Life is good

At the start of June, while I sat in a room at the Royal Free, oblivious to the covid that was about to scupper my plans to pop downstairs for a new liver, I wrote a list of things I wanted to do after I had had the transplant. 

This is an update on how I'm getting on with the list:-

I want to eat pizza. The hospital catering chose not to fulfil this desire and the doctors sent me home on a no fat diet for a week (I checked and pizza does have some fat). However, I believe I achieved this goal within the first few days after the no fat diet ended. Tick. 

I want to play 5-a-side. Sport has been a source of contention between me and the Drs. I am incredibly keen to get out and play all the sports. They are incredibly keen that I don't give myself a hernia. But from 6 months post op they say I can go for it, so I expect to tick this off the list in the coming weeks. 

I want to watch the sunset in my new bedroom. I realise the wording here could lead to a misunderstanding so, for both clarity and the avoidance of a catastrophic cosmic event, I would be in my new bedroom, the sun would not be in the bedroom. As such, this was also achieved shortly after my return home. Tick. 

I want to curl up with Bex on the sofa. Initially I managed "sitting up straight on the sofa in the vicinity of Bex and maybe holding hands" but as my wound healed we have definitely made it to curling up. Tick. 

I want an ice cold coke. Probably washed down that first pizza with a coke. Tick. 

I want to go to the beach. 18th Sep Bex, the kids and I drove to Bournemouth for the day. The kids splashed around in the sea like loons. I shivered in several layers of clothes. We dug a hole and had fish and chips. A special day. Tick. 

I want to do the school run. 5th Sep. Despite having a secondary school child now who is far too grown up and cool to need taking to school, on the first day of term I proudly took the other two to school. Tick. 

I want to sing loudly when everyone's out. There have been several times where Bex and the kids have been out and I've filled the house with my glorious accompaniments to Girls Aloud, Sugababes and the like. Tick. 

I want to go to the cinema. "Lye, Lyle Crocodile" and "Violent Night" are the wildly different films that helped me achieve this goal. Tick. 

I want to walk in the Transplant Games opening parade. OK, confession time. I deliberately worded it like this because I knew there was no way I could compete in the 2022 Transplant Games but thought someone might let me join the other athletes in the parade at the start of the games in Oxford this summer. My attempt at a quick win on this one was foiled because there was no parade through Oxford and, quite rightly, no one asked me to join the athletes as, country by country, they made their entrance into the opening ceremony. Hope to achieve this goal in July 2023 at the British Transplant Games in Coventry. 

I want to make jokes about willies. OK, so this one was always going to be childish. Here is a screenshot of a conversation with my father-in-law. 

In between the "You serious?!?!?!" and the tilted, crying, laughing emoji I am pretty sure he tuned in to channel 4 for the beginning of "My massive ****"- a show that I believe did indeed feature willies. 24th Oct. Tick. 

I want to be less yellow. First week in hospital. Bish, bash, bosh. Job done. Laters jaundice. Tick. 

I want to go to a gig. At the risk of the wrath of my wife and kids, who have all performed brilliantly at carol concerts and school recitals recently, I'm leaving this unticked. I think a gig should really leave your ears ringing for a good few hours afterwards and, while still excellent, the year 2 hand bells didn't do that. No current plans to achieve this one so I need to get on it. 

I want to play board games. Pokemon Uno. Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza. Exploding kittens. Poo Bingo. Tick. Tick. A hundred times, tick. 

I want to climb a tree. Hmmm. Maybe ticked? I remember not climbing a tree because of the fear of a hernia induced "I told you so" from the Drs but I'm not sure if I have climbed one since then. I will rectify this ASAP and report back in the comments. 

I want a massage at a spa. Not yet but there are serious talks of Bex and I getting away and possibly to the same hotel and spa she took me to for my 40th. Hopefully this will be ticked in the coming months.

So 11/16 as I approach 6 months. 12 if I can find a tree before Thursday. I'm pleased with that. I'm also pleased that I haven't needed any hospital admissions since being discharged after the operation. Life is indeed good.