Aftermath

I slept reasonably well, if a little less longer than usual, due to the need to change dressings in the night. The wound is open without the suture now, but at least it can heal properly at last. We had our Saturday pancake breakfast early, then went back to bed for a lie in and snooze until eleven. I walked for an hour and then cooked lunch. Today the wound is more painful and inflamed so I need to take several doses of Neurofen and one of paracetamol to minimise discomfort and pain. I've also needed to alternate activity and rest, to use my energy sparingly and not get exhausted. In other words, be sensible. 

When I was briefly awake in the small hours I remembered being anaesthetised and having a tight fitting mask imposed that was gently pushing air into my lungs, moments before I blacked out. I then recalled the same sensation when I was operated upon at the Spire last November - a mask like the one that scuba divers wear. On previous occasions the mask was more loose fitting with a tube into my mouth that was taken out when I re-surfaced. So, I wonder if this reflects the proliferation of the technique for assisted breathing with the oxygen or enriched oxygen mix being pumped in under low pressure, widely used to treat covid patients? It would certainly explain why I wasn't at all groggy when I came to, but felt as fresh and bright as I do when I sleep under an open window our outdoors in a tent. Extra oxygen to aid recovery maybe? A strange thing to be thinking about in between sleeps in the middle of the night.

I rested in the afternoon, then walked to Texco's for a bottle of wine and some olives, as Kath is coming tomorrow, driving their brand new Skoda mini-SUV on its first long journey, having collected it from the showrooms this morning. It'll be great to see her again in the flesh as opposed to on Zoom. Yesterday Clare took part in an all day symposium Kath ran about using dance with early years children. An very impressive piece of work. We're very proud of what she's doing.

Talking of early years work, Mark our violinist friend came around this afternoon to be briefed by Clare about accompanying her when she does her kindergarten eurythmy story telling session in school. It was lovely to see the two of them out in the sunshine on the patio piecing together the performance. Working with kids in this way is a new adventure for him, although he's no stranger making music with them,

This evening Clare had tickets for a Schubert Schwanengesange recital, by Gerard Finley accompanied by Simon Lepper in the Dora Stutzker concert hall at the Royal Welsh College, followed by a Q&A with the artists. I listened lying down on the bed for an hour and a half and then needed more fresh air before bed. For the first time, perhaps since the last operation, I can't remember offhand, I needed Clare to put a plaster over the wound before bed. It's slow drying out now the adrenalin which aids clotting has left my body. There's no escaping the aftermath of invasive surgery. It creates an opportunity for nature to take its course again in a wholesome way, and that's what counts in the end.