Ok, I promised to start posting again in 2025 (there was just too much going on at the end of 2023 and throughout 2024).
Todays post (on the first day of the New Year, from Malta) will be pretty short, but outline the 2 main goals of last year that I’m really pleased about (my next post, will list some of the interesting things that I’ve done in 2024).
The first goal of 2024, after many years of being put off by Dr’s (and frankly my own trepidation) I realised it was time to have a total knee replacement. The arthritis in my right knee had got worse and worse to the point that I was struggling to cover 100 metres (where previously, I’d just put up with the pain).
I spoke to my GP, and the local hospital, actualy refered me to a private hospital. My appointment was for the 4th of Feb (I would be off work for 3 weeks, and my employer was really supportive).
Unfortuntately, a tiny number of people go into operating theatres each year, and don’t leave alive. I was confident everything would be ok (but also terrified).
I had a conversation with Nikki (details are confidential, but you can probably guess the sort of thing that was said “If anything happens to me, I want you to know…”.
The operation was a success. I was only in hospital for 1 night, but it was a private hospital, so I had a buzzer for emergencies and another one, in case I wanted a cup of tea at 4am in the morning.
My mother (a practicing nurse of 25+ years) would have turned in her grave. Inititaly I resisted, but the hot chocolate was just too good to miss.
It’s said that I person will be 90% recovered after 12 weeks.
I spent the next 2 weeks at Nikki’s house. Everything was fine at first. Then I realised I still had the effects of the anesthetic in my system. Once that wore off, I was in a lot of pain, so we had to go back to hospital and get som stronger painkillers.
But, within 2 weeks, after significant invasive surgery, I was able to get around with paracetamol!.
I work in technology and computers. But when people say the Internet is a miracle, I correct them and say modern medicine is a miracle.
Within a month I was up and about and even managed a trip around Ness Botanical gardens on my crutches.
After 2 months, I did a 10 mile walk from Buxton to Ravenstore YHA, stayed overnight and then walked back.
I’m up and about fine now, but ridiculously, because I was keen to get out, I overdid it.
So now, I’m seeing a physiotherapist to resolve Vastus Mdialis Oblique (VMO) problems with my left knee (my right knee is now perfectly fine, but for the next few weeks I’ll be limping on the other side 🙂
But as you’ll see from next weeks post and all the things I did in 2024, my goal of a new knee and a 2nd life has been achieved. I simply can’t thank the Dr’s, Speclialists and Nurses who helpled me enough.
I’ve always enjoyed travelling. The 2nd goal I set myself for 2024 was to join the Travellers Century Club.
It’s a group for people who’ve been to 100 countries or more. It’s pretty easy getting the numbers up initialy (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey & Guernsey.
Once you get past 80 it gets harder and harder especialy with cost and work comitments.
But in September this year, I put on my trusty whistle (my travel ritual) and headed off to my 100th country.
I’ve now got my TCC badge. It was never really about bragging as some people have asked me, it’s more that I work well with lists.
Still plenty more places to visit and things to see, but for now, I’m delighted that my 2 main goals of 2024 are completed.
Near and far, the search for adventure continues…