Today was the day that........

Sunday 7th April 2019

was my parents's Wedding Anniversary and also the anniversary of the day I broke my front teeth in the local swimming baths when I was 12!  Not something you forget especially as to celebrate their anniversary my parents had bought steak and ice cream for our evening meal!!  The steak was too difficult to chew and the ice cream too cold on exposed nerves!

However, I digress.  It is also, and more importantly, the day that we should have set sail from Droitwich Spa Marina to head for Netherwich Basin in Droitwich on the first day of our 2019 cruising season.  Sadly we are still at home!

About 6 weeks ago I started with a slight ache in my right knee which was worse when I bent it.  Within less than a week I was virtually unable to drive despite where I had the seat positioned.  Even sitting in the car as a passenger was painful.  As to walking - the less said about that the better.  Stairs were, and still are for the most part, tackled one at a time.  As Chris put it I went from 'hero' (I was the main dog walker and did most locks when on the boat due to Chris' arthritic knee and COPD) to 'zero' in the space of a week.  Chris had a cataract op on 21st February - just five days after my knee problem started.  I am glad to say his op was a success with no dramas that David on nb Waka Huia faced, but there was a three week period when he was unable to drive.  All I can say is thank heavens for Mr Tesco or we would have been getting taxis to and from the supermarket.  I have had an x-ray which showed mild arthritis behind my patella, however, what I am suffering is anything but mild.  One night something cracked behind my knee which was accompanied by excruciating pain.  I was sent to the trauma clinic at our local hospital to see a consultant.  The outcome was 'it is probably arthritis I will get your GP to refer you for physio'.  With the boating season looming, I opted to use a private physio that our daughter uses.  Three sessions in and strict adherence to my exercise regime, there is little change, so the physio advised an MRI scan.  Again I have opted to go to a private clinic (cheaper by a long way than a private hospital) and I have an appointment for this Wednesday.  If nothing untoward shows up, we are going to try to start our trip next Sunday.  If we find we are unable to manage we will have to turn round and come home.

The plan is to meet nb Cleddau at Burscough Junction to travel up the Lancaster together - something we really want to do.  So if you meet us on the cut and wonder why we are dithering and a bit slow at the locks, please take a deep breath and be patient.  We may well appear to be a couple of old crocks, but we are still very young at heart.