Off to tropical climate…

After three years of coping firstly with the pain of a severely compromised arthritic knee that subsequently had to be replaced, to be closely followed by a back injury that also required surgery, it is time to move forward.

In moving forward, this means that I can actually start to trust in my body again, that it can do the things it needs to do. Simple things like walking have been an issue for this past three years. Walking even short distances, became so painful that I ended up prior to both my operations hardly able to put one foot in front of the other without significant pain. It is a long time to go without any kind of exercise and the effect on my body has been that basically I have had a pretty sedentary lifestyle. This has not been healthy for my body, or for that matter for my brain in that exercise has been in short supply and as the time has gone on I have put on significant weight. The only thing that my husband and I have been able to do, especially when I have been in recovery from my two operations has been to go to a coffee shop. The coffee part is not such a big deal, but the muffins that go with it were the problematic part. Once you get into the habit of these things, it can be really difficult to shake.

Now, finally I feel that I am on the road to recovery and that means that I can now do much more exercise than I have been able to in what feels like forever. Learning to trust my body again and not feel that I am at odds with it is also part of the process.

This weekend we are jetting away for a tropical island holiday in Rarotonga. Six days of sun and relaxation will be just the tonic for my recovery plan. As recent as two weeks ago, I think I would have struggled on holiday, to walk on sandy beaches and even to snorkel would have seemed to be nigh on impossible. However, something switched in just the past week. I feel more like my ‘normal’ self and my husband has also remarked that I am seeming much more like me than I have in a long time.

Every new thing that has a physical element makes me think about whether I am up to it. I think by now I am reasonably adept at realising what my body will or won’t cope with. As an example today I went out with my elderly uncle looking at second hand and Op shops. We went to one that was vast and had an upstairs bit we could have looked at. However, I said to him that there was no way I was ready for that many stairs – and he probably isn’t anyway – and that going up them would have to wait for another day. I also know now how much time I can spend on my feet before my back tells me to take time out and rest. I find I do things in spurts or divide up tasks so that I can complete them with the minimal amount of discomfort. I have become used to self-assessing how I feel in the moment and telling myself when it is time to rest.

With my newfound confidence in my body – a welcome change from feeling like it’s been my enemy in some ways – I know that I can enjoy our pacific haven and it’s delights, knowing that I can manage and that my husband and I can have a lovely break together. He is someone who usually likes a pretty active holiday, so it will be interesting to see how – or if – he can switch into ‘island mode’ and just chill and relax. I’m sure we can find a balance for him somewhere along the way.

It will be lovely to just enjoy being together in the warmth of our lovely island getaway. I am so grateful that I am now feeling like all my hard work in my rehabilitation of both my knee and my back is finally paying off.

So, I move forward with confidence as we both look forward to our little holiday.

I hope our break will be filled with hope, health and happiness for us both.