I have started 2016 in the best way possible. On a cruise in the Caribbean. Although I do have some reservations about cruising spending the first couple of weeks of the new year lying on some of the loveliest beaches that the western hemisphere has to offer was a great way to recover from what has been a challenging few months.

A major attraction when booking the cruise was the presence of a doctor and medical on board. We booked it at the beginning of November when I was still struggling with my Warfarin levels and a return to full health felt a long way off. Two months later I was probably one of the healthiest ‘floaters’ (yes that is what you become) on board and my only visit to the medical centre was for a blood test. But I have to say it really was very impressive with state of the art facilities including an ITU bed.

Cruising is a great way to see a quite a bit of the world without the need to pack and unpack your suitcase. You arrive at a new destination whilst you are sleeping. What I don’t like are the sea days where it feels as if you are trapped in a very busy hotel with no opportunity to escape and the relentless quest to separate you from your money. Every performer and presenter has a DVD or book to sell, a trip to the spa results in you having some skin condition that can only be remedied by a £50 bottle of oil and Wi-Fi is exorbitant. My simple blood test which took a couple of minutes cost £61. But what I find really offensive is the rubbish that the personal trainers come out with to make you that little bit poorer.

It goes something like this. You attend a presentation entitled ‘Eat more to weigh less’. The presentation has nothing to do with eating more to weigh less but is about how the only way you are going to lose weight is to have a metabolic rate assessment and start a course of detoxifying algae. Which of course they can provide at £30 and £69 respectively. What a load of rubbish and certainly in breach of their Code of Conduct if they are registered in the UK.

But anyway apart from the need to hold firmly onto my husband’s credit card the holiday was wonderful. It has helped put the last few months behind us (it has been a huge strain on my husband as well as me) and set me up to help recapture my fitness over the next few months.

I feel as if I am now back to full health. I am a little overweight. I stayed fairly constant when I was recovering as any additional calories were being used to repair my heart and sternum. But at some stage they got diverted to my love handles. And they now have to go.

So yesterday was my first  day back to RAW Inc. Training and my first personal training  session. It felt so good to be back. Of course I am starting off fairly easy. Listening to my body for any signs of pain or discomfort. But I am confident that in six months I will be back to my previous level of fitness and by the end of the year who knows. And I have a five year plan that I won’t disclose to anyone. Not yet anyway.

An excellent start to 2016.

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