Slowly does it....

Rather shell shocked from a fortnight from left field, it was great to take it really steady and gradually worked my way back onto solids!! Can you believe I am saying this? Today (Sunday) I managed to eat a hearty but well cooked stew, and I actually lashed out and had a glass of red. A good one (2001 Lindemans Pyrus), my personal little celebration. Very small serves, and I didn't feel like eating at all, but I need to, and I did.

Thrilled to see my temperature stabilize, at last. Backing off on pain killers too today...with very few top ups today of Morphine (but needing some right now), wow that is seriously encouraging. Today has been the first day of reversing the level of pain control, and I have everything crossed that last Thursday & Friday will prove to have been the bottom of round one. I hope so.

I have under four weeks to put on around 5 kg and get in a hell of a lot better condition in prep for the operation. My weight has dropped below 70kg (69.7kgs) from 73-74kgs which is where I need to be. My fitness is down heaps too but right now I am so pleased to just be eating and out of hospital. Oh what a feeling!!!

Subject to tomorrow morning getting the nod from Tabitha, my amazing Oncologist, Sylvia and I are celebrating with a short holiday getaway. We know we have to take it really steady but a drive to Melbourne in Black Beauty on Tuesday/Wednesday really appeals to both of us. Once again, a bit of a reward, something to just break it up a bit before round two.

There is a Commonwealth Bank 100th Anniversary Black Tie gig on Wednesday night in Melbourne which we were invited to many months ago that we are both keen to attend. We have very close friends we have been invited to stay with, Karen and Graham (Hayes). They have a spectacular penthouse style apartment over looking the Botanic Gardens & MCG and we stay there a lot. Karen is on the Melbourne Football Club Board...and they are both a great sounding board on many things, including the health issues that I am going through.

Gen and Suz will fly over on Friday night so we can spend some time together as a family as we casually head home in Black Beauty over the weekend.

Sure, no Europe holiday but we will settle for that at the moment, and believe it or not, I am very excited about it.

This weekend at the vineyard has proven extremely therapeutic. It is so cold and wet, but the fires have been going all day and it has been toasty inside. Karen and David, Doddy and Ty and Jen all called in today.

Yesterday our niece Nicola (and her boyfriend Simon) had arranged weeks ago to stay in our cottage. We had dinner with them Saturday night with Gen (Tom came up today) and Suzannah ...plus neighbour Cecelia...seriously that sounds exhausting. It has definitley been a social weekend. I was completely honest with everyone and just headed off when I needed to and Sylv ran the show with the girls, and it has turned out to be such a great relaxed and chilled time.

While I think of it, we have had hundreds of kangaroos hanging around the house, and the Fogarty's cows have been visiting too. The Fogarty's are up in the snow this week but given they check this blog most days, don't worry about the cows, we have tagged them and we can share!!!

I must say, looking over a winter vineyard, kangaroos and cows grazing, with it raining and toasty inside with open fires going strong, that defines paradise to me right now.

A very chilled, weekend of recovery, with family and friends all around, and the vital KPI's heading in the right direction, life is good today.