goodbye March

Here we are in April. March was a trying month and although the start of April is only a date on the calendar, I'm hoping that it is a fresh start.

With my father-in-law passing away in February and all the admin that entails, my husband being diagnosed with calcific tendonitus which is a painful shoulder condition reducing the amount of movement in the joint (no driving) and work being busy/stressful for all the family,  March didn't get off to a good start.

We decided a family holiday would benefit everybody and our sons joined us for a week in the Brecon Beacons the week before Easter.

It started well. On the second day the weather was fine and clear and we walked up in the mountains.

 Fine mild weather,

stunning views

and then on the way back down to the carpark, my husband tripped and fell breaking his leg  and ankle (four breaks in total). He is still unsure how it happened, a well maintained path, fine conditions, the correct footwear and clothing - just one of those things.

Mountain rescue were brilliant, giving him oxygen, pain relief, strapping up his leg and carrying him off the mountain on a stretcher.

He was then taken by ambulance to hospital where he had surgery and stayed for ten days. Not the holiday we planned.

I stayed in the holiday cottage with our sons, visiting the hospital in the afternoon and evening.

We made the most of the days exploring the Brecon area. Then towards the end of the week, youngest son picked up the sickness and diarrhoea bug that was rife in the hospital. He could no longer visit his father in hospital and at the end of the week I was glad when the three of us were safely home and husband was being looked after in hospital.

I planned to return and stay in a hotel near the hospital but then oldest son and I went down with the sickness bug. After the required 48 hours had passed I drove back down to Wales and checked into a hotel hoping for a few quiet days to recover. The pressure on hospital beds meant that my husband was released the next day so still feeling rather fragile myself, I drove him home.

So that is where we are at the start of April. There is a lot to sort out with transferring care to here, fracture clinic appointments, physiotherapy etc over the next few weeks but hopefully things are improving. Well I thought that until I pulled my back unlacing my walking shoes yesterday (what?, how?!) and I am now shuffling around the house rather stiffly - my body may be trying to tell me to slow down but that doesn't seem possible right now.

A quick trip to the supermarket for some healthy food and then a quiet weekend I think.

I'll sign off with this photograph taken near the canal at Brecon, good advice in the circumstances.