We now do what normal people do on weekends, i.e. wake up at a more earthly hour of 8:30am and take our time to get ready for the day.

During the weekend just past, I caught up with a friend on Saturday and after that we went to a music shop to buy a ukulele for me. I figured learning something new would be good for me and it’s also something to do for the next few months. I wanted an instrument which would be easily portable and one that I could handle easily. I tried A’s guitar and felt it was too big for me. So I’m now looking up tutorials YouTube and A is also teaching me some music theory.

But really I’m pretty hopeless when it comes to music. I learnt the piano as a kid but I was never any good at it. I stopped piano at 14 and so haven’t touched music for 30 years. I don’t have a good ear for music. In any case, this is a new activity for the moment.

On Sunday, we checked out Fitzpatrick Park which is by Georges River National Park in the southwest of Sydney. We spent the day sitting on a picnic mat and just enjoying the sunshine and fresh air which came in a cool breeze that caressed us the entire time we were there. Neither of us had been there before so it was nice checking out a new place. A also took the opportunity to go for a 50-min trail run in the national park while I waited by the river bank.

I also managed to lower myself to the mat as well as get myself upright using my crutches, without the help of anyone. I think my right leg has become strong enough over these few weeks for me to manage that. I would add that getting up and down on one leg does require a lot of core strength!

Later in the evening, I also managed to manoeuvre myself in and out of the shower stall by myself such that I didn’t need any help from A to take a proper shower. Of course I still needed to sit down on my shower stool as I’m still unable to put any weight on my left foot. For the first time since my injury, I also could have a shower without a plastic sheet over my leg.

These little milestones of independence are encouraging for me and A. I know care-giving is difficult and anything that I can do to relieve him of a task is helpful for both him and myself.