Author: preetchandi89

Recovery update: I’m getting there.. The hardest thing is being patient with myself.

I’m over 2 weeks post operation. My dressings are being changed weekly (still rocking the dressing in all my photos..) The donor site (my left thigh – where my graft was taken from) is the most painful part. I feel like my energy is much better but still feel tired after walking for around 15 minutes. I’m still keeping my leg elevated whenever I can and have limited the swelling.

I have been snacking a lot since I have been back and started getting a lot of tooth pain. I hate tooth pain.. It definitely distracted me from my leg though..
I think this is the first time I had to tick yes to so many things on my initial dental paperwork..
Have you been in hospital for anything recently ☑️
Have you been snacking a lot ☑️
Have you been having a lot of fizzy drinks ☑️

I know the last two aren’t great but I’m still enjoying the “I can eat and drink what I want” but I will start to get back into a routine at some point.. anyway, the dentist has put me on antibiotics and the tooth pain is settling.

I still haven’t left the house that much but have been to some big events when I do. Last week I went to Windsor castle with my family. I don’t own no.1 dress (what I’m wearing) and want to thank my fellow sisters in the Army for not only offering their no.1 dress but also bringing it to my home address..

Every time I’ve left the house I’ve been helped a lot with lifts and making sure I don’t have to walk far. Thank you so much 🙏🏽

I haven’t managed to catch up on emails/messages/social media. Trying to focus on recovery though 💜

📸 my mum and her favourite child 😜

Surgery went well yesterday, thank you all for your lovely messages 🙏🏽

I had a wound debridement and a split skin graft. So the wound was cleaned on my left calf, skin was shaved from my left thigh and placed onto the wound.

I had the option of having a spinal anaesthetic as everything was being taken below the waist, I took this option so I was awake for the procedure but everything below my waist very numb and I couldn’t feel anything.

The procedure was pretty quick and then I went back to a room to wait for the feeling to come back into my legs.

My left leg is bandaged from upper thigh to above my ankle. The skin graft is close to my knee so I want to prevent too much knee bending and I’m keeping the limb elevated. I’m wearing my mountain equipment trousers which have a long zip on the side so it’s easy to put them on over the dressing.

The surgery was done as a day case so I was home for the evening. It does feel a little strange being a patient as I’m usually on the other side but everyone has been so amazing.

A huge thank you to everyone at Derby Royal Hospital and everyone involved in helping me.

I still have a few other injuries that are healing.

• Neck pain that I got early on in the exped from dragging a heavy pulk and looking down at the compass (since finishing my neck movement is coming back)
• a few superficial cold injuries that are healing. You can still see the ones on my cheeks and nose.
• a few smaller musculoskeletal niggles which are healing (luckily I know a good physio – that’s me by the way.. 😉)

Earlier this week, it was my homecoming event which was organised by my expedition sponsors. 

Since I’ve come back to the UK, I haven’t left the house much. This was the most I had been out the house since I’ve been back. I felt exhausted when I got back to the UK on the 28 Jan but I’m feeling more alive daily and my body is recovering. 

I was actually a little bit nervous about spending so much time out of the house. This is not like me at all, I’m usually quite an energetic person. My energy is coming back just not as quick as I want it to. 

And I had nothing to feel nervous about. I got lifts to and back from the event and it was so lovely to see so many people that had supported me. 

I was absolutely overwhelmed by all of the support in this room. Thank you everyone ❤️ 

And it was my birthday! I turned 34 and yes I’m wearing a birthday badge (thank you to Dave, my partner, for supplying the badge..). I love birthdays and love to celebrate them. I’m sure I’ll have further celebrations later in the year when I’m fully recovered. And I truly believe that birthday month is a real thing although Dave disagrees.

It was really nice to be able to dress up. I have a dressing on for my leg injury but decided to wear a dress anyway and I’m glad I did. You can see my dressing on the second photo but i think it adds to my style…

A huge thank you to everyone on the Lorraine show for doing my hair and makeup that morning! 

