Canal walk

Some mornings my legs feel quite sprightly, as if I could walk round the block without my walking stick, but I just take it anyway. Just as well I did this morning, because Archie did not feel like performing, so I had to keep walking, getting more annoyed with him as he ignored my orders, then ignored my pleadings. By the time he did it, and I could eventually shuffle home, I was stuffed, and very glad I hadn't been silly enough to abandon my walking stick at the front door just yet.

We all went to my NHS physio at Slateford. JR takes Archie for a walk for half an hour while I'm inside.

A bit of improvement since I was last there ages ago, but not a huge amount. I had a go on the bike. It was a bit of a struggle, and I can't go right round with my left leg, but when I can, that'll be good exercise. As Naomi (my therapist) said - I'm doing all the right things - getting extra physio, doing my exercises at home, and now going to the gym, and maybe even swimming again. So I just have to keep going.

If I knew for sure that they'd get better, I wouldn't mind that it's taking SO long, but at the back of my mind there's the 'They're only 80% successful' statistic that I was told when I first saw a specialist several years ago now, and he told me ’Hang onto your own knees for as long as possible'. Which I did.

After my visit we parked and had a wee wander round Harrison Park and a walk along the canal with loooong shadows (extra). Archie didn't jump in - he did when I was last there with him when he was a puppy. But there was a bit where he could lean down and get a drink (though he'd had some clean water at the physio car park). He had a run around with a couple of dogs and chased sticks.

In the afternoon I went to the gym clutching my 'Physio Referral' as requested by the chaps yesterday. Wrong time to go! It was FULL of school kids using all the equipment, and the instructors were busy keeping an eye on all of them. No worries, I made an appointment for tomorrow.

I did TWO sessions on the cross trainer, 6 minutes each time. One minute forwards, one minute backwards, then a minute's rest - which just about kills me. And I did couple of leg strengthening exercises. I came home and lay on the sofa and listened to my audiobook until my Bluetooth headphones ran out of power.

JR and Archie were on the other sofa doing the same thing (JR is listening to Sue Perkins' autobiography. Archie is listening to nothing). At one point I did hear gentle snoring, not sure which body it was coming from...

Anne is coming round for tea and a binge session to finish off Stranger Things. Not being too keen on sci-fi, my review would be - It's not unwatchable. Which is damning it with faint praise.