It’s over

Thank you all for your good wishes for my op.

An early start as I had to be at Hexham which is an hour’s drive away, at 7.30. It’s a lovely new (ish) - hospital not built by the current government. It seemed like the operation would be delayed as my notes had not arrived. You’d think in these days of IT there wouldn’t be a problem.

I was offered a regional anaesthetic rather than general and opted for that but they gave me a sedative as well. I listened to Mozart to minimise the noise of the chain saw and hammering. The op took 49 minutes the surgeon announced to the anaesthetist. I had waited 5 years for Silastic replacement of the first metatarsophalangeal joint.

The regional anaesthetic could take between 4-24 hours to wear off but I was asking for painkillers just after 4 hours. I think I must be becoming a bit of a wimp as I’m home now and finding that despite the codeine, paracetamol and Oramorph it is pretty painful.

I have to wear this bandage and boot for 2 weeks when I’ll get the wound checked. If all is OK I’ll can wear a trainer and walk about again. (At the moment I have crutches but can put weight on the heel of the boot). Then in 6 weeks I can exercise.

Feeling so grateful that it is done at last and if I can wear my walking boots without pain and get hill-fit a Covid winter might be bearable after all.