What deosn't kill you etc etc

It's true, I had no idea that you people lived like this, pain free?! ALL THE TIME?! I think I've already said this, at least I've definitely said this to everyone I know but it's like I'm a whole new person, and if this is how you all live then you should get out there and engage in some kind of extreme sport or something because it makes me feel like I could run a marathon, or build a house or pull a boeing 747 along with my ears, or fix the lawn that I've accidentally killed when I got a little trigger happy with the feed and weed...

This is incredible, I had absolutely no idea how difficult life was until life wasn't difficult anymore. I think because the problem had been getting steadily worse over four years I had no perception of how debilitated I was. All the exhaustion, and the head being all over the place, and the endless, numbing, frustrating pain... and then three weeks of hell... and then nothing. Just nothing! No pain, my head feels like a fog has lifted, I can think in sentances now! And I'm so excited about it all! To put it simply, I had no idea that I was struggling, I thought I was doing ok, and now I actually am.

So I have to tell you all to embrace your health and well being, I know what I sound like (I really do, preachy and, well, american) but I know what you have and honestly, your health is everything, and it informs everything, I function better, I'm just happier, so much happier.

Unfortunately my parents seem to think that means I should have a baby RIGHT NOW, in fact, right now I'm a little late, the first time my mother mentioned it I was still in hospital but I am thus far managing to keep her at bay. My Dad, being one of those religious types, wants me to get married before that, so between the two of them they're having a tug of war to see who can wear me down first, at this rate I'll be gagged and dragged down the aisle (in the not at all pretentious cathedral wedding that my father dreams of) and knocked up before the ink is dry on the certificate, Glenn will be slightly woozy from all the barbituates they've slipped into his tea. Ah, just how I always dreamed it would be...

After the first laparoscopy in May 2004, I was a mess, I cried solidly for two days, I couldn't stand up for a week, it took me an age to pull myself together. After the second laparoscopy in October 2006, I had a cry when I got home, but then I was fine and I could walk around like a normal person after four days. After this operation? No tears, none at all, there was a moment when Keane were on the TV when I had a small lump in my throat, but that's no measure of anything, that music is gentically engineered to make bears cry. Physically we won't talk about because it's like comparing a rover 25 with a porsche 911, but my recovery has been remarkable, after about 16 years of hating my body, now I feel like I can be friends with it again, I probably wouldn't invite it to the cathedral just yet, it did after all get me into this mess in the first place, but I might send it a christmas card, one of the ones from the large box of 'comedy' cards for work people, not the hand made ones for people I love, we're not there yet.

So yeah, what doesn't kill you etc etc, turns out to be true.

Smile, we're all so very, very lucky, and most of you don't even know it.