It's a funny old time round here and I have just spent ages trying to decide what emphasis to put on the title for this blog post. I am a lot better than I was but the bottom wound is still sore (and a few tiny millimetres are still healing). This didn't stop us having some Christmas fun and the girls' excitement about the big day was really sweet. Santa enjoyed the mince pie they left by the fireplace very much thank you!
Unfortunately just after Christmas, I realised that what I had assumed was a discharge from the small part of the wound not yet closed over had become much worse. Fortunately it was not, in fact, coming from the wound but it turns out I have a bacterial infection. At first I was on the wrong antibiotics so it is only today that I feel there is much improvement. Lately, I had been feeling slightly down about my progress post-operatively, but actually if I hadn't had this infection I would have been much better than I seemed so I was glad to get it diagnosed.
Generally I feel as though the New Year has brought with it renewed energy to get back into routines and become more physically active again. Running alongside P while she was riding her new bike yesterday was admittedly probably over doing it and resulted in stiff hips and a need to lie horizontally for a while, but I was happy with the achievement. Also, yesterday I drove the car again for the first time since before the op. Again, another sign of progress.
There are daunting times on the horizon. B starts a new job in NW Wales next week and I will be more dependent than ever on parent support as we get used to the new circumstances of a weekly commute. And then the chemo will start. I'll put more about the chemo in a separate blog post soon (it is so long since I wrote this is already a long post), but we saw the oncologist just before Christmas and I can honestly say I'm not looking forward to this! Different people respond differently so there is no knowing how it will be for me, but the list of possible side effects is not happy reading.
So for now, I will try to make the most of these few brief weeks before chemo even if the circumstances are not ideal. Tomorrow, at least, we have a treat as my mother takes P and myself to the ballet at the Royal Opera House.
With love and best wishes for the New Year. x
