Sunday 23 October 2011

I'm Alive!

Hello Chaps, it really wasn't my intention to maintain Radio Silence for so long, but it has been a bit of an insane couple of months; in a good way.

I feel that I haven't done a medical update for ages and I have good news, so I'll crack on with that first.

An extraordinary thing happened to me in class a couple of months ago; I realised I was scrutinising my epaulement in the mirror.
Now I know what you're thinking 'Well Hold The Front Page: Dancer Exams Her Technique in CLASS!', but for me it must have been the first time in about two and a half years that I wasn't thinking 'Hip' as in 'Ohh, what's that', 'that's a bit sore/twingey/stiff', 'that really is feeling most peculiar', 'Ouch, that's kind of painful', 'That seriously hurts like a Mother******'.........Followed by post-op recovery and Physio where you are constantly on a knife's edge of nerves 'Is that normal?', 'Should it be feeling like that?', 'Have I pushed myself too hard/not hard enough?' and so on.
So I'm sure you can understand my complete joy at realising that I hadn't even thought about the 'old ball and socket' joint once in the studio that day; I also hoped it was a positive sign as I had to see my consultant in September for my one year follow up.

Fast forward to September and keeping everything crossed I head off to see the Prof; measurements and general prodding are carried out by his Physios and then it's off to Radiology for some X-rays, which I found to be a slightly amusing process. Firstly the Radiologist gave me a complete running commentary on the nuances of everything she was doing; I imagine this was meant to be reassuring and whilst I now feel certain that in an emergency situation I would be capable of providing an accurate X-ray of the 'true pelvis', I slightly got the impression she was reminding herself what to do; which made me want to giggle. Inappropriate? I can always be relied on for that.
Then she disappeared and returned brandishing a stool (of the chair variety), by which point I'm thinking 'They need an X-ray of me doing some Bob Fosse choreography?'; no turns out it's for me to put my good leg on and get it out the way so she take a sort of diagonal cross section of my hip.
Now, no one likes a smart arse, so I refrained from mentioning that I was probably more than capable of holding one leg in the air and still for quite a long time!

There have been a few IT updates since I last visited the Prof, so instead of being handed my x-rays to scuttle back to him with, I was informed it was all in the new system and he would be viewing them electronically. Ohhh, it's just like Star Trek!

So.....DRUM ROLL PLEASE.........The Prof viewed his handiwork and was exceptionally pleased with the outcome; he thinks I've healed superbly, that the bone surfaces are nice and smooth, providing excellent mobility and range of motion and that for me 'Normal service can be resumed'. I will need to see him again in a year to check the condition of the joint and I do occasionally have a little bit of Bursa trouble, which may or may not require an injection, but other than that I am a very happy Bunny!

I would like to say a massive THANK YOU to Professor Ernest Schilders and his team for their skill, dedication and professionalism over the last year and a half. I would also like to thank my Physio, the fantastic Mr Garry Slade, who, for at least the last decade, has constantly mended me, shared his unique bedside manner and made me laugh, often to the point of tears; but has also been a huge part of my successful post-operative recovery. Thank you Mr Slade, from your one and only 'Valley Girl'!

I'd just like to leave you with one more thought; I've recently returned from LA, where, at the airport I had to pass through the 'Naked Scanner' at security. Now I don't want to make assertions, but the rather portly gentlemen in the queue in front and behind me seemed to spend significantly less time in the scanner than I did; that's all I'm saying!
And given the amount of radiation I'd already been exposed to in the last couples of months I may very well look like this next time I'm on stage:



XANADU 02 (I'm Alive) by ivatrinka



Take Care My Darlings,


BB xx