Swimming along!

I finally made it to the swimming pool! It was a real pleasure to be back in the water and enjoy some gentle exercise and a relaxing time in the steam room. The new swimsuit covered all the right places and disguised my uneven chest suitably for me not to be self-conscious. Suffered a little later on that evening with some return of the jabbing pains around the scar but figure it’s just the nerves and part of the healing process, it didn’t last long. I was back at hospital last Friday to get some of the stitch removed. Rather than dissolve as it is meant to it had worked its way to the surface and formed a small lump. I thought pulling the end of the nylon thread would just release and remove it, but that did not happen and instead the scar puckered up like the hem on fabric and I realised the nylon could be acting like a cheese wire inside me! The nurse snipped the end, checked me over and said that it does sometimes happen. I can snip any other threads myself. I’m back to prosthesis clinic on Thursday to hopefully get a slightly smaller “breast” for my new bra.

The general busyness is returning to my life and the “new normal” takes shape. Much of the daily “normal” changes are due rather to the fact there are no longer two children at home and not just due to recent surgery! Lazy mornings with coffee in bed instead of neither racing out for the school bus at 7.40am nor battling the rush hour traffic to get to college for 9am. Enjoying later departures for work for Paul and early finishes as the office winds down before its imminent closure. Altogether a slower pace of life which I am happy to be experiencing! I think I lived on adrenalin for the last five years which clearly is not a good idea!

The Downstairs keeps me busy with laundry, cleaning etc for guests (costumiers for the panto staying with us for the next 7 weeks). I had help from Dad and Alice last week which made life easier! Dad also cleared gutters, chopped logs and swept leaves for us. We aim to take on a gardener for the Spring if the house has not sold to help with the heavy duty side of things.

Looking forward to a trip to England at the start of next month to catch up with family and friends before Christmas. Thus the Christmas shopping has had to be sorted early!

It’s fair to say that we will breathe a sigh of relief once this year is over but along with the lows there were of course, also highs. New friends have been made through running club and psychology evening class, I’m proud to have run with Alice in her first half marathon in Edinburgh in May, we watched Maisie push her boundaries with work experience and travel in the summer, enjoyed having family over from Canada to stay for a few days, bumped into a couple of famous people – Billy Connelly & Donald Trump, enjoyed the splendour of Prestonfield House Hotel and experienced the stunning scenery and peace that the North West of Scotland has to offer. Not bad, I’d say!