I don’t have great will power, I greet defeat with a handshake and polite nod. And so, one Wednesday morning early in December as I was rushing around (barefoot) trying to get the not-so-little one out the door and on her way to school I walked into what I first thought was a sewing machine needle. The pain was like no other and the child learnt some new colourful language. On inspection of the carpet I found the culprit, or the remainders of it, half a cocktail stick wedged into the coir matting. No sign of the other half.
One trip to A&E, an x-ray and I was sent home (hobbling painfully) to ‘see if an infection occurs’. Four days later back (hobbling painfully) at A&E with good signs of infection, insisting that it feels like something is in the foot and sent home to ‘your body will expel or break down any little splinters’. Half a cocktail stick is a big blooming splinter.
Four lots of antibiotics later, another trip to A&E (junior Dr treats abscess on the wound), still no referral and still I insist there is something in there. Finally I snap, I can’t blooming walk on the thing, I can’t fit into any of my shoes and the pain is unbearable. So, another call to the GP and I insist on an ultrasound. The consultant radiographer, lovely chap, takes one look and says (when doing the ultrasound) “Doesn’t this hurt?!” Finally someone can see that things aren’t right. So, five weeks of no exercise and a little weigh gain. Disaster for the project. Xmas and New Year’s celebration added a few extra pounds too. Spirits were low.
Finally managed to see a Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon, he seemed to think it would fix itself OK, time will heal etc, ordered an MRI to be on the safe side. The next day (following the MRI) I get a call and am scheduled in for an operation within days. Guess what? Yes, I STILL HAD THE OTHER HALF OF THE BLOOMING COCKTAIL STICK IN MY FOOT!
And so, here we are today, four months after the eventful morning, 1 x-ray, 1 ultrasound, 2 MRIs and one 45 minute operation (they never did actually find the cocktail stick though) and I can finally walk again. It isn’t back to normal for sure, I am waiting on the results from the second MRI but I can walk. Fenner bought me a Fitbit Charge for Xmas and this last week it has been my complete saviour.
Over the last week I have been walking on average 10k steps a day. Today I did 13k. Since starting to walk properly again I have lost 5% of my body fat and all I am doing is walking and keeping (pretty much) to a low carb diet.
I don’t think I will get to lose the full 52lbs by July, that would be crazy. But I certainly want to lose a good portion of that and the whole lot by Christmas. What I really do want though is to get in that blooming dress, and look good in it!
Here we go! (again)
S x
The Yellow Dress Project 