*Warning – one of the images at the end of this post shows ab open wound of my calf*

I sometimes forget that I finished the expedition just over a week ago. My body still aches and I’m recovering from the cold injury on my calf (image below).

I lost 20kg in weight including fat and muscle (this photo was taken the day I finished at the ALE med centre in Union Glacier). I felt physically exhausted when I finished the expedition. I still don’t have much energy, I realised this very quickly on my flight back to the UK and found it difficult walking from my domestic to international flight with my 10kg backpack, something I would usually do with ease.

I first noticed the cold injury to my left calf in early Dec 22. The injury is named Polar thigh as it usually commonly on the thigh. The wind had been coming from the East (hitting my left calf first) for a few weeks. I had three layers of clothing over my calf (nothing tight fitting).

I became quite creative with my dressings and you can see my used cut up socks as additional dressings on my left leg.

It looked like a bruise to start and then started to scab over before the skin broke. I put a granuflex dressing on as soon as the skin broke and left it on for around 5 weeks. It was a bit painful in Antarctica but the pain was a lot worse when I was in Chile. As soon as I was out of Antarctica, the wound has gradually started to heal. I have been going into my local NHS hospital and I’m having my dressings changes every few days. Planning for surgery in around a week for a wash out and a skin graft. I have had so many amazing people help me and advise me about my injury.

I’m surrounded by my family who have been providing me with lots of food, taking me to the hospital and Sonia is still working on getting the huge knot out of my hair (we’re getting there)!

I have been back in the UK for four days and have just started going through some of your amazing comments. Just reading the posts on my final blog brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so so much for all of your support throughout my journey 🙏🏽❤️

It was so good to see my family at the airport, my mum even brought home made parathe with her (they did not last long…)

I haven’t left the house much since I’ve been back. I did go to the hairdressers to try and get this huge knot out of my hair (from not brushing my hair for 70 days) – it’s currently a work in progress. 

My body is still pretty exhausted and I have to remind myself that I only finished the expedition a week ago and give myself some time to recover. 

I haven’t reflected on the expedition much since I’ve been back but will definitely take the time to do so and continue to eat and sleep. 

I’ve been very much enjoying the luxuries of sitting down to go to the toilet, having a warm bed and being able to eat whatever I want!

📸 my niece and nephew waiting for me at London Heathrow Airport

My luggage did not arrive at Heathrow so I came out carrying minimal kit. It was left in Madrid at my connection but we were reunited yesterday 🙂 

Hi everyone, apologies for the delay in posting the final blog. It has been a quick turnaround from finishing to travelling to Chile from Antarctica. I finished on the 23rd and wrote this blog post on the plane journey back to Union Glacier (the ALE camp). It took me 24 hours to reach the pick up point, it was a really tough day and I’m still pretty exhausted.

I’m disappointed that I ran out of time to make the crossing of Antarctica which would have been around another 100 miles. But I also feel I did everything I could. I didn’t take a single day off in 70 days and pushed the hours every single day.

I’m also proud of myself, I kept going when it was tough, when I thought I couldn’t do anymore. I wanted to continue to push my boundaries and hopefully inspire others to do the same.

I wanted to show that it does not matter where you are from, what you look like or what you start line is, you can truly achieve anything.

A lot of people told me that I would not be able to achieve things, wanted me to fit into a box, I’m sure the individuals would not admit that now but I’m so so glad I didn’t listen to them.

If a Punjabi woman from Derby can do this, then anybody can achieve anything

It was Rupi Kaur that said:
“I stand on the sacrifices of a million women before me thinking what can I do to make this mountain taller so the women after me can see farther”

I hope I have made that mountain a little taller. You are capable of so much, don’t let anybody tell you that you are not.

And finally to Antarctica – this is not a place you conquer, it is a place you treat with respect and hope it will allow you safe passage. Thank you for allowing me that safe passage.

