Sunday, April 29, 2012

Overnight stay in the bush

Went to The Cradle on Thursday night. Apart from what is now becoming - dare I say it - typical South African inefficiency, as when the person I had done the booking with forgot to notify the reception area that the payment had already been made, and one other hiccup, had a fab time.
This where we stayed:
It is really beautiful. A nature reserve, privately owned, but a nature reserve nevertheless and although I couldn't go for a walk because of my broken toe, decided to go there regardless. And it was wonderful. Plan to go back, ideally in summer.

My unstable arm

Cannot believe I have posted only once this month. Not sure why ... but there was one busy week when I was holding the post at work and worked longer hours than usual, then went away last week and didn't do computer stuff and then went away again, for a night, on my return and then this weekend has been hectic - so guess, that's it!
Anyway, toe still broken but healing and can now work more although banned from the treadmill and by implication, the bike and the crosstrainer, for six weeks from day of fracture. Essentially, haven't exercised for two weeks. Feels crazy. No point in going to gym if can't go on equipment so will just exercise at home tomorrow morning and then there is no yoga on Tuesday cos it's Workers Day so....
Be that as it may, my arm is not too good. Last time I saw The Lymph Lady, my arm was the best ever! Too wonderful. It seemed like at last I could consider a breather, maybe cut back on my twice daily manual lymph drainage massage and cut the constant anxieties..
Then I flew to Cape Town, had a manicure which came with a short massage and not sure which of those it was - oh, and have gained 1kg so there's that too - and suddenly it feels like shit. Wearing a compression sleeve but must admit, put it only when got back from gallivanting this morning.
Have to believe it will come right but not so charmed that it's so unstable. Also costs a damn fortune seeing The Lymph Lady. I really like her and we were going to go to a Jeffrey Archer dinner together the other day but then couldn't get tickets, but my medical aid has now lumped her treatments with other allied medical ones, with the result that the fund for that has dried up for the year and at just over R400 a session (actually cannot remember exactly what it costs, could be about R440 or so), it is kinda bankcrupting me. Well not just that, everybody I see... and boy, do I see people. "You outsource!" said The Yoga Man and until now, it's been a case of "why not?" Now my money situation is dire. Cos must have paid out close to R10 000 for medical things in the past six weeks. Oh well. Some of them are a bit indulgent I guess.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Ouch! I've broken my toe

Last Thursday I went to the opening of the ballet Giselle with my sister. It was a production featuring two dance companies, South African Ballet Theatre and Mzansi (South Africa) Productions, which are about to amalgamate, as well as dancers from Cuba and Brazil. We loved it.
However, on the way to the theatre from its underground carpark, we walked from one floor to another to reach the escalators which take one to the foyer and so avoid the lifts which take an eternity.
Oh, what a long build-up I am giving, with unnecessary detail, to avoid the obvious: that I fakked up. I was wearing these chic chiffon loose trousers with high wedges. I have worn those trousers before. Well, what I should say is that I have fallen in those trousers before, slipping, and cutting my knee so badly it still hurts when I kneel in yoga.
That first fall I tore the trousers. So what did I do? I went and bought another pair because I like them as they can be both smart and casual, and are ideal for travelling 'cos you can scrunch them up and they don't crease.
Anyway, I have slipped on them a few times again.
Then on Thursday, walking to the escalator, I fell. And I knew straight away that I had broken my toe. It was so sore.
And by the time I came home, I was in agony. I stayed up till 1am icing it, "putting on a show" said The Yoga Man, but it didn't help. Finally I took two Panados and went to bed.
Anyway, the next day, trying to walk around Hyde Park shopping centre, I realised the injury was debilitating. It took forever to get from A to B,
and I was in agony so I phoned and made a doctor's appointment for the next day.
He sent me for an x-ray and lo and behold, it has a fracture. So now I have the toe what is known as "buddy taped" to the adjacent toe (the affected toe is next to the big toe), have to wear closed shoes, and am trying to adjust to my new slowed-down, barely-moving, can't-drive-far-without-it-hurting,non-exercising lifestyle. Quite a change from my usual frenetic one. And although the doctor said I could do yoga, my toe is far too sore and I didn't go tonight. The x-ray was sent to an orthopaedic surgeon and he said I have to go for another one on Friday.