My first thread change yesterday and some excitement

What can I say about it except it was not as bad I thought it would be! I survived (ha).

Everyone is nervous for their first thread change which is understandable, but I think the nerves are exacerbated by the fact that you’ve just spent a couple of weeks recovering from a somewhat painful procedure, that you dread more pain. Everyone’s experience is different of course, but yeah. 

I can sit ok and walk normally and pain is absolutely minimal – just a dull ache.

So, Nava and I headed in to the clinic together and as I waited for doc to come in and do my thread change, Nava was getting the unexpected life changing news that she was fistula free! After 24 years!! Doc comes in to do the thread change for me, sprays to numb the area and completes the change in a minute or two. Very quick. I was jabbering away the whole time to distract myself, but was also genuinely keen to finish and see if Nava was ok as I wasn’t sure what news she’d received at that stage, I’d just heard crying.

Today I went in with Nava to be her paparazzi and capture the moment for her as today was the day her last thread was removed and she was 'officially' fistula free. It was a pretty special thing to see and be part of I have to say. The overall feeling of joy, and not just from Nava’s glowing smile and twinkle in her eye, but from everyone. You can see that Dr Bhat is genuinely happy for her, and very humble about it. All the other staff are also reveling in the joy and posing for photos, and then there are the other fistula fighter patients who hug and congratulate as they truly understand that joy, and know they too will soon be celebrating. Now the journey begins for Nava to actually believe and adjust to her newfound health. That in itself is a process I think that many don’t think about.

I am endlessly learning new things here about the journey, things I wouldn't have thought about. It's pretty amazing...whether you realise it or not, when you come for the physical healing, there is a deeper level of healing that goes hand in hand with it.


Those smiles say a lot










 

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