And a few more words:

Aaj main ehi dakhona chaundi si, ke thusi kuch vi achieve kar sakde hai.

Main hamesha is expedition naal loka nu inspire karna chaundi si

Jeh Derby tho ik Punjabi kurri eh kar sakdi, thusi vi kuch vi achieve kar sakde hai

That’s all from me.

You can see my live location and listen to my audio updates here.

Hi Everyone. I had a really tough day. Came into a lot of Sastrugi, fell several times and travelled slowly and it was very cold. The water in my thermos flask even froze. I haven’t made it to my pickup flight yet but I am not far.

Over the last week I have been listening to some comedians (their audiobooks). Romesh Ranganathan, Tez Illyas, James Acaster, thankyou for keeping me company and making me laugh out loud. I got to see Nish Kumar and Tez Illyas earlier this year, they were brilliant. I am looking forward to watching Man Like Mobeen’s new season and of course Taskmaster.

I’m just feeling pretty tired and looking forward to coming home soon.

That’s all for tonight.

You can see my live location and listen to my audio updates here.

Hi Everyone. I dont have long to go now. Another long day, still pushing the hours while I can. The pilot is already at my pickup point and I am aiming to be there tomorrow. I am feeling very tired but I am still taking it a day at a time and hopefully just one more day to go.

I’m constantly hungry at the moment, I think I may have burned quite a lot of calories. I have been thinking a lot about food and when I get home, I’m looking forward to having my grandma’s parathe with amb da achar (mango pickle) but on the way home from the airport, I will likely stop for a Nandos.

I am looking forward to getting to the pickup point tomorrow. It’s been a tough journey but I am doing ok.

That’s all for tonight.

You can see my live location and listen to my audio updates here.

Hi Everyone. A tough day today. It was very cold and windy but I kept my breaks very short so I diddn’t get too cold. I diddn’t let my self stop earlier though because I wanted to get the miles in.

I have been given my pickup point which is about 30 nautical miles away from me. I’m pretty gutted that I dont have the time to complete the crossing. I know that I have done a huge journey, it’s just difficult while I’m on the ice and I know it’s not that far away.

Today I listened to the little voice notes which were sent to me before I left and they are amazing. It’s so nice to hear the voices of those closest to me. I have voice notes from my close family as well, so from my mum, my two older brothers and my niece Simran. I listened to childhood memories from my brothers, my mum telling me how excited she was about having a baby girl and how the midwife commented that she had never seen an Asian woman so excited about having a girl. And finally hearing my niece say its the most amazing thing she has seen anyone do in her entire life and it’s even more amazing because it’s her phuwa (auntie) doing it. It’s so precious to hear. I have not yet located the easter bunny or the tooth fairy, but I still have a couple of days left.

I love you all and can’t wait to see you all soon. That’s all for tonight.

You can see my live location and listen to my audio updates here.

Hi Everyone. Had a long cold day today and it’s getting a bit windy as well. But when I’m in the tent I put boiling water in my nalgene water bottle which I first put by my feet before sleeping, then I hug it overnight to keep me warm.

So today I announce the final winner of the school competition. Simrat Soggi from Landau Forte College, Derby.

I love this logo, it is really creative and I love the meaning behind it.

Simrat said: ‘I was very inspired by Preet; an Asian woman from Derby, pushing herself to achieve dreams despite typical clichés and obstacles that Asian women can face. Being of Asian heritage, I can relate. Through hard work, the boundaries she is breaking to achieve her ambitions is admirable, giving me confidence that I can also achieve the same. My design celebrates and champions strong Asian women using:

• Mandala patterns and colour to resonate the beauty of Asian heritages.
• Logo ‘Break Boundaries’ to encourage young Asian women to push themselves.
• A map of Antarctica, reminding people of Preet’s expedition.’

Thank you so much Simrat, I love everything about this logo and the words to go with it.

You can see my live location and listen to my audio updates here.