Nicky Rennie: ‘I nearly got arrested the other day for a sausage roll’

Doctor's orders mean no sausage rolls for Nicky Rennie. Photo / 123RF

COMMENT

As part of my ongoing recovery from the head injury I got back at the end of June - with rather a lot of support from occupational therapists, physiotherapists and good old ACC - I’m now back at work fulltime.

It was a gradual process and to be honest, even now, some days are better than others. I have a new respect for my brain and how tricky life can be when it has limitations.

My left eye now has a dinky little habit of sagging if I’ve overdone it. I’ve had to learn to listen to my body and try to be patient with the fact that I’m still not operating at 100 per cent. It’s frustrating, but getting my knickers in a twist and beating myself up will only make it worse.

I’ve learned that you can go backward at a rate of knots by thinking you can beat your body. You can’t.

As part of the getting-back-to-work process, I went and got a physical with my GP and that included blood tests. When I got the text to go in to discuss the results, I didn’t really think anything of it, but blow me down if I now don’t have a bit of a worrying cholesterol level.

This body is just the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve clearly hit the age where my body has decided it’s payback time for the ill-treatment over the years.

I went straight to Aunty Google to get a bit more information. Interestingly enough, in my GP’s waiting room, it says: “Please don’t confuse your Google search with my medical degree”.

A very fair call, but I didn’t have much of a clue, to be honest, about what I needed to do. I’m a bit middle-aged squishy around the middle but not overweight, I rarely eat takeaways and I eat lots of fresh veges and good meals.

I thought it could only be one thing, eggs. If eggs had a fan club, I would be its president. I love them in any way, shape or form. But it turns out nope, eggs are still allowed to be my friend. The relief was palpable.

The other thing I love is meat – Danger Will Robinson! In my newly acquired list of bad things for Nicky meat has a starring role. I may need to relegate it to best supporting actor for a couple of days a week.

To be honest, getting this report from my GP isn’t a bad thing.

I’m in control of reversing it and I know what I need to do for this to happen. It’s going to be a bit of a reset, I’ve decided. I’ve signed up for the Round the Bridges walk, I now have water on my desk to drink and have started a food diary.

I’m praying that when my GP said “our bodies are very forgiving” that it might just happen without me going to a confessional. My final piece of advice if you need to have a heart reset is tell your workmates.

My eight humble workmates have now all become the Cholesterol Police. I nearly got arrested the other day for a sausage roll.

Even with a bit much cholesterol, at least I am in better health than the current state of politics in New Zealand, but that isn’t really saying much is it?