It's 12 days out from surgery but I am pleased to say I'm doing better. I can walk pretty reliably, get up and down from chairs and bed, and last night I actually slept pretty well. So today I'm feeling almost human, if slightly slow. I'm still swollen and bloated but the incisions are healing well. (It was a laparoscopy, they did 3 incisions). I'm not supposed to drive til Friday which is a pain, but honestly, until today I didn't feel mentally up to it anyway. I think the biggest shock of this whole situation has been how long it's taken for the anaesthetic to work its way out of my system. I wasn't able to think through things properly, it was very frustrating, I felt quite stupid. Each day I've attempted small things - a shower, a load of washing, having a visitor. Yesterday I did my nails and Mum and Dad came over which was lovely. Today I've been able to do a few things! That feels better. Convalescence is a bitch! It's not my favourite thing at all! I'd never had surgery til I had babies, and then, you have all the happy hormones in your body and the complete immersion of new motherhood. Oh, this has been something ELSE and I don't recommend. Soon will start the slowwww rehab journey back to dance fitness. I will not be able to dance in the Fringe this year, it starts in a month! Hypermobility and Fibromyalgia means that it takes me 4x longer than 'regular' people to build muscle so i'm going to have to take my time and be patient. I'm thinking of doing some Youtube videos about the process. What do you think? (pic: my pretty nailzzzzzz)

Hello lovely Ballet Alchemy family, I've had a very eventful New Year during which I had a bad case of appendicitis and a resultant appendectomy. It was not my favourite way to see the New Year in! And without going into too much personal detail, this situation will have some drawn out impact on my overall health situation which means I can't continue to run Ballet Alchemy classes for a little while. I have cancelled all subscriptions and refunded any recent payments. I am extremely sorry for the inconvenience this is going to cause current students but I'm leaving all the material online in case you'd like to revisit any of it. I plan to restart everything mid-year. In the meanwhile I will leave this group open, and I am here for you if you need any ballet-related help at all! I really hope your New Year is going swimmingly and that you have a great January and all following it. Please let me know if you have any questions! Cheers Nicola

I mean, that's a bizarre question, really... I started typing thinking it was a cute play on words, but the more I thought about it, the stranger it got... so I've stopped thinking about it LOL Anyway I just really wanted to write a Christmas post. For those of us in countries with a Christian heritage it's the main celebration of the year even thought most are no longer devout, and it's a great time to get together with loved ones and share food and fun. Tomorrow I am seeing my parents and sisters, as I sometimes do, and kids will open presents, and there will be a yummy lunch all together. I'm excited to see my family, but it wasn't always so. We've been closer since my Mum fought her way through what should have been a terminal illness, and it's changed many dynamics in the family. So these days I'm glad to see everyone. I hope that you, wherever you are, and whatever your situation, have a good day tomorrow, and find joy, in what you do with your day! I am really grateful for my students who come to weekly classes right here, and I'm happy that we have many new members. I'd love to hear from you guys, and welcome you into classes in 2026. Please, let me know how I can help you!