just don’t do it for 12 hours a day. He didn’t want to get an MRI to see what’s going on (despite that I still have leg symptoms) as it’s still too early to fully expect to get back to normal (that might take up to a year) and so he said that unless I was in intolerable pain he wouldn’t consider doing anything.
So WHOOP….I can get back to normal life and just hope that all those little old nerves will be busily reconnecting over time to stop the pins and needles.
It’s interesting though, seeing the surgeon. I suspect they really only want to do the cutting and sawing bits in order to make you better. I’m not sure that they’re interested in any post surgery care or that they make good listeners (I mean lets face it, you can’t have everything). I wonder if they look at their patients as literally lumps of meat they can’t wait to cut into. Such a strange profession. I recently watched The Apprentice film – all about the young Trump’s relationship with his lawyer and the coverage of his liposuction and hair transplant is still giving me nightmares. Whereas surgeons must LOVE IT.
So I’m getting up and out a bit more and looking forward to the entire month of November as it’s party season for my daughter and me! And this year is a BIGGIE (for me)…..so making some plans.
Already I’ve had one birthday lunch – shared with my oldest friend who I met at the age of 10 in Hong Kong. For the last 45 years we’ve been celebrating our respective birthday’s once a year at Daphne’s – a fabulous Italian restaurant in South Kensington. Always buzzy and completely reliable and it was one of Princess Diana’s favourite places to go. This year was more important than ever because we haven’t managed a visit in the last two years owing to my friend’s cancer treatment AND coincidentally the restaurant is celebrating their 60th birthday too. She’s been through an incredibly gruelling two years – the cancer came back, they put her on stem cell treatment, that didn’t work, she had to have an abdominal operation, got sepsis, was horribly ill and then went on to do the CAR-T treatment which is basically immunology where they use your T-cells (don’t ask me what I’m talking about because I have no idea – if any of you want proper details I can ask my brother and then do a proper post about it all when she’s given her permission for me to do so). ANYWAY, our lunch was unbelievably special and we loved it:-
The rest of the time I’ve been doing an awful lot of watching TV. I never used to watch anything – now I can have in depth conversations with my friends about all the relevant programmes currently worth watching and some guilty pleasures. Hence the almost total lack of blogging!
HOW GOOD IS RIVALS?? OMG. Loved it. Such a cheesy 80’s vibe, but they nailed it.
Emily In Paris – as mentioned – a guilty pleasure!
The Perfect Couple – excellent thriller
Disclaimer – currently watching. Gripping.
The Hot Rabbi – not the proper title but well worth watching. Fun.
Colin From Accounts – good, but not as good as the first series
Shrinking – suspect it won’t be as good as the first series either.
THEN additionally I’ve been doing loads of reading and The Bee Sting is now in my top 10 list of favourite books ever (along with The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen, to which it’s been compared). Really recommend it – an Irish drama told with such humour and detail. His observations are astounding and the story very gripping.
I’ve also been walking and appreciating nature more than ever. All my indoor plants are thriving – I’ve got coffee beans, orchid flowers and even hibiscus!
This magnolia flower is simply magnificent and smells divine:-
