• entries
    13
  • comments
    79
  • views
    6,073

Holidays and new surgery/therapy - general catch up


heathber

1,240 views

Hi All I've been so slack with the blog. I meant to update you all on my holiday over a month ago  But life got crazy busy. So here's a general catch up.

 

I had a 3 week holiday in July that was more like 4 weeks by the time you add in travel time etc.  ( it's a 22 hour flight with a stop in LA to change plane and you cross the date line so you lose a day coming back, although you gain a day on the way over so I left on 4th July and arrived on 4th July.) On arrival in NY NY we had 10 days "touring" staying in a boutique hotel in Brooklyn and exploring the city. We did a huge range of activities as well as ordinary sight seeing.  The tour organiser is a start up company run in partnership by one of my gym trainers. it's called "Urban Heartbeat". They offer active travel experiences.  So we walked all over NYC as well as going to gyms and dance classes etc.  It was stunning.  At the end of the 10 days I had another 2 days of personal sight seeing which I used up in the museums and galleries we hadn't already been to.  I then got on a cruise ship "Norwegian Breakaway" for a 7 day trip out to Bermuda and back to NY. I love cruise ships and I spent most of the cruise time in the Hot Spa area where you pay extra to get access to spa pools, sauna, steam room etc. I also treated myself to a seaweed wrap and some massage. The ship docked 3 nights in Kings Landing and I went out snorkeling and took a Segway tour around the settlement.

On return to NY I had 2 more days exploring before getting back on the plane. I took myself to see Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre, which was incredible I hadn't seen it live before even though I'm familiar with the music and the story.  I also did a back stage tour of Radio City Music Hall, again it's worth the walking involved.

 

Once I ran the numbers from my activity monitor for July I had averaged 9 kms walking each day.  So I was very proud of myself as I'd only had 2 days of rest time other than the cruising days.

 

I had a nasty fall in the aeroplane on the way home so I had some truly spectacular bruises for 2 weeks after I got home.

 

On getting home I went to see my surgeon as we'd done a gait analysis test in early May and the results had come through just before I left for NY. Overall he is very happy with the outcome of last years surgery, as am I. However I've been having a lot of problems with curly/cramping toes and botox treatment has only been partially successful so he offered to try some surgery on the long toe flexors and we scheduled that for 2 weeks later.  It's just a day procedure although it does involve a general anesthetic.

 

Then the week the surgery was scheduled I had a really bad case of gastroenteritis so the surgery was postponed until last Tuesday.  I see him again tomorrow for review and hopefully removal of the stitches. He told me I'd be walking on it immediately but I only half believed him, turns out he was right. I haven't needed any of the strong pain relief drugs I was sent home with and there's only slight discomfort now when I walk down stairs as it stretches the affected muscles.  I'm expecting to be back to full training next week.

 

Along with the surgery I've had upper limb botox again and I'm doing an 8 week OT program with it to try and get more useful shoulder/arm movement. I had my first session for that today. was supposed to be 1 hour but I was with her for at least 90 minutes, this is going to be interesting I haven't done specific upper limb therapy for over 5 years now.

 

The other news in my life is that one of my nieces got married the first weekend of September and her new father in law is making "friendship" overtures. It's a funny feeling to be courted I've been single for so long that I'm not sure what I think about it.  He seems a nice man and has been separated from Jame's mother for many years, the wedding and after party was the first time I'd met Jame's parents. I'm still deciding what I think so for the moment I'm just keeping the conversation open.

 

 

 

 

 

9 Comments


Recommended Comments

it's a 22 hour flight with a stop in LA to change plane and you cross the date line so you lose a day coming back, although you gain a day on the way over so I left on 4th July and arrived on 4th July."

 

Ok, that made my head spin; but the rest was extremely interesting!  Sounds like a great trip, lots to enjoy.  The cruise ship caught my attention....for a number of years, we've been getting large numbers of huge cruise ships docking at my town's harbor on the Island.  You get 3 of those ships at the same time, with sooooo many passengers, we stay at home....can't get around town, lol.  

 

But last year and this year, many large white whales have been found dead on the beaches; and the cruise ships are being blamed.  They've been told to lower their speed to save the whales, but it's a no-go!   Ten cruise ships that were to come here this fall have cancelled, and it's expected a lot will be cancelling next spring, summer and fall.  Bad for tourism, but I'm happy for the whales!

 

Sorry about the fall on the plane!  Can you let us know the outcome of your surgery on your toes....is walking a bit or a lot more easy now?  

 

father in law is making "friendship" overtures. It's a funny feeling to be courted I've been single for so long that I'm not sure what I think about it.  He seems a nice man.....I'm still deciding what I think so for the moment I'm just keeping the conversation open.

 

Heather, my advice:  don't think, do!  Even going for dinner with him a couple of evenings, letting him do the talking, will be all you need to learn quite a bit about him....You'll know if you want to keep on seeing him, or if there is no connection at all!  Go for it....(and let us know, ok). 

 

If he's really intolerable, An apple a day  Bonne chance, mon amie!

Link to comment

"I had a nasty fall in the aeroplane on the way home so I had some truly spectacular bruises for 2 weeks after I got home."

 

That sounds simply horrible. I hope that other than that you were OK?Image result for ouch

 

Link to comment

Main damage was to my pride Kelli, and some truly spectacular bruises on both my stomach and thighs. Just as well I was coming home to winter and I haven't worn a bikini in years anyway!

Link to comment

The surgery on the toes has been very successful so far, although I over stretched the wound the other day and it popped a little, so I'll probably get a scar from it now. ( Paulo will be disappointed, he tries so hard to make it an invisible scar)

 

I did some walking tests at the gym last night and Quincee was very pleased, as I'm rolling over the toes cleanly.  I feel a lot faster too. I'll be interested to do timed tests at the next spacticity clinic visit.

Link to comment
23 hours ago, heathber said:

The surgery on the toes has been very successful so far, although I over stretched the wound the other day and it popped a little, so I'll probably get a scar from it now.

As long as it's just a scar, that's great!  

 

What about "the man"?  Still thinking?  It's 2017, since he showed interest first, it's perfectly ok for you to contact him about going out for dinner.  (Don't worry, Heather, I'm not going to hassle you about this....just curious as always, lol.) 

Link to comment

Indeed Sue everyone has been telling me that since my stroke "Make haste a little more slowly please".  But I was following instructions this time, I know that healing on the affected side is slower, but so does Paulo so when he took the dressings and stitches off and said go back to normal activity I did.  Turns out we should have waited another 48 hours, oh well no harm done.

 

And Lin we chatted via text for 4 nights in a row.  I don't think I'm going to do more than that for the moment.

Link to comment

Heather, believe me I understand.  You're the only one who knows what's best for you.  Not going to mention it again, my friend, but if you want to, I'll listen!  :hug:

Link to comment
Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.