Today is exactly one month since my surgery took place. On the whole my scars are healing well and even regaining a bit of 'feeling' which means it now hurts when I have to pull of the tape in order to rub in the E45. E45 - I should have shares in that company by now, I've bought so much of the stuff.
It's good to pause and take stock of how far I've come in that month because it could all too easily just drift into the next phase.
When I left hospital I was astounded at quite how tired I was - most days of that first week I was tucked up in bed by 7 p.m. (though it has to be said I didn't sleep during the day at all). Now I am living full length days, if not filling them with all that much activity.
When I saw the radiotherapist a fortnight ago she fell about laughing at the lack of movement in my 'affected arm'. Now it is almost back to normal - a couple of inches left to go to get full extension - and importantly I can lie with it above my head pretty much pain-free.
In the first three weeks changing the steri-strips and later tape on the scar on my back was an acrobatic feat, juggling the tape in the hand of my one functional arm whilst lookign in the mirror (the nurse was impressed with my handiwork!). Now I can use both hands and it is incredily simple!
A month ago my brain was pure mush - concentration was almost non-existent and I even sometimes found myself scrabbling for specific words. Now, after a normal jigsaw, a knitted teddy bear and part of a super fiendish jigsaw I am feeling more alert - and even read an extended complex article online today.
This week I have begun taking daily walks again - typically 2-3 miles - and today for the first time I ventured into town on the train! I am definitely feeling better for the exercise.
At four weeks post-surgery I am now about to start the 'advanced' exercises for my arm and feel much stronger than I did even a week ago. There is still a way to go to regain that last bit of movement in my arm, and a long wait until I can even think about resuming any weightbearing acitivities, but on the whole things are going well and I feel a lot brighter.
I think, to give it a hiking metaphor, it's been like walking through a boggy field, in which your feet get sucked into the mud and sometimes it feels like you're going backwards, not forwards. Then, all of a sudden you look up and see the gate at the far end is not so far away (and hope that the cattle don't all congregate there just as you arrive!).
The last stage of my 'journey' through active treatment is the radiotherapy, which begins in April and will consist of twenty-five zappings over a six-week period. Hopefully between now and then I'll be out of the boggy field and along the path again for a bit of easy walking...