So, that was quite the experience: towards the end of March I went in for major cancer surgery. It was thought if it all went to plan I would have a night in high dependency after the surgery, then several days in the ward being monitored to make sure everything was starting to work again after being taken apart and put back together (complete with very large scar across my body).

(view of the older part of the hospital, surrounded by modern extensions, taken on one of my recuperation exercise walks around the hospital corridors)

With some wrinkles it ended up being 8 days in hospital before finally going home. The staff were wonderful, supportive, friendly, we were well looked after, but you still yearn to go home.

Rather than return to my own flat by myself, my family picked me up and we drove back through to Glasgow so I could stay at the parental mansion with dad. It just felt like the more sensible thing to do, being very weak and tired and sore (and scarred and bruised), no bad thing to have someone there to keep an eye on me, just in case. It was good to be out though after 8 days, even though first day out it was windy, cold and raining, but dammit, it was outside and it felt good.

Dad and I took short excursions and walks each day, pacing ourselves (at the moment I don’t have to slow my walk to match dad, because I am so bloody slow). After a week staying back home, slowly getting better, I decided it was time to move back to Edinburgh, so last night was my first sleep in my own flat in my own bed in about 16 days. It felt a bit odd to be back, although also good. Out for another short walk today to try and build myself back up, slow walk to Harrison Park to the old boathouse, where I met up with a chum, and also, crucially, where I could sit down for a while to get my strength back for the walk home.

(early morning light casting shadows and light beams across a hospital corridor, taken during my hospital stay during an exercise walk)

I’m not out of the woods yet, and there is more than likely more treatment to come, most likely some form of chemo, which of course I am less than happy about – feels like my poor body has been violated enough already, frankly. But if it needs done, it needs done, and at least the major surgery part is now in my rear view mirror. It’s still going to be weeks of getting my strength back though, but taking it one day at a time. And still taking photos, of course. Even managed a couple of pics while walking around the hospital for exercise.

(I rarely do selfies, but this was my first, full day out of hospital after 8 days, and the relief of standing outside, even in rain and wind, was just wonderful)