Not a thread change

Went in a couple of days ago for what was meant to be my 10th thread change. Doc comes in all smiley and jokey, says it’s a good day for a thread change, it’s an auspicious day…I ask him why and he says cause it’s Monday…we all laughed. Then he takes a look and says – maybe it’s not such an auspicious day and cleans the wound instead! It was very entertaining and a good distraction from the clean which I find to be more painful than the thread changes. Have been going in for wound clean daily and tomorrow should be my 10th thread change. I was thoroughly enjoying the couple of weeks’ worth of almost no pain! Having said that, the pain is still manageable.

We patients were talking about how we adapt the way we walk to accommodate the pain and as a result have caused pain in other parts of the body. We could all relate to each other in this area and it was so good to see others nodding emphatically in understanding. I went for a walk the other day to Cubbon Park and had to tell myself repeatedly to walk normally and make a conscious effort to remember how it felt to walk properly, to take normal sized steps, to walk straight. We talked about how we lean forward when sitting to put our weight on our legs instead of our butts to minimise pain. Now I have to re-learn what it's like to sit upright. Even normal muscles used when sitting down ache due to non-use and need to be re-activated.

It’s a crazy, mind-boggling thing having a fistula. You truly cannot grasp how much it affects. Having these conversations with fellow fistula fighters has helped me immensely. SUPER grateful for my Israeli posse who have welcomed me so.  


State library in Cubbon Park















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