I’m finally back in the office following my hip replacement operation three weeks ago.
So, what have I learned from three weeks staring at the ceiling? There are four main things.
One
Firstly – thanks god for Netflix and YouTube – I’ve gone down so many internet rabbit holes I felt like one of the little bunnies from Watership Down.
In all seriousness, it’s been tougher than I thought – the pain in the first two weeks was probably the worst I’ve experienced (Wendy said that’s because I’ve not experienced labour – I told her this Labour government was more excruciating than childbirth).
Two
The second thing I want to share is encouraging people to get private health insurance. The NHS is brilliant, but if I hadn’t had health insurance, I would have been on a mad, long waiting list instead of being seen and sorted within 2 months of my diagnosis. It’s well worth the money – I’m not into spending money on cars, watches, or ponceing it up in Dubai, so the £400 a month or so it costs to cover my family is invaluable.
Three
The third thing is your health is your biggest asset – we take it for granted so much that it’s almost laughable. Being unable to do much for myself for a while really got me thinking about how I will go into my later years. Health will be my number one priority moving forward. I heard an American business leader say that the number one asset in your portfolio is your health. He’s not wrong in my opinion.
Four
Having a team is essential and is my fourth point. Our team (BIG shout to Carmin, Ruche and Mark) was well prepared for my absence, knew what they were all doing, and it gave me a sense of what it would look like if I made myself redundant. It also highlighted where we need to improve our processes and where time is best spent.
The good news is I’m emerging out the other side, moving more easily, sleeping a little better, and my energy is returning.
Finally, a big thank you for all the kind wishes and patience – I appreciated all the messages.
Jerry
