Picture: A sunny but windy day on Skye. Tea, with jam and cream at Uig bay.I can honestly say that I'm feeling really well at the moment. Each day is a tiny bit better than the last, though I suspect it's going to be a pretty long time before things get back to something like normal. After six weeks the bruising is just beginning to surface, which gives me some indication as to the amount of tissue affected during surgery. I bought a sports bra the other day, but unfortunately I can't wear it yet as it presses on the scar line and the swelling under my arm.
I've been doing some driving over the last couple of days, to see how I manage. It's been ok but I have trouble with fifth gear and reverse both of which require a pulling or pushing motion with my left arm, in fact reverse needs both hands as it uses the affected muscles quite alot and can send them into spasm . The only other discomfort comes with too much use of the clutch i.e. when crawling in traffic or through town as this also uses the latissimus dorsi muscle. Actually I understand that even flexing the thumb uses this muscle, so everything above is understandable.
One thing that does annoy me is the restriction in my right arm due to what's known in the chemotherapy unit as 'knackered veins'. I'm told it could take a year to eighteen months for these to recover - oh joy! Fortunately the Herceptin treatment doesn't affect them like chemotherapy, but it does mean a cannula every three weeks and locating a useful 'juicy' vein is not easy.
I've had some wonderful gifts over the last six months, but I was over the moon last week when our friend Alan gave me a framed poster and a photograph of my two favorite folk musicians Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham - both signed! plus several cd's and a dvd (courtesy of Aly's manager). I missed their York gig as it was the day I had my surgery, so Alan pulled some strings with his radio contacts and hey presto! Many many thanks Alan.
