Very arrogant of me to think anyone might have noticed, but I’ve been a bit quiet recently. That’s because I’m having what the wonderful Joyce Williams (aka GrandmaWilliams 80+) calls “a dip for a hip.” Par for the course for we oldies. Yep, hip replacement coming up at the end of May.
I’ve been struggling with hip pain for almost two years but I only had an MRI to find out what was wrong a couple of months ago. What we (my physio and hip doc and hence also me) assumed was a hip cartilage tear turns out to be rubbish cartilage on a rubbish hip. Replacement is the only way forwards.
I haven’t been able to run since June 2018 but it’s got to the point where now I can only walk very short distances. It also hurts. Because of this I’ve been conserving my diminished energy (not to mention what in Greece is referred to as kefi, or zest for life) and just trying to get through the commitments I already have in front of me until surgery.
Turns out of course that these commitments are super-exciting. They would be wouldn’t they? So no way do I want to prejudice them. They include a second outdoors No Limits exhibition of my photos in a park in central Bristol running through April and the big outdoor exhibition of my work (60 pictures, eek!) put on by the World Health Organisation in Geneva that opens on May 17th. Plus (of course) it’s now that I’m making my first documentary film following 5 female masters athletes through the year. I’m working on this with my new partner-in-crime Danielle Sellwood, and after so many years of working alone, I’m enjoying having her as a colleague enormously.
So I’m conserving my physical resources as much as I can in order to be able to fulfil (and enjoy) these commitments and then I’ll get myself a new hip on May 27th and start again. Actually it’s been Danielle who’s been encouraging me to stop worrying and get on and get it done. “The world will not stop spinning, Alex, just because you are getting a new hip,” she tells me. Really?? Where’s that blushing emoji when you need it? Spot on, Danielle.
This time next year I hope to be running and playing tennis; I thought I’d pick up squash again too. So watch this space and forgive, please, my more measured – and slightly less exuberant – approach in the meanwhile.
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