I hit a great milestone today! Instead of a nurse applying four layers of compression bandaging to my leg (as has been done 2 or 3 times every week this whole year), she fitted a "normal" compression stocking, and after a check visit on Friday, I will no longer need to visit the Community Nurses (I can put them on myself), but more importantly, I will no longer need to wrap my leg up to keep the bandages dry, and go swimming for the first time since 2014 (not a misprint!). My kayak won't get a chance to dry out either.
So now I can get out on the water like a madman (some might say highly appropriate!), until my next "holiday" from sailing, which will be in mid-January, when the surgeon will add spacers between the C1 to C7 vertabrae in my neck (and then repeat the process on the other side of my neck four days later. Cripes). I will need to wear a special collar for six weeks, and a dear friend reminded me of dogs wearing buckets with the bottom cut out, so my new nickname is "Woof". Very funny.
But wait, there's more. Once I have recovered from the above, he will then fuse L2 & L3 to an existing (20 year old) spinal fusion of L3, L4 and S1 in my lower back. So that will be >another< 6 week holiday from sailing.
So right now, I am getting all the sailing my TI can stand! (well someone has gotta do it
)
