"All I want for Christmas is a New Right Knee!"

.. and here it is:

(specifically a Genesis 2, by Smith and Nephew)!

It goes without saying that this is an odd festive season for Greyrocks!  Not only is there the hospitalisation in the run-up and Ruth's reduced mobility, but it is also the first true "empty nest" one as Chloë has always been with us for either Christmas or New Year, but this year she has her first in Bristol with Jack, and won't be over until they both come in mid-January. Low key, then, is the order of the day!

During the first week of December there were two pre-op trips to Puerto del Rosario, then it was the dreaded Puento - the 6th to 8th holiday when Corralejo sees an influx of Spanish tourists! Nonetheless, we went to the spa for what we anticipated would be the last time for a while. It was more crowded than previously, but still a delight, and we also made a serious lunch trip to their beach restaurant in rather inclement weather. "An arm and a leg" was indeed shelled out there to mark an almost recovered arm, and imminent relief for the leg!

Surgery took place on the afternoon of 10th, with an epidural administered  by the Italian anaesthetist, and took about two and a half hours. What can be said about a second major orthopaedic operation in four months? Not much of worth, except that both surgeons were wonderful, and the pain afterwards ghastly! The in-patient care, of course, was comfortable and attentive this time round. The clinic is located in central Puerto, close to the main church and public square, so there was a lot of raucous noise on three of the four nights. The TV was standard Spanish terrestrial but we found the button for getting English dialogue and watched end-to-end NCIS and Star Wars feature films - regularly punctuated by ads: ninety percent of which were for expensive fragrances! What is this obsession with perfume?  We had paid for Bob to stay there too and he took himself off into town for walks, internet and meals, and - indeed - to book three nights in a hotel. This seemed a better option than going home whilst Ruth was still struggling to walk, and it meant we could also have the first four sessions physiotherapy close by. There were four of these  - which were quite gentle in the circumstances, administered by a Venezuelan physiotherapist in a cavern of a place where all manner of clients - including several young boys - were also getting the treatment. Great for Ruth's Spanish!

Arthritis; rising above it!

During the stay at the hotel in Puerto del Rosario Ruth was able to make short walks with one crutch so that the Greyrocks could once more enjoy the sun and some better - if still simple - food. It also became clear that the front seat of an ordinary taxi was adequate for getting about so that when we returned home a week after the operation that is what we used, and Ruth was able to get up the stairs surprisingly easily. A hired wheelchair was delivered later in the day.

The run-up to the festive season was then dominated by taxi-rides to the clinic on the other side of town where Ruth was entitled to the remainder of the thirty physiotherapy sessions, some outings by wheelchair or taxi and shopping done by Bob. The physio. sessions have a bizarre nature with aspects of social club. The regulars include stroke victims like the retired orthopaedic surgeon ("heal thyself?"), highly motivated surfers and sports-people and bands of elderly bussed in from the campo and speaking Majorero. We even had a birthday cake! The therapy is working and having seen the sainted surgeon Ruth is considered to be making remarkable progress. Next stop the exercise cycle and then the real thing. We can also - after the holiday congestion - get back to the spa!

The festive meal was a goose breast on Christmas Eve night followed by profiteroles from the French patisserie. A good job we liked it as yesterday we heard that the pheasant ordered for New Years Day had not arrived, so it will be a repeat! Frustrating and the washing machine broke down irreparably at the same time as we got the news! Thank you, 2015! It has been largely grim for Greyrocks along with the rest of humanity! The good bits are the new knee and getting Chloë settled in Bristol.

A HAPPY (BETTER) 2016 TO YOU!

In Search of the "Feel Good" Factor

November progressed well until the final week with great weather, a day visit from Lanzarote by Goa (and Derbyshire) friends John and Tracey, plenty of sea swimming and some investigation of the music scene around town. We were engaged in that at Rock Cafe when there were newsflashes about the Paris shootings, plunging us into despair! And then, -in a repeat of last (and several other) years - it was the birthday break and time for winter to start!

The spa at Geranios Suites 4*

 Gran Canaria was out because of awaited hospital appointments, so it was dear old Caleta de Fuste by bus again for Greyrocks. It is easy to be snobbish about the resort, which is predominantly British package in clientèle; but we have our two favoured haunts (a tapas bar and a British-run restaurant) to pull us in, and there are good hotel deals to be had, We booked three nights at the Geranios Suites, and were very comfortable there:- apart from the weather! There was a lot of sheltering from the cold wind and threatened rain; but the meal at "15" was almost up to standard and a new discovery:- "555" - was so good we dined there twice. (There is an outbreak, not fully explicable, in numbers as eatery names in Caleta:- bizarre!)

On the last full day Greyrocks decided the sea and outdoor pool were just too uninviting and bit the bullet by taking up a special offer for the hotel spa. It was the first such experience on the island, and now we are hooked! Such was the bliss of warm water, various bubbling and spraying bits, peace and space for swimming and exercises that we were back again next morning before checking out! On our way to the bus station in Puerto del Rosario we visited the public  hospital to try and resurrect Bob's cardiology project. We were sent from pillar to post but emerged with an appointment with a nurse who is the "outward and visible sign" of the cardiologist for the next day. We went for tapas by the ferry port and ultimately for an evening appointment at the private clinic and were told the date for Ruth's knee replacement: December 10th. Since then we have had a number of related appointments, financial jiggery-pokery, and aspects of planning to work towards that day; and Bob has been settled into an anti-coagulant regime which we hope will be proven to be over-cautious and can be suspended. The sense of getting old and there being no let-up in health matters is overwhelming!

The spa at the Bahia Real 5*

Bulletins will be issued during Ruth's hospitalisation of 3-5 days!

The Coco Beach Bar and Restaurant

Corralejo's weather had been no better, and some half-hearted attempts to bathe in the sea failed, so - both delighted by the spa experience and needing the therapy before the op. - Greyrocks went down to 5* Bahia Real Hotel at the other end of town to see what deals could be secured. The centre is bigger than the one in Caleta, and the entry price entitles you to stay all day and visit the hotel's restaurants for lunch (arm and a leg, of course!)  We loved it so much and got so much vital exercise there for our varied ailments that we signed up for season tickets, and have been practising phrases such as "We deserve it!", "You can't put a price on Health", "We don't have any other expensive tastes" and  "There are no pockets in shrouds". Yesterday we visited for the day not knowing when or how we would do so again given the imminence of the surgery.


Watch this space for (suitably truncated) news of Ruth's knee thing and recovery!