Second full day at home.

Despite picking up a headcold, I am still feeling much better than before I left. 

I have four days left of heparin injections to ensure I get no post-operative blood clots forming in my newly opened veins. Today I gave myself the injection in my stomach, Robin has done them all so far. It was less difficult than I thought it would be, although diabetics who use insulin daily have my respect. Every instinct cries out against sticking something sharp into yourself, puncturing your skin. I cannot have any alcohol until I've finished the heparin, so the champagne celebrations will have to wait until the weekend.

The staircase is no longer my enemy. Whilst winning no prizes for speed, I can walk upstairs in a fairly normal fashion, one foot per step, and not hanging on to the bannister for grim death. Coming down is a little harder, but still better than before.

There is some criticism of the procedure: that the effects are a results of placebo. If this is placebo, give me more. Seriously though, I have considered this posibility. However, I have had one effect, correcting a problem I didn't know I had.

Robin had said nothing to me, so as not to cause distress, but in recent months the muscles on the right hand side of my face were drooping, making my eyes and mouth lopsided, particularly when I smiled or laughed. I was unaware of this. Since coming back from Poland, that lopsidedness has gone, my face no longer drooping. The first I knew about the whole thing was when Robin told me.