Tomorrow is the third anniversary of having my heart stopped and repaired. Time has passed quickly but at the same time it feels a lifetime ago. And a lot has changed since then in the way I view life and particularly my health which I use to take for granted. I never imagined that I would become ill, needing major surgery and intensive care. But it happened. 

Three years on I am healthier and fitter than before the surgery. I am also more appreciative of what I have and grateful that I came though the experience. Some are not so fortunate. 

A few weeks ago I was talking to someone I had only just met. A friend of a friend. At the end of the evening he said to me ‘we are in the same team’. When I asked him what he meant be pulled down his collar to expose the scar on his chest with a ‘we are both coffin dodgers!’ He explained that he had had two mitral valve repairs. Two operations. I remain fearful that I may have to go through it all again.

What is frustrating is not being able to fully move on due to the medication I’m on. Being on Warfarin means regular visits to the anticoagulant clinic which have increased in frequency over the last few weeks due to my levels being too low. And now I am having problems with the GP surgery (who have already tried to kill me twice before by a misdiagnosis and a drug interaction) refusing my repeat prescription. Maybe they are hoping for third time lucky. The NHS can do amazing things but it can be a most challenging organisation to navigate around. 

I’m now twenty-three weeks into my sixtieth year. I have twenty-four ticks on my 60 for 60 list (see About). If there were 60 weeks in a year I would be on track. So I’m a little behind. I did get to the end of August feeling that my calendar was pretty bereft. I was due to run the Great North Run at the beginning of September but had to defer due to a hamstring injury. So to get back on track I started looking at other things to do. I now have another mountain climb planned, a Women in Fitness Event to attend and have bought a ticket for Body World. The latter is described as a ‘unique, exciting and interactive journey through the human body’. You may have seen the advert. A lot of bodies with the skin removed exposing the musculature. Muscles never really interested me as a nurse and a midwife although I did become expert in the muscles of the pelvic floor as a midwife. But now they fascinate me. 

I’m also thinking about a 70 for 70 list. But I don’t want to wait until I’m 69. I may not get there. So I’m considering 70 counties in my seventh decade. It does mean an average of 10 countries per year which may be a little ambitious but I can only try.

Where my training is concerned my hamstring seems to have completely recovered. I went back to Parkrun yesterday to test it out. I intended to go slow so not to stress it out. And I did go slow as I couldn’t go any faster. It always amazes me how quickly fitness is lost. I found it hard. I know it is easily recovered so I’m back on it. I still have aspirations to do a thirty minute 5k. I’ve over six minutes to shave off my time.

What is going well is my strength training. I’m on a new programme and already seeing progress in strength and form. I managed to sumo deadlift 95kg x 4 reps last week. It felt good. I’m on track to smash my strength goals. As long as my GP doesn’t kill me off first.