The Road Back · Post 3
Slowly, Slowly
Three days after I got home, on 20 August, I made it outside. 1.29 miles down Lower Walditch Lane and back, in just under 33 minutes. The caption I put on Strava said it all: “First steps outside after being hospitalised. Recovery starts again now.”
The next day I went a little further. 2.29 miles, and the caption was two words I’ve been repeating ever since.
Slowly, slowly.
Then it started to build. A market-morning wander into Bridport with Sarah and Nellie. A 3.69-mile lunch walk. A 6.24-mile loop out through Loders and Uploders and back round by Walditch, two hours on my feet, which finished off the August Walk 30K. “Very happy with the progress. Will be running again soon. Starting to feel normal again.” I meant every word.
On 25 August I walked the riverside from Dorchester out to Charminster along the Frome, 4.53 miles, and came home thinking it would make a cracking Thinking Out Loud route. The road back is already turning into something bigger than me.
A big thanks has to go to my running buddy, Nellie. She’s been by my side for plenty of these, and she never once complained that her running partner had been demoted to a walker. Four legs, one lead, and all the patience in the world.
Behind the walking, the meds are doing their job, and there are a lot of them. I’m rattling about with fourteen tablets a day. Eight of those are steroids, repairing the immediate kidney damage, and two Furosemide to shift the water. Then there’s a supporting cast to look after my stomach, bones, blood pressure and cholesterol while the steroids do their thing. Rituximab is the long-term repair. It’s working. In this stretch I dipped under 100kg for the first time.
| Date | Walk (Strava title) | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug | First steps outside after being hospitalised. Recovery starts again now. | 1.29 |
| 21 Aug | Little bit further today. Slowly, slowly. | 2.29 |
| 22 Aug | Market morning wander with Sarah and Nellie | 2.95 |
| 23 Aug | Lunch walk | 3.69 |
| Aug | Loders & Uploders loop — completed the August Walk 30K | 6.24 |
| 25 Aug | Dorchester and Charminster riverside walk. Potential TOL route | 4.53 |
| 26 Aug | Afternoon recovery walk with Nellie | 2.96 |
| 27 Aug | Quick dog walk to keep the recovery on track | 1.42 |
| Eight walks | 25.37 |
The Road Back — Stats
Weight
<100kg
Under 100 for the first time
Lost so far
7+kg
From 107kg start
Longest run
0mi
Walking first
Longest walk
6.24mi
Loders loop · 2h 4m
Walked
25.4mi
8 walks · 20–27 Aug
Road Back day
8–15
Walking back
To Paris
350+mi
April 2028
Tablets a day
14
8 of them steroids
Treatment — the daily rattle
- Prednisolone — 8 × 5mg a day (40mg) · steroid, repairing the immediate kidney issue
- Furosemide — 2 × 40mg (10am & 2pm) · to release the water
- Ramipril — 1 × 2.5mg · blood pressure
- Atorvastatin — 1 × 40mg · cholesterol
- Famotidine — 1 × 20mg · protects the stomach while on steroids
- Adcal-D3 — 1 × 750mg · calcium & vitamin D, protects the bones while on steroids
- Rituximab — IV infusions · the long-term repair
The combination stays until everything heals. The steroids get weaned off, one tablet at a time, once the urine test sticks come back clear.
Every figure is real and dated. Early weight loss is fluid shifted with medication — the rest is earned on the road.
Running soon. Slowly, slowly.
— James (and Nellie)