I’m home!!!! I cant believe it. It feels wonderful. Sorry for the late post but its been a busy day.

The last couple of days in hospital actually got harder for me as I was attached to a food tube and therefore couldn’t leave the building for our fresh air walks which meant so much to me. It felt like being in jail and was getter harder and harder to keep my spirits up. People I’d never see again came and went from my ward for surgery.

But they had to test how my eating went before discharging me after the balloon procedure on Wednesday. The first Readybrek breakfast Thursday morning tasted so great. I only ate half of it as I was worried about how my body would cope with food, but it was fine. Then my lunch arrived – a half portion of pureed chicken, pureed veg and gravy and it tasted delicious! It did trigger an unpleasant reaction afterwards, but apparently that was just my body ejecting my pre-op food. Then my pureed evening meal tasted awful. I had no idea what it was but ate it anyway. I just wanted to get home and would have eaten anything to get there. The only worry was a slightly elevated temperature so I couldn’t take anything for granted about leaving Friday.

Then Friday came. The big day. Would they release me? My surgeon and his entourage came to say hi doing his rounds, saying I could go home if both blood and X-Rays tests were fine. Fingers crossed. I ate all my Readybrek, had my all important blood test and X-Rays and waited…..and waited. Another awful meal came. I ate it. No way could I survive another day there. Neil arrived with an enormous basket full of fruit for the staff, so heavy he needed a wheelchair to carry it. Then the news came. All the results were good and I was free to go. The relief was unbelievable and quietly emotional.

They extracted the final tube from my bruised arm and we presented the fruit to the staff. Exhausted, I took my place in the wheel chair and we left. Wheeling me out of that main door felt like breaking out of jail into freedom.

I must confess that I was so emotional and so exhausted I didn’t have the energy to leap about with glee. I left the wheelchair for Neil to take the photo at the entrance, but barely had the energy to sit in the car. I just wanted to go home.

Driving home was lovely. It was a beautiful warm sunny November day, the leaves were falling through the Devon countryside as I watched Dartmoor pass by on the left as Neil drove. I kept thinking of all the walks we’d had there over the years and started looking forward to the many more we’ll be having together. It made me realise how strongly I’m beginning to identify myself with Devon.

Neil had made a fun welcome home sign on our front door. Gosh it felt good to be home. Without even visiting our rooms, I headed straight for the shower to wash the hospital away. Then we sat together and watch Blue Planet II and various other TV shows. Then Neil went to collect Cara from the station. It was so lovely to see her. Then bed. I barely had the strength to let my family know I was home. I was exhausted, relieved, and possibly slightly traumatised by the whole 2 weeks, but I was home.

I slept so very well. Unbelievably well despite being still quite painful. No one woke me for blood tests, or meds or anything. Saturday morning, my energy started flooding back. I’d been studying Aga videos in hospital, so showed Neil how to cook ‘proper’ Aga fried eggs. Neil had finished painting his dovecote and had it erected while I was in hospital, so our friends Jo and Stuart delivered 7 beautiful white doves for us to home, then joined us for coffee as I felt so well. Then Marc arrived, taking a break from a big Devon party he was at. Then Cara’s boyfriend Andrew’s parents, who live in Toulouse, and their family from Exmouth popped in for tea after their lunch in the pub. What a lovely normal day.

When everyone left, Neil and I watched the rugby together in front of the fire with Cara and Andrew. Every moment I’m home I feel more normal, and definitely fitter. It hurts when I cough, or laugh or cry, but that will fade. My breathing has already improved simply being home with all the stairs we have here. We didn’t get time to go for a walk today , but we will tomorrow. Marc’s coming back tomorrow then all children will return to London.

I have to eat a puree diet for 2 weeks, preferably not soup. I need solid pureed sustenance. I have to eat meat, chicken, fish, cheese etc to get protein into me, with rich sauces. I have to eat everything fattening I can manage to pile in the carbs. Forget the healthy living I’ve followed over the years. I need lashings of butter and sugar on everything. It sounds so bizarre, but I’ll get used to it. My challenge is to keep the weight on as my stomach is so small and my appetite not great…yet!!

Now is the start of the recovery chapter. I don’t want to be too busy as I want to savour every moment of being home with the lovely Neil and build up our lives together again. Being apart for 2 weeks was 2 weeks too many for both of us.

I’ll update this blog occasionally, definitely when I make it up to the beacon again.

Thank you for all your amazing support, cards, calls, texts, emails etc etc.

I’ll be back!!!