One year on ...

It’s been a strange week for me, as a year ago I had just had an operation and was physically incapacitated whilst I recovered. It seems strange to think that I wouldn’t put shoes on again until August 28th when I ventured out for a tiny walk along the street. Instead I had to wear those natty hospital socks for the duration to aid my circulation. That small walk would take me five minutes now but back then it took me 20 minutes. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it home – I nearly phoned to be collected! That seems crazy but that’s how my life was one year ago. 
     I’d never truly re-joined the human race after the Covid lockdowns of 2020/21 as my physical health had deteriorated so couldn’t venture out reclaiming the life I’d had in 2019.
     To complicate matters, I suffered with blood clots in July 2022, which meant my lungs weren't fit enough for me to endure surgery. Another physical set-back but with the emotional turmoil of a near-miss situation. Which certainly makes you question every thing in life.
     By December 2022, I’d opted for a period of semi-isolation as I had to avoid catching Covid in the seven weeks prior to my op date. I allowed myself one afternoon each week to leave the house to buy essentials. The problem being my op date was delayed which meant I’d already completed six months in isolation before my recovery began. My social group was reduced to just two people with whom I interacted, as a means of avoiding the lurgy. Thankfully, those two beauties saw me through the entire recovery process too. My two friends couldn’t be with me around the clock, so I spent days sitting in an armchair, surrounded by books, my laptop and a supply of food - which they prepped for me, knowing they were a phone call away. On the evening, they helped me to bed. It was the strangest of times. Sadly, it’s what I had to do and how I had to live to get through that time. Today, I can’t imagine repeating that situation, though I recognise that others in society have little choice.
     One year on, I’m fit and healthy but the experience has affected me in ways I wouldn’t have predicted. I’ve always had an obsession about time, wasting time and the passing of time which seems to have intensified somewhat since my isolation days. I suppose I’m trying to catch up on my ‘missed time’. My good health and fitness continues to be a priority. I’ve returned to attending more social groups on a weekly basis but my social network hasn’t truly recovered after my op-isolation. I’m still shocked by the changes to traffic volume, noise levels and the new-era after the Covid lockdown. 
​     It feels strange to think that I’ve spent since last September adjusting to life, and ten months on can still feel as I do. But the main thing is, I'm alive and kicking!

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