Keep calm and carry on...

29 January 2016 

D-day has arrived. 

- Check-in at 11am. 

- Surgery at approx 2.30pm. 

- Operation takes up to 2 1/2 hours. 

Followed by 2 hours in recovery and then the rehabilitation journey begins.

This last week has been strange - finalising my work projects, packing my hospital bag, sorting things out. 

One of the things keeping me calm has been watching my favourite one eyed chicken - Abby. (Actually she is my only one eyed chicken 😄).

Abby has gone "clucky" and she started incubating a stash of eggs that she had secretly accumulated. By my calculations, if the eggs survived predation by hedgehogs (and Lewis) they were due to hatch while I was in hospital. After some deliberation, I removed the eggs and replaced them with some fake eggs. Abby watched on and then relocated to a new location and made herself a new nest with no eggs. She has been sitting on the new nest calmly for the last week. 

Abby and I both know that in another week or so her hormonal need to nest will go and she will be back in the flock, digging up the garden and generally marauding. But in the interim she happily hoovers up all the treats I ply her with (minced beef, fresh corn, grated carrot and beetroot).

In addition to chicken monitoring (or chicken bothering as my brother calls it), I have  been doing all my pre-hab exercises at the local pool. 

Yesterday I told one of the older ladies who swims at the same time as I do, I was having a knee replacement. She gave me a huge smile and then pulled up both trouser legs and showed me two gorgeous knees with very fine long scars. She said - "how wonderful - you will be so pleased with your operation - it will be amazing! I have had both knees done and it was the best thing!" She positively glowed.

As today edged closer, my friends and family have been phoning, emailing, face-booking and texting messages sending their love, support and best wishes. I feel very touched and honoured to have their love.

I am calm. I have a precious and wonderful treasure trove of love and good wishes to take with me to the hospital. I have done as much preparation as I could do and the knee replacement is the right choice for me.

Bring it on!