Tip Toe Hip Replacement!

I feel like I’ve reached the first project milestone! I have finally had an appointment with the Surgeon and have just received my ‘Pre Op’ date to have my second hip done. The bad news is that the waiting time is currently about 5 months, but the good news is that I have volunteered to go on the cancellations list so just might get it done sooner. I’m a ‘glass half’ full kind of a guy!

I need to get this out of the way and be fully recovered / rehabilitated (if that’s the right word) before even thinking about overlanding / off-roading, especially in Africa. I recovered pretty quickly the last time and fingers crossed don’t anticipate any problems but it would be crazy to rush away and risk infection or having a problem in a part of the world where medical care is perhaps, well ........ not the best. It took nearly a year before being completely pain free last time – not the joint pain, that had gone almost straight away. It was as if the surgeon had taken all the muscles out of my thigh, jumbled them up, tied them in knots and just rammed them randomly back in again. (Come to think of it, I was the last on the list that day……. maybe he was late for the pub?). It seemed to take ages for the muscles to sort themselves out and get themselves back in the right places again. Joking aside, I remain very grateful. The care and support I got last time (when I eventually got on the list) was first class.

I did briefly get my life back and we even managed to squeeze in some offshore sailing together until my other hip heard that his mate had got something he wanted and started to ‘complain’. It must be about two years now since I felt the first familiar ‘twinge’. i guess it’s the price to pay for doing silly things for Queen and Country in my ‘youth’. It’s just a bit shit getting older; my kids tell me I’m just fossilising!

I am very frustrated as I can’t work at the moment (requires travel to places not typically on the popular tourist destination list) so will spend some time trying to improve this website and make it more useful for all. In the mean time I continue to wobble slowly around walks on the beach with our two dogs yearning for the day we can leave to start our next adventure together, Tip Toe Overland. It just got one step closer today.

............ Travel safely!