Yesterday Darren drove me to Bridlington Hospital for 11 am so that I could have my  Achilles tendon reconstruction. The hospital and the staff are all very good, I saw the nurses, anaesthetists and the consultant in the morning. I made sure to tell them that I didn't want to be given codeine. I was first down in the afternoon, and after a battle finding my vein for the cannula The mask went on and I didn't know anything else until I was being brought round. Back on the ward and feeling okay, had a cup of tea and a nice dinner in the evening. Didn't do any 'hopping' yesterday, that was saved for today. I had very little sleep, but felt fairly well, and the pain so far had not been too bad. I have a stocking on my right leg and an ankle to knee 'pot' on the left one. Will need to have injections every day for 6 weeks to avoid clotting and problems, but have them and know what to do.

Only had the phone with me and did try to take pictures of the very nice ward but keep getting film mode without trying!! This morning I practised hopping along with the walking frame, and that I managed fairly well. Then the physios took me along to stairs in the hospital, I managed to get down and then up two full flights, but they are very different to the stairs at home. But I was passed as able to do it and Darren collected me, I was there less that 24 hours!
When we got home I realised how ill equipped for the challenge I was. I almost fell at the gate as no one had shown my how to go up a step with no rails! The man next door had arrived when we did and he and Darren half lifted me over the two steps into the porch and then the house! The stairs at the hospital have a proper hand rail, the perfect height. We had the old fashioned banisters, higher and harder to hold. Then, at the turn in the stairs there is nothing to hold onto! I was in quite a state by this time and decided to crawl.....Then crawled the rest of the way up which was much safer and I managed fairly well. But needless to say, I won't be going down for the next two weeks!! Now feeling quite relaxed and glad to be in my own environment.